GoPro Users - Questions

Jumbiegirl · Post by **Jumbiegirl** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 9:36 am

I'm thinking about getting the new GOPro Hero4 and wondered how people like their GOPros and if they think they're worth the price.

What software do you use for editing?
How long does the battery last?
Is it easy to use underwater? (viewing the screen, pressing buttons etc.)
Any good tips?

Kim · Post by **Kim** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 11:36 am

We brought along a GoPro on our last trip and had some fun with it. You'll probably want some of the accessories along with it. We were lucky and borrowed some from a friend. The giant suction cup attachment was cool for sticking it on the jeep windshield so we have video to remember the crazy road leaving our cottage! The long stick attachment was good for snorkeling b/c I would just hold it out in front of me and control the GoPro from my iphone (in a waterproof case). The app that talks to the GoPro from your phone is pretty cool and you can control it all from there. We also did a timelapse of the sunrise from our porch, but never got around to editing it into a neat video- but I wish we had!
I will say, the battery life on ours is not great. We would need to plug it back in to charge every evening, at the very least.
Hope that helps! There are probably way cooler things to do with it, but we are still learning.

KidLiggy · Post by **KidLiggy** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 12:05 pm

I recently bought the Hero 4 silver and I would recommend buying a spare battery ($20). I find using the wifi with the iPhone app sucks the battery quicker, just know that going in. GoPros in general I think are battery hogs. Hero 4 comes with 3 cases and I believe the underwater case doesn't allow you to use the touch screen, but still easy to turn it on and off, stop/start. The free app has basic editing and they also offer a GoPro studio app which I haven't tried yet, still learning the basics myself. Taking it skiing in a month to give it a workout. Can't wait to try in snorkeling, plan on getting a stick or making my own. They are a fun toy, highly recommend!

mindehankins · Post by **mindehankins** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 2:37 pm

Hubby bought us a Go-Pro Hero 4 black, about 2 weeks before our last trip. The two big tips I'd give are to buy the correct data card (double and triple check!), and to give yourself time to learn the camera functions before you want to use the camera. It was all up to me, and I'm not so savvy, so I wouldn't say we got anything out of the Go-Pro that we couldn't have gotten out of our Canon D-10 that still functions fine. I think we will, in the future, though!
You'll definitely need a floating camera strap, if you plan to snorkel with it. We had to take the strap off of our D10 when I took the Go-Pro in. Yes, you have some functionality underwater, but it's by using the buttons, not the screen. That's one of the things you should have a grasp of, before you depend on it for snorkeling footage.
I don't think it came with any camera strap, actually.
I bought the head mount, and wore that snorkeling, which wasn't that great of an idea, because it came out of the water whenever I looked straight ahead

Have fun with it - I'm sure we're going to just love it as we learn more about it!

michigan girls · Post by **michigan girls** » Fri Jan 30, 2015 3:18 pm

Using it underwater in St John there are 2 "must have" items for me.

1. Anti fog inserts - otherwise you will get very frustrated.
2. Wrist mount - this thing is great - it holds the camera steady on your wrist so you can just put your arm up and click the button, no need for holding the camera, and the camera folds flat down against your wrist when not in use. I have this one: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00FMI ... UTF8&psc=1

ncsusan · Post by **ncsusan** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 3:40 pm

We were thinking of buying one for our upcoming trip in March but didn't know if it would be worth the price. Then I found this website and we rented one to see if we liked using it. If all goes well and we do like it, we'll buy one for our return trip later this year. http://www.borrowlenses.com Seems like a great deal for 14 days its only $64.00. We added some accessories, an extra battery and bought our own memory card. The salesman that I talked to was really knowledgeable and told me to look up the operation manual on line to familiarize myself with the buttons before we got the camera so we wouldn't lose time trying to figure it out on island.

hanginghigh704 · Post by **hanginghigh704** » Sun Feb 01, 2015 7:34 pm

I'm going to get one prior to my trip.

