Hero 2 Help! Keep PolarPro or try something else?

[djtimmy77]

I got a GoPro Hero2 in October. Started with the Reef Photo housing with flat port and drop in filter.

GoPro Housing with Glass Flat Port & Orange Filter [gop.glass.orng] - $119.99 : Reef Photo & Video!, The Underwater Photo Pros

This worked well filming video at 1080p on four dives, except for some vignetting. In an effort to get rid of the vignetting, bought a GoPro dive housing, and a PolarPro red filter. Finally got to try it out today, and I was very much less than impressed. Almost all of my video had a red haze on the sides or all the dark areas are glowing red. The exception is when the sun was at my back. Never had this problem with the other filter regardless of where the sun was (even in frame.) I have uploaded a video to Youtube so you guys can give me some advice. It was shot around 10am in ~80fsw with pretty good vis.

Hero2_PolarPro_Filter - YouTube

Is this filter salvagable, or am I only going to be able to film straight down? My backup plan is obviously the other housing with the vignetting, but I might be willing to consider the SRP Dome, or even buying and cutting some gels.

One of my buddies has the Hero3 and just bought this filter, but have not opened the box, should we return it?

 

[beaverdivers]

I'll be testing a GOPro Hero 3 w/ PolarPro filter in WPB. I'll give my 2 cents.

 

[Interceptor121]

What you see in your backlit shots is what is called flare it is an issue that all cameras have.
With a filter you never shoot into the sunball it is a rule of photography that you can't break otherwise you get a hue. As the polarpro is more magenta than your other filter (that seems really not to work much) you get more hue
The solution is to shoot with the ilght behind you or have a hood around the lens

 

[djtimmy77]

Well the flare on that filter is unacceptable. I'd rather have less filtering and be able to shoot in any direction when the sun is relatively overhead.

 

[toozler]

With a filter you never shoot into the sunball it is a rule of photography that you can't break otherwise you get a hue. As the polarpro is more magenta than your other filter (that seems really not to work much) you get more hue

Please explain why magenta, specifically, causes this effect.

Just to illustrate that Interceptor's "rule of photography" is not a really a rule, see the figure below shot with a filter (if you have a HERO3 or is planning to get one, look at eelvision.com). The sun is right in front of me.



The flaring and overall "reddish" look of the filter you purchased is due to low quality plastic and lot of light scattering through the material.

Crap in, crap out, that's a real rule.

 

[Interceptor121]

Toozler you asked the same question once already and you didn't bother reading the answer so am not bothering again
Your filter is as cheap as his and your shot is different confirming your objective is just to have a go at me which is fine also but don't be totally out of order go and ask someone else who actually knows about photography or video why is a bad idea to shoot the sunball and backlit especially with a cheap device such a gopro whose low quality lens will flare even without a filters the hue is just a final touch
Your picture is not good either because of lens flares lacks totally contrast and is washed out even if there is less hue the op footage is actually better so no need for your help
Besides your filter is a drop in if I am correct so you are not comparing apples with apples. A drop in filter will flare less because there is no reflection of light between the port and the filter. In fact drop in filter give higher quality results overall
The solution for those shots is to put your hand on top shading the lens to reduce flare being careful not to have the hand in the footage
Maybe someone will produce a hood for the gopro to help people that shoot the whole dive without framing to save more of their footage
The op had a reefphoto housing with glass port that is better and a light orange filter that in terms of quality is better than any push on filter with the gopro dive housing. This because the glass port flares less than the cheap plastic on the gopro housing
The reefphoto housing port will produce better results than any push up in that respect. I would investigate how to get rid if vignetting if possible. Ryan at reefphoto is very helpful and if there is something that can be done I am sure he will help
As far as I know the set up should not vignette at 1080p unless the spacer ring and filter have not been mounted correctly

By the way the footage of the OP has just flare problems and they are not even major there is a tiny hue on the sides that has more to do with the gopro flat port distorting the image than the filter itself. I would be quite happy with that.
The vignetting on the reefphoto housing seems to have something to do with the wrong installation of the spacer ring as it is more pronounced on one side. Looking at the colour the polarpro footage is colorful the reefphoto at same depth very dull. This indicates that the reefphoto drop in is weaker and this is why it gives less hue

The op is pretty much getting what the expected results should be. Considering he is shooting the sunball and getting good results I would not complain. After all is a cheap set up or not?

 

[djtimmy77]

Thanks for the replies. I'll have to try the GoPro dive housing with no filter and see if there is a noticable flare with the shots I like to take. If there is no flare then maybe I'll buy a gel and make a drop in.

 

[toozler]

By the way the footage of the OP has just flare problems and they are not even major there is a tiny hue on the sides that has more to do with the gopro flat port distorting the image than the filter itself. I would be quite happy with that.

Are we watching the same video?

 

[Interceptor121]

Yes the difference at the side comes from the housing port not the filter, the filter than aggravates it but the image is already crap so not much on it
The flat port of the gopro dive housing has quite a bit of distortion at the edges
The filter hue would be homogenous and actually more on the top not on the sides
The op already had the best housing I would put a call in with reefphoto because if they say it does not vignette at 1080p that is true for sure
The glass port on their housing is 100% better than the gopro flat plastic
The op footage is actually quite nice shooting a sunball is hard even with more expensive set ups I think his expectations are a bit too high

 

[divingpyrate]

I read a lot here before buying a filter
The Srp was my choice, the polar has way to heavy a tint even when not pointed at the sun

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