Product question (GoPro)

[BarryBobPosthole]

Anybody catch the 60 minutes segment this week with the GoPro CEO? Pretty awesome. I hope he keeps his outlook and that it's genuine and his employees don't think he's an asshole (like Steve jobs for example).

Anyway, I've been thinking about getting one myself to use as a fishing/general outdoor use camera and also as a dive camera. the thing has 12 mp still capabilities and if you add the gizmo to the back that lets you see what you're shooting its just like a video/still camera. Kinda sorta. anyway, the price is pretty right and the videos I see on their website are phenomenal. I guess you could lift as many stills off of those videos as you wanted couldn't you? Or did Len say that was easier said than done?

Anybody got one?

BKB

[Big Skyz]

I think they are pretty cool, but I kind'a doubt anyone on this site has one.

[Egghead]

I have one, sparingly used... :) My videos don't always come out as nice as those on the GoPro site, never sure if it is something I am doing/not doing or a result of suboptimal hardware - may need to consult with Len. That said, I have been pretty impressed with short videos shot with my Galaxy S4 cellphone (look for the hole shots of our jet boat and bay boat on Facebook for samples of that).

I wouldn't want to use the still photos compared to a regular still camera, but mine is not the newest model - newer models may have better results.

On my model at least, it is advised to get a flat lens on the housing - supposedly the one that came with mine is convex and distorts the video when used underwater - I will advise after our family trip to Bonaire this coming spring. :) It is my current thinking to attach it to the handle of my underwater still photo setup, more to capture the overall dive than focus on a particular subject. We're signing the kids up to get junior certified, with checkout dives the first couple days in Bonaire - and I want to capture the kids first real dives while still watching over them.

Keep me posted as your discovery and thinking evolves on this!

E

[BarryBobPosthole]

Now that sounds like fun. Have you been to Bonaire? I can review my dive log and send along the top ones if you aren't familiar with it. One of my favorite places on the planet underwater. And not so bad topside either. Take you kids on the Donkey Tour. sounds hokey but it's one of the funnest things we did. A big time entry at a place called Oil Slick Leap would be an awesome initiation dive for your kids too. A nice giant stride off a 15 foot cliff, it sounds hairier than it is. They'll want to do it twice I guarantee. Lots of dive sites with double reefs, one at 35-40 ft and another at 60 or so. Just an amazing place underwater. I don't think I've ever seen a double reef anywhere else.

I have video'd almost an entire dive a few times just to see what it turned out like and if I could get stills off the video it might be something I'd do regularly.

BKB

[Chicken Dinner]

I saw the end of it and remember thinking, "I bet he just might be an asshole to work for." The videos were definitely awsome though. Eric and I have another buddy who posts a lot clips from his when he goes mountain biking. Good stuff, but nothing like they showed on TV. Those dolphins were incredible. So was the aerial stuff. I wonder how much editing they do to some of those they showed.

[Egghead]

Now that sounds like fun. Have you been to Bonaire? I can review my dive log and send along the top ones if you aren't familiar with it. One of my favorite places on the planet underwater. And not so bad topside either. Take you kids on the Donkey Tour. sounds hokey but it's one of the funnest things we did. A big time entry at a place called Oil Slick Leap would be an awesome initiation dive for your kids too. A nice giant stride off a 15 foot cliff, it sounds hairier than it is. They'll want to do it twice I guarantee. Lots of dive sites with double reefs, one at 35-40 ft and another at 60 or so. Just an amazing place underwater. I don't think I've ever seen a double reef anywhere else.

I have video'd almost an entire dive a few times just to see what it turned out like and if I could get stills off the video it might be something I'd do regularly.

BKB
Hey, we've talked about this before! :) Care to join us?

This will be our fourth trip:
1) First trip was before kids.
2) Next trip was with daughter only (son not born yet, found a wonderful Dutch girl home for break to come and stay/watch over our daughter while we dove - still a family friend that we hope to connect with this visit.
3) Last trip was with both daughter and son - we signed them up for a Bonaire experience that had them learn to snorkel and field trips (Kleine Bonaire for lunch/snorkel, trip to the Butterfly garden, trip to the salt flats, etc). They did that while we went diving.
4) This trip, they'll do checkout dives with a favorite dive master in Bonaire while we dive, then we'll all go diving together when they are done with their checkout dives.

We're staying at Buddy Dive, which you likely know has diving on demand off the dock behind the resort. I love that they mark the resort via a line going down the reef. You just get to the line, follow it to you desired depth, then swim against the "current" for a third/half a tank, then turn around and make your way back to to the line, and even though above the reef is pretty stark in comparison, there is always something to be found while you finish off your air returning to the steps at the dock (watch the fire coral though!).

