GoPro HD underwater blur fix

[Marty Cerven]

I remember a while back that someone found a link to the Gopro diving hero on the official gopro UK webpage. I did check the link back then and it came up on the gopro site but must have been pulled for some reason.

Ive just sent an email to gopro customer support hoping they may give some more info with whats happening with this and asking if i can buy a 3d housing with a fixed lens.

I dont think its a huge market for them but I think the old if you build it they will come, A sub $300 full hd underwater video package ready to go out of the box doesnt have any competition atm, add 3d at the $650 price point and nothing comes close.

 

[Marty Cerven]

I emailed Gopro about their flat fix and here is the response that they gave me.

"We hope to release a flat lens adapter in a few months. We may release an adapter for the 3D Housing as well.

To be kept up to date on any new product releases, please be sure to sign up for our online newsletter:"

 

[sobe]

Since we are discussing lenses. Mind If I ask a question about one brought up in this thread. the oculus: They now offer side and top sites. Any thought? good or bad to this design? It will be used in the Vandenberg wreck. 100+ ft with dive light, I was trying to think if the site tabs would pick up too much of my "flashlight" or have any other negative effects.

Oculus R5 flat lens for GoPro HERO HD (new TOP sights) | eBay

thanks!

 

[Wolfie]

Just got back from Grand Cayman with My new GOPRO from Pursuit diving with their flat lens which comes free with the package and interchanges with the rounded lens. In anything but HD you see the edges of the round lens (so pics are pretty much a no) I am pretty pleased with the focus. The color is not good and you have to go real slow and stable in HD mode. I buddied up with a group from AL at turtle farm reef 4/26/11 with a case they said was from Gopro that had color lens attachments that I'm sure helps drastically. As it appears this could not be from gopro I have a feeling it was actually EyeofMine, as it looked a lot like their product. I'd like tp see how theirs came out.
See Video
YouTube - Grand Cayman GoPro HD test

 

[Will]

Here is a short sample video using GoPro and a flat lens for reference

YouTube - Troy Springs Freediving 18APR11

 

[Down2bizDiver]

Here is the video I shot in Fiji comparing the Eye of Mine flat lens case for the GoPro HD camera with that offered by Mako Spearguns. I shoot all my dive video in R4 mode because diving has vertical as well as horizontal components and because it is more difficult to aim the camera in letterbox format. Note: I shot video at 191 feet with the Eye of Mine case but did not attempt it with the Mako case. Note: I held the two cameras side by side and this created a slight parallax effect.

YouTube - Side by Side Comparison Mako v Eye of Mine Flat Lens Cases for GoPro Camera

 

[dumpsterDiver]

Very cool comparison. I am pretty new to the Go Pro cameras. I have been filming in R-5 using the mako lens and i don't seem to get any of that ring around the image. Why again are you using R-4 versus R-5? Is the R-4 a wider view?

 

[hellhole]

Here is the video I shot in Fiji comparing the Eye of Mine flat lens case for the GoPro HD camera with that offered by Mako Spearguns. I shoot all my dive video in R4 mode because diving has vertical as well as horizontal components and because it is more difficult to aim the camera in letterbox format. Note: I shot video at 191 feet with the Eye of Mine case but did not attempt it with the Mako case. Note: I held the two cameras side by side and this created a slight parallax effect.

YouTube - Side by Side Comparison Mako v Eye of Mine Flat Lens Cases for GoPro Camera

hm..why does the shadow at the 4 corners... disappear/diminish as the video progress?

 

[Down2bizDiver]

hm..why does the shadow at the 4 corners... disappear/diminish as the video progress?

Why again are you using R-4 versus R-5? Is the R-4 a wider view?

What you notice is vignetting. It is present in all of the scenes. It is more or less noticeable depending on the nature of the scene and the intensity of the ambient light. The effect is most noticeable in the case of the Mako product.

The distorted corners can be cropped out in editing. I estimate that 20+% of the image is lost when cropping scenes shot with the Mako lens while about 5% of the image is lost when cropping Eye of Mine scenes.

Vignetting is reduced or absent when shooting in R5 16:9 letterbox format, but I do not use that setting for dive videos for two reasons. First, diving has a vertical as well as a horizontal component. R5 is primarily a horizontal format. Second, I find it too difficult to aim and center the subject in letterbox format compared to the standard R4 4:3 aspect ratio format.

See also my video comparing the Eye of Mine flat lens case with the standard GoPro supplied case: YouTube - Simultaneous Comparison: Watertight Camera Housings: GoPro vs. Eye of Mine

Here is the video I shot using the EoM case at 191.6 feet: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cDFNIYgHKCg

 

[Marty Cerven]

What you notice is vignetting. It is present in all of the scenes. It is more or less noticeable depending on the nature of the scene and the intensity of the ambient light. The effect is most noticeable in the case of the Mako product.

The distorted corners can be cropped out in editing. I estimate that 20+% of the image is lost when cropping scenes shot with the Mako lens while about 5% of the image is lost when cropping Eye of Mine scenes.

Vignetting is reduced or absent when shooting in R5 16:9 letterbox format, but I do not use that setting for dive videos for two reasons. First, diving has a vertical as well as a horizontal component. R5 is primarily a horizontal format. Second, I find it too difficult to aim and center the subject in letterbox format compared to the standard R4 4:3 aspect ratio format.

See also my video comparing the Eye of Mine flat lens case with the standard GoPro supplied case: YouTube - Simultaneous Comparison: Watertight Camera Housings: GoPro vs. Eye of Mine

Here is the video I shot using the EoM case at 191.6 feet: YouTube - "Evil Trench" Deep Dive to 191.6 Feet (58.4m) Kadavu, Fiji

I have the eyeofmine housing and seeing as there is only vignetting on R4 mode I dont understand why you would use that and crop it after.

Using r3 gives you 60/50fps with full widescreen 170fov and no need to crop it or r2 if you want 30/25fps, you could also use 720p modes sideways if you want a similar effect to r4 giving you 1280x720 shots that can be rotated in editing.