Canon S80 in WP-DC1 U/W Housing

For those considering the purchase of this system, we've come up against a problem with the new S80 in the WP-DC1 waterproof case. Shutter speed and aperture are controlled through the scroll wheel (Multi Control Dial), which is not accessible through the WP-DC1 housing.

As you know, the control of shutter speed and aperture are important functions when used with wide angle lenses and external flash units sold with many underwater packages. It's kind of like supplying all the pieces to a puzzle but they don't fit together!

NOTICE: This post has been revised, see my post below on the S80's Undocumented Feature which controls shutter speed and aperture through the housing.

Multi Control Dial will be accessible with the new installation from guess who?

That's great news Ike! Except for the removal of the RAW file format from the S80, it's a great little camera. It's nice to know that a housing will be available that offers access to the shutter speed and aperture controls.

Do a little more digging we have found an "Undocumented Feature" on the Canon S80, Ike you may be interested in this as well:

With the the WP-DC1 Housing operation of the multi control dial rotation is not possible. Dial rotation therefore is duplicated by pressing the Print/Share button in conjunction with the left or right section of the Omni selector.

The procedure is below:

1. Press & Hold the Print/Share button

2. While holding press the left or right button of the 4-way selector to change your shutter speed & aperture

3. To switch between the aperture & shutter press the +/- button and then repeat the above process

Special thanks to the Canon Technical Support staff for doing the research to locate this for us!

Do you have a preference or recommendation............?

That's very cool they actually designed for their own product a work around. Too bad they didn't document it. But then again most camera documentation leaves something to be greatly desired.

Do a little more digging we have found an "Undocumented Feature" on the Canon S80, Ike you may be interested in this as well:

 

With the the WP-DC1 Housing operation of the multi control dial rotation is not possible.  Dial rotation therefore is duplicated by pressing the Print/Share button in conjunction with the left or right section of the Omni selector.

 

The procedure is below:

 

1.  Press & Hold the Print/Share button

2.  While holding press the left or right button of the 4-way selector to change your shutter speed & aperture

3.  To switch between  the aperture & shutter press the +/- button and then repeat the above process

 

Special thanks to the Canon Technical Support staff for doing the research to locate this for us!

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Do you have a preference or recommendation............?

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The button contol method will require two hands or a locking button, but either way it will require two steps to make an adjustment. Access to the Multi Control Dial will make it much easier to make shutter speed and aperture adjustments.

However when actually using the camera I can see why the Canon engineers did not allow access to the Multi Control Dial and were then smart enough to come up with an alternative method. The Multi Contol Dial has both "Dial" and "Button" type functions. Friction or pressure from a housing control attempting to turn the dial could also put enough pressure to press a button and change the function of the dial. So in the end the Button method (even though it requires two steps) seems like the way to go.

My 2 cents!

While we're talking about Canon's...

Dave, is the housing out for the A620? The port looks to be an oblong shape. Any idea about adding a wide angle lens?

Ike- how about a housing for the A620?

Dave, is the housing out for the A620? The port looks to be an oblong shape. Any idea about adding a wide angle lens?

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You're correct about the oblong shape of the port. No easy way to add a wide angle lens. We'll have to wait and see if Inon or Sea & Sea comes up with an adapter ring.

Will the lens adapter Inon made for the S70 housing (WP-DC40) work on the S80 housing?

Multi Control Dial will be accessible with the new installation from guess who?

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yes but when ike's housing will be available ??? by the end of 2005 or when???????

That's very cool they actually designed for their own product a work around. Too bad they didn't document it. But then again most camera documentation leaves something to be greatly desired.

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Try looking at page 15 of the housing manual - second box. Must have been one hell of a job for the Canon Tech support staff to find that one... ...

Graham

It's a common work around canon use.

I have a S50 and it has the same type of workaround which took me ages to find out. Like most men I don't read instruction manuals !!

A lot of digging arund the net gave me the answer and it's common to a lot of their models.

Now I now about it I find it works really well. I hold the camera in 2 hands anyway when used with my Inon D2000 so the 2 handed operation is not an issue.