Various GoPro Questions

[BabySweetlipsLover]

Hello all -

Been doing a lot of surfing about GoPro around here and have a few questions that hopefully y'all can help me out with :

Current rig :
Pistol grip (heavy metal)with adjustable y-angle. GoPro 3 Silver with LCD Backpack. I tether it using spring and brass clip on lower d-ring by pockets / integrated weights. I also have another clip I use to connect the top part of the GoPro to my chest strap so it doesn't dangle. I do this so my hands are free while not filming.

Settings :
1080p, 30fps. Protune ON. No filter. I'm beginning to try out post processing on my own, but am struggling a bit (separate issue)

Questions :

1. Narrow Angle (Macro) & Wide Angle Shots

First time I tried this out, I didn't realize wide angle wouldn't work with macro. Derrrh. I know it's very difficult to switch between wide angle and narrow angle mid dive. Has anyone ever carried two GoPro's simultaneously? One with a macro lens / light set up and one without for wide angle?

I like having my hands free in case I need them so I like to clip them up as mentioned above. I like the idea of keeping everything to a single grip, not a double grip. I'm looking to get the Dimension i3 which has D-rings near bottom and top which will allow me to clip one GoPro on either shoulder strap.​

Is this too much? Should I just plan for one or the other in the dive? That said I don't want to miss seeing a pod of dolphins, etc., when I've been planning to video nudis.​

2. Macro set up

Lens :
I'm looking to get a wet (are they wet?) connect threaded Marumi 55mm Macro Lens for the GoPro (potentially stacking 2 of them as per the videographer of the Critters of Sulawesi video). Any better suggestions or more cost effective option? I notice there are a few for cheap on Amazon ($13), but am worried about quality.

This would render this camera useless for wide angle shots which is why I'm trying to consider a dedicated macro / wide angle camera.

​

Lights :
I've also been looking into compact light systems (a la Sidekick or Qudos). However, I'm not very familiar with lights (anyone suggest any literature on videography and lighting (angles and lumens, etc.) )

Most likely I'll go with the Sidekick with the flexible dive arm as I've heard backscatter from the Qudos would be pretty significant. However is 600 lumens with a flood light good enough for most macro shots? Would 90 degrees give enough coverage or should I look into 2 x lights? Would the backscatter from the flexible dive arms be too significant?

Mount : Again I'm looking for a grip / monopole but would like an option to set up as an extra support arm much like if you took half of this tray, where the support arm could rotate in the y-direction. and also collapse / slide / swing in the x-direction (z / x plane for swing) in order to reduce total bulk.

Am I being too specific here? I've seen a few great mounts in the "mount thread". Specifically : using PVC as the part to rotate, even setting up a tripod using PVC and rotating it. However it's a bit bulky and doesn't collapse inward. Any thoughts or suggestions would be helpful .
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3. Protune vs. No Protune

So as I mentioned above, I'd rather use post-editing rather than use a filter. I want to get better with post-editing, and I've been filming in ProTune as I've heard it's better for post-editing. I've heard various arguments on what it does, and have done a bit of research on it on my own, but I still have no idea what it does.

I know it makes my videos seem more washed out and less sharp. Why the hell would I want that?

Why couldn't I just film with no ProTune and just edit it there? Since I'm doing just basic white balancing, would that be better? Should I be doing more than just basic white balancing?

I'm sorry I'm a bit of a noob with all of this stuff, but I want to get better. Hence me writing here. If there's any literature that I missed in my forum sweeps, let me know .​

I hope I don't flood you guys with too much information. Thanks in advance!

​

 

[BabySweetlipsLover]

*sigh*

I guess I put too much information out. Haven't been getting too much luck on the board, so I guess I need to change things up :-D

Let's put it this way :

1. Anybody know of carrying two GoPros? One for macro one for wide angle? What type of rigs do you use?
2. Any experience with Sidekick or Qudos lights? Do you think 600 lumens, 90 deg at one angle (above facing down) would be suitable for decent macro shots?
3. Protune - what does it really do? Why shoot with it why not when all I want to do is basic post editing and white balancing?

 

[3D diver]

I just got a couple of Polar Pro close up lenses with the idea of making a 3D mirror rig. To get a feel for the effective range I took 3 cameras along on my last dive: a GP H3+ black with the closeup lens in narrow setting, a GP H3+ black using the regular lens in medium, and a Kodak SP360 fish eye camera:



I'm using a DIY tray and 4 DRIS Impact video shorties. Here's a picture of my basic rigs. I try various camera configurations on them.



I've never used protune, relying instead on my lights.

 

[MB NZ]

some general comments and i hope some answers, or at least opinions.

mount - a proper, double handled tray for steady shots. i think it makes sense anyway if you're looking to add lights. for macro, a tripod would be really helpful. gopro macro is hard to get right. i've given up!

macro and WA - i went through the same thing and even considered using two gopros. a better solution is the flip system from backscatter which allows you to change between a red filter and a macro lens.

lights - good video lights are expensive, many times the cost of the gopro. if you just want them for macro, then you could get away with less powerful, cheaper models, but lights can add an awful lot to WA video as well. even with my two sola 2000s, i don't expect to light up much more than a metre or two in front of me, but the results are stunning. at say 30 metres, they turn footage which would otherwise be going straight in to the trash in to something very pleasing.

protune - get the lighting and filters right and no need to use it.

 

[hebrewhammer]

I'm using a 58mm lens adapter and plan on bringing a couple of filters/macro adapters with me. I am using those plastic filter cases and will let you know how easy those are to get out and use from my BCD. As for a tripod, I am toying with the idea, but fairly convinced it would be too much. What I would like is a mono poll with a fold down bipod, but I haven't found one yet. Let me know how you eventually bring in the protuned colors, I will be trying this later this month.

 

[hellhole]

I think advice been given for the WA and Marco stuff.

About protune... Start without and have fun making great videos...
U can try it out once u get more familiar with the gopro...