I am curious if there is anyone out there in the scuba, kayaking or
digital photo areas that has used the Canon WP-DC800 waterproof case
for the PowerShot 400 digital camera.

I am interested in it for kayaking, snorkeling/scuba and outdoor
adventures in the rainy Pacific NW (USA).

Any pros or cons regarding the system? Do photos turn out blurry
because of the waterproof casing? How well does the flash work? Are
the buttons and settings easy to change? Any problems using the
system in the cold (snow, freezing weather, etc)?

Many thanks in advance for any help!

-darren

I use the Canon case for the S200 Digital Elph which looks very similar. I
use it for scuba diving, caving, or just plain bad weather. Use some no-fog
solution on the inside of the glass lens covering and you're all set. All
functions are available, it's tough, and waterproof.

The flash works exactly as normal, all the buttons work exactly as normal.
It's neato and I recommend it.

Jon

"D. Bennett" wrote in message
m...
I am curious if there is anyone out there in the scuba, kayaking or
digital photo areas that has used the Canon WP-DC800 waterproof case
for the PowerShot 400 digital camera.

I am interested in it for kayaking, snorkeling/scuba and outdoor
adventures in the rainy Pacific NW (USA).

Any pros or cons regarding the system? Do photos turn out blurry
because of the waterproof casing? How well does the flash work? Are
the buttons and settings easy to change? Any problems using the
system in the cold (snow, freezing weather, etc)?

Many thanks in advance for any help!

-darren

D. Bennett wrote:
I am curious if there is anyone out there in the scuba, kayaking or
digital photo areas that has used the Canon WP-DC800 waterproof case
for the PowerShot 400 digital camera.

I am interested in it for kayaking, snorkeling/scuba and outdoor
adventures in the rainy Pacific NW (USA).

I have 4 dives in Belize using it, plus a couple snorkeling sessions. You
can see the pics on my web page. It had some level of condensation on the
4th dive, or leakage, not sure which. I'm going to do a test dive without
the camera on the next pass to see. I've been told many put a little
desiccant inside to deal with condensation. This is one reason to consider
the olympus stylus if the camera hasn't been purchased yet.

The controls are very good, but autofocus can be slow. I haven't had the
camera long enough to know how to make things happen quickly. It is very
good at getting shots of multiple divers in blue water, and photoshop
cleans up the color nicely. Not so good for wide angle, or fast moving
objects. But in general, worked well for its capabilities. I took about
200 shots and some videos on the 4 dives, 58 are cleaned up and on the
web, though when I finish the writeup I'm sure I'll cut it in half. Stll
much better than one can expect to do with film.

If you're on the surface, you may have trouble with droplets on the lens
portal. This could make it harder for kayak use.

--
Jason O'Rourke www.jor.com

I have the PowerShot S50 camera and the waterproof case for it, but I
haven't used it yet. I will (hopefully) be using it for the first
time on the 2nd during a group kayaking trip. I hope to get some
great shots of the group with it! The camera itself is fantastic and
takes the best photos, so I'm sure it will be super even with the big
ol' waterproof case 'round it. I feel much safer with the hunky case
to protect it, though, so I don't mind the bulky aspect of it to
protect my investment! :-)


(D. Bennett) wrote in message om...
I am curious if there is anyone out there in the scuba, kayaking or
digital photo areas that has used the Canon WP-DC800 waterproof case
for the PowerShot 400 digital camera.

I had great success with it on a 10 day canoe trip this past August. Others
on the trip used a variety of camera bags/boxes. I kept my camera at my
feet and was able to get quick pictures (within the limits of boot-up time
and shutter lag) that others missed. The cost, size, and weight turned out
to be worth it.

The camera came out of the case twice, once to change the battery, and
again, to swap the flash card and battery. I shot ~700 MB of pictures. I
noticed no issue with the case, excepting close range flash where the bottom
right hand of the picture was not as well light.

Buttons were easy to use.

I haven't tried it in snow (yet).

"D. Bennett" wrote in message
m...
I am curious if there is anyone out there in the scuba, kayaking or
digital photo areas that has used the Canon WP-DC800 waterproof case
for the PowerShot 400 digital camera.

