Canon Housing Leaks - Easy DIY Fix

[Nemrod]

wow. . . a little intimidating just reading it all!!

Question - is it a smart move to purchase this housing and try the fix? Or go for another brand? .. . there's quite a bit of markup difference though, and in past dives (before the cameras were flooded , I also bought the strobe and red filter . .. . would I need/is it recommended to get this for this housing as well?

Markup difference? Huh? I don't think it is markup, Ikelite housings are built to a higher standard and the all aluminum FIX to a yet higher standard, you get exactly what you pay for, cheap and functional, expensive and durable with greater versatility and high quality and in between.

Is it a smart move to purchase the Canon housing vs some other such as the FIX or Ikelite, that is for you to decided based on your needs and budget.

JFYI, most Canon OEM housings do not require this repair, some few seep water as described in this thread, those would require the "polishing" as per this thread.

N

 

[gummybun]

Is it a smart move to purchase the Canon housing vs some other such as the FIX or Ikelite, that is for you to decided based on your needs and budget.

JFYI, most Canon OEM housings do not require this repair, some few seep water as described in this thread, those would require the "polishing" as per this thread.

N

Exactly. My Canon housing has been on 20+ salt dives is over a year and a half old and never once leaked a bit and on my original o ring. Average depth 55 ft. max depth 100 ft. Buy the best you can within your budget. The proportion of faults like the one talked of here can not be so high or Canon would have addressed it.

 

[sharcfinz]

ok, great, thanks for the replies!! That helps my decision making a lot!

 

[Elef]

I have Canon A720 in WP-DC16, did more than 50 dives with it in range up to 48m (157 ft) and never had any leakage.
It's just unfair making decision to not buy canon housing because some pieces had leaks. It may happen on any housing and as someone already said - you get, what you pay for.
Get $200 Canon housing, or $600+ other brands.
But yes, original post is very useful. If you experience leaks, you know, what to look for.
Thanks for this info!

 

[Reefwalker]

It seems that the photos I linked with this post have been automatically removed after one month, so here are the direct links:

Mould Release Lines Photo

Mould Release Lines Close-Up Photo

Sketch of How to Fix

 

[pcwu]

Too Bad! 3 of us bought the G11 and 2 out of 3 of the new WP34 housings have the slightly leakage problem, well, the remaining one has got shutter button stuck issue occasionally(<60 feet). So disappointed with Canon housing.:depressed:
I would definitely try the fix before my next trip. Thx so much for the info.

 

[STX MSDT]

Well alright! Thanks Reefwalker!

 

[DiveDocMD]

On a dive in Grand Cayman last year I finished with a tiny amount of water in the case (Canon housing for the G9). After reading about this "mould release line" issue I undertook a careful examination of the groove, o-ring and closing mechanism. Initially I was hopeful that the leak could be explained by this phenomenon but the more I thought about it I realized that the housing had worked without problem for several years and hundreds of dives. Why then would it be a problem now?

With the help of a strong magnifier I examined the o-ring and found the problem. Of course it was completely human error, a tiny filament of hair or thread under the ring. Once removed I've had no recurrence of the problem.

It's great that the OP had identified a problem and a fix but remember, if your housing had previously been problem free its probably user error responsible for the problem. I did change the o-ring and checked the housing without camera at depth to ensure that it is water tight.

 

[prandyulo]

After an expensive makeover of my flooded G10 (completely new circuits inside) I have made it a practice to use a jeweler's magnifying glass to check the O ring channel and O ring everytime I start the dive for the day. This after also doing the sanding as recommended and purchase of a leak detector from Reefwalker. The only almost disastrous incident since then was when I soaked the houisng with camera inside in a tank of water exposed to the hot sun. When I entered the water I noticed condensation and trickles of water with the leak detector flashing. I immediately aborted the dive and since then have applied all the best practice rules.

 

[Diver Rick]

Here's a couple of pics of the "Mould Release Line" - .....

Hey Jeff, thanks for reposting those pictures.