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08-16-2015, 12:25 PM | #1 |
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Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Truckee, CA
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Really basic GoPro question.
I've kinda asked this before, but as technology changes, so too will the answers.
I've been using a Canon camera in a housing but it died. All I do is take a few stills while freediving. Don't care much about video or editing on the computer, etc. I looked online and GoPro offers a really basic camera that's integrated into the housing for $129, or the Hero 3 White that's not integrated into the housing for $199. I'm wondering if either of these will work for taking underwater stills? My sons both have the old Hero's. I installed the underwater lenses to the housings from Mako. They take great underwater and above water video, but the stills are round, showing the outsides of the housing's lens. Aside from that, the image quality is very good. Do the new, low end Hero's have OK underwater lenses? Would the basic $129 camera suit my needs? Keep in mind that I don't do a lot of underwater photography or get fancy. Just the occasional snap shot, etc. Thanks, Ron. |
08-18-2015, 11:12 AM | #2 |
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
So, is anybody using the new $129 camera for diving???
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08-19-2015, 10:20 AM | #3 |
Shootin dodo's
Join Date: Apr 2010
Location: Chino Hills
Age: 34
Posts: 2,547
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
The new lenses are fine but the stills will never be nice as an actual camera. Buy it and if you don't like it just sell it
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08-19-2015, 10:56 AM | #4 |
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Location: Western Arkansas
Posts: 308
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
The Sealife cameras seem to be pretty popular. I saw a few when we were in Cozumel last month.
http://www.sealife-cameras.com/cameras The two Micro cameras just have internal storage (16 or 32gb) and state this... "permanently sealed, flood-proof underwater camera. The Micro HD has no doors or openings that could possibly leak." "Charging the camera and transfering files is simple through the waterproof USB port" |
08-19-2015, 11:00 AM | #5 |
Snorkel Master
Join Date: Dec 2011
Location: Lower Keys
Posts: 5,588
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
I always use the backup batter on my go pro, but i still use a go pro 2 exclusively...
I would recommend it for sure without question, and consider the size you shoot in. Think about where its really going to be viewed most and change your format accordingly. I shoot in 720 most of the time and can film for hours.... Consider a Premier Pro app purchase as well for editing. its SOOOOOOOOOO awesome and easy to learn/master. If you have a student email you can get it 60% off.
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08-19-2015, 11:01 AM | #6 |
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Location: MS Gulf Coast
Age: 72
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
There is a setting on the go pro that allows it to take photos automatically. Generally used to do time lapse video in post processing. I messed up the setting on mine once on a long shallow tank dive and got several thousand .jpg photos of the dive at about 1 second intervals. They were reasonable quality photos. Editing down to get the couple dozen "keepers" out of that batch sucked and took several times longer than the dive trip.
It should be possible to set it up to take stills at X second intervals automatically when you turn it on, then you hit the power button to stop it. If set at .1 sec intervals you should be able to get good photos on a freedive if you turn it on before dropping and kill it when surfaced. Boot up is usually a few seconds, so using it a single shot point and shoot would be a bit more challenging.
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08-19-2015, 11:03 AM | #7 |
Snorkel Master
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Location: Lower Keys
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
Also, start and stop the video every 3-5 minuets. This keeps files small and the chance of getting the footage in an easy to move video
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08-19-2015, 11:56 AM | #8 |
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
Are you guys talking about the new, bottom of the line, $129 GoPro? The one that doesn't come out of the case? That's pretty much what I'm looking at. Also, it doesn't sound like I can just set it to take a single picture when I push the shutter button?
Sorry to sound old, (which I am...), but I miss "real" cameras... Thanks for all the help! Ron. |
08-19-2015, 03:56 PM | #9 |
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Join Date: May 2012
Location: Boston
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
I really like that gopro for the price - I shot this video with it and I think it came out pretty good.. I do need to switch the setting off wide so the fish look bigger, though. It has a mode for taking pictures also. |
08-19-2015, 04:41 PM | #10 | |
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
Quote:
I talked to Phil Herrandon. I recalled that he bought the Intova Sport camera awhile back. It's a GoPro knock off but has an LCD sreen and appears to be better suited to taking stills than the GoPro. It's up to $199. Phil said he's still using it and it's working great. I looked at B&H photo today too. They carry a line of Chinese knock off's of the GoPro. They run from around $70 to their top of the line model at $90. That camera comes out of the housing, has replaceable batteries for $12, and gets decent reviews. At that price, I'm tempted to try one. I believe B&H offers extended warranty's on about everything. Might be worth looking into. |
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08-19-2015, 05:05 PM | #11 |
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
Man, I can get the knock off, the SJCam SJ4000 without WiFi, which I don't need or want, for $62. A two year extended warranty through B&H is $13. A memory card's another $13. For what little I'll use it, that's awful hard to beat...
Ron. |
09-03-2015, 02:45 PM | #12 |
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Location: Spring Hill, FL
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
I have a dive buddy who uses the SJCam SJ4000, the quality does not compare to the gopro as far as the pictures/video.
We both did footage on our last dive and compared photos / videos afterwards and it was night and day difference, they quality/clarity just isn't there on the SJ4000, most photos were grainy. |
09-09-2015, 12:31 AM | #13 |
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Re: Really basic GoPro question.
I bought the SJ4000 with wifi and there are some major pros and cons with it. I made sure to buy it from SJcam so I didn't end up receiving an even cheaper knockoff "HDcam" being sold as the SJ4000.
Pros: - Very inexpensive compared to the Gopro with wifi - Good video quality - Built in LCD Screen Cons: - Case has let some water in during my dives, not enough to break the camera yet (I'm sure this can be fixed) - Doesn't have a light on the front to tell if you're recording (this would be useful if using a headmount) - The start recording beep and stop recording beep are exactly the same, both are very quite and hard to even hear while diving Overall the SJcam SJ4000 is a good buy for the price, unless you want to dive using a headmount. It's pretty much impossible to tell if you're recording or not unless you look at the LCD screen. So if you're using a headmount, you have to just keep the camera recording for the whole dive and it will record for about an hour straight on one battery. I ended up purchasing a gun mount from mako which makes for a perfect combination with this camera. You can see exactly what you're recording and record in multiple clips because the LCD screen is right in your face. Here is footage from the SJ4000, make sure to watch it in 1080p. And the blurry ring around some of the shots is moisture in the case around the lens, not an editing affect. |
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