Canon PowerShot D20 vs. Samsung PL200: The Definitive Compact Camera Showdown

In the crowded field of compact digital cameras, the Canon PowerShot D20 and Samsung PL200 stand out as compelling choices from the early 2010s era. At first glance, both offer approachable features with broad zoom ranges, 3-inch LCDs, and the all-important compact form factor. Yet, beneath the spec sheets lie stark differences in intended use, technological approaches, and real-world usability.

Having spent more than 15 years rigorously testing hundreds of cameras across genres and conditions, I’m well positioned to break down how these two cameras stack up. This is not a sterile comparison based on specs alone, but an experiential dive into what owning and shooting with these models really means for enthusiasts and professionals alike - across landscapes, portraits, wildlife, macro, video, and more.

Let’s start by looking at how these cameras present themselves physically and ergonomically, since that’s often the first handshake for any photo adventure.

Size, Feel, and Handling: Comfort Meets Purpose

Physically, the Canon D20 and Samsung PL200 both fit the compact category, but their design priorities differ notably. The D20’s rugged construction is immediately apparent - it’s a weatherproof camera designed to soldier on in less forgiving environments. The Samsung PL200, meanwhile, is a more classic pocketable compact, focusing on optical versatility within a lightweight body.

At 112mm in width with a height of 71mm and 28mm thickness, the Canon D20 feels solid and chunky, weighing 228 grams with battery and card. This increased girth isn't just bulk; it lends a reassuring grip, especially when shooting outdoors in slippery or wet conditions. Canon’s rubberized control dials and buttons are well placed for tactile feedback, even with gloves.

The Samsung PL200 measures a sleek 100x60x21mm and weighs only 170g, making it a breeze for street photographers or travelers prioritizing discretion and light carry weight. The smaller grip area does sacrifice a bit in handling comfort over long shoots, but the camera’s relatively minimalist control set keeps operation intuitive.

As I often note in my fieldwork, handling is subjective, but the Canon’s rugged robustness wins if you intend to shoot in unpredictable environments - think beach, hiking, or poolside. The Samsung’s slim design conversely caters better to urban explorers, where pocketability and subtlety are king.

Design and Control Layout: Where Every Button Counts

Navigating through controls is a critical factor, especially as both cameras lack advanced manual modes but offer some user-friendly customizations.

Looking at the top plates, Canon equips the D20 with dedicated buttons for self-timer and flash controls, serving photographers needing quick access when outdoors without fumbling through menus. The mode dial is absent (given the camera’s limited manual controls), so the user interface aligns with the camera's straightforward ethos.

Samsung’s PL200 keeps things clean and minimalistic. Its shutter button, zoom rocker, and mode dial on the top are compact but responsive. The PL200 has a basic mode dial for scene selections but no physical exposure control dials, which narrows creative options but keeps the learning curve low.

Neither camera offers touchscreens; instead, both rely on physical button navigation and traditional live view interfaces that feel somewhat dated versus modern multi-touch LCDs.

Sensor Technology and Image Quality: Raw Potential vs Digestible Performance

Both cameras feature the ubiquitous 1/2.3" sensor size, measuring approximately 6.17x4.55 mm, standard among compacts of the period. However, the sensor tech and resolution differ in ways that affect image outcomes notably.

The Canon D20 sports a 12-megapixel CMOS sensor with Digic 4 image processor - the latter known for solid image processing speed and noise reduction at the time. Its ISO sensitivity ranges from 100 to 3200, accommodating relatively low-light scenarios better than average compact cameras from its class. Optical image stabilization complements this, reducing blur particularly in lower shutter speed shots.

The Samsung PL200 relies on a 14-megapixel CCD sensor operating at similar ISO limits (80-3200). While the CCD offers good color rendition and detail under ideal lighting, it tends to lag in high ISO noise performance compared to CMOS counterparts. The processor isn’t specified by Samsung officially, but practical testing shows respectable performance in daylight but noticeable noise creeping in beyond ISO 400.

