Go Pro Vs SLR????

[bbarnett51]

I'm sick of my go pro. I've flooded 3 of them for various reasons. Today I jumped in and the latch popped open letting in just enough water to ruin it.

If I get another I won't be using their housing. However most ppl don't have my luck.

 

[James R]

I have two Sola 800 for my GoPro Hero 2. They're really nice, though not cheap.

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

What kind of lighting system would you recommend for GoPro Hero 3 for better video quality?
Thanks.

---------- Post added June 14th, 2013 at 12:29 PM ----------




What kind of lighting for Go Pro 3 would you recommend? Any particular strobes or lights made for go pro? Ones on ebay are just arms with flashlight holders....
Thanks!

You may want to take a look at the lighting and tray system we have put together. The system is modular, so you can buy/use only what you need. We offer a tray system with two 220 lumen wide angle Intova mini lights in a very affordable package.

Now this system is not going to compete with 2-5,000 lumen lights, but you can add good color to your video in the day and illuminate your subject from several feet away at night. The tray system has foldable legs that allow the camera system to be set down on the sand or on a suitable place on a wreck and record yourself and or skittish subjects.

MAKO 2 Handle Transformer Camera Tray


We also have a whole range of optional accessories, some of which are offered FREE if you buy a Go-Pro from MAKO.

 

[tamas970]

Single-lens action cameras and DSLR-s are the two extremes of the scale. If you want decent video, consider the Panasonic GH3 in Nauticam housing. Video quality is about the same as some FF DSLR-s, still much smaller and considerably cheaper. Stills are around the same IQ as a nikon D90/Canon 600D.

Besides, there are smaller/lighter interchangeable lens cameras than DSLR-s: m4/3, Nikon 1, NEX, EOS-M...

If money is an issue, check for a cheaper m4/3 solution or a large-sensor compact with plastic housing.

 

[flareside]

I'm sick of my go pro. I've flooded 3 of them for various reasons. Today I jumped in and the latch popped open letting in just enough water to ruin it.

If I get another I won't be using their housing. However most ppl don't have my luck.

Luck is really not the best approach to preventing flooding. On the older model GoPros (HD or Hero2) put a rubber band around the latch when diving.

If you are looking for another model housing, I know where you can get one cheap. http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/gopro-video/453698-hero-armor-housing-fail.html

 

[RickI]

It depends on the kind of shooting you would like to do. The GoPro has some significant limitations but if you shoot within them, the results can be quite good. I shoot video and stills but given the time involved in editing video, I focus primarily on shooting stills in available light. I use artificial light only in cave settings, the wide angle field of view of the GoPros presents special demands on light sources particularly in daylight. Some examples of GoPro stills and video show up at the link below, usually marked with a green arrow in the subject line. Something Rich And Strange ... Diving Tales From The Water Underworld - FKA Kiteboarding Forums

 

[Hetland]

GoPro vs SLR is like asking if you should buy a Matchbox or a Mercedes.

 

[Interceptor121]

Why would you bother getting a gopro for stills? It can't even drive a strobe??

 

[RickI]

It depends what you are trying to do, again. A housed conventional DSLR is way too bulky for free diving and forget about strobes. I can carry three GoPros to capture different angles very effectively. I've been shooting underwater for over 40 years with a wide variety of still, cine, video and photogrammetric gear. Have to say for what it costs, its size and capability, the GoPro is pretty amazing. It won't give you superior shots to a DSLR with proper strobe illumination for near field UW subjects but for some of us, that really isn't an option. My current favorite mode it to mount two GoPros on a monopod aimed fore and aft for confined space free diving penetrations. You can capture some intriguing imagery, the monopod is also good for getting the objective close to sharks, rays, eels, etc.. Some good examples of this approach show up in http://fksa.org/showthread.php?t=11774

 

[Interceptor121]

Ambient light shots free diving is one very specific application as you don't have time to use the shutter
For all the rest with a scuba gear you can take those shots with almost any compact camera in a housing and get better quality as those pictures can be interesting but they are definitely grainy and none of those would make it as a screen saver