GoPro HD underwater blur fix

[Marty Cerven]

Just wondering if I could get some recommendations from real world users...

I have a GoPro HD Hero and am planning to pick up one of these lens "fixes" for use underwater use but not sure which one is best for my purposes.

My situation is a little different than most of the posts and sample videos in here because I am not actually planning to use it for scuba diving but rather just snorkeling for now (may eventually use for scuba diving but that would be at least a year + away). So any recommendations for which would be best in general snorkeling scenerios and do I need to get a filter or not? I'm planning on buying a second housing for the GoPro to have one setup for underwater use and another for "dry land" use so either an add-on lense or a preassembled new enclosure would be fine. I'm not a huge photography buff but would like video to come out as best as possible.

Thanks,
Kory Bricker

Hi Kory I have nearly all the available focus fixes for the GoPro (Occulus 1080p, eyeofmine, blurfix and a mako plastic) and I'd definitely recommend the Blurfix over the rest, It has the lowest vignette levels and even if you didnt get a second housing you can always unscrew the filter and use a blurfix just like a standard housing with no vignette in photo or r4. You can even screw in a polarising filter or any other 55mm filter into it to get improved images above water using it. For snorkelling at shallow depths you don't really need a colour correcting filter but there are shallow water filters made for that purpose, I havent tried them though.

The only one close to the blurfix is the Eyeofmine one which has similar vignette levels only slightly worse in r4 and photo then the blurfix but its a fixed plastic housing that can scratch easily and is very hard to clean on the inside of the lens due to the undercut design. Very hard to get filters on it where the blurfix can use UW filters to improve underwater colours in certain conditions and by using the original GoPro lens as well the Blurfix has a slightly higher FOV underwater then the EOM which I find is great for underwater video.

All the other fixes vignette in 720p so the video needs to be trimmed or forces you to use 1080p mode only which isn't always the best option and I prefer to have more options available for certain conditions.

 

[paulw]

What the.......????????
A mod needs to delete this!

 

[flareside]

. .

 

[Dauntless]

YouTube - ‪GoPro Demo‬‏

Hey, just set up a Facebook page, posted some of our customers video + installation Video. Thanks a bunch to our loyal customers for sending the videos, you guys Rock!! If any other BlurFix users would like to send video to add to our library, please email us a link to info@snakeriverprototyping.com using YouTube OR Vimeo and let us know what you will allow us to use it for (promoting,advertising, or sharing).

Check out our Facebook page: Snake River Prototyping | Facebook

 

[Greg1234]

I use very inexpensive flat lens but watching few videos I might give flurfix a try just so I can use more modes on my GoPro, here is one of mine videos with the lens I have in R5

Humber Bay with friends on Vimeo

 

[Gdon]

I just installed the glass version of the flat lens replacement form Pursuit Diving (Spearfishing) in the GoPro case and the vignetting is very bad. I do not recommend it.

 

[hellhole]

I just installed the glass version of the flat lens replacement form Pursuit Diving (Spearfishing) in the GoPro case and the vignetting is very bad. I do not recommend it.

pursuit has a glass lens? oh! he does! haha

 

[Gdon]

pursuit has a glass lens? oh! he does! haha

Must be some sort of inside joke.. care to let the rest of us in on it?

Maybe you are bringing up the patent issue. I have to agree with the argument that you can't patent a flat clear piece of glass in an alum frame (although you can APPLY for a patent of course).

At any rate the lens does fix the focus problem. But its like looking through a periscope except in R5 mode.
They say that if you over tighten the screws that can flatten the o-ring and cause vignetting but I only tighten them to what I feel was necessary. Glad I didn't pay the going price for it!

 

[UCFKnightDiver]

Alright I have a question which doesnt seem to be answered in the first 13 pages, I'm thinking about getting a gopro and getting the Mako flat lens to mod it, my question is, as it seems like a semi permanent fix, is the quality of video still good above water (ie on land etc) with the flat lens? as I want to use it for both diving and land based video

 

[ronscuba]

Alright I have a question which doesnt seem to be answered in the first 13 pages, I'm thinking about getting a gopro and getting the Mako flat lens to mod it, my question is, as it seems like a semi permanent fix, is the quality of video still good above water (ie on land etc) with the flat lens? as I want to use it for both diving and land based video

Yes, the video above water is good with the flat lens. If you don't already own a GoPro, the flat lens insert is a no brainer since it's FREE when you buy the GoPro from Mako or Pursuit. As long as you shoot in full resolution 1080p (r5 mode) you will not have any vignette.

The Blurfix does offer advantages, but why not start with the free lens 1st and buy the Blurfix later if you are not happy with the free lens ?