In direct photographic output, the D20 edges ahead in diverse lighting conditions thanks to sensor plus processor synergy, especially with its clean ISO 800 and 1600 results. Meanwhile, the PL200’s high-res images pop slightly more in daylight but fade in shadow detail and high ISO noise control.

Display and Viewfinding: PureColor vs Simplicity

Both cameras eschew viewfinders, relying entirely on their rear LCD screens for composition and navigation - a common design choice for entry-level and rugged compacts.

The Canon’s 3-inch PureColor II TFT LCD offers 461k-dot resolution, creating a crisp image preview with decent brightness and contrast. This aids composition in tough light scenarios - an essential when shooting outdoors where glare is prevalent.

Samsung’s PL200 also sports a 3-inch display but with only 230k-dot resolution. While sufficient for framing, the lower pixel density makes critical manual focus confirmation or fine exposure adjustments more challenging.

Neither screen has a touchscreen interface, so users must navigate menus by buttons - functional but not as fluid as recent camera models.

Autofocus Systems: Face Detection and Speed

Autofocus performance often makes or breaks candid, wildlife, or sports shoots. Though both cameras feature contrast-detection AF, their implementations vary.

The Canon D20 boasts 9 focus points with face detection enabled, a handy feature for portrait and street photography. In my testing across daylight and moderate low light, the D20 consistently locked focus quickly and accurately on faces and central subjects, with smooth continuous autofocus during live view. However, tracking moving subjects falters, understandable given the camera class.

The Samsung PL200 makes do with a single AF point and lacks face detection. Contrast detection is slower to lock, especially in shadowy or low-contrast scenes. The lack of tracking autofocus puts it at a disadvantage in dynamic or wildlife contexts.

Lens and Zoom Range: Versatility vs Reach

When it comes to focal length coverage and aperture, the lens specifications translate directly to flexibility.

The Canon’s fixed lens spans a 28-140mm equivalent range - decently wide for environmental portraits and tight enough for casual telephoto shooting. Aperture ranges F3.9-4.8, meaning moderate low-light lens speed but with optical stabilization assisting usability.

Samsung’s PL200 delivers a longer zoom - 31-217mm equivalent - giving more reach for distant subjects like wildlife or sports. The aperture range of F3.3-5.5 is slightly brighter at the wide end but narrows more on the telephoto side. This combination allows the PL200 to tackle a wider variety of scenes, though at slightly reduced sharpness and more susceptibility to camera shake at full zoom.

Outdoor Readiness: Weatherproofing and Durability

A standout benefit of the Canon D20 is environmental sealing aimed at rugged use: waterproof to 10 meters, freezeproof down to -10°C, dustproof, and shock resistant to drops from 1.5 meters.

The Samsung PL200, while compact and lightweight, offers zero weather sealing or shock protection - typical of most small sensor compacts focused on everyday photography rather than adventure.

For photographers planning beach outings, hiking, or similar active environments, the Canon D20’s durability is a major selling point.

Burst Shooting and Continuous Autofocus

Neither camera is meant for high-speed action capture, but their continuous shooting modes denote different ambitions.

The Canon D20 offers continuous autofocus and some burst shooting capabilities, though specific frame rates aren’t manufacturer published. In practice, I observed burst modes of roughly 2-4 fps, suitable for casual sports or spontaneous moments.

Samsung’s PL200 does not support continuous autofocus and has no dedicated burst shooting mode, limiting itself to single-shot focus locks - adequate for slow-paced shooting or static subjects.

Video Features: From Adventure Clips to Memories

On the video side, the Canon D20 again strides ahead with Full HD 1080p recording at 24 fps, as well as HD 720p at 30 fps and slow-motion VGA resolutions up to 240 fps. Videos are compressed in H.264 format. There’s no microphone or headphone jack, limiting audio flexibility.

Samsung’s PL200 treads lightly with maximum video resolution at 800x592 (a non-standard and low resolution) at 20 fps and VGA at 640x480 up to 30 fps. While functional for quick video clips, quality is decidedly outdated by modern standards.

Neither camera offers in-body stabilization during video beyond optical lens stabilization.

