Question Gopro11 white balance and filter

[beediving]

I'm about to purchase a gopro 11. I have the hero 4 silver.

I make short clips using red filter, sometimes a small torch inside a ziploc bag, one of those led torches for runners. I don't do editing, except for trimming.

Unfortunately, I've read I'll need to purchase a new filter, because the hero11 is a different size than the hero 4.

I've seen on a video on youtube a person saying with the new white balance, red filters weren't necessary. It made me wonder if I should buy the red filter.

My question: can the white balance of the hero11 replace a red filter?

I've found and read many posts already where the topic is discussed, but the answers always involve some post processing, color correction.

What if one won't do any color correction?

So, do I still need red filter with the hero11, or is its white balance enough? I want to get the best possible result without expensive lights and post processing.

And could you share your settings, having in mind I don't want to color correct later on computer? Someone said something about a cheat sheet on the backscatter site, but I couldn't find it.

If I buy a filter, it'll be the polarpro. The backscatter looks nicer, with the flip system, but it's too expensive for me at the moment.

I use the gopro with a kind of selfie stick.

I'm getting a real torch for night snorkeling, but it'll be a cheap one, about 1000 lumen. My budget is about 50 euros tops for the torch.

Thank you!

 

[ReefHound]

I just have the 9 so can't say for sure about the 11 but I still need a red filter with the 9. You can achieve as good or better results in post-processing but if you aren't going to do that or shoot under decent lighting I'd say you need a red filter. It's not that much. You can get a single Flip filter for about $50-60. The dual filter is about $100, from my memory. With two, you can flip from shallow to deep. If you can get only one, get the deep. Scuba is not a cheap sport and UW photography is not either, so don't expect quality results for cheap.

 

[beediving]

Thank you very much for the info, @ReefHound!

I'll see my options for the filter.

 

[Soloist]

Depth, sunlight, visibility and lights dramatically affect color, so “preprocessing” versus “post processing” your color correction may be difficult at best. However, for years we used a BackScatter 20’ to 50’ Bluewater Dive Red Filter for EVERYTHING, even night dives, with acceptable results. I quit using red filters a couple of years ago and do all my color correction after the fact. I highly recommend one or two VIDEO lights when you can fit them into your budget. Even a couple 1000 lumen (video) lights can produce stunning results. Also, dumping the selfie stick for a tray will provide much more stable video. Probably not the answers you’re looking for, but something to think about. Good luck.

 

[beediving]

Thank you for the input, @Soloist. I need to keep the gear as a small volume and as light as possible, besides minding a tight budget. I travel very light.

Last night I've bought the gopro 11, its supersuit and the polarpro filters on the gopro website. Everything together, plus a gopro subscription cost a little less than 490 euros. The subscription that I don't really need, nor want was the way to get discount on camera and supersuit prices.

In the meantime, I've found two apps to do a tiny bit of editing: photocurves and uwedit. I found them amazing after a quick test. All for android phone. I also already had the Androvid Pro that I love. It can compact videos, do slowmotion, crop, etc. I just don't know if these apps can handle 4k. I've never used 4k. I'll test.

The gopro app, Quik, I found completely useless, or I'm missing something. I was looking for a way to edit colors. Quik has presets that don't do the job. Or just stuff like contrast. And it can make noisy videos. I'll google it to see if I'm missing some setting or feature for adding red.

Now, I'm shopping for a torch. I'm planning on lots of night snorkeling in Raja Ampat. When I went there before, I've snorkeled all the 19 nights of my stay. Most of them with just a runner's led inside a ziploc plastic. I want a torch this time.

 

[Dan]

I stopped using red filter and just use video light for close distance & dark situations starting from GoPro 9 since it has built-in white balance & color correction in the GoPro itself. I don’t do any color correction in post editing. I just cut & paste my video clips, take the Darth Vader sounds out, slap the clips together, add texts, and music and publish it, as you see here:

 

[scuba127]

AT Back Scatter, they say you need a filter on the 9 because you can't manually set the white balance on that camera. This would suggest if you can manually set the white balance on an 11 you wouldn't need a filter. Still waiting on Back Scatter's review of the 11.

 

[uwex]

AT Back Scatter, they say you need a filter on the 9 because you can't manually set the white balance on that camera. This would suggest if you can manually set the white balance on an 11 you wouldn't need a filter. Still waiting on Back Scatter's review of the 11.

On Hero11 you have a white balance setting with 9 steps from 2300K to 6500K plus "native". I have just tried some videos in The Red Sea using this, without the red filter I usually use. Not perfect "out of the box" (also I'm still experimenting with settings and exposure) but gets you closer, close enough imho that I will drop red filter now and just do some post-correction.

 

[sandys1]

On Hero11 you have a white balance setting with 9 steps from 2300K to 6500K plus "native". I have just tried some videos in The Red Sea using this, without the red filter I usually use. Not perfect "out of the box" (also I'm still experimenting with settings and exposure) but gets you closer, close enough imho that I will drop red filter now and just do some post-correction.

hey thanks for this. Im just gonna buy the Gopro 10 or the 11. three questions:
1. can you post your personal settings for the Gopro with a red filter ? what gives u the best results ? would love to use that as a baseline. I'm new to the gopro. i used to dive with an el cheapo SJCam until i got comfortable with it. I'm especially confused about the resolution and FPS as well. are u all shooting at 5k 120PS ? and with auto white balance ?
2. is this 11 only ? or is the 10 equally capable. i see a lot of replies talk about the 9 vs 11...but not really the 10.
3. does the 10-bit color in the gopro 11 make a difference ? will it make a difference 1 year down the line ?

 

[uwex]

1. I assume you mean without a red filter (if you mean with then I haven't tried that on H11 at all and no longer have my old), and disclaimer; I've just started experimenting with this camera and settings so highly likely others better qualified to answer. Also of course, it highly depends on conditions where you dive (even conditions of the day same place). That said, I found these settings a good starting point for the red sea diving I did, which was focused on trying without both the flip red filter and the dual video lights I usually use.

Res: 4K/60
Lens: Linear (many do wide, I like the look and feel of linear on this camera)
Hypersmooth: Boost
10-bit: On
Bit rate: High
Shutter: auto
EV-comp: -1.5
White Balance: 6000-6500K (I see others recommend a step or two lower)
ISO min: 100-200
ISO max: 800-1600 (these settings require good natural light and good visibility, some recommend setting higher)
Sharpness: Medium
Color: Natural (actually Vibrant was interesting to try too)

2. I don't know anything about Hero10, skipped that generation

3. For me yes, it gives more captured colour information to go on especially in post-processing (I'm not trying to avoid post-processing, just having a good starting point for it)