using GoPro for UW Photgraphy

[Starshine]

Hello!

I'm a newbie and have been trawling these forums for a while but cannot seem to find an answer. Wondering if the experts in here can offer some advice.

I just bought a gopro but have not received it yet. Doing some research in the interim but I have not been to find out how do people use the gopro to take photos underwater. Can I use the shutter button?

But with an extendable monopod, I cannot reach the shutter button. Can the bluetooth remote control work?

I would appreciate any comments and advice pls.

Thank you.

 

[vil]

Hi

As far as I know,
1) u need to manually press the shutter button.
2) the bluetooth doesn't work underwater, i doubt it is even waterproof in the first place
3) you can either grab a screen shot from the video clip or
4) set the gopro on timelapse mode when you are underwater

 

[Starshine]

Thank you vil. Sound like it was as I suspected. Going to try it out oncei get it and see how.

Thanks again!

 

[raptor84]

Yeap VIl is correct. I used a much shorter pole and mnually pressed the shutter button. Remember to use a red filter if you go deeper than 6m

 

[Starshine]

Yeah. I bought myself a red filter too to fit on the hero 3+ But I also bought a LCD Touch backpack which will not fit with the hero 3+ case.

So I bought a hero 3 case to fit the hero 3+ camera and the LCD touch bacpac. But now the red filter won't fit. 😕

I am going to have to get another filter for the Hero 3 case it seems.

 

[kohbro]

The camera connects to the remote via wifi actually. Remote is not waterproof. If ur pole is not too long, u may wanna try ziplocking the remote and see if it works underwater. Never know. It just might if the distance is not too far.

Alternative is to set the cam to take video and photo at the same time. Or like what another fellow CSer suggested, take screen shots from ur video footage. I have tried the latter and the pics are pretty sharp. Video was shot at 1080p.

Last but not least, if u r just snorkelling, dun bother with the red filter. There will be enuf light. Macro filter wld be a better choice.

My 2cents worth.

 

[Starshine]

Thanks very much for the input.

I will be diving with the gopro. About 40metres so not sure if the ziploc would be sufficient. But I think I'll give it a try.

 

[raptor84]

Zip lock will not work. 2.4ghz EM waves are absorbed by water so it will not be able to transmit. Also 40m is the floor for rec diving =p any deeper you will need external lights and technical diving certification liao.

 

[pasay]

just got back from diving in maldives, used the hero 3+ but mostly took videos. as the other bros have already said, you need to manually press the shutter to snap some pics. too much of a hassle for me, i prefer to just take videos and extract the pics i want. resolution is high enough to be clear, was shooting at 1080p.

just some points to add on:
1. the remote uses ad-hoc wifi, not bluetooth. and it IS waterproof, but only to about 3mtrs. not much use when diving. http://gopro.com/camera-accessories/wi-fi-remote
2. your LCD touch backpack SHOULD be compatible to the hero 3+ casing. at least that's what gopro's website is claiming. still thinking of getting one so i'm not too sure.
3. note that the standard housing is up to 40mtrs only, if you're diving to that depth, better use the dive housing (rated to 60mtrs). just to be safe and not push your luck

good luck on your dive!

 

[Starshine]

Thank you.

I got the LCD touch bacpac and the back doors given were not compatible with the hero 3+ housing. I love the LCD. It's really great and doesn't add much weight or bulk so it doesn't annoy me.

I called GoPro and they very nicely sent me 3 more back doors for the hero 3+ housing.

Thanks for the advice on the dive housing. I was already thinking about it.

 

[Rawbeansta]

If you are passionate/serious on underwater photography, albeit amateur, get an ultra-compact or a compact + a underwater housing.

You will get better quality photos (subjective) over the GoPro.

 

[Starshine]

If you are passionate/serious on underwater photography, albeit amateur, get an ultra-compact or a compact + a underwater housing. You will get better quality photos (subjective) over the GoPro.

Have you tried using a gopro while scuba diving?

 

[diver-hloc]

Have you tried using a gopro while scuba diving?

I have... photo quality is not as good as a compact (PnS) camera.... and the lens is too wide with no control for shutter speed and aperture.... I only use the GoPro as a video camera, mounted on the handle of my DSLR setup....

If you are not too serious about U/W photography and just want something to shot with.... then a GoPro would be as easy as can be... just make sure the housing has a flat port (an issue with GoPro 2 Original housing) and you are all to go...

 

[Starshine]

Thanks very much! That was really informative.

It was a dilemma I was struggling with while deciding which to buy.

Buy as I have too many compact cameras (Canon S95, Olympus Tough, Fuji X20) which I could not find a suitable dive case for, I went with the gopro instead. The canon s95 case was obsolete and if I bought it online, the cost was just not worth it. So I got the gopro.

Since I don't dive too often, I hope this works for me. I tested the Gopro and I find the color saturation lacking. (Especially when I use a Fuji XE1 for my travels. The colors and details cannot compare.) hopefully, I can PP enough to save the images.