OP
Good call!! I didn't think about sitting it down. Well, I hope to get to the pool today and try out the camera for the first time underwater and also be able to see my positioning for the very first time.
How to Splash With a GoPro
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Good call!! I didn't think about sitting it down. Well, I hope to get to the pool today and try out the camera for the first time underwater and also be able to see my positioning for the very first time.
Nagel616
Registered
I first used a selfie stick, and my biggest issues with it was the twisting motion you tend to make. No matter how hard I tried, you would get seasick watching the camera roll back and forth. I knew I needed a tray but couldn't justify spending the money, so I made one myself. Really easy to do, with minimal tools, and I even put together a small how-to for my tray: http://www.erikcarrillo.com/blog/2015/12/07/my-diy-gopro-dive-rig/ . Hope this helps ya!
Ricardo V.
Contributor
The tray is the way to go. Your ability to control the camera, keeping it stable, panning and just rolling video is greatly improved with a tray. As soon as a bit of current hits, the pole will tend to shake, oscillate and when you are cutting the footage with your computer is when you are able to see and compare pole vs tray. Of course, with practice, your video will improve too, regardless of pole or tray.
I would like to chime in with a few suggestions:
1. Tray: The best thing is to purchase a good quality product, just like The Chairman is recommending; however, there are several videos on YouTube where DIY folks build a dive tray with PVC, and affordable components from homedepot or lowes.
2. One of the great advantages of GoPro is how little space it takes, and the quality video it offers, so a good clip should securely keep you camera attached to your BC, in case you need to free up hands or set it aside.
3. Keep an eye for bubbles. The filters made by Backscatter, in my opinion, are the best available for GoPro cameras. As soon as you start your dive, try to make it a habit of shaking all bubbles off the camera, make sure there are no trapped bubbles between the filter and the glass, or around the camera, and stay aware of divers casually cruising below. The bubbles will affect your shots, and bubbles from divers tend to be attracted by the camera, or get re-trapped.
One last though about the UKpole. I have 2 of them, both have failed at the anchoring point, the rubber part where the tether connects to the grip has snapped and the thing just falls apart. Just don't trust the rubber grip too much.
Cheers.
I would like to chime in with a few suggestions:
1. Tray: The best thing is to purchase a good quality product, just like The Chairman is recommending; however, there are several videos on YouTube where DIY folks build a dive tray with PVC, and affordable components from homedepot or lowes.
2. One of the great advantages of GoPro is how little space it takes, and the quality video it offers, so a good clip should securely keep you camera attached to your BC, in case you need to free up hands or set it aside.
3. Keep an eye for bubbles. The filters made by Backscatter, in my opinion, are the best available for GoPro cameras. As soon as you start your dive, try to make it a habit of shaking all bubbles off the camera, make sure there are no trapped bubbles between the filter and the glass, or around the camera, and stay aware of divers casually cruising below. The bubbles will affect your shots, and bubbles from divers tend to be attracted by the camera, or get re-trapped.
One last though about the UKpole. I have 2 of them, both have failed at the anchoring point, the rubber part where the tether connects to the grip has snapped and the thing just falls apart. Just don't trust the rubber grip too much.
Cheers.
I like the trays but....
My advice to newer divers if they are going to use a GoPro, is to use a soft goodman strap mount. Reason? Its good practice for using a light, it prevents sculling and if you need to pay attention to something else, you just forget about the camera and deal with the problem.
It doesn't give you quite the stability of a tray but jittering etc can be fixed in post.
I hate seeing divers shoving the poles in the face of the poor creatures, especially morays.
My advice to newer divers if they are going to use a GoPro, is to use a soft goodman strap mount. Reason? Its good practice for using a light, it prevents sculling and if you need to pay attention to something else, you just forget about the camera and deal with the problem.
It doesn't give you quite the stability of a tray but jittering etc can be fixed in post.
I hate seeing divers shoving the poles in the face of the poor creatures, especially morays.
Do you have lights on your tray? If so, what do you use?
Hoag
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I used a GoPro on a trip to Grand Turk a little over a year ago. The first couple days, I had lights attached to my tray. It really didn't take too long before I realized that a good red filter was a better option. The lights really only reach about 3-5 feet effectively. There was one very friendly turtle on one dive and as he came over "to say 'Hi'", the colour shifted when it got into that 3-5 foot range of the lights.
