Gopro hero 3+ filter

Please register or login

Welcome to ScubaBoard, the world's largest scuba diving community. Registration is not required to read the forums, but we encourage you to join. Joining has its benefits and enables you to participate in the discussions.

Benefits of registering include

  • Ability to post and comment on topics and discussions.
  • A Free photo gallery to share your dive photos with the world.
  • You can make this box go away

Joining is quick and easy. Log in or Register now!

Samsee

Registered
Messages
26
Reaction score
0
Location
Wales,uk
Hi all

im new to this site so my apologies if this has already been answered!

i am going to grand Cayman in May and will be doing some snuba diving and wondered if I should use some colour correction filter. The depth of water is going to range from 12-30ft and water colour I'd assume will be blue/green??? I've never been to the Caribbean before so really don't know what to expect

will I need a filter and if so what do you recommend.

Thanks

samsee
 
I use an Olympus TG-1 point and shoot for my underwater photography (freediving down to 30ft) and do not use a filter. Shots at deeper depth (+20 feet) can tend to lean blue. If your GoPro has an underwater setting mode (sorry, not familiar with GoPro equipment), you can probably skip the filter and rely on post processing software to color balance.
 
Is there anyway to simulate the colour of the water out there for testing . I've tried using food colouring in a bucket of water but obviously that isn't 20ft of water. If I make the water a darker shade of blue would that create the same effect?


Samsee
 
Samsee, instead of using filters I would recommend getting familiar with video editing software and use that to apply colour correction. The problem with most filters is they are constant. You might find one that adds in about the right amount of red/magenta for your water at 30 feet, but at 12 feet or on the surface all your footage will be horribly red. Some systems have a range of different filters that you can flip on or off (or stack) to change the strength of the filter, but these are still a clumsy way of trying to correct things and you will find it's never quite right.

The GoPro Studio software has some simple colour sliders that let you adjust colours on your recorded footage. Film without a filter and then use GoPro Studio to add a tiny bit of red back in.

Aside from that, distance is your enemy. At depth, anything filmed at a distance will be very monotone in colour. Adding a filter or software colour correction will just make it monotone in a different colour. Get as close as you can to your subject and, if possible, provide your own light.
 
I am no expert but providing your own light will put the color back in.

This is not really an option for me as I free dive so lugging lights round is not so easy. I have only done a small amount of filming but I do have a GoPro Hero 3+

This clip has no filter or color processing at all - just straight from the camera and then clips put together on a Mac. Depths in the clip range from the surface to 16m/52 ft at the top of the wreck, 22m/72 ft at the bridge and 34m/112 ft by the sand. The visibility was good that day (20m vertical) but bear in mind the weed etc. in the video has a lot of green and brown in it - not colorful coral etc.
[video=youtube_share;2U9AUxT0hz0]http://youtu.be/2U9AUxT0hz0[/video]
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/perdix-ai/

Back
Top Bottom