Deep South Divers
Contributor
I'm a commercial diver that dives frequently on scuba (rather than surface-supplied) and was in need of a new camera for when clients requested it.
Yeah, sure... I had a Nikon and an impressive housing... A couple of GoPros, an Intova, and some others... But any time I used those, I sacrificed a hand to the camera; I no longer had two hands to do my work with... Not to mention the expense and maintenance. Essentially, it was a pain in the neck and I avoided taking the camera with me unless the client was specifically paying for footage.
We all want ease of use, no backscatter, high definition video, true colors, and lots of ambient light. Good vis would be great too. It just doesn't work that way in my line of work.
...But I put together a little camera rig anyway, and I'm shocked how good the results have been.
1. GoMask. Yes, it's like being a unicorn - yes, I have to be careful not to bash the camera against things... But I'm surprised that the rig is essentially neutral underwater and virtually disappears. Yes, I do tend to make careful, calculated head movements while videoing only because I don't want to make viewers seasick; but that's probably overkill... With the right settings, the view is so wide that it really is a nonissue.
Yes, any mask can be modified with a GoPro mount these days... But I was impressed with the solidity of the stainless mount on the GoMask, and the original version fit my face great - nearly as good as my beloved Hollis M1.
2. Unbranded 3 LED eBay waterproof light for GoPro cameras (Underwater Waterproof Diving Spot Light LED Mount for GoPro Hero 4 3+ 3 Camera). I had hoped it would be bright enough and last a few dives; I'm on dive 150 with this ridiculously inexpensive and bright light, and have had zero problems with it. Great light color too, right around 4200k. Fantastic.
3. GoPro Hero 4 Session. Half the size and weight of the Hero 4 Silver, and equipped essentially the same. Waterproof to 33' without a housing. Great microphones, front and rear... And half the price of the Silver. What's not to love?
4. Since I often travel lower than 33', I bought a dive housing for the Session (GoPro Hero 4 Session Dive Housing). $40 very well spent!
I've used the camera both with and without the housing underwater. I prefer the lower profile and better sound without the housing, but I once dove to 43' without thinking about it and flooded the camera. GoPro replaced it free of charge. It lives in the housing now, which also provides a sacrificial barrier against bashing... The $40 housing is a lot cheaper to replace thsn the camera itself.
Total investment in the entire rig: About $350, including the nearly $100 mask.
I had low expectations... I expected lots of backscatter in our muddy waters, and virtually useless video full of bubbles and head shakes.
Not so.
Here's the rig:
And here's some example video that I take for my clients every day with the rig:
Settings: Recording in 720p Wide, with Superview on. This provides an even wider angle than GoPros normally have, which works great to counteract water's normal "zoom" distortion. It also makes the camera work much better in low vis conditions because it makes six inches of vis seem like two feet or more. Yes, you can actually see something with that setting.
720p because Facebook - where most of my videos end up - is limited to 720p anyway, and this way they don't use their awful algorithm to crunch down my 1080p video. Uploads faster, too.
I am shocked as to how well this light works underwater. The beam is so wide an unfocused that backscatter is a nonissue, even in the worst of conditions. In one of the videos above, vis drops so badly that you lose sight of the boat prop, not a foot in front of the camera... Yet still very low backscatter, even at 720p.
For $350, I got a solid, working, hands-free camera and light that is completely functional.
Will this work for your average sport diver? Well... Yes, so long as you never look directly at your dive buddy (we usually work alone). This thing is seriously bright. Light everywhere. It's a bit of a mess, really, but totally without a hotspot and it's great for work because it pumps out an obscene amount of light even on a low setting. I've used it for more than six hours at a time without killing the battery. It's a great video light and a great work light and is wide enough to use even at close range in low vis.
I'm very pleased - and the system is rock solid and neutral and charges without complaint every night in the truck.
All video editing was done using the Adobe Clip app on an Android tablet (LG G-Pad).
Yeah, sure... I had a Nikon and an impressive housing... A couple of GoPros, an Intova, and some others... But any time I used those, I sacrificed a hand to the camera; I no longer had two hands to do my work with... Not to mention the expense and maintenance. Essentially, it was a pain in the neck and I avoided taking the camera with me unless the client was specifically paying for footage.
We all want ease of use, no backscatter, high definition video, true colors, and lots of ambient light. Good vis would be great too. It just doesn't work that way in my line of work.
...But I put together a little camera rig anyway, and I'm shocked how good the results have been.
1. GoMask. Yes, it's like being a unicorn - yes, I have to be careful not to bash the camera against things... But I'm surprised that the rig is essentially neutral underwater and virtually disappears. Yes, I do tend to make careful, calculated head movements while videoing only because I don't want to make viewers seasick; but that's probably overkill... With the right settings, the view is so wide that it really is a nonissue.
Yes, any mask can be modified with a GoPro mount these days... But I was impressed with the solidity of the stainless mount on the GoMask, and the original version fit my face great - nearly as good as my beloved Hollis M1.
2. Unbranded 3 LED eBay waterproof light for GoPro cameras (Underwater Waterproof Diving Spot Light LED Mount for GoPro Hero 4 3+ 3 Camera). I had hoped it would be bright enough and last a few dives; I'm on dive 150 with this ridiculously inexpensive and bright light, and have had zero problems with it. Great light color too, right around 4200k. Fantastic.
3. GoPro Hero 4 Session. Half the size and weight of the Hero 4 Silver, and equipped essentially the same. Waterproof to 33' without a housing. Great microphones, front and rear... And half the price of the Silver. What's not to love?
4. Since I often travel lower than 33', I bought a dive housing for the Session (GoPro Hero 4 Session Dive Housing). $40 very well spent!
I've used the camera both with and without the housing underwater. I prefer the lower profile and better sound without the housing, but I once dove to 43' without thinking about it and flooded the camera. GoPro replaced it free of charge. It lives in the housing now, which also provides a sacrificial barrier against bashing... The $40 housing is a lot cheaper to replace thsn the camera itself.
Total investment in the entire rig: About $350, including the nearly $100 mask.
I had low expectations... I expected lots of backscatter in our muddy waters, and virtually useless video full of bubbles and head shakes.
Not so.
Here's the rig:
And here's some example video that I take for my clients every day with the rig:
Settings: Recording in 720p Wide, with Superview on. This provides an even wider angle than GoPros normally have, which works great to counteract water's normal "zoom" distortion. It also makes the camera work much better in low vis conditions because it makes six inches of vis seem like two feet or more.
Yes, you can actually see something with that setting.720p because Facebook - where most of my videos end up - is limited to 720p anyway, and this way they don't use their awful algorithm to crunch down my 1080p video. Uploads faster, too.
I am shocked as to how well this light works underwater. The beam is so wide an unfocused that backscatter is a nonissue, even in the worst of conditions. In one of the videos above, vis drops so badly that you lose sight of the boat prop, not a foot in front of the camera... Yet still very low backscatter, even at 720p.
For $350, I got a solid, working, hands-free camera and light that is completely functional.
Will this work for your average sport diver? Well... Yes, so long as you never look directly at your dive buddy (we usually work alone).
This thing is seriously bright. Light everywhere. It's a bit of a mess, really, but totally without a hotspot and it's great for work because it pumps out an obscene amount of light even on a low setting. I've used it for more than six hours at a time without killing the battery. It's a great video light and a great work light and is wide enough to use even at close range in low vis.I'm very pleased - and the system is rock solid and neutral and charges without complaint every night in the truck.
All video editing was done using the Adobe Clip app on an Android tablet (LG G-Pad).
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