Just picked up a Hero 3 Black!

[RedStang]

For now I'm planning on using Cineform to do color correction and then use iMovie for putting clips together. May move up to final cut pro at some point but not interested in spending that $$$ right now. I'll be going sans lights. We mainly dive in the Caribbean and are used to great visibility. The lights just aren't worth it for the few days worth of diving we usually get in every other year. That may change once both kids are old enough to go and if they like diving. Then we may go on a yearly basis and lights could come into play. Of course, by that time the gopro 8 or 9 might be out lol!

Forgot to mention. Got the tray and filter in. They must make a bundle on the tray but it, and all parts with it, do seem to be very high quality. I try to be a buy once cry once person so I'm happy with it.

 

[drbill]

When I first saw the GoPro come out, I thought it was a joke. Then I saw the footage from the Hero3 black taken by some fellow divers on a recent trip and I'm considering buying one as a back up camera that can be easily added to my baggage without tipping the scales much.

 

[RedStang]

When I first saw the GoPro come out, I thought it was a joke. Then I saw the footage from the Hero3 black taken by some fellow divers on a recent trip and I'm considering buying one as a back up camera that can be easily added to my baggage without tipping the scales much.

Yeah, it does seem to good to be true. Just hope my 2nd cam isn't buggy. The footage I've taken so far is very good though. And seeing some of the underwater footage really excites me. I'd love to be able to show people somewhat accurate representations of what it looks like when we dive.

 

[yarik83]

I think a good analogy to gopro camera quality is that of .mp3 music. Remember when mp3 first came out? Everyone dissed it claiming that it will never be even half as good as vinyl and cd but look at it now...

What plays into hand of the lesser format like .mp3 or .mp4 is the sheer fact that most people are OK with the quality degradation. Heck on youtube you will not be able to tell whether its 1080 or 720 because youtube screws with footage anyways. So with that lone gopro and other action cameras have a bright future.

Best part about a camera like gopro is that it is super duper adaptable. You can connect it to virtually anything, it is super low profile so it never gets in the way and you can give it to anyone and they will be able to use it just by holding it. I gave my 2 cameras to my little sisters in the pool when they came to visit and ohh boy... my little mermaids sure had a blast with them.

As much as it pains me to say I think we are almost at the point where the so called "expensive" cameras are about to become a thing of the past. Sure there will still be that $10,000 camera but considering that everyone can now be their own videographer... expect some manufacturers to drop. Every time I go anywhere people know the gopro. Even when kayaking snorklers were oooing and aaaing my cameras. Most of the time someone sees a gopro, asks questions and then boom... they bought one. Gopro awesomness is highlighted by the fact that every other video on youtube was filmed with gopros. Motorsports, action sports, water sports... you name it... gopro was there.

My gopro weighs about 1/10th of weight of my bonica. My gopro is also 1/10th the size of my bonica. Hey at the rate we are going there will be a microcamera available soon for scuba divers hehehe.

 

[RockyHeap]

The Hero Video Camera platform, with a good red filter system like offered by Snake River Prototyping SRP , sans any lights, makes for a great pocket sized deck of cards big camera that delivers big results.

 

[ronscuba]

Hopefully GoPro will come out with new models with different lenses. The field of view is too wide for many scenes.

 

[fbk]

Hopefully GoPro will come out with new models with different lenses. The field of view is too wide for many scenes.

You can always shoot in one of the narrower modes, or in 2.7k and crop

 

[ronscuba]

I've experimented with it, but find the narrower modes degrade the picture quality too much for my liking.

 

[fbk]

Yeah I know it's not the same.. I haven't really tried them, I thought medium was ok though and if you used 2.7k thats plenty of room for some close in cropping.

Sooner or later they will realease the HeroZoom

 

[Marty Cerven]

Hopefully GoPro will come out with new models with different lenses. The field of view is too wide for many scenes.

I think an easily changeable lens camera should be one main thing gopro should be looking at in the next models, there may be some issues with the housing though using other lenses unless they also make a selection of lenses to fit their own housing. Or make another housing with changeable lens ports though I don't know how far they would be willing to take this option and I doubt they would take that route. I know many production crews using gopro's would love to have easily changeable lenses in such a small sized decent quality camera that can easily mix in with other higher end cameras theses days.