I would like to chat with someone who's made a serious, high production-value documentary using the Hero 2 as their "primary" camera. Not a music video like what GP has on their home page. A true documentary with natural sound, interviews, a compelling story line, and a length befitting broadcast values.
It seems everyone, pros and hobbyists alike, has a GoPro in their bag for the odd shot, the weird angle. But I've yet to find anyone who has made a full-length doc using the Hero (and a handheld audio recorder, probably, and maybe a Steadicam) by itself. There are no youtube videos other than the tiresome music video stuff. The GoPro customer service was of no help either. A google search brings up nobody.
Yes, the wide-angle is limiting but simply getting close to a subject overcomes that issue.
Is there anyone out there? Please put me in touch with them. Otherwise, is the world still awaiting the first documentary shot with a GoPro this far into their existence??? I'd like to be the first!

I think you have answered all your own questions in the post!

The very aspects of the GoPro that make it so useful for certain shots are the very same aspects that make it quite useless for most shots.

Terrible terrible low light performance.
It has no screen.
No manual controls.
No audio (worth mentioning).
Awkward to hold.
Awkward to control.
No zoom.
Fisheye lens causes distortion.
Jello and more jello.

Other than the actual novelty factor of making a documentary with a GoPro, I can't think of any 1 reason why anyone would want to use it as a primary camera.

It does not bring anything to the table. A cheap consumer handy cam would provide better results for all the shots where the GoPro wasn't mounted to something to get an unusual angle, or in a dangerous inaccessible place, out in the elements, attached to a bike etc, etc.

Now, I love the GoPro, and I use it all the time to complement the more professional cameras in my bag. But it really is a one-trick-pony camera that yields fantastic shots when you maximize its strengths, but makes pretty awful shots for most everything else.

There are some short 'documentaries' that make great use of the GoPro, but generally they are documentaries of extreme people doing extreme things. Thats the GoPros niche.

'Grinding the Crack' by Jeb Corliss uses multiple GoPros to document one such event. Is this a documentary? Yeah, sure. Why not. Its brilliant too.

You'll find many such documentaries on the web. But you won't find many with 'broadcast values'. Surely 'broadcast values' starts with selecting the right tools for the job!

I agree with Simon.

One is expected to use various cameras depending upon their strengths. However, a complete documentary with a particular camera can have some novelty value. If Go Pro would like to sponsor a project completely shot with a Go Pro then why not. You can try that. Alternately, you can create a documentary and approach them for novelty's sake. If you can become their official champion, then no harm.

The other thing that I want to say is, if Go Pro is the only camera a person has, then he/she should try and create films with it. After all, it is more important to accumulate film making experience by shooting short films/documentaries than sitting idle.

Cheers,
Sabyasachi

Is there a particular reason why you are so keen on using a gopro for documentary? I only see a benefit in using this camera for action shots and sport and to get a few creative shots from difficult angles but other then that any videocamera out there would be better for documentary work. The Gopro has no controls that you can easily access realtime nor any way to verify what you are filming. Maybe a Crocolis would be better? Wholesale Sports Action Camera Full HD From China (http://www.chinavasion.com/china/wholesale/Digital_Cameras-Camcorders/Sports_Action_Camcorders/Sports_Action_Camera_Full_HD) It's much cheaper and at least you can see what you are filming, plus with what you save you can buy a external audio recorder as audio usualy sounds like crap on these small pocketcams.

maybe a Steadicam

If you plan to use a steadicam, you need to add quite some wheight to it, you can't balance a steadicam with just a gopro on it.

I wouldn't use GoPro as a primary camera, but I just bought a Steadicam Smoothee which worked better than expected for me. It's made especially for the iphone or GoPro. When the Smoothee first came out, I thought it was a gimmick because I thought the GoPro would be too light to fly. I was wrong. Upon actually using it, the Smoothee works perfectly well. The best part is the price...only $150! The entire rig is also light as a feather. There is a counterweight in the front of the unit that can slide up and down to rough balance the rig, but it isn't mentioned in the manual. Side to side and front to back adjustments are with traditional Steadicam knobs for precise alignment.

