Review: Canon PowerShot S45/WP-DC300 underwater housing

The first time I entered the underwater world I took a disposable underwater camera with me. But as was to be expected, the results were quite unsatisfactory. And just after 3 minutes I ran out of film... So when I booked a diving holiday to the Maldives, I decided it was time to look for a better solution.

My first idea was to buy a special dedicated underwater film camera. But after doing some research and comparisons, I discovered that there also existed underwater housings for the Canon Powershot S45, which I already owned. I eventually ended up buying this one because:

• the housing is less expensive than a real underwater camera
• the photos are digital and thus can be directly remove if they are not OK
• taking one camera on holidays is easier than taking two

Canon PowerShot S45 camera

The S45 is a 4 mega-pixel camera, featuring a 3x zoom lens (35 to 105mm) with an aperture of F2.8-F4.9. The camera offers complete manual control over shutter speed, aperture and focus.

WP-DC300 underwater housing

The Canon WP-DC300 is a polycarbonate/ABS underwater housing, and can be used to depths of 35 meters. All frequently used functions can be controlled, including zoom, review, white balance, deletion etc. The camera's built-in strobe can be used inside the housing, but an external strobe can also be attached.

Experiences while photographing

The camera is practical in use and has lots of settings to influence the way it takes pictures, as well as a good automatic mode. What I do sometimes miss is the full range of controls like I have on my Canon EOS 350D, especially when it comes to making creative photo's.

Shots taken during snorkeling are usually quite good in color due to the available sunlight, and can be further enhanced using photo editing software. The quality of photos taken at greater depths does not always live up to my requirements. The purchase of an external strobe for more light and color in these cases is therefore the next item on my agenda.

What I certainly do like about the S45 is taking short videos: these look very good on a TV.

My experience with the buttons is that these not always work straightaway, which can be quite annoying when shooting moving creatures. Pressing the shutter release firmly a second time does the trick, but then the picture I had in mind is sometimes ruined.

Summary

Major pro's of the set:

• 3x zoom
• Movies with nice quality
• Housing provides control over most functions
• Affordable choice
• Compact

On the negative side:

• Less quality of photos without external strobe
• Less creative options compared to DSLR
• Buttons do not always work

Reviewer: Dave Erents

Add to:     Del.ico.us     Digg     Reddit     StumbleUpon