If I my budget was limited (mine is), the decision would be easy. I would opt for a tray and a filter similar to the Backscatter Flip filter.
Oh, and to address the Op's question about how to enter, if I can, I will enter and then have the crew pass my camera to me after I am in the water. If that is not practical, I will tuck my camera into my tummy and do a front roll into the water letting me (my tank) break the surface of the water so that the impact on the camera is mitigated as much as possible.
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El Punkabilly turk
!) Don't allow your UW photo diving ambitions to get ahead of your diving ability
2) You are fortunate to now reside in SoCal where it all began so many years ago
Join (or attend ) a local UW photo society (aka UPS) -- there are 3 in your area:
A) LA Co UW Photo Society (UPS) the original established in 1957- 60 years of UW photographic experience (I was a charter member)
B) San Diego UW Photo Society (SD UPS) established 1960--57 years of UW photographic experience
C) Orange County UW Photo Society (O CUPS) established in 1967-50 hears of UW photographic experience I was one of the four and the only surviving founding members- It was the only club to meet in US Divers (Aqua Lung ) conference room.
I suspect O CUPS is closer to you..It is suggested that you attend the meetings, introduce your self to the current president Linda Blanchard, then set down shut up and learn something about UW Photography. May want to join in on one of their boat trips to see them in action
3) Fer sure fer darn sure--- Take a class or classes in Basic Photography - lighting, composition and editing. Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa was the fountain head of community colleges for photography during the film days of photography with Upton & Upton on staff who wrote the book on teaching photography in community colleges.
I taught UW photography there for 3 years.
One of the exercises I had them perform to develop a "photographers eye" was a field trip to a local Junk yard. and photograph the alphabet A to Z in proper sequence. The college board discovered what I was doing and put a halt to the junk yard trip..but allowed me to take them to a park -- which was even more dangerous. You might want to check out autos or nature for the alphabet in sequence - develops a eye for detail.
>>>>> Enough lecturing -- back to your question
I have 2 Go Pros never used them from a boat only through mild tropical surf
When I was using film cameras I had a long polypropylene line with a section in the middle with a long shock cord which I hung over the side with camera attached.. Lowered the camera before entering water --- at end of dive I attached the line to camera--- as soon as I boarded to boat I hand over hand retrieved the camera.
SDM
!) Don't allow your UW photo diving ambitions to get ahead of your diving ability
2) You are fortunate to now reside in SoCal where it all began so many years ago
Join (or attend ) a local UW photo society (aka UPS) -- there are 3 in your area:
A) LA Co UW Photo Society (UPS) the original established in 1957- 60 years of UW photographic experience (I was a charter member)
B) San Diego UW Photo Society (SD UPS) established 1960--57 years of UW photographic experience
C) Orange County UW Photo Society (O CUPS) established in 1967-50 hears of UW photographic experience I was one of the four and the only surviving founding members- It was the only club to meet in US Divers (Aqua Lung ) conference room.
I suspect O CUPS is closer to you..It is suggested that you attend the meetings, introduce your self to the current president Linda Blanchard, then set down shut up and learn something about UW Photography. May want to join in on one of their boat trips to see them in action
3) Fer sure fer darn sure--- Take a class or classes in Basic Photography - lighting, composition and editing. Orange Coast Community College in Costa Mesa was the fountain head of community colleges for photography during the film days of photography with Upton & Upton on staff who wrote the book on teaching photography in community colleges.
I taught UW photography there for 3 years.
One of the exercises I had them perform to develop a "photographers eye" was a field trip to a local Junk yard. and photograph the alphabet A to Z in proper sequence. The college board discovered what I was doing and put a halt to the junk yard trip..but allowed me to take them to a park -- which was even more dangerous. You might want to check out autos or nature for the alphabet in sequence - develops a eye for detail.
>>>>> Enough lecturing -- back to your question
I have 2 Go Pros never used them from a boat only through mild tropical surf
When I was using film cameras I had a long polypropylene line with a section in the middle with a long shock cord which I hung over the side with camera attached.. Lowered the camera before entering water --- at end of dive I attached the line to camera--- as soon as I boarded to boat I hand over hand retrieved the camera.
