GoPro Tips & Tricks
Camera
GoPro Hero 3+black (Costco)
Or the Hero 4. I don’t suggest shooting in 4k because the file will take up lots of space and most devices cannot handle 4k yet.
Battery Extension
Extended battery pack with dive housing (take the free GoPro class at Sport Chalet and after the class 20% off on all items (even GoPros which is sometimes the best deal). It’s a 1 hour class…
Otherwise Costco, amazon, or on line might be your best bet for all the things I’ll mention.
Filters
Backscatter’s flip 3.1 with red (dive) filter
To get the color underwater that you see, I use the above filter. 4 feet below the surface you start to loose reds and oranges. A red filter allows you to keep your colors, without edit, down to about 70′ without a light. A few feet below surface it adds a nice effect giving you bursts of red that mix with the sun. Many companies make these, but I like backscatter the best because you can flip the filter on and off and you won’t get air bubbles trapped in by the filter.
UK 38hd 3 Part Extension (Selfie Stick)
What’s nice about this, you get better reach with animals. When dealing with any animal, they usually only let you get within a certain radius. The gopro has a very wide angle lens so you have to get very close to get the great shots. Marine animals see you, but will mis judge the camera. The extra 38” reach may be the difference between a great shot, and a “Throw way.” Also it acts as a cool selfie stick, so no one gets left out of the photo. Your arm also acts as a pretty solid steady cam when videoing. Lots of pluses to using this, I’ve even used it to poke a sea lion that got a bit too frisky with me… “this is my dance space… this is yours.”
http://youtu.be/sKv0J9whED0
That’s why I like the UK poles, they’re sturdy. Just hand-holding the GoPro alone doesn’t compare.
The pole takes a little getting use to, but once you get the hang of it, you’ll love it. Watch the video to see the best angles for selfie filming. For “away” filming, just flip the camera around and swim. Works just as good. Photo burst or time lapse setting works good for either. Find the manual on the GoPro website or take that class and they’ll teach you.
64 Gig SD Card Series
10 or for 4k use
About 80 bucks at Best Buy or on Amazon. Get the 64 gig so u don’t have to down load each day on your computer, or have 2 cards. If you bring your computer, then u only need one.
Diving House
If you buy the Battery pack (about 50 bucks) it’s included! If not, you’ll probably spend about 40 bucks for the housing alone. With this housing you can attach the backscatter (it won’t attach on the hero 3 housing that comes with the camera), it’s also more durable and can go deeper without leaking.
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