The reason I'd want to use a GoPro is the same reason why mountain climbers do mountains! "Because it's there."
I'm surprised nobody has done this yet. (As I said in my opening statement, I'm not talking about music videos. Documentaries by their very nature have nat sound, talking heads, voice-overs and maybe just a little smattering of music somewhere.)
I know its limitations and they're similar to the iphone. But that didn't stop some creative folks from making some pretty incredible videos with the iphone camera when that first came out. That camera had no controls, crappy audio, awful to hold, the list goes on.
For me, it's the challenge of carrying a virtual studio in your pocket. I've shot docs on Sony camcorders before, even super8mm film cameras before. I'd like to move on, shed weight, simplify...but not at the expense of ruining a project if that's what ultimately happens.
I'm hoping to pick someone's brain who has already done it. Maybe that person will say, "Forget it. It's not worth the effort. It's only a bag of headaches.The images look like crap."
Can anyone give me the name or email of someone who's done this already?

I haven't heard of any 'talking-head' style documentaries done with a GoPro. If there are any they presumably didn't do too well.

There was a feature length 'found footage' movie shot with GoPros, filmed in a pseudo documentary manner similar to the Blair Witch Project.

Obviously the GoPro was chosen, not because it was there, but rather because it provided a handy McGuffin in allowing a Point-of-View dimension to the movie (and the story happened to revolve around extreme sports characters who are often associated with the camera). So the GoPro seemed like the right tool for this job:

Last Ride (http://www.lastridefilm.com/)

At any rate, being a movie there was a necessity for dialogue and some sort of framing; so perhaps they would have encountered some of the issues that you would like to clarify.

I should point out (and I'm sure most owners of GoPros are the same) that I have at times tried to use the GoPro as a regular camera. Certainly I had used it on a recent skiing holiday to try and capture some family shots in-between skiing. Apart from when it was attached to a ski helmet my experience was to forget it. It was not worth the effort. It was a bag of headaches. And the images, mostly, looked like crap. However, I don't think you want to hear that.

Best of luck with the idea.

Thanks for the tip. I contacted a James Phillips who I think was involved with that production but everything there is more than a year old and it seems like it never went anywhere. (On his blog he laments having sold only 21 downloads.)
For sure I'm not a GoPro fan-boy and I'm not conjuring this up to try to get a sponsorship. I have no interest in promoting anything.
Maybe, as some suggest, there's a reason why nobody's made anything other than extreme sport stuff with it...

Well, it's quite interesting to learn there's really no documentary ever been done (other than ones making GoPro part of the story). There's probably a story within that story...
Can anyone comment on the image quality. Specifically, under normal lighting conditions--good light outside--is the image fairly sharp? Sharp enough to pass for acceptable on the "big screen?" Or would people be rubbing their eyes and tears start to form from squinting so much?

Does it need to be a gopro? have you looked at the Crocolis HD I provided a link to? I have seen users reporting that it can produce quite sharp footage and considering the price AND that you have a tiny viewfinder I would not see any reason why to go for a gopro if you plan to do documentary with it.

There is nothing wrong with the image specifically; especially outdoors with any kind of daylight.

GoPro footage has been turning up on lots of broadcast work; BBC seem to use them in TopGear and the like (for specific shots though, like mounted on the dashboard looking through the steering wheel). It looks just fine on my big screen HDTV.

Sometimes the image seems a bit grainy to me, but nothing out of the ordinary. I have not ever felt the need to run it through with NeatVideo or anything. Its fairly sharp, all things considered. Footage from my DSLR is often a lot softer (depending on the lens).

There are some dramatic video clips out there done with this camera; its definitely capable of pulling off nice video in daylight.

When the camera is pointed vaguely towards the sun you get a lot of flaring (especially considering how wide the lens is, and no hood option); I often get these purple spots and flares on my video.

There is nothing wrong with the image specifically; especially outdoors with any kind of daylight.This is why there are so many great looking snowboarding & surfing video clips shot on GoPros they are all shot in bright daylight.

Hi Lynne

I would think it's quite feasible for the right documentary..I mean what crazy person would venture through dripping rainforest after the Amazon Indians with a broadcast camera in the mud and insects...strap a GoPro on your head and you have a waterproof cam that gives you a POV shot of whats happening and there is no reason at all why you couldn't have a recorder in your pocket or even add narration afterwards and just record ambient sound.

The point that seems to be totally missed here is the fact that a doc is only as good as the story line so a real pathetic story line shot with pristine images from a $30K broadcast camera won't work whilst fair images with a brilliant story will capture the viewer 100%!!

