Question Hands Free Camera Setup

[babybolt]

Hi all - recently certified and am starting to purchase my own equipment. One thing I liked about my classes was that my instructor filmed my diving using a mask mounted Paralenz and I could see the things I was doing right, and more importantly I could see mistakes I was making and practice improvements. Being able to relive the dives, albeit through someone else's eyes, was a nice perk as well. With this in mind, my goal is to come up with a setup where I can record dives with minimal distraction/risks to learn and save the memories. I have a few questions:

1. Is it safe to use a mask mounted camera as a new diver? My instructor and numerous others on here have mentioned cameras have a tendency to distract divers and can be unsafe. My thought here is that with a mask mounted camera, I could set it before the dive and forget about it. I'd also practice in a pool skills such as mask clearing, removal, etc. before going into open water with it. My ultimate goal is also to get into tech diving one day, which obviously requires free hands so having a mask mounted camera seems like the safest option.
2. Is there a better alternative for a hands free setup that doesn't have entanglement or other hazards?
3. Paralenz or other brand? I've found some used Paralenz options online for relatively cheap, but given they've gone out of business are there better options?
4. Are there any risks I'm not considering? Mask mounted seems to reduce task loading, use of hands, and minimal entanglement hazard, with the caveat of creating a weirdly balanced mask if it floods or comes off. As a new diver though, I imagine there's probably something(s) I'm missing.

Thanks all, appreciate any feedback!

 

[davehicks]

I suggest you don't do this. The result will be:

1) You lose the camera in short order
2) You produce a bunch of videos that give the viewer motion sickness, then you lose it

Instead, look into a small rig like a gopro on a dual handle tray with a couple of small video lights. You can clip it off to your BC with a coiled lanyard, and its hands free when you are not using it.

Finally, as a new diver I suggest you get at least 50+ dives in your logbook before adding a camera. You won't be worrying about task loading at that point, and it will be safe to add a simple camera.

 

[Wobbegong_th]

I do concur with @davehicks above. Dive without camera for some period of time until you can manage all the skills required naturally (or even instinctively). These skills include, but not limited to, Mask Clearing, Adjust your gear, Proper finning, and the most important, Bouyancy control. You do realized that add a camera will be 'task loading' on top of the skills above - so be comfortable with those skills first.

As far as hands-free camera goes, you'd make a video with a lot of sudden movement, no stability, and no content. In my opinion, mask-mounted camera would create drag and added weight to one of the most sensitive gear. It would cause more difficulty to mask-clearing and putting the mask on/off. Also, if your operation of the camera would be start recording at start of dive, and stop recording at end of dive, you'd get a very long footage, large file, and a lot of time required for post-processing.

 

[johndiver999]

I think that wearing a go pro on a head mount, provides very little task loading. It can make the mask easier to dislodge and harder to seal and of course the camera is more prone to entanglement - compared to nothing.

Hand holding a camera is going to occupy your hand ... LOL that is the definition of a task.

Allowing a camera to run on your head for an entire dive may be extremely useful in teaching you what you are doing right and wrong on a dive.

For the most part, the footage will be crappy and useless to anyone but the diver and his buddy - who may love it. I say go for it!

I have not found a mask with a go pro mount that I love, so I use an independent head mount, but you MUST add a chin strap.. or you will lose the camera quickly.

I would suggest you practice removal and replacement of the mask and camera rig in a pool enough times to make sure you are confident on how to remove and replace without too much trouble. Once you have mastered that, there is very little drawback to wearing a head mount.