GoPro Hero3+ - Video Settings

[atlas_shrugged]

Hi All,

I have a new GoPro Hero3+ Black on the way for an upcoming dive trip to Burma.

It's overwhelming for the different options available in the video settings. Can you recommend settings that I can use? There are variables of ProTune (to facilitate post-editing), Superview (aspect ratio), and Auto Low Light that I am also seeking feedback on.

Thanks heaps in advance!

 

[Scubanoobi]

Keep it simple if you're not familiar or comfortable with video editing and color grading. Forget about Protune (unless you will be color grading later), shoot in 1080 30p.

As you learn more then you can play with the settings. Superview (which I'm assuming is the widest field of view) will be ideal for scuba.

Invest in a red filter for scuba (they are not expensive), it will make a world of difference underwater.

 

[Marty Cerven]

Generally id say its the same as the regular 3 black, the main thing you need to do is decide if you want to do post grading or not. This is the main decision I think as Protune with cam raw is amazing what you can get out of a gopro but you do need to do some post work. This will make editing trickier but end results are well worth it IMHO and I have only used this mode UW since my first tests a long time ago with the black. I find the plus pretty much the same and auto white balance modes are quite hit and miss. Here is a couple videos I just put up shot with the regular black but I have had pretty much the same results with my plus just havent been to very cool dive sites with it yet. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gopro-video/471582-truk-lagoon-deeper-wrecks.html The wrecks are all very deep 30-65m and the other is shallower then 30m throughout and using protune and cam raw the results at 60m can be pretty darn good for a gopro. Using the regular auto mode and also if you use protune I see no advantage in auto or pre set wb options as you may as well just use the non protune mode when used underwater.

The other thing you need to know is how deep you will be going and how much light there is, the auto low light I really wouldnt bother with as it will just slow frame rate as the light gets lower. Handy if you want to shoot in 1080p60 as it will auto drop that to 30p in lower light so you want ruin your footage if you still want to shoot some 60p in good light. Basically the lower the light the lower the frame rate you want to allow shutter speed to get slower and so allow more light.

Superview I havent used uw but it may be good if you want to mount the camera behind you or look at yourself but for general use distortion will be higher then you want. What superview is, is it basically shoots in 4:3 modes same as 1440p which is 1920x1440 and then dynamically stretches this image to get it back to 1920x1080 which is regular 1080p video modes. This will cause distortion to the shot and so I wouldnt recommend it for general UW use but it may be cool to try for a couple of shorter shots. Its best for POV type shots where you are also in the shot but not great for regular shooting of objects straight ahead of your.

FOV wise I find your best off using the widest mode and trying to get as close as you can to the subject but not so close as to lose focus, if your too far away from things you may want to use medium or narrow modes but for general shots uw the widest mode is my goto and I use it 95% of the time. If you have a good computer to edit with you can shoot in 2.7k which allows you to crop to a narrower mode in post without loss of quality but also shoot everything in wide. My goto is 2.7k30 pt and cam raw but sometimes use 1080p60 wide too or narrow for the closer stuff.

If you dont want to do the grading in post just stick to the regular 1080p modes and see how it turns out, with the auto white balance sometime its great but other times it ruins the shot completly. Thats why I use cam raw because I have yet to have a shot ruined by poor wb, this auto mode realy is hard to fix in post too so if shooting in it you pretty much are stuck with what you get.

Filter wise they are great 5-25 maybe 30m in great light and vis, they do surprisingly help out the auto white balance a little though more by accident then intended design. You will still get best results using a good filter such as the URPro by SRP I use and cam raw in its ideal depth and light range. No filter and auto white balance the GoPro tends to go green between 5-10m quite badly with a good filter it does ok to deeper depths in good light but even still sometimes freaks out and goes green. Just not as likely as with the filter, using cam raw it will never go green even at 70m which is the deepest my GoPro's have been but in auto I have had issues quite shallow at times not much beyond 5m in the worst case.

Using a filter too shallow or looking back into the sun can tend to make the image go red and some lower quality filters tend to block more light then the better ones overall. Before your trip it may be a good idea just to take your gopro to a local swimming pool and play around with how you intend to mount it and also go through a few modes, this will give you a basic idea of what to expect on your trip. You dont want to waste the first day or so of a cool trip trying to figure out how to works the camera or find out the way you held it or mode you used gave you pretty crappy results.

 

[cool79]

you mean u did not use filter and you used gopro studio to adjust the WB? that is damn cool!!! I was thinking of getting the filter till i saw your clip.

That is why you all use protune?

my next dive will be 2014, will try it when I am on vacation!!!

 

[Marty Cerven]

If your diving under 30m depth with good light a filter will give you much better colours, beyond 30m there isnt enough light so the filter will hurt so best to use no filter but lights if you have them. White balance is a seperate issue to the benefit of a filter and you need good wb to get the most out of a filter but you can get better white balance with or without a filter.

I always use filters when I am in their useable depths to get much more colour but always use can raw with protune to get the best results.

 

[cool79]

How do you mount your lights? Using camera tray?

I am still quite new to gopro and my gopro haven't enter the open sea yet. But was using G12 to shoot, and post process in light room. I never used filter before.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Marty Cerven]

Here is the setup I use, I have a couple different sets of lights. With the black + I can either use the stock black housing for deeper dives or the new plus and new srp adapter but all the same filters as they both take 55mm filters.



I have been using this tray for quite a while but for daytime use I prefer just a filter without lights unless too deep or light is poor. Lights for daytime use are limited to pretty short range and why I prefer the filters when they are in their effective depths as they colour the entire scene where lights will only help within a meter or so in daylight.

Both methods try to do the same thing but in very different ways so its good to have both options but good filters are much cheaper then lights and in daytime shallower diving I do mostly are more of a benefit to me. The lights are great for wrecks or night diving as you just need some good wide lights but dont need so much power as very good wide hIgh output lights can cost more then my entire setup for just 1 light.

Having a bit of a play with some different modes is a good thing and try both auto and cam raw, id highly recommend the cam raw if you want best results and want to do a bit of post work. Otherwise just stick to the regular modes which will give less consistant results but you can just be more selective and cut the bad shots out. Frame rates keep low in low light but shallower or very good light you can use the faster rates and use it for some slow motion shots.

 

[fbk]

Agreed