Customer Reviews

Canon WP-DC5 Waterproof Case for Canon SD700 IS Digital Camera

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I purchased this underwater case for my Canon SD700 to use snorkeling in Hawaii. It worked perfectly - no leakage and the shots came out great. I have 2 complaints though - 1)Sometimes the inside of the lens fogged up and i'm not sure why. This usually happened after I had been using the camera in the water and I wanted to use it on land or in a pool - both times the environment was hotter than where I had been snokeling. The second problem I had was with the positioning of the selection wheel for selecting what mode you were using (auto, manual, video etc). With the camera outside of the case I have no problems but for some reason when I held the case underwater I had a tendancy to hold the wheel and turn it without knowing - so was a result I ended up taking some videos when I meant to take a picture. Annoying. But overall a great way to extend the usage of your Canon SD700 camera.

I bought this case just before a trip to Hawaii, thinking I could try to get some fish pictures while snorkeling.

I had so much fun snorkeling with this camera, I ended up going on my first scuba dive with it. I went down to 37 feet and the camera and case worked great.

I even found myself keeping the camera in the case while I did other activities -- while hiking, kayaking, swimming under a waterfall, and even going to a wedding, I just kept it in the case where it was protected from the weather and easily accessible around my neck. All the controls on the camera are easily accessible through the case. Until I wanted to slip it into a pocket or replace the battery or SD card, there was little reason not to keep it in this case.

Having said all that, there were two issues I had with the case, both of which I learned to deal with. First of all, as I got in the habit of keeping my camera in the case more and more often out of the water, I started taking flash pictures out of the water from the case. I didn't realize at first I needed to have the diffuser clipped onto the case when taking flash pictures to avoid shadowing from part of the case. That was my own fault, and once I realized what was happening, I was able to mitigate the problem with the diffuser. Still, for flash pictures out of the water it's really better to take the camera out of the case because the flash is stronger if it doesn't have to go through the diffuser.

The other issue I had only occurred underwater. I had trouble seeing the LCD display clearly. As I got more familiar with the camera and case, I found that I really could see through the LCD, but I had to be careful about the angle and the lighting. With some practice, it became much more useful.

I look forward to my next trip, when I think I'll be better at using this camera and case, both underwater and above water. It really pays to read the instructions carefully and take some time to practice with the camera and case.

My husband wanted to buy this case before we went to Maui in January. I was skeptical at the price and did we really need this blah blah blah. But we had a whale watching excursion planned, and also we wanted to go snorkeling, so I relented. I figured at the very least it would protect my almost new, and rather pricy, digital camera from whale and ocean spray. While the surf was up too much for us to go snorkeling, we got some absolutely fantastic photos of whales underwater. We were fortunate enough to be "mugged" by two whales on our excursion. We were on a smaller boat with pontoons around it, so we were able to lay on the pontoons and literally reach into the water and just aim it in the direction of the whales. While we did get a lot of "water" photos, with a digital camera, who cares, just delete. But the photos we did get of the whales are priceless. You would never know they were taken through a case. Even the above water photos were in focus and clear. (I did wipe off water drops from the lens area.)
I was very happy that we had this protective case. Not only did we get great underwater whale photos, it protected the camera from banging around. It was easier to hold onto it and the boat at the same time by using with the longer neck strap rather than just using the camera's wrist strap. Had I dropped it overboard leaning onto the pontoons(it's hard to wear the neck strap at that point), the case would have made it float rather than sink straight to Davy Jones' locker.
You need to be very familiar with all the buttons on your camera. While it is truly fully functional in the case, the case buttons cover up the camera buttons so that you can't see them to remember which is the flash button etc. I don't think we used the flash--the water had plenty of sunlight-- so all of the underwater photos were a pretty blue, but that beats the gray mushy looking pictures we got snorkeling with those disposable underwater cameras. I am very happy that we splurged on this accessory.

I bought this specifically to use during my honeymoon in Hawaii and it worked flawlessly. I was a little scared putting a $500 camera in a plastic case and taking it underwater but just read and follow the care instructions and you won't have any problems with leaks. Also I was amazed at the functionality the case allowed. It allows you to push any button on your camera, spin the wheel to take video, review your shots, etc.