I am interested in it for kayaking, snorkeling/scuba and outdoor
adventures in the rainy Pacific NW (USA).

Any pros or cons regarding the system? Do photos turn out blurry
because of the waterproof casing? How well does the flash work? Are
the buttons and settings easy to change? Any problems using the
system in the cold (snow, freezing weather, etc)?

Many thanks in advance for any help!

-darren

(River Wild) wrote in message . com...
I have the PowerShot S50 camera and the waterproof case for it, but I
haven't used it yet. I will (hopefully) be using it for the first
time on the 2nd during a group kayaking trip. I hope to get some
great shots of the group with it! The camera itself is fantastic and
takes the best photos, so I'm sure it will be super even with the big
ol' waterproof case 'round it. I feel much safer with the hunky case
to protect it, though, so I don't mind the bulky aspect of it to
protect my investment! :-)



Okay, the trip did happen (excellent weather!) and I did get some
pictures with the camera in the waterproof case. Oh, thank goodness
for the waterproof case! :-) It worked splendidly and I would
definitely recommend it! It's a little harder to take photos if
you're in a group of kayakers 'cause you have to take the time to
stop, turn on the camera, take the photo(s), and turn off the camera
(holding a button down for 5 sec. since you can't close the lens cap
when using the waterproof case) before beginning to paddle again. I
was in the rear, which is perfect for taking photos of the group
paddling, but then I had to catch up all the more.

Oh, and it was really bright out so there's lots of sunlight
reflection which makes parts of the pictures eerily light'n'blurry,
but I prob'ly could've fixed that if I'd taken the time to do so ...
and if I'd known that's how the pix came out since it is hard to see
the screen of the camera in bright daylight.

You won't regret spending the money for the waterproof case!

On 3-Nov-2003, (River Wild) wrote:

It's a little harder to take photos if
you're in a group of kayakers 'cause you have to take the time to
stop, turn on the camera, take the photo(s), and turn off the camera
(holding a button down for 5 sec. since you can't close the lens cap
when using the waterproof case) before beginning to paddle again.

With my Canon A40, I find that it's easier to just turn off the display
screen and leave the camera on. Most of the battery drain in standby
is from the display and with it off, the battery drain can be ignored.
I use the viewfinder when paddling anyway (screen isn't bright enough
in sunshine) so it's not really required.

If you can't turn it off easily, see if there's an automatic battery
saver mode that shuts off the screen after a minute or so of inactivity.
ISTR that the PS400 has something like that.

Mike

Hi,
Your comments do the photos turn out blurry... yes and no.
I Kayak and have often placed my S45 under the water. What I got back
was not what I would expect to see if I was wearing goggles. But alas!
I use a program to reduce my photos for my web page and only 2 years
later discover that some digital underwater shots need a very simple
one stop edit to make it appear as you would expect. Have a look two
shots one original and one adjusted.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/hkolk/OPK...PKayakClub.htm
Go to the Gallery and page down to the bottom for a title called odd
shots.


Henry


I am interested in it for kayaking, snorkeling/scuba and outdoor
adventures in the rainy Pacific NW (USA).

Any pros or cons regarding the system? Do photos turn out blurry
because of the waterproof casing? How well does the flash work? Are
the buttons and settings easy to change? Any problems using the
system in the cold (snow, freezing weather, etc)?

Many thanks in advance for any help!

-darren

"Henry" wrote in message
om...
Hi,
Your comments do the photos turn out blurry... yes and no.
I Kayak and have often placed my S45 under the water. What I got back
was not what I would expect to see if I was wearing goggles. But alas!
I use a program to reduce my photos for my web page and only 2 years
later discover that some digital underwater shots need a very simple
one stop edit to make it appear as you would expect. Have a look two
shots one original and one adjusted.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/hkolk/OPK...PKayakClub.htm
Go to the Gallery and page down to the bottom for a title called odd
shots.


Henry


Ok, what did you do with the one shot edit please.

Have a look two
shots one original and one adjusted.
http://home.iprimus.com.au/hkolk/OPK...PKayakClub.htm
Go to the Gallery and page down to the bottom for a title called odd
shots.

Ok, what did you do with the one shot edit please.

It looks like he just used auto levels in Photoshop

-Mike