Still Photos or Screen Grabs off your Video Clips

[atlas_shrugged]

Hi All,

Just getting ready to use my GoPro for the first time and thinking through the details. I am historically a still photographer, where video will be mostly new to me. I wish to avoid fuddling with taking video and still shots while underwater.

How effective is taking screen grabs from your video clips to use in galleries as still shots? Or is the quality poor compared to the 12MP resolution I can get off the still shots where you still recommend to take separate and deliberate still shots.

Another question, have you ever considered leaving your regular camera at home and using the GoPro as your main/only camera for still shots as well while on vacation?

Many thanks!

 

[3D diver]

I guess it's a question of what you're going to do with the images. If you're going to print or enlarge them you need all the resolution you can get. For computer screen viewing frame grabs are adequate.

Since I shoot 3D and prefer to free view I intentionally scale my still frame grabs to 600 pixels wide. The resulting image is about 6 inches wide on the computer screen, a perfect size for free viewing:

SCUBA pictures - a set on Flickr

Another consideration is whether you want to shoot macro. Still cameras are best at that, IMHO.

 

[Hobby Mounts]

Screen grabs are fine to share on web sites, social media, etc. Can't say I would use the GoPro as a permanent stills camera though, although it does take great stills, it just doesn't have enough features to be a still camera.

 

[Scubanoobi]

I think it's possible, I've only done it once. This was grabbed from 1080 output (2.7 or 4k would be significantly better) and slightly cropped. Color is a little messed up as this was @ 65 ft with a filter: Bill_Scuba | Flickr - Photo Sharing!