Tested out the GoPro Hero2 with Backscatter flatport housing!

[robint]

Yesterday I did 2 dives here locally with it and I am thrilled with the results. Today I am going through the footage and editing, but a first view looks WAAAAY better than I expected. Everything is crystal clear, even the shots at 80' depth in near darkness! The red filter worked well, too.
I tried only 2 settings... 1080 wide, and 1080 medium. I really like the way they both look and also I was able to switch from one to the other underwater (though i was holding onto a line as it took a full minute to scroll through the menus).

I am going to start editing now.... I will post something here later today most likely!!

robin

 

[robint]

okay................. here is the video!

[vimeo]38392116[/vimeo]

to see it full sized in HD, go to Vimeo directly.

I did not visually edit anything - it is raw footage. I shortened the clips obviously, added fades, and captions.. but that is it. I shot about 10-15 minutes of footage on the 2 dives, but these clips should give you a good idea of what the camcorder can do.

robin

 

[Saxatilis]

Very cool! I've been waiting almost a year for gopro to come out with their own scuba housing. Needless to say I am getting very impatient with the main scuba season approaching very fast. Is your solution a separate housing or a attachable lens? I think GoPro missed out big time making the diving community wait this long...

 

[Byte Me]

Looks very promising, I can understand your enthusiasm about this rig! Much better than other GoPro underwater results I've seen previously. Do you have any shots of the setup? Do you have it on a tray or otherwise mounted on something? Are you thinking you'll add/need any lights with this setup or will you use ambient light and red filter exclusively? If you don't mind me asking, what have you got invested in this setup (camera, housing, filters - am I forgetting anything?)

 

[robint]

I bought the Underwater housing from Backscatter, as well as the red filter, a tray and arm. I am VERY pleased with them. The tray & arm are still small, but I can hold the camcorder still to shoot. But if I am done shooting, I can hook it onto my BC with my clip, and it is not heavy or in my way. It will be easy to get on and off the boat now, without having to hand it up to crew first, especially in rocky seas.

http://www.backscatter.com/sku/bs-gpuwg.lasso

total costs:

GoPro Hero2 $299
Backscatter housing $119
red filter from Backscatter $39
tray & arm at Backscatter $77
2extra batteries and wall charger (Amazon) $27


robin

 

[testpilot58d]

Robin, very nice review footage! I echo your sentiments about backscatter. Excellent customer service and rapid shipping with follow up emails to make sure I was 100% satisfied with my order. Finally going to get to use mine in Bonne Terre mine this weekend!

Thank you for the video!

 

[Down2bizDiver]

My Eye of Mine case developed a problem when using my Hero2 (see my posting elsewhere) but another diver on the boat loaned me his Backscatter case and I am very pleased with the results! I shoot mostly in 960p mode and usually edit out the vignetting in the corners but with Backscatter there was no vignetting when used without any filter!

 

[robint]

I am very pleased with the Low Light capability of this NEW generation of the GoPro. The first model had issues, as seen in many videos posted here. I found the detail on the rocks on the bottom of Blue Hole to be crystal clear, and it was dark down there, not just due to depth but the fact that the top of the site is 60' round opening (see beginning of video) but the bottom opens up to over 100' across. Most people shooting photos down on bottom must have a light or cameras won't even focus. My old expensive HD camcorder did fine down there, but for the price it should have! So getting similar results from this little camcorder is EXCITING for me.

GoPro Hero2 = Very Pleased topside and underwater, So many options of that little menu though, you need to practice with it over and over topside before getting in the water. Out of the box the settings are not where I think you want them for underwater. Also, you need to download the software updates online the first day.

Backscatter underwater housing = Very pleased, no issues and no vignetting

Red filter = Very please but note you must make your own lanyard for it, none included in box

Backscatter tray and arm = very pleased with size, comfort and compactness, however I need to get some lock-tight to secure the mount as it can swivel a bit when pressing the buttons underwater

Battery life = as everyone has discussed, the battery for this thing drains, even just sitting on your desk at home, so I highly recommend you buy the 2-pack of spare batteries and the wall charger (got mine at Amazon). The wall charger is faster than charging a battery in the camcorder, too. The charger set also comes with a car charger. Bonus!


robin

 

[mntlblok]

Battery life = as everyone has discussed, the battery for this thing drains, even just sitting on your desk at home, so I highly recommend you buy the 2-pack of spare batteries and the wall charger (got mine at Amazon). The wall charger is faster than charging a battery in the camcorder, too. The charger set also comes with a car charger. Bonus!
robin

Thanks for sharing yer tests, Miss Robin. Do you know how many minutes of video can be dragged out of one battery charge? TIA

Kevin
Savannah

 

[JoeSpirit]

I don't see anything about correcting for blur, and your video does look clear. My understanding is that the GoPro lens creates blur due to its construction. Did you use something to correct it?

I stop overnight in Santa Rosa every Thanksgiving on my way back from Arizona, and keep wanting to extend my stay long enough to dive that hole. Just hasn't worked out yet.