GoPro HD underwater blur fix

[Down2bizDiver]

blurryfix, Do you plan to offer a complete housing with your modification already installed? Some of us are all thumbs ... I couldn't install the Mako fix without professional help!

 

[blurryfix]

Our stock of housings are limited, but we can sell them complete. If interested in purchasing the BlurFix installed on the housing send an email info@snakeriverprototyping.com and ask for availability. Thanks for asking.

 

[Adr1an]

Looking forward @ receiving mine, hopefully in time for the planned Cyprus trip.

Already managed to scratch the stock lens while spearfishing in Bulgaria a week ago, but footages taken in the Black Sea(higher turbidity) with the stock lens were close to useless anyway.

 

[Marty Cerven]

I got my blurfix a little over a week ago, I found it very easy to install less then 10 minutes and the image quality is great. No vignette in modes other then r4 and photo which are still only slightly effected and very useable.

The screw in glass filter design is a big plus over my eyeofmine housing which I see as its only real competition for anyone that wants to use more then just r5 under water.

Unscrewing the filter gives vignette free video in all modes on land but also gives option for other filters to improve above water image quality.

Here is a little video I made comparing the blurfix vs standard gopro. The scenery was a bit dull where I filmed this so I had to stick my ugly head in the shot to show the focus difference better sorry lol.

[video=vimeo;25224132]http://vimeo.com/25224132[/video]

 

[ozzydamo]

Some people aren't understanding how this setup works, it is the same
original lens on the go pro housing. It has a filter/lens housing installed
over the top using the same screws and retainer, which with the use of a
clear, colored or polarized screw on "FLAT" filter(Blurfix supply you with a
clear UV filter) creates the air space in which the optics work the same as
being on dry land, flat glass filter in front of the original lens with an
air gap in between, sealed via screwing down the filter onto a greased
O-ring! If you scratch it, throw it away and buy another filter for $10!
I used mine this Sunday shooting r5(full hd) and made 2 files 3.8gb and
3.6, the water viz wasn't great 10/15 cloudy looking, due to floods down the
coast from me here in Brisbane . I got a good few minutes of a Giant grouper
which is well over 100kg, possible 300lbs. It looks perfectly defined in the
shot.
If it does leak (because you stuffed up putting the filter in properly), it
doesn't go into the housing and kill the camera, clean it up, dry out your
desiccant balls and close it correctly with some silicone grease on the
o-ring.......
Safe diving,
Damo'

 

[ozzydamo]

OK, so I took the assembled housing and modification to LDS and their pressure test will go to 300 ft. Only took it to 130. No leaks but desiccant balls are not uniform in size and a large ball was crushed by the glass as the glass pressed downward (I guess). Some dessication ball trash was in the space after pressure testing. The desiccant balls are not uniform in size so recommend to use the smallest size.

The area where the GoPro conical housing lens is, was bone dry by appearance. Water did infiltrate between the glass filter screw threads and the "O" ring space, but did not get past the "O" ring. I can see, over time, molecules of water could be theoretically pushed along by capillary attraction past the "O" ring so the desiccant balls are needed. Not really a leak but would seem possible for a few molecules of dihydrogen oxide to slip past over time.

The LDS had a 55mm Ikelite slip on red filter, however, there is not enough clearance between the outside of the adapter flange and the on/off button for the rubber skirt to slide past. If you went that route, would need to cut out a space in the rubber skirt but it probably would lose some tension and holding power to the 55 mm flange. Looked at the way it fit and if I didn't have anything else to do, would calculate if there was vignetting at 127 degrees, however, by visual, it looked like there would be. The screw-in 55 cut down filter would be the way to go. You can reduce the red tint in software.

I am using a screw on cyan filter, from UR PRO filters. Worked perfectly in natural light in the first 25meters.
When placing the desiccant balls inside the lens (I used 10 in there with a plug both sides to stop them from moving), I notice some were irregular size' but I only used ones that would slip into the groove easily, which was only two balls that didn't fit into the groove, so I threw those ones away!
I dived to 31m and had no troubles at all with leaks, except for not having enough light power for the viz and depth on the day, need over 1000lumen with diffuse domes for a good spot free look in that situation- cheap fix is don't dive that deep to get your footage, it's pretty short bottom time for no deco diving anyhow, we had to do two deco stops on the way back up, last one 15minutes at 3m, pretty boring with nothing to look at except current on the anchor line.

The only trouble I have now is being on Windows XP as I can't edit the fhd mp4 using windows movie maker- need windows live movie maker 2011...... I will take it to a friends PC with W7 to edit and show you guys some of my footage.
Have fun and stay safe,
Damo'

 

[Adr1an]

I got my blurfix a little over a week ago, I found it very easy to install less then 10 minutes and the image quality is great. No vignette in modes other then r4 and photo which are still only slightly effected and very useable.

The screw in glass filter design is a big plus over my eyeofmine housing which I see as its only real competition for anyone that wants to use more then just r5 under water.

Unscrewing the filter gives vignette free video in all modes on land but also gives option for other filters to improve above water image quality.

Here is a little video I made comparing the blurfix vs standard gopro. The scenery was a bit dull where I filmed this so I had to stick my ugly head in the shot to show the focus difference better sorry lol.

Great video Marty, you should get a discount for this excelent advertising video.

I was planning to do one myself, but unfortunatelly the package has yet to arrive after 15 days, and I'm leaving tomorrow evening. Only have one hope left, that it arrives tomorrow at the post office and the customers are few enough so I can ask the ladies there to look for it a bit in the "unprocessed" room. Other then that I'm screwed.

 

[Marty Cerven]

Great video Marty, you should get a discount for this excelent advertising video.

I was planning to do one myself, but unfortunatelly the package has yet to arrive after 15 days, and I'm leaving tomorrow evening. Only have one hope left, that it arrives tomorrow at the post office and the customers are few enough so I can ask the ladies there to look for it a bit in the "unprocessed" room. Other then that I'm screwed.

Thanks adrian, I actually shot footage from the eyeofmine and occulus fix on that day also but one of my memory cards died and I lost half of the footage so it just ended up the 2 housing comparison. Shame you haven't got delivery yet, mine was shipped 29th of May and it came to Melbourne Australia on the 6th of June, have you checked your tracking number? where do you live? International shipping though isn't very reliable though.

 

[Adr1an]

Romania, Europe. Tracking number isn't working, it only reports that the electronic information was sent on 5th July. Apparently small flat rate packages don't have tracking.

 

[ozzydamo]

Romania, Europe. Tracking number isn't working, it only reports that the electronic information was sent on 5th July. Apparently small flat rate packages don't have tracking.

UPS is better then USPS and DHL is better again, but the price is higher. mine took nearly 3 weeks. Hope the Gypsies haven't knocked off your go pro Adrian!

Marty, what video editor are you using to cut your videos out?