Canon WP-DC35 Underwater Housing for Canon PowerShot S90 Digital Camera

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 (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:The CONS list may seem long, but there's no showstopper. The quality is stellar, and I don't think you could go wrong with this housing unless you were a tech or military diver. Still, if you're looking to step up, Ikelite makes a deeper- rated housing, and Fisheye produces a very snug and sleek aluminum case - at the cost of two S90s.

On the second dive at about 45 ft 0.5 mls of water entered the housing and the camera was flooded and ruined. The housing was freshly greased and inspected for hair etc ... The cost = $600 for a series of 10 pictures. Will give the housing for free to a brave person willing to risk his/her camera.Two months later .... Canon replaced the flooded camera and the housing.

I really like the Canon camera S-series, from the S60 to the S90 I have owned them all. However the underwater enclosures all suffer the same problem, no matter how carefully they are cleaned/soaked/washed eventually the o-rings become sticky and the buttons no longer work at any depth. The buttons lock in position if pressed - the spring is not powerful enough to pull it back. On the enclosures for the S60 and S70 this happened around 20-30 dives. The S90 case lasted about 50 dives. Canon does not make an o-ring service kit, nor would they repair under warranty (or even repair at my expense), this is apparently normal wear and tear! Many a dive has been tarnished by the fact that the camera locked up at a crucial moment.You can carefully dismantle the buttons and clean the o-rings. It will then last another 20-30 dives. I have not found an o-ring of the correct size to replace the factory parts and quite honestly would not want to, just in case they leaked. The only item Canon sell is the large plastic ring that seals the rear door.It seems this problem also occurs on other Canon cases. My dive buddy bought a Canon SD model camera on my recommendation and also bought the matching UW case - against my advice. After 40 dives his case failed with a button stuck. Of course the button released at the surface. He did the o-ring cleaning dance and the UW case worked for another 40 dives. Now we both do preventive maintenance at around 30 dives.I have no experience of the other 3rd party cases that are available, however after 5 cases I should learn or Canon should learn. You need to really look after these cases more than would be expected. Saltwater and the ocean is a very harsh environment and the design of the case needs to be consistent with those conditions.