Do I really need a tray or pole for my GoPro?

[3D diver]

It's your camera...have fun with it. You can always add lights and other accessories when you want to.

Since you've likely got an H3, you can mitigate some of the shakiness by shooting at 60fps. Good editing, after the fact, helps too.

My rig as a 10lb monster with lots of floats, lights, and several cameras hanging on it. I like it, but have been ragged on by a couple of folks who consider that a violation of the whole, tiny GoPro concept.

Oh, and do get a good lanyard...they can get away from you.

 

[ranchonodinero]

Get the pole or make your own. I use a gopole and really like it. I have a tray but did not use it on my trip. The tray would be good if you add a light. The pole is nice as you can extend it and get closer to the subject. Also nice for poking it into holes.

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[Z Gear]

If your looking to attach the camera to your BCD or would like to have an easier way to film other than a head mount. Take a look at this BCD mount from Z Gear. Z Gear - Extension kit in the forward facing position - YouTube It can give you another option for you to film with. If the mount is in the forward position with the extension it can allow you to see what you are filming and still remain hands free!

 

[Marty Cerven]

If you plan on doing lots of diving you can first just try hand holding it but you will find it very hard to keep steady. Its so small and light weight that I find it very hard to get steady shots, any extra hardware like a monopod pole or tray will help with stability.

I use a 2 handed tray for most of my dives as its what I find best for stability, have had some cool videos head mounted and using a monopod too. If using lights a tray is best option and also getting 2 hands on it will give you the best chance for steadier shots. I use the tray with or without lights as its quite light and compact so its just easy enough for me to use that for most of my dives.

There is no real right or wrong approach and after some experimentation you will find what works best for you, there are plenty of examples around here of peoples setups and if you think your current approach isnt working as well as some others then its worth trying their methods.

If your getting the gopro for some one of special trip then you may want to get some accessories straight up to help you out a little otherwise just use it on its own first and take your time getting extras you think will help as you need them. Your first few videos wont be all that special either and if your new to diving head mounting isnt a bad option as you dont need to focus on the camera just dive and have a pretty cool pov dive log of your dives to extend your memories a little.

 

[Thook]

You be the judge- Video #1 Shot all on a monopod extension pole #2 Shot on a tray


GoPro HD Diving UTILA, Bay Islands.avi - YouTube


Belize Scuba Diving - YouTube

 

[scubasteve03]

Thanks to everyone for all the great replies. Sounds like I do need something. I'll check out all products mentioned. Thanks again.

 

[They call me Tater]

Why dont you get familiar with the camera before you let others decide what you need. I dont use my gopro the same way on every dive. That IMHO is the biggest advanage of it. I put it in my pocket on 75% of my dives. Sometimes I use DIY pole and I recently bought a single handle tray and light. How many selfies does one want to look at? People get bored viewing entire dives so pulling out the highlights makes the best viewing. I dont want to carry a 2 handed tray every time I dive. Figure out what works best for you.

 

[ranchonodinero]

One of our divers had a wrist mount and had great success. When you are looking for poles make sure you find one with stainless hardware. I liked the twist operation as I could deploy it rapidly yet it collapsed small enough to fit into a carry on.

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[hellhole]

One of our divers had a wrist mount and had great success. When you are looking for poles make sure you find one with stainless hardware. I liked the twist operation as I could deploy it rapidly yet it collapsed small enough to fit into a carry on.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

i would advise against stainless -steel... its gonna rust on you...unless u can find a mono pole that is marine grade steel...
get aluminum.. and ones with a thicker pole width.. much like the big xshot

 

[avigulf]

Go for a tray, no doubt!