How much experience before using a GoPro?

[mcohen1021]

Please don't do a mask mount unless your point is to make your audience sick. Wrist is probably worse,

Now that is funny...

I find the camera guy with no experience bouncing into the reef and other divers as annoying as the super experienced camera guy that hogs every photo op or lingers at something of interest too long.

So if you're #1, leave the camera behind until you know how to dive. If you're #2 for the love of god stay way in the back of the group or away completely.

 

[Storker]

stay way in the back of the group

"Group"?

Me, I always make sure to have a dedicated buddy (or, sometimes, two dedicated buddies AKA my team). I might follow the group if I'm on a vacation dive, but my first, second and third priority is my buddy/team.

 

[hammet]

Now that is funny...

I find the camera guy with no experience bouncing into the reef and other divers as annoying as the super experienced camera guy that hogs every photo op or lingers at something of interest too long.

So if you're #1, leave the camera behind until you know how to dive. If you're #2 for the love of god stay way in the back of the group or away completely.

This is so true! At least the current blows the newbie away. The other guys has his blinding video lights and flashes screwing up the ambient lighting for those just go proing the moment without lights.

 

[mcohen1021]

"Group"?

Referring to the others on your vacation dive.

This is so true! At least the current blows the newbie away. The other guys has his blinding video lights and flashes screwing up the ambient lighting for those just go proing the moment without lights.

We had a guy on our Socorro trip that was hired by aggressor with a set up so annoying that I wanted to beat the crap out of with his camera… I can’t tell you how annoyed I was by him barging in to ruin my 1on1 moment with a shark, dolphin, manta… Either that or his camera flood/fog lamps….

 

[Storker]

Referring to the others on your vacation dive.

Whom I could hardly care less about as long as I have control of my buddy/team

 

[Dubious]

We just started using a GoPro after around 25 dives. It was around this time we felt we had our buoyancy under control. We have been diving weekly since our certification and have set up in time in most dives to work on buoyancy while doing drills. That said Holding a camera is just one more thing to hold on. Typically one of us will hold the GoPro while the other is holding our dive flag reel. When we take the GoPro, we view it as a secondary objective. It is the first thing we drop (both figuratively and literally (leash around wrist)).

 

[Esprise Me]

I started using a GoPro for still photos right after I got certified. I keep it on a retractor clipped to my BCD when not in use. I focus on the diving first and foremost and haven't crashed into anything. Of course, most of my pictures suck, but I get enough to show my friends and family what I'm up to down there, and that works for me.

 

[RayfromTX]

This video was taken on our first dives after our open water certification. We almost never contact anything although we get close sometimes. It isn't bad for dives 9 through 20. Our first four dives were pre-certification before we knew anything about OW cert courses.
Taking video has made me a much better diver as the challenge of putting myself in the spot for the shot teaches finning and buoyancy control that isn't required if you just drift along and watch the scenery.

 

[Anish]

I exclusively use a GoPro and have been able to produce some pretty nice looking videos. The new GoPro 7 has good white balance adjustments and doesn't need the red filter. Its small and easy to carry. I use a small buoyant stick which I clip onto my BCD for entry and exit. Having said that, if you can't control buoyancy its a distraction and your videos will suck anyway. So once you are really comfortable with your buoyancy and trim, you can start carrying the go pro. I don't have it on all the time. I turn it on and off as I see interesting things. Also you need good post processing to tie it all together. I use iMovie on a Mac and it works great. I usually condense a weeks dive trio into a 5min highlight reel that everyone seems to enjoy watching.

 

[Ash176]

TS, apologies for hijacking your thread. Just got a question. How do you guys enter the water with your camera rigs? I've been searching for videos on it but can't seem to find any. Thank you.