water proof case for S50

[rklepper]

I have an S50 and am considering the waterproof case. Anyone have first hand experience with it? (ie not read about it in a review.)

Thanks

Doc

[snapshooter]

I've got an S45 I think your cam and mine use the same underwater housing, and after seeing one seep water cause it was not closed properly, made me lose interest. I think a cheap disposable one is a safer choice. If anyone wanted to do underwater photography, why not invest on one that is 100% designed for under water use? : ) just my 2 cents worth....

[rklepper]

I was just thinking that we are going to Apple River this summer and will do some tubing. Can't lug my SLR, but the S50 is perfect if it were waterproof. You are probably right about the disposable, but the S50 takes really nice pictures.

Doc

[Poco]

I don't have the S50, but I have the underwater housing for the S400 and I'm guessing there is some consistency in the housings that Canon makes. I love it. I used to take disposables snorkelling with me and have never gone back once I got the housing. The cost different alone (over buying a lot of disposable cameras) is worth it and the quality is amazing.

The WP-DC300 is rated for 30 meters (Mine is 40 meters, but it has never been deeper than 15 meters) so unless you dive deeper than that you should be good, as long as you close it correctly :-). It can fog up if you are in a humid environment so I will get some of those cilica packs to put in it before I use it again.

Also, you should be familiar with the user of color levels (or curves) in Photoshop as the white balance needs serious help under water, but you can get some amazing results. Though I've never tried it, I'm thinking about a waterproof white or gray card for manual white balance.

Check out these attachments you can get for it. How appropriate - a fisheye lens for an underwater case - I think I have found my next new toy. Perhaps you can attach a filter using these to help balance the colors.
http://www.seaoptic.com/products/digital/InonWPDC300.html

Here are some pictures I took in Mexico with my S400.
http://okuda.blogspot.com/2004/04/do-not-mess-with-this-guy.html
http://okuda.blogspot.com/2004/04/baracuda-we-almost-stepped-on-in.html
http://okuda.blogspot.com/2004/04/cozumel-crab.html

The next two are my favourites and only required the slightest amount of color adjustment. Good luck getting something like that out of a disposable.
http://kazpictures.blogspot.com/2004_11_01_kazpictures_archive.html

[ByteTheBullet]

I have an S50 and the Canon Waterproof case. I have used it in the ocean and played around in the pool with it to get used to it. There are two buttons missing when your have it in the case. The up and down on the directional button. It is a drawback, but you can still use the other buttons. I usually set the custom to something that I think will work for the day and I also switch to the other modes as necessary. I also use mine on the beach to keep sand and stuff out of the camera. I would use it in the snow, if it snowed here. The directions are pretty clear and you should test the seal before you get to the water. The camera gets hot in the case and could cause the lens to fog, but it comes with anti fog stuff. I also stick a silica gel pack inside the case, it may not help, but it makes me feel like it does. You can also set the power save mode to help with battery life. Just don't forget to wake the camera before you take the shot. I recently got an S70 and we will be getting a waterproof case for it before our annual beach trip.

Hope this helps, feel free to ask any specific questions. Shop around for the best price.


ByteTheBullet (-: