Digital Camera Canon Powershot Review

The case is great. It fits the S90 perfectly, and lets you operate all the controls with relative ease. You can turn the front control wheel, and you can *press* the rear control wheel in 5 different areas but not turn it. However, this is not a big disadvantage because you can still access all the features of the camera using various button presses, even if you can't turn that rear wheel. It's just a little slower.

Canon builds these cases for almost all their compact cameras, and they've got it down. You don't want to go around dropping the case on random rocks, but it's built pretty solidly, with thick plastic. It's not leaked on me, nor did I ever have any problems with the very similar case for my Canon S30 that I've used over the past 7 or 8 years.

The flash is pretty lousy -- it's blocked by the case, though the included diffuser helps this a bit. But if you do much underwater photography you're not going to want to use the onboard flash anyhow, and this problem is shared with every single other point-and-shoot case out there.

I wish it was wider angle -- the S90 goes pretty wide, but you lose a lot of this once you put it underwater. Some SLR housings have 'dome' windows rather than the flat piece of glass that this one has, and that allows you to get the full wide angle of the lens. Too bad Canon doesn't offer that option here. But considering the price and the rest of the functionality, it's still a bargain.

Note that Ikelite makes a 3rd-party case for the S90 which is pretty similar, but a little more flexible than Canon's: for instance, you can screw on a wide-angle adapter lens in front of their case. That setup would clearly be better... but by that point it's become triple the price of the Canon casing. If you're going to spend that kind of money, you may as well keep spending and buy a full underwater SLR setup.

Update: I have recently had a problem with the window fogging up *between the two front pieces of glass* -- that is, moisture which is internal in the case and can't be wiped away even from the inside. I assume this is an isolated problem with my unit, but I will edit this review if the problem returns.

PROS:
This is a terrific underwater case, extending the S90's reach for a relatively modest price. The camera goes in easy and securely, it has a hefty quality to it (about twice the weight of the S90 itself), and I'd even say it looks nice (orange & blue Scuba bling). Best of all, all the controls remain accessible, except that in order to "turn" the rear wheel, you have to press "S" plus left/right. The zoom is actually easier to use with the case on than off, thanks to the big lever.


CONS:
- I found that the case scratches rather easily. After a week of tossing it into my dive bag it has developed some visible scuffs all around, even on the metal around the front glass (aluminum I suppose), and particularly on the back where you'll be looking at the screen. Luckily, the front glass itself seems to be hardened, no marks there at all.
- The included wrist strap is inadequate - you can zip-close it tight to your wrist, but it WILL come undone. I've dropped my camera TWICE on my recent trip and will be looking for a better solution for when the bottom is out of reach.
- The front glass is rectangular and therefore it's impossible to fit a lens cap (for outdoor purposes) or wide-angle converter (think reef shots).


THINGS TO KNOW:
- For actual SCUBA use (as opposed to rafting or snorkeling), you will also need two of the four steel plates from the Canon Weights package, something they really should have included with the case! Especially since they're cheap enough to develop rust.
- For maintenance, soak or at least rinse the case CLOSED in freshwater, preferably after every dive. Never get the interior wet - it will rust. Also, be diligent and relubricate the o-ring with silicon grease multiple times per dive trip, and always inspect the seal after you close the case (the translucent plastic makes this possible). I've seen a case flood on my recent trip, and it's not only an opportunity to learn or practice curse words, but also probably not covered by your insurance.
- Don't forget the moisture eater. When you close the case in a hot, humid climate, the cold water will cool the air inside and it will condense during your dive. If you really just forgot and no one can spare a moisture muncher, try this: cool the case and camera in front of your room's AC and close it in cool air - it will probably still fog up, but you'll get about 30-45 mins of "clear" time (tried this in 81F water).


CONCLUSION:
For this price, I find the quality stellar - it's quite the "no brainer" for the recreational shooter, and five stars are well deserved. But you could also go up from here: Ikelite makes a deeper- rated housing, and Fisheye makes a very snug aluminum case good for technical diving - at the cost of two S90s.

Simply fantastic -- this case is superbly designed, built like a tank, easy to operate, and gives great results.

At first I was wary that my S90 was going to get scuffed by the case, but a solid week of pretty hard use in Baja (I shot 2,600 frames) demonstrated that this was unfounded. During this trip I must have inserted and removed the camera from the housing more than twenty times. The case has little "nibs" -- plastic guides whose ends are covered with rubber tips -- and these ease the camera into place and hold it firmly without damaging the finish.

When using the S90 in the housing, you still have access to every control and function the camera offers. The design is quite clever in that you don't fumble with the controls; the various knobs, buttons and levers all work smoothly and crisply. Only the flash is somewhat compromised; you add a frosted plastic diffuser that pops into place on the outside of the case to improve the results you get using flash underwater. I gave up using the flash at all, as the range underwater is quite limited.

I think the results speak for themselves; I have posted four pictures from my recent Baja trip. During one snorkeling trip we were diving with sea lions. These guys are incredibly quick; they come barreling towards you and veer away at the last instant, which makes them very difficult to photograph. When I returned to our boat I was quite anxious to see what I'd captured -- and the S90/WP-DC35 combo acquitted itself quite well, I think.

Now that I'm home, I plan to use this combo as my primary camera for use during kayaking trips. I am very pleased with this purchase, and highly recommend it to anyone who needs a good, simple camera for underwater use.

One last thing I recommend you purchase along with the case is a product called Moisture Munchers. These are small tubes that contain a dessicant. I found that there is room in the case for one of these, and that made me feel a lot better about keeping the camera in pristine condition while it spent a week in very humid conditions. During the week in Baja I went through two of these capsules.

After buying a Canon PowerShot S90 (a great camera), I was looking through the list of accessories when I came across the underwater housing. I couldn't justify the purchase based on how often I snorkle, so I justified it as a way to help me swim faster in Masters' competitions. I use the housing during training sessions to record underwater videos of my stroke that I can study between workouts. That's been a great training tool, especially because the S90 has slow-motion capability. The housing is extremely well made, intuitive to use - all the camera controls are accessible via the housing controls - and the pictures and videos are as crisp and clear as the water conditions allow. The price initially made me flinch because the material costs appear minimal - mostly plastics and rubber. However, the housing is so well designed and constructed that I knew I made a good purchase decision the moment it came out of the box. That conclusion was confirmed the first time I took underwater video. The underwater housing is simply a great product.

I used the housing to make several movies and pictures in the swimming pool with the kids and they love the results as much as I do. The build quality seems very good to me, and even the operation all of the camera's features (except for the dial on the back of the camera, which is not a real issue to me) is extremely easy.
The lens glass is coated and my first impression is that it does not loose a lot of light compared to regular camera shots without the housing. Also water drips of easily from the coating, so out of water pictures are hardly disturbed by water drops on the housing lens.
I have not tested the housing to depth and I did not plan to do so. I just want to use it for swimming pool/beach use or snorkeling at max. And for that it is a lot of fun and adding an extra dimension to making pictures.
Regarding the price, it is difficult to say if it is really worth it. I can imagine that for snorkeling or diving this is a very good and price worthy alternative to more professional and more expensive solutions. For beach and swimming pool use it is a lot of money, but for me personally I have great new type of pictures and videos of my kids now that I normally would never have. My kids love watching them. So for me - in terms of creating new type of memories - it is definitely worth it and the housing is a cool thing to have.

This case is great for what it does. I usually expect to pay a lot more for underwater housing. I agree with one of the other reviews that Canon should have included a couple of weights. The only complaint I have is that they went to all the trouble to include the front ring adjuster but don't have any way to adjust the back ring. This means that you can't have it on fully manual to do aperture and shutter speed. I found a way around it by setting aperture and then using the over - under exposure button but it should be easier. The camera is awesome for underwater (see the slug and cuttle fish pictures) but I won't use flash until I have an off camera option.

Living in Florida gives many opportunities for underwater photography, making this Canon underwater housing a perfect present for my husband! It came quickly, just as promised, and should provide many hours of fun. We are both delighted!

delivery was timely, the product was a gift and so far no problems has been encountered. will use the same provider again

Arrived new in excellent condition. A bit expensive but who wants water in their camera by saving a few dollars.

Very cost effective method of underwater photography. There are a few alternatives for the S90 but are several times more expensive. Never used the more expensive cases but cant imagine what how you could get more for the money.

Strongly recommend.