High frame rate revolution - GoPro 2.7K 60p & 720 240p firmware coming

[BDSC]

I think the wife will get a kick out of it. We're headed to Fiji for two weeks in April and I'll be taking the usual system but she'll be right there with her GoPro no doubt.

 

[ronscuba]

I think the wife will get a kick out of it. We're headed to Fiji for two weeks in April and I'll be taking the usual system but she'll be right there with her GoPro no doubt.

Fiji is on my list. So speaking about wives and buying equipment. My wife is a new-ish diver. The GoPro and LX7 were supposed to be for her.

Basically, I carry all the equipment. Every now and then, she'll take a picture, then hand me back the camera.

 

[A.Y.]

My 2 videos above were shot with 2007 Sony consumer camcorder, filter, no lights, 1080 resolution, 60i frame rate which is equivalent to 30p. The whaleshark was a deep dark dive. GoPro would not have been able to handle the low light.

The increased resolution and frame rates on the GoPro means more options, which is a good thing, but I'd rather a GoPro with better low light capabilities and options for narrower lenses.

The good news is the latest GoPro 4 will deliver better 1080 60p low-light results than your 2007 Sony 1080 60i camcorder.

My 2013 GoPro 3+ Black uses a Sony 1/2.3" backlit sensor (iFixit teardown) and my 2008 Sony SR11 1080 60i camcorder uses a older and smaller 1/3" chip so my GoPro actually delivers better low-light performance than the aging SR11 in side by side comparison I did.

True 1080 60i = the sensor captures 1080 60p and the processor interlaces/combines the odd lines of the first 1920x1080 frame (upper field 1920x540 resolution) and the even lines of the second 1920x1080 frame (lower field 1920x540 resolution) onto one 1920x1080 interlaced frame. This is why motions in 1080 60i videos are silky smooth because it's actually 1920x540 60fps stratched to 1920x1080 during playback and this is also why CBS, NBC broadcast sports over the air in 1080 60i (1920x540 60fps) and ABC in 1280x720 60p in California - 30fps is too choppy.

True 30p = thirty 1920x1080 progressive frames are captured and recorded per second.

All of my old 1080 60i videos had been converted to 1080 60p - not as good as true 1080 60p but the results were better than expected. A HDTV de-interlaces on the fly.

 

[ronscuba]

The good news is the latest GoPro 4 will deliver better 1080 60p low-light results than your 2007 Sony 1080 60i camcorder.My 2013 GoPro 3+ Black uses a Sony 1/2.3" backlit sensor (iFixit teardown) and my 2008 Sony SR11 1080 60i camcorder uses a older and smaller 1/3" chip so my GoPro actually delivers better low-light performance than the aging SR11 in side by side comparison I did......

I had a Sony FX7, it was marketed above consumer but below pro. It was in the "prosumer" division. It performed very well in low light. Low light performance is not just brightness, it's video noise, coloring, dynamic range, manual white balance ability, focus ability, etc.. Whether or not GoPro 4 will perform better in low light, I kind of doubt it, but since I sold the FX7, I'll never know.

 

[A.Y.]

Your 1080 60i videos look good. Have you converted them to 1080 60p yet? It's highly likely your MiniDV camcorder shot the whale shark video at 1/60sec - its slowest shutter for 60i.

 

[ronscuba]

Your 1080 60i videos look good. Have you converted them to 1080 60p yet? It's highly likely your MiniDV camcorder shot the whale shark video at 1/60sec - its slowest shutter for 60i.

Thanks. I manually set and locked my shutter at 60. It allowed me to go down to 30, or 15, but I did not like how it looked. It was a very good camcorder. You had access to all the manual settings.

Have not converted any of my old footage. Most of my edited videos are based on vacation trips. If I ever decide to make a new video using existing footage, I'll experiment converting it to see if I like the look.

After many years of shooting video, I now like more of a "cinema" look compared to the "broadcast news" look. Kind of hard to explain. A combination of shallower depth of field and more motion blur. I think it's because I really like to edit videos to create a certain vibe. The music, the timing of the transitions, focusing the viewers attention on a certain section of the frame, etc..

 

[Interceptor121]

Hiding behind a fake name allows this guy to make blatantly false proclamations over and over again and hurl insults on this and other forums without owning up to the behavior. Priceless!

Where did you see the insults?
Don't you wonder why this list has 40+ answers here and 0 on wetpixel? Because a more experienced audience is moving to 4K and shoots 24/25/30p for most giving more importance to image quality and dynamic range than fluidity of motion
The gopro and other action cams with tiny sensor and no stabilisations benefit from fast frame rate as they are used on ski slopes inside racing cars and other type of activities where having more frames make sense
Underwater video is not an action sport, there is relatively little action it the environment is harsh. Bitrate goes to image quality to avoid blotchy and pixelated frames except slow motion macro. People like a more cinematic relaxing mood not a heavy metal rock band bump ride hence all of his means very little
For the gopro user within the limitation of that camera it may make sense but Ron videos at 2.7k 30p were much nicer than 1080@60p with better image quality. That is because he knows how to hold a camera

 

[A.Y.]

I've noticed more and more GoPro users ARE shooting 60p underwater so I started this thread to inform them on the 2.7k 60p firmware update. This thread was also indented to celebrate how capable GoPro cameras have become. Just look at how many GoPro users on ScubaBoard are proudly sharing their precious vacation videos filmed by cameras with many limitations and yet they managed to obtain great footage with them.

Aren't we lucky to have someone like Interceptor121, telling us RELENTLESSLY how crappy GoPros, Sony, and 60p are! Not many divers can justify spending thousands on a underwater system so please excuse us for enjoying using GoPros to record our dive trips.

There are great people on ScubaBoard and Wetpixel so don't use either one to bash of all thing a consumer camera and a frame rate - GAL!

 

[Interceptor121]

No problem with Sony I have it myself and with 60p either except AVCHD Sony implementation that is not great
Those 60p additional gopro options are not going to be any revolution the 60p discussion and all the slowing down to 30p to make it look less shaky are already a 3 year old topic
Gopro is a POV action camera and is very good at that

 

[A.Y.]

[video=youtube;Amwtxw6GE1w]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Amwtxw6GE1w#t[/video]

Andy Casagrande on using GoPros for National Geographic assignments above and underwater. This is what a positive and skillful person can do with this very capable and small camera.​