We're going to try to talk our way into the caves this time - I hear it is hard to get a trip, but worth it. I'll probably spend some time mountain biking (like they mark the dive sites with painted rock piles, they are now doing with Mt. Bike trails, but in different colors). I'm sure we'll do a trip through the national park, and the cave drawings and just the whole rough side of the island are fun to tour. In Aruba, we had a blast exploring via ATV, hoping there is something like that in Bonaire, even if a corny led trip (vs self exploring the island). I'm also going to for a repeat deep sea fishing trip - always fun to fish in 400-800 feet of water while staying within swimming distance of shore!

Anything you think worthy that I haven't listed, I'd be glad to hear and consider - though finding time to follow through on existing ideas and still leaving room for some fall down drinking may be problematic. And I'm sure I'll get cajoled into a night dive on the salt or town piers. Really neat, but the only time I start suffering claustrophobia EVER is during night dives - I get very disoriented between all the pilings at the town pier.

As you may detect, Bonaire is a favorite of ours too. From the places I've been, I'd put Bonaire, Dominica, Tobago, and Fiji in that top tier.

[Big Skyz]

I stand corrected. Maybe I should have said no one on this site with a 100 or more posts would likely have a GoPro. ;)

[Egghead]

I stand corrected. Maybe I should have said no one on this site with a 100 or more posts would likely have a GoPro. ;)

And do you have a stool handy? :thwak

[BarryBobPosthole]

Thanks, Egghead, but my non-diving wife likely wouldn't do another Bonaire trip. I suppose if you don't dive, there really aren't a lot of good beaches there. And Slagbaai isn't my cup of tea either. A mountain bike trip in that country would be fun as would a day hike or two there. But it's hot. HOT. A long drive on a bumpy road to get in and out of there too. But I'm glad we made the trip. The flamingoes there are pretty awesome. We stayed at a house right by Dalmar Diving, which is a pretty small dive place on the opposite end of town from where you're staying. We rented a pickup and the little Dutch hottie that worked in the dive shop showed us where they kept the key and we'd just laod whatever tanks we needed for the day and bring them back in the evening and write it on the board. Totally on the honor system and totally hassle free. The easiest place to do three tanks a day that I've ever stayed. Which is prolly why my wife didnt' like it much, now that I think of it.

BKB

[Trav]

Barry,

I brought mine to Canada a couple years ago, I have the hero 2 with the LCD screen that you add to the back. The video quality is good but that being said they aren't really useful for on and off use. I think for diving it would be great because you just turn it on once and leave it on. that really seems to be their niche, if you want it for filming stuff where it won't be on constantly a regular camera is way more user friendly. As far as the still picture quality it's ok but I really love the Nikon 1 J1 and it doesn't compare. I will say it's pretty amazing you can get a good quality dive video camera for the cost of the go pro. I think I have about $299 in mine with the extra LCD screen.

[BarryBobPosthole]

I was wondering about how it would be trying to use it as a regular old still camera. I figured it couldn't be any worse than using a phone. And in HD too.

Do you need a housing to put it underwater at all or is it waterproof?

BKB

[Trav]

they come with the housing and then if you buy the LCD screen you get a second back to the housing that is deeper to accommodate the added depth and switch it out with the stock one.

[Trav]

you know Sony has a new action cam that is waterproof down to 197' feet and I think it's cheaper. You might check it out

[BarryBobPosthole]

I will, and thanks!
BKB

[Egghead]

I was wondering about how it would be trying to use it as a regular old still camera. I figured it couldn't be any worse than using a phone. And in HD too.

Do you need a housing to put it underwater at all or is it waterproof?

BKB

Here are a couple representative links discussing GoPro for diving and a possible underwater housing with a flat lens on the case:
http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/tips-techniques/425259-gopro-diving-tips.html
http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-Dive-Housing-HERO-Cameras/dp/B007STXHTM

But certainly if you are not currently investing, worth looking at other options besides GoPro (per Trav). It is amazing the number of TV shows that are using these - if you watch MythBusters, for example, even a Jr. Noticer would see GoPros hanging off just about everything they do.

Edit to add that the interface to take pictures (other than timed every ...) with a GoPro would not be something I'd want to focus on while diving. Small controls and not much visual to let you know you are or are not on track to take the picture you think you are...

[BarryBobPosthole]

Yep, I hear ya. I'm about halfway in the market for a new dive camera. MY problem is if I'm not going to do a major upgrade, I'm not so sure I wouldn't spend the money on something else and get by with what I have. Its serviceable and that's why I'm half ass committed.

BKB

[LJ3]

I WANT one really bad, does that count? Take the LJFS to the next lebbel.