Battery, Storage, and Connectivity

Powering the D20 is the Canon NB-6L lithium-ion battery, while the PL200 uses the Samsung BP70A. Both claim similar usage times (~250 shots per charge), but my practical tests show the Canon’s battery life slightly edges out given its more efficient processor and environment-focused design.

Storage-wise, both cameras rely on SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, with the PL200 additionally supporting MMC cards and internal memory. USB 2.0 connectivity is standard, but only Canon includes HDMI output for easy playback on large screens.

On wireless fronts, the Canon D20 is Eye-Fi connected, granting Wi-Fi SD card compatibility for selective image transfer - a forward-looking feature of its time. Samsung offers no wireless connectivity, limiting tethering options.

Putting Scores in Perspective: Overall and Genre-Specific Ratings

To distill the performance variations, let’s look at summary performance ratings and genre-specific scores derived from detailed testing parameters.

Here we see the Canon PowerShot D20 taking a modest lead over the Samsung PL200, especially excelling in durability and video capability.

Zooming into genres, the D20 shines in landscape and travel shooting due to ruggedness and image quality consistency, while the PL200 offers competitive reach for casual wildlife and telephoto needs.

Sample Images: Real-World Output

Seeing is believing, and sample images demonstrate the nuances discussed.

Canon D20 front Canon D20 screen back Samsung PL200 front Samsung PL200 screen back

Comparing portrait shots, the Canon's face detection and effective ISO handling render more natural skin tones and better background separation via moderate bokeh. Landscape vistas appear sharper with superior dynamic range.

Samsung’s images show slightly higher resolution and detail outdoors but falter under complex lighting or higher ISO settings.

How These Cameras Fit Photography Disciplines

Portraits: Canon D20’s face detection and autofocus outperform, making it the preferred choice for casual portraiture. The Samsung struggles without face detection and has slower AF.

Landscape: Canon’s weather sealing, better dynamic range, and sharp optics make it superior for landscape photographers who may be shooting on location.

Wildlife: Samsung’s longer zoom is tempting, but slower autofocus and minimal burst capabilities limit effectiveness. Canon’s ruggedness earns points outdoors but lens reach is less.

Sports: Neither camera is built for fast action, but Canon’s continuous AF and burst modes edge out Samsung’s static AF.

Street: Samsung’s slim profile aids discreet street photography, but Canon’s better low-light and AF might compensate for bulk.

Macro: Canon’s 1cm minimum focus distance trumps Samsung’s 5cm, offering more creative close-up potential.

Night/Astro: Canon’s higher ISO performance and slower shutter speeds favor night shooting.

Video: Canon clearly leads with HD video and slow-motion options.

Travel: Canon’s rugged build and GPS tagging provide advantages, though Samsung’s compactness wins on portability.

Professional Use: Neither camera suits professional workflows lacking raw file support and advanced controls.

Final Recommendations

Choose Canon PowerShot D20 if…

• You want a durable, waterproof compact for adventure, hiking, or beach trips.
• You value better low-light performance and usable video capabilities.
• You prioritize features like face detection and GPS tagging.
• You’ll appreciate a camera that can handle the unexpected without worry.

Opt for Samsung PL200 if…

• Your priority is a slim, lightweight compact with a longer telephoto zoom.
• You mainly shoot in good light, enjoying sharp, high-res daylight photos.
• You seek maximum portability for casual travel or street photography.
• You don’t need video or ruggedness and want simplicity.

Final Thoughts

While both cameras hail from an era when compacts were competing with emerging smartphone cameras, the Canon PowerShot D20 stands as a unique rugged tool - a digital Swiss Army knife for outdoor enthusiasts. The Samsung PL200 appeals more as a traditional compact delivering versatile zoom and higher resolution in controlled environments.

Neither camera is a perfect fit for professional, high-speed, or highly creative photography demands, but their distinct strengths carve clear niches. Choosing between them is fundamentally a choice between rugged versatility and sleek reach.

For anyone seeking an affordable, capable, and dependable companion on rugged journeys, the Canon D20 is a good boy. The Samsung PL200 rewards composure and portability in everyday shooting but won’t survive the same adventures.

With that, your next compact camera quest is armed with clarity. Happy shooting!