I bought a brand new SD550 and a WP-DC80 before my trip to the Carribean, I was quite hesitant as it ended up being quite an expensive purchase (before the prices went down)--I didn't want to lose such an expensive investment with a 2GB Transcend card in it too! The water was a bit murky in the Atlantic because of the hurricanes, but the picture still came out BEAUTIFUL! I was able to go snorkeling and kayaking around Belize and Honduras without worry about the drizzling and humidity. It was absolutely wonderful being able to take pictures EVERYWHERE I went and not have to worry about my camera getting wet or damaged. The pictures are beautiful (as if the case wasn't even on it) while I was on land. I would definitely recommend this product, and I will be taking it to the snow this Winter (PLEASE Snow NOW!) and not have to worry there either! :)

It's insane to spend $180 for a piece of plastic, but it's also insane to spend $400 on a camera and then need to buy disposable cameras when you go scuba diving. This is a nice design, not too heavy, and it does the job perfectly. I only wish it were half the price.

This is my third Canon UW housing. I sold or gave away the other two, as I have moved up from the SD110 (3.2 mp) to the S500 (5 mp) and now to the SD550 (7.1 mp).

All my previous cameras are still in great working order, and still being used on a regular basis, both inside the housings and out (You can see my previous reviews and photos for those housings elsewhere on the Amazon site).

I am an underwater tour guide in Hawaii, so I put my housings through more day to day abuse than the average consumer. And mine have all held up well.

You need to be religious about soaking and rinising the housing after use. And occasionally lube the o-ring. And do not store it in the heat (sealed up in the car on a hot day, etc.), since this will likely warp it, and cause it to leak.

Other helpful hints that I can give, are:

1) Get a soft carry pouch for it, to help ward off scrapes and nicks in the plastic housing (I use a Coleman Stove pouch) while transporting it.

2) Do not put the camera in the housing while you are in your air conditioned hotel room. Wait to put it in, until you are outside. This will minimize the chances of condensation forming inside the housing as it warms up.

This housing is a little better than the other two, in that there is a shade for the LCD on the back, which makes it a little easier to see in bright conditions and while it is in the housing and you are wearing a mask.

My only complaint about this housing is the lack of a thumb rest for my right thumb. The other housings had one. But this one cannot, due to it's small size. Since the LCD is much bigger than the other models I have used, it means all the controls are shoved way over on the one side of the back panel, leaving you little room to hold onto it. Since I typically wear gloves in the water, I have, on a few occasions, knocked the camera out of one shooting mode and into another. Not a real big deal, it has never cost me a photo, but you need to look at the display to be sure you are in the right mode. Just a minor complaint, and I understand why, since the camera is so small and the LCD very large for the size of camera.

Overall a great product for the price, especially if you like to be able to take nice quality UW photos while on your snorkel/dive vacations.

Yes, it costs a bit more than a disposable camera. But like other reviews have siad, if you spent $400 + on the camera, why not have the underwater case.
I was amazed at how well it is built. I felt totally safe putting my camera inside of it. And it takes great pictures. If you are in the ocean, the waves and current can make it difficult to take the pictures, but practice makes perfect. One tip, when in the ocean try to get as close to the subject as possible so the flash will help brighten the colors. I came home with a few shots were everything is blue and green.
We live near the water and have used this case once or twice a week since we got it. It really is amazing!

We got it while on honeymoon in Hawaii, and it was wirth every penny. It workd well and gives you the freedom to take your digitaal camara to places you otherwise wouldn't.

I bought this underwater housing in anticipation of a trip to the Galapagos. It worked perfectly, and I obtained some really incredible shots, both still and video. The combination of the Canon SD550 and this housing were amazing. I did make sure to lubricate the primary o-ring each time I opened the housing. But the need to do so was reduced by using a larger, 1GB memory card - both card and battery would last a little over two dives, before I need to change one or the other.

One of the reasons that my wife and I bought the Canon was for this waterproof case. It works very well. It takes about 5 minutes to get all set up, and I'd strongly suggest taking it for a dry run at home before you do it in the field (except lubing up the seal; save that for the real deal). Our pictures came out very well and the camera was safe the whole time. A couple of things: First, getting the rubber seal out of its channel can be a hassle, and is best done with two peole, one to squeeze the seal so it lifts up and the other to pull it away. Avoid using fingernails, since you might scratch it. Second, it's very easy to accidentally knock the lever on the back from the "underwater" mode setting to the "movie" mode setting. If the camera starts to shoot a movie, that's probably what happened. Just flip it back and keep shooting away.

I bough this waterproof case for a trip to St. Thomas over Christmas.
The photographs that we took came out perfect. The flash diffuser worked well, by eliminating the air bubbles that normally are captured with underwater cameras. Make sure that you set up your camera to the underwater mode so that it automaticlaly adjusts your color balance.
The only problem that I had was since it is so compact, I often accidently would move the switch to movie mode. This ruined a few photographs, but also made a great movie of a sea turtle coming up for air.
I know that it was expensive, but much cheaper than buying a new camera or buying multiple disposable underwater cameras and having X-ray machines fog up the pictures.