SDM
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Ricardo V.
Contributor
The GoPro is compact and sturdy. It's going to be safe, specially if you are aware of it when you jump in.
For instance, if the best and safest way to enter any given dive is a giant stride, then:
1. Inflate you BC.
2. Hold the camera in left hand, extend arm all the way up above your head.
3. Keep regulator in mouth and hold it in place with palm of your right wand... finger tips keeping mask in place & looking at horizon....
4. Jump in.
Ask your buddies to report when you get back on the boat and tell you what they saw happened to the GoPro on entry... you will see that it is very likely your camera, which you are holding extended up, did not even get to dip below the surface on entry.
I used to worry a lot about impact cameras take, and the ability of the housing to withstand a rough entry.
If the entry is a back roll, similarly, just tuck the housing in your belly and roll back, let the tank soften the blow.
With an SLR, you can use the same entry techniques. You will have less issues doing this, as compared to asking a crew member to hand over a camera after you jump in.
Things happen on dive boats, it's rought as you all know, and it has been my personal experience that more often than not, I will notice a broken fiber optic cable, or a clamp is loose, or the filter got deeply scratched, or the light has no more juice from being on during an interval, or the memory is full from taping a full hour of "Camera Bucket" and guess what... .Its been my fault because I left the camera out of my orbit of control, it got moved, rolled over here or there and I was not paying attention.
Asking a crew member to hand a camera over is stressful to them, if they pick it up the wrong way, or lift it by a fiber optic cable, you won't notice until you are firing the system up and it's too late.
Beware of the camera bucket. If you have full possession of the bucket, e.i. No one else onboard has a camera, go for it. As soon as there is company, your camera is going to endure a UL Testing, just like putting it in a washing machine, the more cameras go in, the more dings, scratches and damages you will exchange with other photo and video enthusiasts.
I've had a red filter break off one of my GoPro housings from just letting my guard down, and from blinking and later seeing my system taking a jacuzzi dip with other rigs in a bucket.
So in summary, trust your controlled entry skills. Practice if you can, avoid loosing control of where your camera is at any given time, and use the bucket if you are able to claim full and sole use.
Cheers.
For instance, if the best and safest way to enter any given dive is a giant stride, then:
1. Inflate you BC.
2. Hold the camera in left hand, extend arm all the way up above your head.
3. Keep regulator in mouth and hold it in place with palm of your right wand... finger tips keeping mask in place & looking at horizon....
4. Jump in.
Ask your buddies to report when you get back on the boat and tell you what they saw happened to the GoPro on entry... you will see that it is very likely your camera, which you are holding extended up, did not even get to dip below the surface on entry.
I used to worry a lot about impact cameras take, and the ability of the housing to withstand a rough entry.
If the entry is a back roll, similarly, just tuck the housing in your belly and roll back, let the tank soften the blow.
With an SLR, you can use the same entry techniques. You will have less issues doing this, as compared to asking a crew member to hand over a camera after you jump in.
Things happen on dive boats, it's rought as you all know, and it has been my personal experience that more often than not, I will notice a broken fiber optic cable, or a clamp is loose, or the filter got deeply scratched, or the light has no more juice from being on during an interval, or the memory is full from taping a full hour of "Camera Bucket" and guess what... .Its been my fault because I left the camera out of my orbit of control, it got moved, rolled over here or there and I was not paying attention.
Asking a crew member to hand a camera over is stressful to them, if they pick it up the wrong way, or lift it by a fiber optic cable, you won't notice until you are firing the system up and it's too late.
Beware of the camera bucket. If you have full possession of the bucket, e.i. No one else onboard has a camera, go for it. As soon as there is company, your camera is going to endure a UL Testing, just like putting it in a washing machine, the more cameras go in, the more dings, scratches and damages you will exchange with other photo and video enthusiasts.
I've had a red filter break off one of my GoPro housings from just letting my guard down, and from blinking and later seeing my system taking a jacuzzi dip with other rigs in a bucket.
So in summary, trust your controlled entry skills. Practice if you can, avoid loosing control of where your camera is at any given time, and use the bucket if you are able to claim full and sole use.
Cheers.
AZNetEng
Contributor
Wrist strap on, pole collapsed, across my chest and cradled. Off hand over face and reg covering enclosure.
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