Monopod w/out light or tray w/light? Also: jaws for BCD mounting?

[mountainsean]

Hi folks-

Just got a Hero3+ Black and am prepping for a liveaboard trip to the Great Barrier. This will be my first attempt at underwater photography, so I want a simple to use rig that can help me capture short video clips and the occasional still. I'm planning on getting the Backscatter filter for color correction. My question is whether mounting to a monopod (which probably means no light, right? too heavy to have a light and camera at the end of the pole?) is a better all-around setup than a tray + a good video light. The monopod seems to have the advantage in terms of cool shot potential: get closer to animals, shoot selfies, etc. Just not sure how important the light will be. The dives on the trip will range in depth from 45' to 125', usually with good visibility, and this is pretty typical for most of my dive trips (tropical waters for the most part). For the night dives I'll probably need the tray + light anyway, so I guess I'm talking myself into getting both, but just looking for general advice here.

Also, the GoPro Jaws mount looked really interesting. Thinking I could use that to attach the camera to my BCD for some fun shots. Anybody try this?

Thanks,
Sean

 

[gopbroek]

A simple collapsible monopod I use is an XShot, XSP2, Pocket Camera Extender plus a GoPro Tripod Mount, from Amazon. It is very compact when stowed (less than 6”) but extends out to about 3’ for doing close-ups of critters (I got mine for close-ups of Moray’s). I also use a Hollis utility pouch on my BCD waist band (2” band) which it will stow into so it is out of the way until you need it. Another trick a professional photographer showed me is that if you set the picture for inverted and let the camera hang upside down you get a more stable video.
For light I hold a broad beam flashlight in my other hand.

 

[mountainsean]

A simple collapsible monopod I use is an XShot, XSP2, Pocket Camera Extender plus a GoPro Tripod Mount, from Amazon. It is very compact when stowed (less than 6&#8221 but extends out to about 3’ for doing close-ups of critters (I got mine for close-ups of Moray’s). I also use a Hollis utility pouch on my BCD waist band (2” band) which it will stow into so it is out of the way until you need it. Another trick a professional photographer showed me is that if you set the picture for inverted and let the camera hang upside down you get a more stable video.
For light I hold a broad beam flashlight in my other hand.

Thanks for the tips - how has the XSP2 held up with the salt water? Any concerns about the construction? I was thinking of doing something similar - monopod for the camera, and then hand-mounted light like the Sola. Has that worked well in your experience, or is it too hard to keep the light on your subject?

Thanks,
Sean

 

[gopbroek]

My first one held up pretty well for about a 100-150 saltwater dives. I failed to disassemble the pivot screw on the head and lub it and it seized up. I got another one and I now rinse it in fresh water after a dive and once a week or after the dive trip wipe it down with WD40 and exercise it. One modification I do is at the top shaft where it mates to the plastic head I take a small punch and hammer and carefully add a few extra ‘stake’ points which stiffens up attach point for extra security, the factory indents / stake points are kind of weak, I feel better knowing the head will not separate.
I use a handheld light as it is hard for me to use a light strapped to my hand. Make sure any beam you use does not have a hot spot in the center as the white balance of a gopro will adjust to only the hot spot, it needs to be a uniform beam and not on the same angle as camera.