Canon WP-DC5
Waterproof Digital Camera Case Review
A consumer's opinion of the Canon WP-DC5
underwater camera case for the SD700 IS with sample snorkeling pictures.
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| The Canon WP-DC5 also came included with a flash diffuser attachment, a bright yellow neck strap, a tube of silicon grease, and a wrist strap with an adjustable plastic slider to keep it tightly attached. I have yet to use the silicon grease to re-lubricate the case's yellow rubber o-ring. I do my best to keep the rubber o-ring clean by keeping the case in a plastic bubble wrap bag when not in use and leaving the case sealed when it is outside in the elements. It's also important to thoroughly rinse the case after use in the ocean with fresh water before opening it up and allowing it to air dry before storing the case. | ||||
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| The only issue I ever had with the Canon WP-DC5 was when fog (condensation) formed on the inside of the case's lens during the snorkeling trip on Isla Margarita. I quickly learned from reading online that inserting a small desiccant packet inside the case would help remove the moisture in the air inside the case and prevent condensation from forming. It helps if you load the camera into the case in a low humidity environment such as an air conditioned room or car. To "recharge" the desiccant packets after a few uses, just pop them in the microwave for a few seconds at a time and store them in a sealed Ziploc bag. You can get desiccant packets for free whenever you purchase shoes, camera bags, or a variety of other common products at electronic stores, Wal-Mart, Target and Radio Shack. | ||||
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| Besides hindering the sound capturing ability of the camera's video mode, the Canon WP-DC5 also works great on land in places that your camera could use a bit of extra protection. I've used the case while kayaking, during beach outings, canoeing, and in windy desert areas where sand could be blown into the camera. | ||||
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| I'd recommend setting your Canon digital camera to the "Underwater" (fish icon) setting when using it while snorkeling or scuba diving to capture the most accurate colors possible. Try to get really close to your subject if possible and turn on the flash with the flash diffuser attachment secured to the protruded lens housing. | ||||
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| The sample snorkeling pictures below were taken while snorkeling at a variety of beaches on the Big Island of Hawaii. They have not been post processed or altered in any way except for being resized to 800x600 resolution. If you'd like the colors in your underwater pictures to really "pop" without much work, try using the "I'm Feeling Lucky" automatic photo adjustment button in the free Google Picasa software program. | ||||
 Coral Formation |
 Big Island of Hawaii |
 Snorkeling Off Beach |
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| Here are some tips for taking great pictures while snorkeling: hold the camera as steadily as possible with two hands, press the shutter during the calm "lull" in between waves, keep the flash turned off when the lens is zoomed in or if your subject is more than two feet away, float quietly to avoid spooking the fish, get as close as possible to your subject, set the camera to the macro (flower icon) mode for interesting close up coral pictures, move the camera very slowly while capturing video to avoid inducing nauseating your viewers, and take tons of pictures since you can always delete the bad ones later! | ||||
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| Overall, I think the Canon WP-DC5 Waterproof Case for my SD700 IS has been worth every penny of the $150 purchase price. It has proved to be rugged, dependable and has allowed me to capture many precious memories without fear of damaging my digital camera. | ||||
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| I'd highly recommend purchasing a Canon brand underwater case for your Canon camera over the cheaper plastic bag "cases" commonly available on eBay or various retail websites. If you have the extra money, I've read that the Ikelite brand of premium waterproof camera cases are exceptional products. Just as an example, the Canon WP-DC37 case for the SD1400IS costs about $180 while the Ikelite #6240.14 for the SD1400 IS costs $260. | ||||
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| Canon manufactures a waterproof case for a variety of their popular PowerShot or Elph compact digital cameras such as the following with their respective case model numbers: SD1100IS (WP-DC22), SD1300IS (WP-DC36), SD770 IS (WP-DC23), G11 (WP-DC34), G10 (WP-DC28), SD1200IS (WP-DC29), SD780IS (WP-DC31), S90 (WP-DC35), SD750 (WP-DC14), SD1000 (WP-DC13), S95 (WP-DC38), SD800 (WP-DC9), and many more. | ||||
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 Coral Reef |
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 Fish Feeding By Coral |
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 School of Yellow Tang |
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| For more of my related photo galleries, click on the following links: Tokoriki Island Fiji Snorkeling Pictures, Rainbow Reef Fiji Scuba Diving Pictures, Taveuni Island Fiji Snorkeling Pictures, Key Largo Florida Snorkeling Pictures, Margarita Island Snorkeling Pictures, PacSafe TravelSafe Security Bag Review, Canon SX20 IS Review, Canon Cameras CCD Sensor Recall, Canon S5 IS Review, and Canon 430EX External Flash Review. | ||||