We tend to get totally overwhelmed here with technical quality and the IQ of the image becomes obsessive and all the other really imortant factors are ignored!! Tell a really good story with good audio and the images then become only a visual backup for the storyline. If a doc that has a story that has you glued to the screen, are you really going to suddenly decide "Oh, the resolution is a bit soft in that shot" or "I wouldn't have framed that shot like that" ?????

As no-one can actually give you an answer Lynne, go out and be a pioneer and let's see a doc shot just with a GoPro. I bet it will turn out way better than you expected.

Chris

If you'd like, I'll give you a whole bunch of reasons why shooting a doc with a gopro is not a good idea. Then you'll be inspired to go and prove me wrong!

Seriously though, I could picture a doc being shot with GoPros for everything except the interviews. After all, there are plenty of police shows stitched together entirely from terrible quality security camera footage, and linked together with some sit-down interviews.

Hi Lynne

I would think it's quite feasible for the right documentary..I mean what crazy person would venture through dripping rainforest after the Amazon Indians with a broadcast camera in the mud and insects...strap a GoPro on your head and you have a waterproof cam that gives you a POV shot of whats happening and there is no reason at all why you couldn't have a recorder in your pocket or even add narration afterwards and just record ambient sound.

The point that seems to be totally missed here is the fact that a doc is only as good as the story line so a real pathetic story line shot with pristine images from a $30K broadcast camera won't work whilst fair images with a brilliant story will capture the viewer 100%!!

We tend to get totally overwhelmed here with technical quality and the IQ of the image becomes obsessive and all the other really imortant factors are ignored!! Tell a really good story with good audio and the images then become only a visual backup for the storyline. If a doc that has a story that has you glued to the screen, are you really going to suddenly decide "Oh, the resolution is a bit soft in that shot" or "I wouldn't have framed that shot like that" ?????

As no-one can actually give you an answer Lynne, go out and be a pioneer and let's see a doc shot just with a GoPro. I bet it will turn out way better than you expected.

Chris

Chris,

The thing is that lots of people have filmed documentaries in the rain forests; and most of the best ones would have used professional gear to get the right results. Hell I've seen some great ones filmed with 35mm film cameras. Have you ever watched POV work for long stretches; it gets very repetitive after a while. There is only so much of that you can watch before it becomes annoying.

I dont disagree that the GoPro is a great hands free camera; thats what it is designed for. But there are lots of small waterproof cameras with a zoom lens, some form of video controls, audio inputs (and audio controls).

At some point you're going to want to actually see and hear what you're recording. At some point you're going to want to lock it off on a tripod, or do some pans and tilts. At some point you're going to want to reframe with a zoom. At some point you're going to want to sit down to do an interview. For most of these eventualities you would want to have a traditional style camera. Then at some point you'll want to strap it to your chest, or your head, or a motorboat, and then yes for those scenes you'll want a GoPro.

If I was in the rainforest doing a documentary I would aim to bring a small traditional camera, and a GoPro. Id hate to be in the middle of the amazon when I realized this (although the POV shot as I slowly shake my head filmed with the GoPro would probably make a fitting finale to the show; maybe I could look up to the sky and shake my fists, or just give myself a good old fashioned head-slap - it'll all look good on a GoPro assuming its not too dark under the canopy).

But yeah, I agree. I'd be interested to see where this goes in the end. My advice to Lynne would be to just buy a GoPro and test it out. You might use it as a primary camera, or you might end up using it as a GoPro, either way you'll definitely use it!

Thanks Guys for the input!

However the bottom line is "is it possible?" and "yes it is" !! When I go out on a shoot I'm the first to admit that I pick up my Panny Shoulder-Mount cams first, tripod and stedicam, then my GoPro case and finally my GH1 .... and I usually use them in that order too. It makes sense to me and that's how I do it.
But drop me from a chopper onto a mountain and I'd have to reassess my gear needs!!

HOWEVER you CAN get pretty nice video on a Hero2 and even audio too and you can lock it down on a tripod or stand. Is the footage terrible ..I don't think so...take a look at the wedding Nigel Barker has just shot on the Wedding and Event's forum here and that is certainly pristine footage so it IS possible and with a bit of care and planning everything doesn't have to be POV but some POV on a doc would add a bit of realism to the footage too (besides I wouldn't be too happy strapping 10 lbs of camera to my chest either or taking it a harsh environment either)

A while back Lynne was looking for an outdoor camera to take into the great outdoors with her and also do interviews...put the hero in a skeleton case, drop it onto a tripod and set the angle to narrow and yes it can be done. Her main issue I think was trying to avoid carrying a mountain of gear to make a movie.