As for the pictures they came out great once I learned how to shoot underwater. No flash for far objects, use the flash up close, etc...

Bought case for easy scuba photos. This is my 3rd elph camera/case combination - had the S410 and S500 previously. In my opinion - Canon screwed up the design of a previously excellent case.
Pros:
Small compact, easy to carry while diving.
Great size for view screen.
Cons:
Must use the flash diffuser screen in order to avoid having a dark bottom corner in the photo. On very close up shots, even without flash, I got a dark bottom right corner.
The flash diffuser screen is not very secure - comes off easily. Yes there is a "leash" but I dont want to worry about bumping that thing off or breaking it all the time. The previous "S" series case had a solid diffuser that screwed on up snug to the case so this wasnt an issue. Plus you could remove it with no negative effects in photos.
Control buttons are much too close together. Hands get cold & its even harder to use. Wearing gloves? Impossible.
The area of the case that covers the lcd is plastic & scratches easily. Not a big deal since most small scratches dont show underwater anyway but still a negative that should be mentioned.
The mode dial turns with no indication of when you change modes so you have to watch the screen to see when you've successfully moved from camera to video to playback etc.
I'm sending mine back and hoping the next release of Canon cases is better.

Works like a charm, as long as you're careful about keeping the seal clean and putting some (but not too much) silicon on the gasket. Instructions say that even a grain of sand or piece of hair can prevent it from sealing. I don't know if that's true, but anything bigger will definitely soak your camera. It's also not a bad idea to put a little silica packet in next to the camera to absorb moisture, since changes in water temp can cause a little fog inside the case.

It doesn't work as well as a $5000 camera set, but it's infinitely better than the little underwater disposibles. Overall I'm quite happy with its performance, and have great pictures of my honeymoon as a result.

This case fits the camera perfectly and does everything as advertised. All buttons are easily accessable, of different lengths (so you can learn to find the right one underwater while diving without looking) and they do not leak (even at depth)! You should probably read the instructions and follow them carefully (they are simple and very clear). Key point will be to grease the gasket and avoid letting sand or hair contaminate the seal while open. Salt water will crystalize on the surfaces if not washed with fresh water after each dive (my only recommendation I did not see covered in the instructions).

Great product, highly recommended (if you can handle the price $$).

We bought this Canon WP-DC5 Waterproof Case for my husband as we were going to Hawaii. We really cannot say enough good things about the case. The fit over the digital camera is perfect. One can use all the functions of the camera while it is in the waterproof case. We would highly recommend it to anyone. Plus, we got some really great underwater fish pictures!!

The camera housing is solidly constructed and 100% waterproof. I have confidence that my camera is safe. The lens glass is optically clear, while the rest of the housing is strong plastic, ruggedly constructed. It allows good pictures underwater (though the camera's flash isn't strong enough to make much use of the diffuser). I use it primarily for pictures while kayaking, and it protects the camera, giving me peace of mind. The housing isn't perfect however: The camera's viewfinder is blocked by the underwater housing's lens ring, forcing you to use the LCD display on the back of the camera to take pictures. I also find that for kayaking, where salt water splashes on the lens and body, but pictures are actually taken on the surface in open air, it's hard to get drops of water off the lens (particularly dried salt water). I wish the housing had a lens cap to keep the spray off when I'm not taking pictures. It doesn't, and because of it's non-standard shape, I can't get one.

When I got my SD700, it immediately became my favorite toy. The only limitation was that it was hard to get good photos of my family out in the surf. That all changed with the WP-DC5 waterproof case. I can go right out into the surf with them, and get all kinds of shots: closeups as they catch a wave, side shots as they surf by, and even from below, as they ride over me on a bodyboard.

The product worked great. It was easy to set up, and not a drop of water got on my camera. I was nervous about putting such an expensive camera under water, so I did an initial test with a piece of tissue paper. I have been tumbled several times by some fairly big waves, and my camera is still dry and in-tact (although I don't recommend that).

I can hardly wait for our next snorkeling trip to Hawaii.