Crazy - 1080p cam + 180' housing for $270?

[phillybob]

I've decided to stop farting around and sell my current set-up (Nikon 7900, Ike housing and Inon wide angle and macro lenses), skip buying a cheap HD video camera all together and buy a P/S with HD capabilities. Probably the Canon SD980 with an Ikelite housing. The native lens is pretty wide (24 mm) and I can screw on an Inon macro lens right on to the 67 mm threaded port without an adapter. It's time for a change, anyway.

 

[RickI]

Here's a video short shot with a couple of HD's cameras during a shark feed in the Bahamas. GoPro was interested in using it to show the underwater capabilities of the new camera.

[vimeo]8673043[/vimeo]


If anyone has the capacity or interest in putting together a corrective diopter for the HD please let me know. Would love to buy one.

 

[Matt S.]

If GoPro is going to plug the underwater abilities of the camera, they really need a big disclaimer that says, "but it doesn't look as good as it does on land." I got the camera to use on a bike and on scuba, but if I got it only for underwater use I'd feel pretty burned by the blur issue.

 

[RickI]

You might find this interesting, checkout the link below. It involves the old GoPro WIDE being used at the same time as an Olympus 1030 sw on a free dive. The housed Olympus costs about twice what the HD does btw. The WIDE is a lot less sharply resolved than the new HD cameras. Checkout the relative color, distance of resolved images and over all pleasing aspect of the relative imagery. I have another one of these clips, not online, using a Canon G9, a nice camera for sharp UW video and stills. The housed G9 costs three times what the HD goes for (and almost seven times for the WIDE which I have more time with UW). The G9 has similar limitations to the Olympus in terms of limited distance of resolving, color saturation, etc..

I normally obsess about image clarity and I try to mention those limitations with regard to the GoPro cameras. I've come to learn there is more to a pleasing image than just excellent clarity however.

Test - FKA Kiteboarding Forums

If GoPro is going to plug the underwater abilities of the camera, they really need a big disclaimer that says, "but it doesn't look as good as it does on land." I got the camera to use on a bike and on scuba, but if I got it only for underwater use I'd feel pretty burned by the blur issue.

 

[Matt S.]

It's true, sharpness isn't everything and the other traits of the HD Hero ARE very nice, especially at the price point.

 

[RickI]

Here is another one documenting a sled dive in the Red Sea. I was using the fuzzier WIDE for this video. The HD would have been a lot sharper. Despite that, the imagery is pretty intriguing, real good too for a camera AND housing that cost me $150. USD total. I would say that the images out of the G9 costing a hell of lot more would have been far less interesting. You can see for yourself as there is G9 video in this clip. Just look for the footage that is less "blue" such as between 2:50 and 3:15. You can compare that Canon G9 imagery to that of the GoPro WIDE between 1:40 and 2:45.

[vimeo]6802269[/vimeo]

Have some stuff from Palancar shot with the HD still to process and am about done with the full length shark video also shot with the HD.

 

[phillybob]

Pulled the trigger today on the Canon SD980 and Ike housing. I'm going to Socorro in March. I'll try to post some video. My old rig (Nikon 7900/Ike housing) are still for sale...

 

[Gombessa]

I normally obsess about image clarity and I try to mention those limitations with regard to the GoPro cameras. I've come to learn there is more to a pleasing image than just excellent clarity however.

I do agree with everything you said above. Still, after seeing footage from the HD Hero, I'd have to agree with Matt S. that there should be SOME kind of disclaimer about the sharpness issue if marketed for underwater use, as I feel the focus issue is quite material to the performance of the camera.

A couple of random observations:

1. The HD Hero resolves a lot more than the lower-resolution Hero Wide. GoPro has said that due to this, you don't really notice the OOF as much with the non-HD version, and when compared to the HD Hero and other 720/1080-capable cameras, this is true. OOF video from the HD Hero is much more noticeable and distracting than with the SD version. In the same vein, the footage posted from the Oly 1030 is only 640x480, and almost looks like it could be shot at 15fps. What I'd like to see is a side-by-side comparison with a modern wide-angle pocket digicam (perhaps the Canon Powershot 980IS) that shoots at least 720p.

2. Most of the HD Hero videos I've seen are not uploaded in HD. Perhaps it has to do with getting the widest aspect ratio possible with the 4:3 mode, but sadly, Erik's videos and many others I've seen tend to be Vimeo uploads in SD. This makes it harder to compare with other HD cams, and small video dimension also does a tremendous amount to mask focus.

3. Fast-moving "action" shots and montages with lots of cuts makes it easier to hide in full impact of OOF issues since your eyes don't have time to fully process a scene before it cuts to another. I can completely understand why GoPro would like to use your shark footage, it's wonderfully shot and edited and appeals to their "extreme action" demographic but I would have to stop short of saying it's representative of how the camera handles video underwater.

I'm hoping that a corrective diopter can be fashioned for the HD Hero, even if it means sacrificing a bit at the wide end. It's simply too good of a product not to get full attention to its underwater capabilities, and I was really disheartened to see such a major flaw. Otherwise, its size, ease of use, depth rating, WB and color appear to be quite good, especially considering the price.

 

[RickI]

I agree, both the WIDE and HD have focusing issues. Things have improved with the HD but are still present. I suspect it is a combination of the wide angle perspective, color saturation but I like what comes out of the HD and even the WIDE in video. Although not as sharply resolved, it even compared favorably to what came out of the shark dive operator's far more expensive Sony HD system. If I was shooting a reef survey, the GoPro cameras wouldn't be appropriate except for perhaps providing a broad perspective of layout. Clear resolution is important in that application. Only have a few dives processed to date with the HD and far more with the WIDE. The small size and wide angle field of view are well suited to the type of diving I like to do these days, scooter free diving. Here are a couple more, "fuzzy" clips out of the WIDE in more sedate surroundings. Ideally, the HD would provide similar imagery, only somewhat clearer.

[vimeo]7713631[/vimeo]
Free Diving The Duane

[vimeo]6854619[/vimeo]
Free Diving With the Dolphins of Sataya

Hope they come out with a dome port properly corrected for UW use too!

 

[EAN]

I asked GoPro about a corrective diopter. They responded with an e-mail stating they are working on a solution. I guess we'll see if this is true or just an answer to shut me up.