Sure something like the GH series would probably do a better job, but way to delicate for my liking and also not practical as a POV camera either.

I'm quite surprised that Lynne hasn't tried it yet actually (or anyone else)

Chris

Thanks Guys for the input!

However the bottom line is "is it possible?" and "yes it is" !! When I go out on a shoot I'm the first to admit that I pick up my Panny Shoulder-Mount cams first, tripod and stedicam, then my GoPro case and finally my GH1 .... and I usually use them in that order too. It makes sense to me and that's how I do it.
But drop me from a chopper onto a mountain and I'd have to reassess my gear needs!!

HOWEVER you CAN get pretty nice video on a Hero2 and even audio too and you can lock it down on a tripod or stand. Is the footage terrible ..I don't think so...take a look at the wedding Nigel Barker has just shot on the Wedding and Event's forum here and that is certainly pristine footage so it IS possible and with a bit of care and planning everything doesn't have to be POV but some POV on a doc would add a bit of realism to the footage too (besides I wouldn't be too happy strapping 10 lbs of camera to my chest either or taking it a harsh environment either)

A while back Lynne was looking for an outdoor camera to take into the great outdoors with her and also do interviews...put the hero in a skeleton case, drop it onto a tripod and set the angle to narrow and yes it can be done. Her main issue I think was trying to avoid carrying a mountain of gear to make a movie.

Sure something like the GH series would probably do a better job, but way to delicate for my liking and also not practical as a POV camera either.

I'm quite surprised that Lynne hasn't tried it yet actually (or anyone else)

Chris

I think when you say 'she' (Lynne Whelden) you mean 'he' !

I agree, Nigel Barkers GoPro clips from that Jewish wedding looked pretty good (but then again it was right next to a huge window letting in a vast amount of daylight). But the GoPro was only doing what everyone uses it for; getting an unusual angle from a strange mounting. I don't reckon Nigel will be doing wedding videos exclusively with the GoPro anytime in the future....

A huge apology to Lynne if I got your gender wrong!!!

Over here Lynne is normally a female name so I just assumed !

Chris

I mean what crazy person would venture through dripping rainforest after the Amazon Indians with a broadcast camera in the mud and insects

I'd say serious documentary makers that produce videos for Nat geo, but they probably got a gopro as well in their filmbag for those shots that are impossible to do with their bulky broadcast camera's :)

No offense! Growing up, I got used to getting letters addressed to "Miss Lynne..." Too bad I wasn't able to parlay that into a scholarship for minorities.
I think a doc using the Hero as the primary camera would be the ultimate slap in the face at all of us (me included) who obsess about resolution and pixels and bit rates and technology in general. I'm not sure I'm the one "called" to be the ground-breaker, because I'm not that tech-oriented. But I'm sure it can be done.

It's sort of like a doc I did (on hi-8mm video) back in '90 on a blind man who hiked the Appalachian Trail, Bill Irwin. No one ever imagined a blind person, even one using a seeing-eye dog, could walk 2,000 miles over rocky trail.
Anyone who does the AT now always has that humbling image in their brain..."If Bill did it, surely "I" can. Who am I to complain?"
So too with GoPro cameras, if someone could make a serious (I'll repeat...not a music video, not an extreme sport zippity do dah slam bam thank you ma'am-type video) documentary...we'd never look at (or lust over) high end cameras the same way again.

So too with GoPro cameras, if someone could make a serious (I'll repeat...not a music video, not an extreme sport zippity do dah slam bam thank you ma'am-type video) documentary...we'd never look at (or lust over) high end cameras the same way again.

All you need for any kind of documenatry is a good story and editing skills, then cameraspecs don't matter, as long as you have image and sound your viewers won't mind if it's done on a pocketsize camera..

Amen!
I'll just add a PS to that...
good audio rather than mediocre audio.
With good audio, a poor image will pass. Lousy audio defeats everything.

All you need for any kind of documenatry is a good story and editing skills, then cameraspecs don't matter, as long as you have image and sound your viewers won't mind if it's done on a pocketsize camera..

Totally right.

Here is a recent war documentary broadcast internationally that was filmed with mobile phones in Syria:

IPhone Investigation: An Undercover Documentary From Syria Made Using Phones | Co.Exist: World changing ideas and innovation (http://www.fastcoexist.com/1679518/iphone-investigation-an-undercover-documentary-from-syria-made-using-phones)

Clearly 'broadcast standard' is a flexible term, and at the end of the day interesting content trumps camera specs.

