Hero 2, what else to buy for it?

[Simon-]

I am off to Sharm in June, and with my birthday being 10 days before we go, my wife has said she will buy me a Hero 2 for my birthday (good girl).

I have read in various places that this lens, this filter, this mount etc is required for optimum underwater footage.

Question is what exactly do I need?

I would like the LCD to go with it, but what lens, what filter (if any), what type of mount is best for diving etc?

Answers greatly appreciated

 

[Outlaw13]

I would go for the snake river blurfix flat lense and an appropriate filter. Also the LCD screen as it helps frame shots. I've had some good success with an extendable monopod for mounting. It helps you get the camera closer to the sealife. You need to be able to hold it quite steady though. A spare battery is also pretty useful.

 

[fdarden]

Hold off on the LCD "Bacpack" until the wifi backpack is released, in my opinion. I think its release is very soon, and you can get by without the backpack in the mean time. You absolutely must get a flat lens solution. Hands down the Snake River Prototyping is the superior solution in my opinion. I would purchase their lens kit, and a CYAN filter that is appropriate for your intended use. Snake River's website has all of this available. You might want to also consider their camera tray as well. One of the big challenges with these small cameras underwater is keeping them steady enough to get a good shot. The tray will help immensely with that. A second option is to get a monopod, and purchase the Gopro tripod mount (about $7.00) and mount the GoPro the monopod. You can find monopods at electronics retailers, camera stores, etc.. I hope this information helps to get you started with your underwater filming adventures, and good luck!

 

[MAKO Spearguns]

I am off to Sharm in June, and with my birthday being 10 days before we go, my wife has said she will buy me a Hero 2 for my birthday (good girl).

I have read in various places that this lens, this filter, this mount etc is required for optimum underwater footage.

Question is what exactly do I need?

I would like the LCD to go with it, but what lens, what filter (if any), what type of mount is best for diving etc?

Answers greatly appreciated

Best wishes on your birthday. Anyone who purchases the HERO 2 from MAKO will receive a FREE flat lens. We offer a standard head mount solution (that should be worn under a hood for security). We will be offering handles and a tray and a lighting solution in the VERY near future. We also currently offer a very inexpensive colored filter that is inserted inside of the housing.

Some sort of Flat Lens solution is essential for getting decent underwater images/video.

The LCD back is a nice option, but the Hero2 has such a wide field of view (in most commonly used underwater settings) that a viewfinder is not as essential as you might expect.

The MAKO flat lens functions, to the rated depth of the housing itself. Also on your shopping list should be bands to secure the camera latch at depth to prevent a flood.

GoPro Cameras / Speargun Camera Brackets

 

[scubafied]

I would say get the LCD Bacpac. The GoPro can be difficult to frame good shots with if you're using it as a normal camera instead of wearing them as they were designed. While the idea of getting the WiFi Bacpac is still a good one, they serve 2 completely different functions. The LCD allows you to view what your shooting on the actual GoPro, the WiFi operates as a remote for multiple cameras and as a "Live" streaming option for someone else to view. It's a cool feature because someone at home can download the App and watch your dive in real time from their computer or smart phone but the actual WiFi Bacpac has no viewing screen.

+1 for Blurfix from SRP and their filters.
I also have a tray with lights as well as the extendable monopod option. Both will get you steadier shots than holding it yourself.

 

[JamesK]

I am going to go against the grain here. I have tried many different housings for the GoPro. While I really liked the SRP housing mentioned above, I found that the Backscatter housing was better suited for my needs. My dives included times where I wanted a color correction filter, and times I did not. With the Backscatter housing I can change this out underwater.

The LCD is a great companion, but one that is not mentioned is good lighting. The GoPro can get grainy in low light, and having good lighting helps tremendously.

Another option you may want to consider is the new Intova Sport Pro. I have 2 GoPro's and now one of the Sport Pro's. If you are cost conscious, this is a great option IMHO. For <$200 you get a camera that has 1080HD, 12MP photos, built in flat lens, LCD screen, zoom in most shooting modes, and 4 different white balance options.

Quality wise I find it to be pretty good so far. The only downfall I can see is that the camera is built in to the housing.

Here are a couple of pics I took with mine the first time I took it out, and a couple videos.

Intova Sport Pro Test. Lion Fish. - YouTube

You cna change the video settings to 1080HD.

 

[Bratface]

I got the GoPro and got the LCD backing for it. I like being able to see what I am shooting. I also ordered the Blur Fix. Can't wait for it to arrive. Enjoy your trip to Sharm.

 

[andrethediver]

Moved to another thread

 

[Marty Cerven]

I would say get the LCD Bacpac. The GoPro can be difficult to frame good shots with if you're using it as a normal camera instead of wearing them as they were designed. While the idea of getting the WiFi Bacpac is still a good one, they serve 2 completely different functions. The LCD allows you to view what your shooting on the actual GoPro, the WiFi operates as a remote for multiple cameras and as a "Live" streaming option for someone else to view. It's a cool feature because someone at home can download the App and watch your dive in real time from their computer or smart phone but the actual WiFi Bacpac has no viewing screen.

+1 for Blurfix from SRP and their filters.
I also have a tray with lights as well as the extendable monopod option. Both will get you steadier shots than holding it yourself.

Wifi wont work underwater unfortunately so even though it would have been a cool feature its only for land use. The remote will be waterproof so it can be used on the surface but I don't think it will go to any real depths and it wont transmit underwater so the LCD is still the best option for underwater use.

I didn't use the LCD for a long time but since getting it Ive found it very helpful to use underwater whenever Im using the tray setup. The LCD backpack makes it easier to use the menus without needing to turn the camera around. Great for framing and if use various POV modes it will help you get an idea of how close to get to your subjects as with such a wide angle you will tend to be too far away most of the time, this gives instant feedback.

Using filters or lights it will show you whats happening and you can adjust lights brightness or aim to work best, with a filter you will see whats working and whats not. Disadvantage of the LCD is that you will have to watch your dive on a big screen TV to see it properly as you most likely spent most of the dive looking at a tiny LCD screen . The battery life is reduced by about an hour to around 1:15 where without you can get closer to 2:20 run time underwater.

Regarding lenses and filters, have a look around here or youtube and find some examples of all the lens options available. They all fix the focus issue just some work better then others in regards to vignetting in wide modes and ability to use filters and so on. GoPro are making their own at some point but don't hold your breath as Im sure a few people have died whilst waiting for it to materialize on a single breath lol.

I use the Blurfix now and have loved the results Ive got with it but there is plenty of info available regarding all the options if you have a quick look around the forums and google.

 

[Simon-]

Many thanks for the input gents, much appreciated.

Mako, a couple of questions for you.

When do you anticipate the Handle Transformer Tray with light brackets to be available?
What would be the cost?
Would you be able to express ship to the United Arab Emirates?

Thanks