good beginner set for photos and videos

[fish80]

wow.

I am amazed by the quality of this video... dude! wow! It is professional level! You kind of sold me the gopro3 in 3 minutes.

Did you use protune to make the colors brighter or it is just the way it was straight from the camera?

Which settings / lenses did you use?

Thanks a lot!

PS: searching in the forum it looks like there is a cheaper camera called intova what people also are using instead of the gopro... any experience with that?
Carlo

 

[MB NZ]

GoPro Hero Black with LCD display and Polar Pro red glass filter
1080/24/WA
Protune off

 

[fish80]

Amazing. Did you crop the image sometimes when putting together the video right?

 

[MB NZ]

No

 

[iluvtheocean]

Re: GoPro Hero 3. Make sure that you get the "+" model as the battery life is longer and it allegedly performs better in low light.

If you want to make good quality videos, the cost of the actual GoPro camera is only a fraction of the total cost once you have bought an LCD display, spare batteries, chargers, red filter, macro lens, base tray, arms, connectors and lights etc. My GoPro cost half of one of my two video lights!

If you want to keep it simple/cheap, a basic grip or tray plus a red filter will give nice results if the natural light is good. I'm happy with my Polar Pro glass red filter.

The GoPro can produce some pleasing stills, but they're not going to be competition winners.

As for macro capabilities. Unmodified, the GoPro just can't do it. I tried the Polar Pro glass macro lens and it was a waste of time. It focuses at around 8 inches.

I've just received the Backscatter Macromate Mini lens. Haven't got it in the water yet, but it seems to live up to the hype in my topside test. It focuses at 3 - 4 inches. Here's a still of my cat taken at this distance.

wish there was a decent macro lens out for the Hero 2 in the gopro dive housing -- hero 3 has decent stuff out now...


kitty doesn't look too happy about photo being taken though

 

[fish80]

No

wow how close did you get to that sea bass?????

BTW are the polar pro filters dry or wet?

 

[MB NZ]

If you mean the potato cod (I would call it a grouper), they are used to seeing a lot of divers.

The Polar Pro filters are wet.

 

[fish80]

yes I meant the grouper!

wet, ah that's great, so you can switch them on and off during the dive. awesome!

Thanks!!

 

[fish80]

Hey just wanted to thank you for all the good advice...

I made a video of one of my dives:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGmBbluGIi4&feature=share

Nothing amazing but it is ok I think... the quality of the gopro proved to be what I wanted, thanks again for the great suggestions.