If you plan on getting your iPhone wet, use this case. It’s pretty awesome.
The Optrix XD5 is one case that is worth strapping to your chest and doing some pretty extreme things with. This is one of the toughest iPhone cases that we’ve come across as it’s waterproof and shockproof to depths/heights of 33ft. The main benefit of this case is to turn your iPhone 5 or 5S into an action sports camera. With the new slow-motion footage option on the iPhone 5S, the Optrix XD5 will allow you to capture footage similar to that of a GoPro.
Installation of the case is quite easy as you pop the iPhone into the sled, slide it into the housing and close the latch. This is one of the easiest cases to install in our opinion and the sled can easily double as another case for those instances when you don’t need the extreme protection of the Optrix SD5.
The case feels very solid though the screen protector does scratch quite easily and the lens caps pops off when you uninstall your iPhone. There isn’t any sort of foam cushioning or padding on the inside of the case so the polycarbonate housing is what absorbs all of the shock from an impact.
The camera lens on the Optrix XD5 are removable so you can buy replacements or upgrade the lens with a fish eye and other types of lenses. The mounting system on the case is unique to the XD5 so you won’t be able to use your GoPro mounting systems with this case.
Mounting the Optrix XD5 using the various accessories is simple but does require a bit of effort. The mounting system is not GoPro compatible so you will have to purchase Optrix specific mounts if you plan on using your iPhone 5/5S as an action camera. On the plus side, the mounts feel much tougher than standard GoPro mounts.
In terms of water protection, during our Optrix XD5 water test, we weren’t able to take it down to 33ft which what Optrix says the case is waterproof up to. We did do a simple water test without an iPhone installed and then followed up the test with a quick dip in the river. The XD5 kept the phone dry in all the tests that we did. The only areas that could let water into the case are the latch at the bottom, the latch and the bottom and removable camera lens. From what we can tell, there is no reason why the Optrix XD5 would not be water proof.
