My first Underwater videos - GoPro Hero HD

[sharksdelight]

At the inexpensive price of their most expensive model, why go for cheap? You may not have a big screen but you may want to include footage from it in a project that will go out to others who may have a big screen. It would seem to be penny wise and pound foolish to go for the lesser of the models.
Steve

 

[GoAnywherePhoto]

At the inexpensive price of their most expensive model, why go for cheap? You may not have a big screen but you may want to include footage from it in a project that will go out to others who may have a big screen. It would seem to be penny wise and pound foolish to go for the lesser of the models.
Steve

^^ WISE WORDS ^^

As a photo/video professional I can tell you there is no forecast for lower resolution being the next big thing in the digital world. If you're going to spend the money, go for 1080, at least it will keep from being obsolete a little bit longer. Even if you don't feel you need the latest and greatest now, it won't be too long before what is HD now will be a thing of the past. I'm not saying you need to jump headfirst into the newest thing out there (looks like 3D will be it) but at least invest in what has already proven to be solid technology (1080).

Other reasons to take the extra pixels is that if this is something you decide to get even a little more serious with down the line it will give you some room when editing to crop (zoom) in to something small without it getting too pixelated. What you see on CSI and in the spy movies where they zoom in and the software just makes everything look pretty is BS. If the pixels aren't there, you can add more pixels, but you can not add the detail that you would have had in the first place.

Second, if you decide to do any color correction or lighten/darken the video, the higher quality image you start with the less noise/graininess you will get in the final product.

If you need any further reason, pull a digital photo you have from just a few years back and compare it with a new photo. Chances are what looked good to you back then now looks pretty lousy compared to the new image.

Things change fast in the digital world, don't start out already behind.

 

[DMDavid]

As a photo/video professional I can tell you there is no forecast for lower resolution being the next big thing.

Things change fast in the digital world, don't start out already behind.

Words of wisdom or an advertisement for Brand X Digital Cameras. : )

 

[GoAnywherePhoto]

Words of wisdom or an advertisement for Brand X Digital Cameras. : )

No ads here, although I have been very happy with my GoPro and their deep military discount. I shoot Nikon for photo and Sony for video proffessionally, but personally I'm a Canon guy. I just like the way their cameras feel and Nikon is overpriced for my money.

I just wish I could afford a housing for my Canon 5D MkII so I could shoot 21 MP photos and 1080 HD video from the same camera while diving.

 

[sharksdelight]

Jon is 100% correct. There will never be a movement towards backwards technology. One thing that should be cleared up however is that these small and inexpensive POV cams that have come out, while they fill a nice niche, produce footage that really should not be considered A roll footage. They have never been meant to be that and I, as 'Press', have had personal discussions with the heads of all these companies. They are really great little cams but not meant to take the place of real underwater cams/housing systems.
Steve

 

[Sherpakroto]

New here... The difference between the "budget" HD and full HD camera is also that you can only shoot in 170 degree width. With the more expensive model, you shoot at 127 degrees wehn in 1080 mode. It also ends up being your setting of choice

You can also find the flat lens at freedivingspearfishinggear dot com. It is definitely worth getting the lens if you shoot underwater to correct the focus issue. Eyesofmine dot com also has housings with a flat lens.

 

[raskous]

wow looks like freedivingspearfishinggear has the HeroHD naked + flat lens for 259... the same price has the Hero HD naked ... sounds like a great deal
Anyone tried that one? Is their lens reliable?

 

[GoAnywherePhoto]

Well, I looked at the lens they are selling on that site and it looks basically identical to the lens I bought from goforfocus.com - so far mine has been fine although being plastic it does accumulate fine scratches no mater what I have done. It does not however seem to affect the quality that I have noticed. One thing I have been very happy with is the small red filter I recieved with my lens.

I also get some vignetting in anything but the 1080p mode and on the still photos which is kind of annoying. There is no mention of this on the free diving site, but like I said, their lens looks identical to the one I have and might be worth asking them if the same is true of their lens.

I myself am considering ordering the eyeofmine housing to check it out, but would like to get a gel filter that I could cut to match that housing.

 

[raskous]

well i've looked around and Freedivingspearfishinggear is the best deal i've found to buy a gopro with fixed lens (doesn't look like gopro will have an official fix soon anyway)
Also eyeofmine doesn't ship gopro cams outside of the US, so my only alternative is still Freedivingblabla...

I'm a bit hesitating though cause their website doesn't really look like an official gopro retailer, wonder if that's gonna affect the warranty.

So nobody around here ever tried that website? any experiences?

 

[raskous]

Hey GoAnywherePhoto
I've read on one of you other post (Here) that you ordered the flat lens from goprofocus.com, is that right?
Is that the lens you used on those videos in the same post?

If yes, i noticed this on their website :

For all US Customers we also offer our Lens thru the following dealers:
http://www.freedivingspearfishinggear.com/34-underwater-cameras

Which means that the lens they sell on freediving... is the same as goprofocus.com

In that case can you give me any feedback on it?
Are you still using it? or did you switch to a new one like eyeofmine?
Did you try it in big depth like 35m+?
Any other video you could point me to so i can check one last time before ordering?

Thanks a lot.