GoPro Hero2, SRP Tray, CY Filter -- Very pleased with the setup

[rharraka]

Hi all,
I'm a relatively new diver, just certified in June '11, and 47 dives to date. U/W videography is my new amateur hobby, and I'm having a good time with the new equipment. Just thought I'd share my experience with GoPro & Snake River Prototyping (SRP) to date.

GoPro Hero2 with LCD bacpac, SRP Tray, SRP Blurfix, UR Pro CY filter, GearKeeper retractable leash attached to bcd with quick-release.

I love the new Snake River GoPro Tray, as it helps give me a great deal of stability & control. Previously used a pvc contraption I made myself. Very nice quality pictures using blur fix & the CY filter. Noticeable difference with vs. without the CY filter, in tropical Caribbean water. And the guys at SRP have been very helpful and responsive to my inquiries. Met them at the Scuba Show on Sunday in Long Beach -- nice people and great support.

Here are 2 videos just taken in April while diving in Dominica.
Diving in Dominica 2 on Vimeo
Diving in Dominica April 2012 on Vimeo

I now have the flex arms that attach into the top of the SRP tray handles, along with the SRP saddles to attach 2 Intova IFLWA torches. Will be my first experience using lights along with the GoPro setup, and look forward to using it in Bali, Sipadan & Phi Phi in June. Saw the Sola torches at the Scuba Show, and those are definitely pretty cool. But, I wasn't looking to spend $300+ per light, so for now I'm going to stick to the dual 220 lumen Intova wide angle torches. I'd appreciate any advice or experience you can share regarding this lighting setup with GoPro.

Also, the GearKeeper retractable leash works very nicely. Clips onto the BCD, and the leash/lanyard keeps the SRP/GoPro tray safely attached to me. There is a quick-release, so if I want to hand it off to another diver, piece of cake. Also, it has a switch on the side to lock it in place -- so you can set it to retract, or stay in place and not pull on the camera tray.

That's my 2 cents !
Robert

 

[OH2OD]

Thanks for posting your video. Very nice shots.
I am looking at Go Pro and your post helped my decision.

 

[irishtn]

Very nice. Can't wait to try out the SRP tray. My first videos were so shaky.

 

[JamesK]

A good tray is very helpful. I have also found the guys at SRP to be great. Glad you like everything.

 

[SandPhantom]

I love mine too. What arms are you using?

 

[rharraka]

SandPhantom: Loc-line flex arms (available most anywhere), or you can buy them from the guys at Snake River Prototyping. I did just that, and they provided a saddle contraption at the end of the flex arms that uses O-rings -- allows you to attach a round torch/light to each flex arm (such as the Intova Wide Angle or TUSA 300 torch).

Irishtn: Yes, the SRP tray will definitely help with stability and a good quality video shot. On my first dives using GoPro, I wrapped the helmet mount/straps around my hand/wrist, and it worked -- however, way too much movement & shakiness. Not as pleasant to watch when back at home.

 

[Serenity7]

Nice shot of the turtle!

My OPW training begins in just about two weeks. As I get comfortable, I also plan to use the GoPro H2 that I recently purchased (for my boyfriend but what's his is mine right? :biggrin. The Snake River GoPro Tray looks good and might purchase that too. I really hope I come across a turtle when diving in the Caribbean in just a few months.

Thanks for sharing.
[h=2][/h]

 

[rharraka]

Serenity7: Great to hear -- I'm sure you'll have a good time with the new equipment and the new hobby. I also recommend getting the CY Filter and Blur Fix flat lens. There are a few different flat lens modifications out there in the market, and I went with Snake River's BlurFix model. They also sell different filters, and the CY filter is best for tropical waters such as Caribbean. I tried video with and without, and the CY filter definitely made a difference. I recommend for you as a brand new diver to focus on the diving, your breathing, and your buoyancy first -- no camera until you are comfortable. The camera will definitely distract you from important skills at first. Plenty of time to get good video footage later. Best wishes.

 

[merxlin]

Here is a quick video I shot in Fiji a couple weeks ago with the GoPro + SRP Blurfix housing and filter. The tray is very well made but unfortunately I received mine after getting back.
[video=youtube_share;nwR34WJtkiY]http://youtu.be/nwR34WJtkiY[/video]

The Snake River components made all the difference I believe.

 

[Barracuda2]

Hey rharraka, Thanks for the post; it came at good time. Did you purchase all of your stuff through GoPro? or is some of it from other dealers? I've been seriously thinking of selling my old Amphibico/ Sony VX1000 system and getting a smaller total GoPro system. Any direction you or anybody can give me would be appreciated. Thanks in advance for the coming replies.