Water along o-ring in G10 (WP-DC28) U/W housing - bad sign?

queenpong · 5th April 2009

Dear all,

I'm a first time owner of a underwater housing and am going to bring it to start my dive season next Friday. I'm using Canon Powershot G10 with the housing manufactured by Canon, WP-DC28.

I brought the housing for a dip in the pool today, without the camera, and when i took the housing out of the pool for a check, i noticed a film of water moving along the o-ring. A friend of mine was also testing his G9 canon housing and noticed the same thing. Is it normal to get some water along the o-ring?

Also, I noticed a few bubbles coming out from the buttons when i first pressed them underwater. After which no more bubbles came out. I assumed its normal? Since air can get trapped during the process of manufacturing.

I held my camera down for about 3 mins at depth of 30cm. The manual advised a depth of 15cm for 3 mins.

Hopefully you guys can provide some advise and guidance, and definitely some reassurance will be helpful!

I would be really sad if i flood my G10 on my first dive trip of 2009.

foxwagon · 5th April 2009

Bring the empty housing w/o camera down for your 1st dive to test out.

viix · 5th April 2009

A thin film along the edges of the oring in the housing is normal, but it must be on the outside section of the oring.

The buttons do have cavities, so bubbles will stream out the first time it hits the water.

The best thing to do on your first dive (if you are unsure) is to dive without the camera to get used to the setup. I went down with a strobe setup to get a feel of operating it underwater without the camera since I wasn't confident of my set up routine..
During my first dive, bubbles were streaming everywhere from my housing's flash diffuser but I had my eyes on the bottom of the housing to detect any minor pooling as I decend.. if needed, I can surface and hand the setup to the boat and continue without the camera since flooding usually occurs nearer the surface (from what i've read).. so far no floods yet.. *cross fingers*

after a few dives with the camera, you'll get the hang of it.

I religously follow these step every pre dive.
1. Check oring and casing for dust/cracks/dirt.. wash and clean if necessary

2. ensure o ring is not dry, not greasy, just a light thin film. If too much, gently respread the grease with your fingers and wipe the excess off. You do this by wiping your fingers to rid the excess grease on your fingers. Don't wipe the oring. a little mini tissue lint is ok, but watch out for sand/dust, hair/ threads/ lumps of lint etc..

3. When you seal your camera in the housing, do a proper visual inspection to ensure there is no dust/lint or hair along the entire seal of the oring. Ensure Oring is not twisted.

4. Dunk test in the camera tank/tub for a few minutes, visual inspection, then I'm good to go.

After that, I usually don't remove my camera until the end of the day or only if I need fresh batteries..

queenpong · 5th April 2009

foxwagon: yup i sure will be doing that. thanks!

viix: appreciate the insights on what to do pre-dive. definitely helpful for a newbie like me!

Will be crossing my fingers while diving this time round.

happy diving everyone!

5th April 2009	#1
queenpong New Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 8	Water along o-ring in G10 (WP-DC28) U/W housing - bad sign? Dear all, I'm a first time owner of a underwater housing and am going to bring it to start my dive season next Friday. I'm using Canon Powershot G10 with the housing manufactured by Canon, WP-DC28. I brought the housing for a dip in the pool today, without the camera, and when i took the housing out of the pool for a check, i noticed a film of water moving along the o-ring. A friend of mine was also testing his G9 canon housing and noticed the same thing. Is it normal to get some water along the o-ring? Also, I noticed a few bubbles coming out from the buttons when i first pressed them underwater. After which no more bubbles came out. I assumed its normal? Since air can get trapped during the process of manufacturing. I held my camera down for about 3 mins at depth of 30cm. The manual advised a depth of 15cm for 3 mins. Hopefully you guys can provide some advise and guidance, and definitely some reassurance will be helpful! I would be really sad if i flood my G10 on my first dive trip of 2009.

5th April 2009	#2
foxwagon Member Join Date: Mar 2005 Posts: 542	Re: Water along o-ring in G10 (WP-DC28) U/W housing - bad sign? Bring the empty housing w/o camera down for your 1st dive to test out. __________________ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ http://foxwagon.multiply.com/

5th April 2009	#3
viix Member Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Singapore Posts: 534	Re: Water along o-ring in G10 (WP-DC28) U/W housing - bad sign? A thin film along the edges of the oring in the housing is normal, but it must be on the outside section of the oring. The buttons do have cavities, so bubbles will stream out the first time it hits the water. The best thing to do on your first dive (if you are unsure) is to dive without the camera to get used to the setup. I went down with a strobe setup to get a feel of operating it underwater without the camera since I wasn't confident of my set up routine.. During my first dive, bubbles were streaming everywhere from my housing's flash diffuser but I had my eyes on the bottom of the housing to detect any minor pooling as I decend.. if needed, I can surface and hand the setup to the boat and continue without the camera since flooding usually occurs nearer the surface (from what i've read).. so far no floods yet.. cross fingers after a few dives with the camera, you'll get the hang of it. I religously follow these step every pre dive. 1. Check oring and casing for dust/cracks/dirt.. wash and clean if necessary 2. ensure o ring is not dry, not greasy, just a light thin film. If too much, gently respread the grease with your fingers and wipe the excess off. You do this by wiping your fingers to rid the excess grease on your fingers. Don't wipe the oring. a little mini tissue lint is ok, but watch out for sand/dust, hair/ threads/ lumps of lint etc.. 3. When you seal your camera in the housing, do a proper visual inspection to ensure there is no dust/lint or hair along the entire seal of the oring. Ensure Oring is not twisted. 4. Dunk test in the camera tank/tub for a few minutes, visual inspection, then I'm good to go. After that, I usually don't remove my camera until the end of the day or only if I need fresh batteries.. Last edited by viix; 5th April 2009 at 02:46 AM.

5th April 2009	#4
queenpong New Member Join Date: Mar 2009 Posts: 8	Re: Water along o-ring in G10 (WP-DC28) U/W housing - bad sign? foxwagon: yup i sure will be doing that. thanks! viix: appreciate the insights on what to do pre-dive. definitely helpful for a newbie like me! Will be crossing my fingers while diving this time round. happy diving everyone!