Not only did this product allow us to bring our camera into the water and get some really cool pics while we were in the Caribbean; it also gave us peace of mind knowing that our valuable camera was in our possession as we enjoyed the water rather then leaving it unattended on the beach.

I bought this before I went on a trip to Florida. I took it out in the water one day to take pictures of people riding the waves and another day while snorkeling. It was also a good insurance device when we were kayaking.

Only drawbacks are that it is hard to see the screen under water and that you have to make sure that you wash the salty water off.

It was a great investment for my camera and I am looking forward to using it in Costa Rica this summer.

This is a very easy to use, well built housing. I've used it on multiple dives to 100 feet and it met all of my expectations. For the price, it cannot be beat.

If you dive you need to add the weight kit Canon WWDC1. Without weights the housing and camera float. I have added two plates (one plate recommended by Canon) to my housing as I find the extra weight adds stability. I wish Canon would include the weight plates, but if you are only snorkeling or using this in a pool the weights are probably not needed.

I have only two small gripes. The first is that the function selector dial is in an awkward position and I found that I would often accidentally switch from camera to movie or playback mode when holding the camera. I have since learned to check the mode every time I bring the camera to my eye. My second gripe is that there is no case for the camera housing. I'm using a neoprene foam wrap I picked up in a camera store.

I would not hesitate to buy this housing or other Canon housings again

This is one of the best and easiest to use camera dive case I have ever used. If you own a Canon PowerShot SD550 and plan on using it around or underwater this is the only way to go. I have tried the zip bags there OK, but they have some very serious limitation under water. The WP-DC80 Waterproof hard case is the only way to go. It is easy to use any time you need to protect your PowerShot and it worked at 100' like I was in the back yard taking photos. All of the PowerShot adjustments are very easy to use, I would absolutely recommend the WP-DC80 hard Case for your PowerShot SD550.

Take Photo's leave only bubles!

This case made my trip all the much better. I had a great time in Maui with some great shots of coral and turtles! Be sure to purchase the weights too!

This is my new favorite toy. It worked well for 2 weeks without re-greasing the gasket after use in salt water. Just be sure to use the flash diffuser, but don't plan on using it at night as it illuminates the debris in the water and that's all you'll get in the picture. You'll need a separate light source if you're taking serious night-time pics. I would recommend getting the weights if you're snorkeling b/c it's a little difficult to free-dive and hold the camera steady at the same time.

Bought this for my trip to Ensenada and went snorkeling. Was able to take some great shots and movies. It takes some time getting used to while taking pictures but totally worth it. Would totally recommend.

The case did exactley what it was supposed to. I had full functionality of my camera, and the case kept out every bit of water. There is a little maitenance that was needed after each use, however the product is worth what I paid. I also purchased camera weights for this case and found out when I arrived on the dive boat that there would not be any need for weights to keep the camera down. I plan on returning the weights, and will continue using my camera case when diving.

This case worked perfectly. The only points I want to make are these three:

1.) The mode switch on the back upper-right of the case will easily switch from underwater mode into video mode because it is so close to the thumb and accidentally gets hit when you move you hand.
2.) The flash diffuser does not work it there is any particulate in the water.
3.) There is no way to attach an additional flash. This limits the quality of pictures you can take, and for this reason I would probably have bought an Ike-Light case, if I had known this before.

What can I say that hasn't been mentioned by the other reviewers here?? Well, I just got back from Roatan, Honduras and personally took my SD550 snuggled comfortably in its WP-DC80 case all the way down to 170ft at the Hole in the Wall dive site!! (I have loaded customer images so check 'em out and rate them "helpful") It worked like a charm! Another diver in my group actually had his case crack from the pressure and we all heard it as it happened. Anyway, this case works exactly as it's supposed to while allowing you to switch from still photos to video mode. Be sure to take advantage of the Underwater Scene Mode to filter out some of the blueness. I also experienced some condensation when going from AC to outside heat so leave time for the unit to climatize. I decided not to give Canon some additional $$ and didn't pick up the weights for the case and never missed them. You really need to be within 10-15ft to use your flash. Canon also could have included some kind of protective travel case for the unit. All said, I love the case and what it allows me to do. The hardest part was to limit my slideshow to 175 pics when I took over 1,000! : )

the underwater case was the best investment ever! my husband and i went to hawaii in august and decided at the time that we'd just get disposable cameras. after developing the pictures we wished we had purchased it then. so this past october we set out to visit beautiful costa rica and went ahead and purchased it. as i mentioned...it was the best investment ever! we were literally in the beach and pool snapping away. we love all of our photos!!! definitely well worth the money.

The casing was great and took very clear photos. The only complaint I have is that it's really big and bulky and can be a nuisance to swim with. Other than that, it's a good purchase.

My BIL gave it to me as a gift. Its excellent product. I am a Big fan of Canon. I used this with my SD 550 Power shot camera. amazing results. Very easy to use. It gives full funtionality of camera. Easy and lightweight to carry.

I am very happy with this product.

This product is awesome and works very well. I was nervous about putting my camera under the sea at first, but once I checked it, everything was A-OK.

I would highly recommend this but remember to buy the weights for it. It is difficult to keep steady if you don't have these weights, but also be sure not to drop it if you the weights on it as well! Secure it to your BC!!