Haier DC-A20 Review

Haier America is entering the U.S. camera market this year for the first time, and its underwater camera, the DC-A20, is one of its first models. Although this camera has a couple of nice features, overall, my Haier DC-A20 review shows a camera that does not compare very favorably to other underwater cameras or other cameras in its price range.

The DC-A20 has quite a few odd functions that you rarely see on point and shoot cameras anymore, such as a lack of an optical zoom lens. It also only offers 9.0 megapixels of resolution. You might find it for less than $100, but other models give you more value for your money.

Image Quality

When the shooting conditions are good -- good lighting and a subject that's pretty close -- the DC-A20 performs pretty well. Such photos are sharp, and the colors are pretty accurate. Occasionally, the camera's focus will be a little off, leaving photos a little soft, but the DC-A20 tends to perform adequately compared to other cameras in its price range when conditions are good.

If you have some tricky shooting conditions, though, such as low light, the DC-A20's image quality is hit and miss. You'll find quite a few unusable photos with this camera when shooting in low light.

Additionally, with a maximum resolution of only 9.0 megapixels, the DC-A20 lags behind most of the cameras you'll find on store shelves right now. You may not notice any problems with the 9.0 megapixels of resolution, unless you plan to make large prints, but the slightly lower resolution compared to other models will cause this camera's image quality to suffer a little bit.

The lack of an optical zoom greatly affects image quality as well. You can use the DC-A20's 6X digital zoom, but photos I shot with the digital zoom were noticeably soft, and most were of poor quality. It's almost not worth using the digital zoom. (For more information on the differences between optical zoom and digital zoom, read my Understand Camera Zoom Lenses article.)

Performance

The performance of the 6X digital zoom is going to seem odd for those used to optical zoom lenses, as the digital zoom moves in distinct "steps," rather than as a smooth magnification.

The DC-A20 does not perform very well with close-up, or macro, photos, which tend to be out of focus. It has no macro mode in its scene modes, which are limited to basic modes, such as landscape and sports.

Startup is very fast with the DC-A20, which is nice for capturing a spontaneous photo. Shot to shot delays vary quite a bit with this camera. When you're shooting over a short distance without a flash, the shot to shot delays are minimal, but the delays are long for other shots.

The DC-A20 has only a 2.5-inch LCD, which is small compared to most of today's point and shoot cameras. Glare on the screen makes the LCD very difficult to use on sunny days, which, in turn, makes it difficult to frame photos outdoors, as the LCD is the only viewfinder.

Design

The look of the DC-A20 is just OK. At 0.96 inches in thickness, it's pretty small for a model that can be used underwater. The lens does not extend outside the camera body, which is a nice feature for a small camera. It has a red plate on the front panel with black trim.

For a camera with an MSRP of $129.99, the DC-A20 has a sturdy, well-built feel. It can run from two AAA batteries, which is handy, and the battery and memory card compartments lock shut.

The DC-A20 can work in up to 10 feet of water, which is great for such a low-priced model. However, it's tough to recommend the DC-A20, when other cameras, such as the FinePix XP10, cost just a little more and offer far more features.