GoPro Dome

[mfrymus]

My goal is to attach a GoPro on top of the camera housing I will be using for stills.
Ultimately I can be shooting stills and capturing video in one dive. Either way, I will be attaching the GoPro to the top of the camera housing. When my mission is specifically for video, then it will be on its own GoPro tray.

I was looking for a GoPro dome I could use underwater for up to 40m, and will allow me to mount the GoPro onto the ikelite GoPro tray, or onto the other camera housing.

I have found some domes for the GoPro, but I am unsure how it mounts to the GoPro, and if it will still allow me to use my method of attachments - As most I've seen are with their own handheld mount.

 

[tursiops]

Why do you want a dome? Are the possible advantages worth the definite disadvantages?

 

[mfrymus]

Why do you want a dome? Are the possible advantages worth the definite disadvantages?

Well, the dome would give you a wide field of view compared to the flat port that comes with the gopro housing. Am I not right?

 

[tursiops]

Well, yes, but the GoPro alone is pretty wide, perhaps 100-110 deg as I remember. It is narrower, of course, than on land, but is still quite a wide-angle lens underwater.

 

[diversteve]

Probably more than you need - or want to pay but:
DeepPro Systems – GoPro Dome Port Optically Corrected Underwater Housing

 

[mfrymus]

Probably more than you need - or want to pay but:
DeepPro Systems – GoPro Dome Port Optically Corrected Underwater Housing

Yeah. Total overkill.
Oh well. I'll live.

 

[Sanpaku]

I'm planning on building an external air lens using the acrylic or polycarbonate / lexan domes sold for security cameras, probably in a 3-4" size. This manufacturer has a pretty comprehensive list of options, but Ebay has tons of similar domes for a fraction of the cost shipped from Asia. My shopping list + construction:

• security camera dome, 3-4" diameter, 3/16"-1/4" thickness, with flange
• non-reflective/black gasket material with centered rectangular cutout sized to GoPro dive housing port
• flat acrylic or polycarbonate, 1/4" or thicker, cut to match flange on dome
• rubber push mount (as sold with some red filters) or Backscatter 3.1 flip mount to affix to GoPro dive housing
• stainless bolts & nuts
• lanyard for security, if I'm using a push mount.

With long enough stainless bolts, it shouldn't be difficult to also weight the dome for neutral or desired buoyancy. Buoyancy and drag issues favor smaller domes, over/under shots at surface favor larger ones.

My budget for everything is ~ $60-90.