I film quite a bit with a GoPro hero 2 (mostly backpacking trips). The underwater footage with that model was terrible. The newer models look like they have improved that.

RickG · Post by **RickG** » Mon Feb 02, 2015 10:59 am

I use the 4+ with the bobber handle. It works fine for me for video and stills. You can use their software to remove the fisheye lens effect on import. I have Final Cut Pro and other video editing software, but the GoPro software works fine for a quick import and edit.

I use the go pro for video and underwater video/stills. All I want in an underwater camera is on/off and a button to take a still or start/stop video. I did buy the lcd touchscreen for my daughter to use, but its not great in the underwater case.

I am still looking for my perfect underwater camera. Or, at least one better than my old Canon SD400 and enclosure.

Cheers, RickG

jsauls1 · Post by **jsauls1** » Mon Feb 02, 2015 2:43 pm

We took our Hero2 on our last trip to STJ last summer and it worked fine , i plan to purchase the Hero4 Silver because of the built-in touch screen which should make it even easier for underwater filming.

coredumpster · Post by **coredumpster** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 8:44 am

I've got a Hero3 that I used for snorkeling. Video is fun, but it also took really good still pictures too.

A few accessories I would suggest:

Float attachment & wrist strap. I got the one one that's a big orange foam thing that attaches to the back door of the case.

Red filter. If you are going to dive down at all (>5 feet), you begin to lose nearly all red light/colors. There are filters for both diving and snorkeling ( the deeper you go, the more red you need ).

Extra batteries. You will burn through batteries pretty quickly.

Silca Gel Dessicant. You can usually find these in vitamins or other types of pills. They say do not eat on them. Don't eat them. Put one in the case with the GoPro. They absorb moisture to keep the GoPro dry ( and case fog free ).

Some samples:

hanginghigh704 · Post by **hanginghigh704** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 9:56 am

coredumpster wrote:I've got a Hero3 that I used for snorkeling. Video is fun, but it also took really good still pictures too.

A few accessories I would suggest:

Float attachment & wrist strap. I got the one one that's a big orange foam thing that attaches to the back door of the case.

Red filter. If you are going to dive down at all (>5 feet), you begin to lose nearly all red light/colors. There are filters for both diving and snorkeling ( the deeper you go, the more red you need ).

Extra batteries. You will burn through batteries pretty quickly.

Silca Gel Dessicant. You can usually find these in vitamins or other types of pills. They say do not eat on them. Don't eat them. Put one in the case with the GoPro. They absorb moisture to keep the GoPro dry ( and case fog free ).

Some samples:

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f7cOqBKlocI[/youtube]

[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZzsZ7cpzho[/youtube]

I remember holding my breath while watching that last one. What filter did you use?

coredumpster · Post by **coredumpster** » Fri Feb 06, 2015 4:38 pm

I used stuff from Snake River Prototyping.

http://www.snakeriverprototyping.com/ ( no affiliation, just a satisfied user )

It comes in two parts: a plastic adapter that fits on the GoPro to covert it to take a standard 55mm camera lens filter, and then a 55mm SWCY ( Shallow Water Cyan ). There is also a 55mm CY filter, but that's intended for deeper water ( scuba vs. snorkel ).

betsyv · Post by **betsyv** » Mon Feb 09, 2015 5:26 pm

We went last Oct, and I took video with my GoPro 4 I used the pole and loved it.If you use a pole set it so your camera hangs upside down on the end of your pole. and adjust the view in your camera settings. This will give you a smoother recording. The anti fogs pads are a must to me. Also I used the editor that came with the camera. Very easy to use. Hope this helps.

I have a video here:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19fbegxTxSo

Enjoy!

Jumbiegirl · Post by **Jumbiegirl** » Tue Feb 10, 2015 9:43 am

Has anyone used a GoKnuckles with their GoPro?? It looks pretty cool for snokeling. The pole looks cool too but it seems like it would get in the way.

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