GoPro declining usage?

[Carlos Danger]

Years ago, before the advent of the GoPro, I used a fairly high-end Sony point-n-shoot w/ housing for photography. Sadly it was not that good for taking stills underwater, but was decent for video. Thus began many years of obsession with capturing/editing video dive footage. Once the GoPro came out I was excited to switch, but the product was new and clearly in need of further development. Each year there was seemingly a new GoPro camera out to best the previous version, but never really felt comfortable pulling the trigger. Evenutally I began to sour on continuing to use my old Sony when comparing the results people were getting from the GoPro, so stopped even bothering to take a camera on trips. Suddenly, my dives were a whole new level of enjoyable, and I soon realized just how much of the experience I had been missing out on. ...And thus began many years of NOT obsessing over capturing/editing video dive footage.

Fast-forward; now I get a new Hero 6 for Christmas!

Anyway, I have played around with my new toy a little bit, as well as getting sucked into the endless black hole of accessorizing the platform. Yeah; it's fun and takes great video, but mostly just sits in the bag. I am taking it to Coz next week, and looking forward to seeing what kind of results I get from it, but I also have to say that I plan on setting aside many camera-free dive days. While I love the thought of capturing memories on camera, I'm not sure they can match the feeling of living in the moment. For me that is equally important, if not more so.

 

[Lefty Writer]

I use a basic "floaty handle" setup, with a wrist lanyard. As I mentioned earlier, I'll turn it on when I hit the water and turn it off around exit. Unless something catches my eye, I'll just keep it aimed in the general direction we are swimming and not focus on any one thing.

That being said, though, I do like to get shots of my wife and others we are diving with. Often, my wife will ask to take the camera and she'll do pretty much what I do.

 

[Soloist]

Is it my imagination or am I seeing less and less GoPro cameras by divers?

Now that you mention it, I have noticed there are fewer GoPro cameras compared to a few years ago. From my observation it’s not just limited to the GoPro, but cameras in general. I bought a HERO4 in 2014 with no intention of actually using it, but so my buddy @uncfnp would! When she lost interest I started fumbling around with it. On drift dives I find myself swimming around a lot and chasing things, thus defeating the purpose. The key for me going forward is to be more selective and calm down already. How many turtle videos does one really need? Unfortunately underwater video is typically only appreciated by fellow divers and even then to a point. Pretty much all of it annoys the hell out of family and friends!

Thanks for the compliment by the way!

 

[caruso]

The key for me going forward is to be more selective and calm down already. How many turtle videos does one really need? Unfortunately underwater video is typically only appreciated by fellow divers and even then to a point. Pretty much all of it annoys the hell out of family and friends!

You're right that over time diving videos can get repetitive especially if you're diving the same sites. Not only turtles but how many green morays or nurse sharks or rays or parrotfish can you video before thinking "These guys look the same as the ones in that last video".

The key is to aggressively edit the videos, chop them way down so you've only got the really good stuff for one dive condensed in a 2-10 minute video, use a quality video enhancement software program, and make sure you dive lots of wrecks and get footage of all the detailed parts especially ladders and swimming in and out of openings. Those things NEVER get boring. Even to nondivers.

 

[divinh]

You're right that over time diving videos can get repetitive especially if you're diving the same sites. Not only turtles but how many green morays or nurse sharks or rays or parrotfish can you video before thinking "These guys look the same as the ones in that last video".

The key is to aggressively edit the videos, chop them way down so you've only got the really good stuff for one dive condensed in a 2-10 minute video, use a quality video enhancement software program, and make sure you dive lots of wrecks and get footage of all the detailed parts especially ladders and swimming in and out of openings. Those things NEVER get boring. Even to nondivers.

I only dive on vacation, which is about once a year, so when I can't dive, I watch YouTube videos of other people diving... I do agree that interesting stuff needs to be highlighted, but sometimes watching a descent down to a wreck is pretty cool in itself.

 

[caruso]

watching a descent down to a wreck is pretty cool in itself.

That's my favorite part!

 

[Bierstadt]

I just strap my GoPro on when I dive a wreck I might want to remember with a video. I don't pay any attention to it underwater, and I don't edit anything.

 

[robint]

Thanks for the compliment. I do a lot of editing my footage, but I actually do less shooting during a dive than I used to do. It is still not primary during a dive for me. I shoot clips, not streaming a whole dive, things I see that are cool, then when I get home edit down to just a few minutes of the best clips. But then I have been shooting video for 10+ years now, and learned from the best, @ronscuba, and a few others not here on SB anymore. I was shooting a real camcorder back then and it was work. Just a few years ago went down to GoPro to make it easier on me. Doesn't give me the same quality, but it is good enough for a little video or two on a trip.
Once again, thanks for the compliments...I am heading off on a cruise this weekend, will be diving Grand Turk and St Thomas, so hope to come home with a couple of videos to share.

robin

 

[Trying Scuba]

Finally bought gopro6. Compact. I love it. Seems to be much improved if you look at comparison videos with hero 5 online. I compared with my sealife MicroHD and it wasn’t even close.
I just need to remember what button press. I missed beautiful mating sharks because I pressed wrong buttons. Still need to figure out how to keep screen on whilst recording. Don’t care about saving battery since I don’t leave on continuously. Am too lazy to review film. Lesson learned: figure out how it works first before you go diving

 

[divinh]

Finally bought gopro6. Compact. I love it. Seems to be much improved if you look at comparison videos with hero 5 online. I compared with my sealife MicroHD and it wasn’t even close.
I just need to remember what button press. I missed beautiful mating sharks because I pressed wrong buttons. Still need to figure out how to keep screen on whilst recording. Don’t care about saving battery since I don’t leave on continuously. Am too lazy to review film. Lesson learned: figure out how it works first before you go diving

When I was using the Hero 2, I didn't have an LCD screen and thought I had a great shot of a Manta swimming right by, only to see that the footage was just of the front of it the whole time...