Customer Reviews

Canon WP-DC4 Waterproof Case for Canon SD600 Digital Camera

5 star:		(22)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I bought this case together with my new SD600, to start making underwater pictures...the case is easy to use and set up, took pictures at 110 feet, no problems, no leak...

only gave 4 stars because the case is a bit too buoyant in shallow water, kind of a pain in the neck to see it float in front of you but that's not too bad...

This past weekend I took the SD600/WP-DC4 for a 60 foot dive and was
able to take pictures and video in 15-foot visibility. The Dive Master said I would not need to "oil" the O-ring since it was new. The "oil" is to maintain the O-ring's flexibility and only needs enough to moisten it. Time will tell. Also, I would buy a nice retractable strap to attach to your BC to allow you to extend and then secure the camera when not using. It is a good idea to give the camera to someone on board the boat and have them hand it too you before you jump into the water as well. This could be dropped in with a line, etc. There was even a separate bucket with clean fresh water for cameras only. Enjoy, I will probably buy some "spare" O-rings to be on the safe side. Too early to give 5 stars. It should be noted that someone else had a "Sea Life" digital camera, I think the DC500. Apparently, it "locked" up on him and he was not able to get any pics, etc.

I bought this case in Oct. 2007 specifically for my honeymoon in French Polynesia (Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora).

It was worth every penny paid; a truly fantastic and worthwhile investment.

This camera case performed beautifully and hassle-free while diving to depths of about 27 metres (89 feet). And, the case worked equally as well on the surface during the frequent and sudden rain showers that quickly blow through on Tahiti and her islands.

Even on the black-sand beaches of Tahiti, where the sand is ultra-fine, the water-tight seal was kept intact.

All of the controls were easily accessible, smooth, and effortless to use.

I followed the included manual on where to attach straps and never had an issue. In fact, on most days the case never left my wrist!

At depths of 27 metres (89 feet) the captured picture was a bit blue, even when the camera was in "Underwater" mode. However, this was to be expected and isn't a side effect of the case; and once I properly manually white-balanced, the blue-tint was significantly reduced.

The case did fog up a few times initially, but following a recommendation I stuck a packet of silica pellets (the ones that say 'Do Not Eat') in the case and never had a fog-up again.

I was religious about washing the case with fresh water at least at the end of every day, and sometimes two or three times a day - depending on length of time between the last time the case was in the water and when it had dried off.

As a rule of thumb, I followed the same cleaning guidelines as I used for my SCUBA gear: rinse with fresh, cool water, dry with soft, clean, lint-free cloth, keep out of direct sunlight.

In French Polynesia, I found a good regiment was to rinse off the case using a removable shower head, then patting dry the larger areas, blowing some quick, forceful puffs of air to get out droplets that hide in the nooks and crannies, pat dry again, then leave to dry in a cool, shady spot with some ventilation overnight.

In the morning, the case was ready to go, spot-free and watertight.

I highly-recommend this case as it performed perfectly and was an excellent value for the money invested.

I do *not* recommend purchasing the additional weight block.

In salt water, the case plus camera was almost neutrally buoyant.

In fresh-water pools, the case plus camera was slightly negative buoyant (obviously as fresh water weighs less).

Adding the additional weight block is an unnecessary purchase and would most-certainly cause the case, and your camera, to sink for sure.

*** I have posted pictures taken while in French Polynesia on this product's Product Page. ***

I used this case in Thailand for two weeks during various water sports. I dragged it through salt water and sand and it performed admirably. I did not take it too far underwater though; I have a separate slr rig for that. There are buttons for all the controls which make the camera actually easier to use because they are bigger than those on the camera itself. When taking surface shots, blow off any water spots on the lens port or you will get blurry blotches on your photos. Also keep it out of the sun. I think it caused a series of fogged photos one afternoon or there could have been too much light bouncing around within the case.

This is a fantastic product. I like the fact that it allows you to access all of the features of your Canon SD600 Digital Camera while underwater. And luckily, the Canon SD600 even has an "underwater" setting. I used this when snorkeling in Hawaii, taking still photos as well as movies. I never had any problem with leakage or fogging. And the photos and movies came out very well. The only downside is that you can't use the camera's viewfinder while it's in the case, you have to use the LCD screen.

The waterproof case was easy to use. It was easy to change the settings on the camera using the buttons and levers built into the case. Operating the camera while it's in the case feels completely natural, as easy as using the camera itself.

I like this case so much, that I would recommend buying a Canon Powershot camera just so that you can get one of these cases.

Hi, I have tested this item a couple of dives now and would like to share my experinces.

Minus
-No lens protection. it doesn't matter if the casing gets scratched as long as the part infront of the cameras lens dont get scratches.

Plus
-You can take photos under water.
-Have heard some people having trouble with fog inside their casings(other models) but havn't experinced anything like that on this one.

Conclution: This casing gives you everything you could excpect, is perfect to travel with and even if it some money it is very priceworthy. Buy one. And Canon... get some kind of lensprotection to the next generation, I and many people with me have ended up making lenscovers our self.

I recently bought this for my Canon SD600 camera...which I love by the way. I used it on my trip to Bonaire to go scuba diving. I used the underwater setting on the camera, and turned the flash to stay on all the time. The housing worked great! It was really easy to use underwater.

I was really nervous to use this product because anything you put underwater has the risk of leaking, luckily this didnt. i tested it out in the bathtub first and the coast was clear! I used this every day for a week while in hawaii and it worked amaaaazingly. I rinsed it in fresh water right after using it whenever possible to prevent the salt from building up. Its true that sometimes the glare of the sun makes it hard to see the display, but thats just the way things go. It really didnt bother me. I highly recommend this product!

**UPDATE** 7/2/09
I used this again almost a full 2 years later with no new o-ring or any actual maintenance . it just sat in my closet for the last 2 years. It still worked perfectly. Just always be sure to test it out prior to use and things should be fine!

This case is perfect. Pop your camera in and use it underwater just like when you are on dry land. Practice first to get used to the controls but they are essentially the same as without the case. You can change any settings...reveiw pictures...anything. Comes with a tube of grease for the o-ring. It does NOT include the weights which keep the camera from floating. These must be purchased separately. Easy to use.

Our Canon WP-DC4 Waterproof Case for Canon SD600 Digital Camera cost nearly as much as the SD600 camera, and I purposefully bought a cheaper 6 month old technology camera as insurance in case the waterproof case failed.

We have not had any trouble with the waterproof casing and being new to underwater photography, have been completely blown away - our expectations have been well exceeded - by the imagery. You don't need to be an expert to take some amazing photos on the water at sunset / sunrise - Monet Waterlilies Style. The waterproof case allows you to take photos at water level where the lighting, colour and depth of field effects are often most pronounced. I have taken some fascinating shots by holding the camera at water-level - half submerged or slightly below the surface - positions that would not be possible with the more expensive (non-waterproof)SLR-type cameras.

From a family perspective - our kids are learning to swim and taking and watching their swimming videos motivates them to get back in the pool, and underwater. As parents we get the record, and we get kids that can swim - without too many of those expensive swimming lessons.