Canon Goes Rugged with the PowerShot D20 Point-and-Shoot

After Panasonic and Nikon presented their rugged point-and-shoot cameras earlier this month, Canon follows their lead with the introduction of the PowerShot D20, a strange looking compact with underwater shooting abilities.

To make the D20 better fitted for its role, Canon used a special design which enabled it to include an easy to access switch for swapping between the regular photo mode and the special underwater of snow modes.

Furthermore, the D20 has a built-in underwater macro mode, as well as a special wind reduction technology to help it capture clear audio even in breezy conditions.

Moving past the rugged features of the D20, Canon’s point-and-shoot sports a 12.1MP CMOS sensor, similar to the one found in the ELPH models launched by the company earlier today.

This is paired together with a DIGIC 4 image processor and with a 5x 28mm optically stabilized zoom lens.

The rest of the features list includes a 3.0-inch rear LCD display, 1080p Full HD video recording, and a built-in GPS so that users can know precisely where they were when they captured their pictures.

According to Canon, the D20 is waterproof to a depth of 32.8 feet (about 10 meters), shockproof to drops from up to 4.9 feet (1.5 meters) and it can withstand cold down to 14 degrees Fahrenheit (-10 degrees Celsius).

"Whether it's a powerful zoom, Wi-Fi or waterproof features, our new PowerShot lineup empowers people to be creative with their photography,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, executive vice president and general manager, Imaging Technologies & Communications Group, Canon U.S.A.

“There are good enough images and there are great images, we always aim to help people capture the best images," concluded the company’s rep.

The PowerShot D20 camera is expected to ship in May 2012 for an estimated retail price of $349.99, which translates into about 267 EUR.