accessories for gopro3 underwater

[fish80]

Hi guys,

i just bought a gopro3 black (not 3+), a SRP cyan filter and I am thinking... what else I need to start taking movies underwater? I am going to hawaii in about 2 weeks, but I will not be going below 60 feet.

My questions are:

Back LCD: yes or now? Yes, it helps in framing the shot, but it also consumes batteries. I do not plan to keep filming all the dive, just to film if I see something interesting. However I will keep the camera on during the entire dive.. how long can I expect the batteries to last with LCD? And without?

Pole vs wrist? I used the wrist mount before and I think it works well, I know with a pole I can get closer but will the video be more wobbly? BTW Do you reckon this cheap pole is ok?

USD $ 11.99 - GoPro Camera Monopod Ski Pole Handle w/ Tripod Mount , Free Shipping On All Gadgets!

Anything else? Extra batteries maybe?

Thanks a lot!

 

[Tassi Devil Diver]

Lights!!!

 

[scubaguy655]

My black 3+ will last for 2 dives if I am not filming the entire time - with the LCD.

In my opinion the LCD is a must for me......I also purchased a 2nd battery as they are easy to change between dives if needed,

If you are in 60' or less, I would not spend the money on lights, especially in the clear water of Hawaii. The red filter should do fine.

Just my opinion...................

 

[Scubanoobi]

I really like the pole option, then you can get yourself in the video.

 

[deeper thoughts]

Interesting

 

[flareside]

BTW Do you reckon this cheap pole is ok?

USD $ 11.99 - GoPro Camera Monopod Ski Pole Handle w/ Tripod Mount , Free Shipping On All Gadgets!

Those are good for one trip. The set screw is not plated and will start to rust fairly quickly.

 

[fish80]

thanks guys! From what I understood that 3+ batteries last much longer than the 3... I will get the batteries and the pole I think...

BTW which settings do you use?

1080 x 30fps ? Wide mode? I am inclined to go for the medium mode as I would like a bit more detail on fishes etc.

 

[SeahorseDeb]

I purchased the Wasabi battery charger which came with two spare batteries and the car/wall charger combo after reading other recommendations in this forum and I'm very pleased with the product and value. I had an incident when charging my batteries in my GoPro, it failed and I lost the whole thing. GoPro stood by their product and replaced it, but I'm not going to charge batteries in my GoPro any longer...call me chicken if you will...

Amazon.com : Wasabi Power Battery (2-Pack) and Dual Charger for GoPro Hero3, Hero3+ and GoPro AHDBT-201, AHDBT-301, AHDBT-302, AHBBP-301, ACARC-001, AWALC-001 (with Car and US Plug) : Camera & Photo

if you have room in your budget do purchase lights! You won't ever regret it! Mine are eLed 800 Lumens each. I have to be careful of the beam direction so I don't blow out my subject but it's a worthwhile investment for me. I holiday dive in Hawaii and do most of my diving in Puget Sound or local lakes. Hawaii is usually at 80-100 feet and Puget Sound is all closeup shots. Not much to see in the lakes but it's good practice. I strongly advise practice practice practice before your trip if possible.

The backpack is a battery hog, but I'm a perfectionist so I want to be able to check my framing.

1080 30fps will give you nice HD and you can view your vids on your iphone (if you have one), in the 48/60 fps mode you cannot view the raw video on the iphone.

I hope I was able to assist in some small way and, fwiw that's my setup...

Have a great time in Hawaii

 

[fish80]

thank you so much for all your tips guys!

I actually bought the wasabi batteries, a cheap pole and a wrist mount in case i am not good with the pole.

I also got a shallow water filter (eelvision) which was cheap enough, for my snorkeling.

Hopefully I will be able to post some decent video soon

Thanks!

 

[crab4life]

I would film in 60 fps at 1080, probably narrow vision to battle the fisheye picture. The 60 fps lets you slow down the filming for more "stable" picture