Anyone have experience with the GoPro Surf?

[decapoddiver]

Thinking about picking one up but some reviews talk about an underwater blur due to the lens. Anyone here used one in our low-vis waters? Thanks.
http://gopro.com/cameras/hd-hero2-surf-edition/

 

[mmerriman]

try looking in the underwater video forum - lots of good info there

 

[decapoddiver]

Was hoping for someone who has used it in our low-vis New England but I will give it a try.

 

[Mr.X]

Tried it in low viz elsewhere - you get what you pay for. If you are just passively recording for kicks in the shallows it's fine. But if you are going to edit and make it cool - it doesn't make it. The colors are weird - off spectrum, the lens blah! Sharpness bites. That said - I use the tape based, housed 3 chip cameras with full lights and glass lenses which make a heck of a difference.

I guess if you are not serious about video - it's not going to kill you for how much they cost these days and the surface shots on the camera are tolerable. Again, I just thought it sucked big time....and we were trying to lights things up too - 50 and 100 watt Halogen.

 

[wetwillie2]

I been using the gopro hd. Being new to video I cant complain I thought the picture was good. I will try to upload my first video from eggrock in late august

 

[decapoddiver]

Tired of lugging my large housing around and either filming or hunting. Hard to do both with my current set-up so was hoping to get a mounted one. It would be in hopes of making an edited finished product.

 

[Mr.X]

I should qualify that my perspective is skewed towards production, or commercial use of video...so it comes down to what the user sees as adequate. The GoPro's form factor is great, but when my pals and I who shoot production-quality HD and compared our test dive footage we found that the images were blurry, had off-colors, artifacts of pink, off-reds showed up when we got deeper. Kelp colors looked unnatural. At 80' feet plus the footage without lighting was pretty bad - and when we lit it up with HID - not much better. In all fairness, the sensor capturing the image in GoPro has to bee pretty tiny and not a fair comparison to 3 chip, or large one sensor cameras.

I also notice that most of the ads for GoPro feature underwater footage not too much deeper than 10'. We did two test runs on the camera and decided we'd had enough and would use it for surface applications like boat-mounted shots, climbing shots, hiking etc. I think this is where smaller HD mounted cameras really shine.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

Tired of lugging my large housing around and either filming or hunting. Hard to do both with my current set-up so was hoping to get a mounted one. It would be in hopes of making an edited finished product.

MAKO Spearguns has a full selection of gun mounting options that are customizable to any type of gun and you have a huge variety of potential set-ups with our modular design. We also offer a recoil stabilization bracket and the assembly is removable underwater so you can film your buddy without pointing a loaded gun at him. Never do that!

GoPro Cameras / Speargun Camera Brackets


We also offer a FREE flat lens if you purchase your camera from us.

 

[dumpsterDiver]

I should qualify that my perspective is skewed towards production, or commercial use of video...so it comes down to what the user sees as adequate. The GoPro's form factor is great, but when my pals and I who shoot production-quality HD and compared our test dive footage we found that the images were blurry, had off-colors, artifacts of pink, off-reds showed up when we got deeper. Kelp colors looked unnatural. At 80' feet plus the footage without lighting was pretty bad - and when we lit it up with HID - not much better. In all fairness, the sensor capturing the image in GoPro has to bee pretty tiny and not a fair comparison to 3 chip, or large one sensor cameras.

I also notice that most of the ads for GoPro feature underwater footage not too much deeper than 10'. We did two test runs on the camera and decided we'd had enough and would use it for surface applications like boat-mounted shots, climbing shots, hiking etc. I think this is where smaller HD mounted cameras really shine.

The OP is talking about a $300 camera... you are talking about a prefessional set up... i would sure hope yours is better than a GoPro

This is video I shot right before Christmas with ambient light, no filter, a mako lens. It looks good enough for me at 185 feet!

Helldiver SB2C Plane Wreck Off Jupiter Florida - YouTube

As I recall, it was late in the day and the surface water was not near as clear as the deeper water....

Plus this is the older Hero HD.. the new version 2 is supposed to have better low light capability and a better internal lens....

 

[striperstriker]

I use a gopro for spearfishing occasionally. I was surprised with how easy it was to use and the quality of the footage, although you will probobly need a flat lens, because the curved one makes footage have too little sharpness. The seal on the camera was perfect, nice and tight, I brought it onto U-853 at 130'.......no leaks