However the reason the Syian documentary was filmed on an iPhone was because journalists are being actively targeted in that country (for capture or worse), so the iPhone allowed the filmmaker to go about his business undercover. The iPhone was not a McGuffin to revolve the story around, rather it was a product of deciding what the right tool for that job was (in the eyes of the filmmaker given his unique set of circumstances).

If the GoPro is the right tool for the job for the filmmaker given his unique set of circumstances, then there is no need for further debate, just film the documentary and let us know how it went!

If the GoPro is just a McGuffin for the sake of it, well, then the debate will continue I guess.

IMHO the GoPro or any other POV wide angle camera has a very distinct look. It isn't due to the codec, bitrate or such, but simply due to the optics. For that reason I don't think a feature length documentary shot only on a GoPro would produce something that the general audience would be willing to sit through. I would argue that Noa left one very important item off his list of requirements for a good documentary, In addition to a good story and good editing, it cannot be fatiguing to watch. This includes audio as well as visual. The look of the GoPro footage serves a purpose. I'm planning on cutting in some footage from a GoPro with a piece I'm working on but it is because it is appropriate and serves a purpose.

Lynne, earlier in the thread when asked why you want to use a GoPro you answered:

'The reason I'd want to use a GoPro is the same reason why mountain climbers do mountains! "Because it's there."'

In my opinion this is one of the biggest mistakes someone can make. It is the same reason I can't stand 90% of what is being produced in Hollywood today. Just because you can have supper slow mo, 1" DOF, and camera moves up the wazoo doesn't mean you should do it. If it doesn't further your story and add something of meaning to it, don't do it. Your goal as a filmmaker is to take your audience, transport them into a magical place which is your story world, and hold them there throughout the entire film. Once you do something that allows them to slip out of the world you've created, and back into reality, you've lost your audience. An hour or two of documentary shot only on a GoPro, and you'd probably get about 2 minutes then you'll loose your audience. If the story is so compelling that they would still be interested, then you probably have a good enough story no matter what it was shot on, so why use a GoPro just to use it? Why not try to make it even better with the proper gear that suites the particular shot?

If you really want to know why you haven't seen a "serious" documentary shot exclusively on a GoPro, go shoot a 5 minute sit down interview with it and have someone watch it.

These are just my opinions and I'm sure will vary greatly from others.

The main reason for looking into small or tiny video cameras of the POV variety is that I make backpacking videos. I'm getting older. I don't (or am unable to) carry heavy gear anymore along on my trips. So for me it's both a hike (weeks or months even) and a video in the works.
Under those conditions, I'm tired, and I'm not often bursting with creative juices. So to have a video camera that shoots nice pictures but is easy to use and hardly weighs anything...well, that would be just great.
Also, for my next video I'd like to shoot others I might encounter along the way and record those initial few seconds more so than the following few minutes. Again, a small, inconspicuous camera might accomplish that.
Now that's my intention. Is it reality or fantasy? That's where I was hoping to talk to someone who actually used a GoPro for major production work to see if it was doable. But we're really discovering nobody has really expanded GP's use beyond trick shots.

I'd say just get one and try it out. Simple as to use. Virtually indestructable. Weighs next to nothing. I've done a lot of tramping/hiking, and now it would be my camera of choice take with me. Would need extra batteries however...

I think it's doable within reason, as others have mentionned already I believe, the keys issues are:
-poor low light performance
-terrible sound quality
-the image distortion that's not so great(but if you shoot your subject head on it's perfectly usuable, in my opinion)
-lack of manual controls(exposure, iris, white balance etc)
-not so great Dynamic Range etc etc

It's kind of good at what it does, but it doesn't do much so let's not be excessively demanding.

I primarly use it for long timelapse shots and I supplement with footage from other sources

External audio is a must! I use a Zoom H2N

Now I'm not a pro, but I'm going in that direction soon.
Another Gopro HD Hero 2 is on it's away and will be used for documenting a festival in Danemark end of the month. I hope to shoot some interviews
Also getting the LCD bacpac is probably optional I guess, I managed without one up until now but I ordered one because there were too many situations where the shots where off.


Here is a not particurlaly interesting video that I shot a year ago, this was a week after getting my first gopro hd hero (the model preceeding the current Hd Hero 2).
There's a wide variety of environnements and it will give you a good idea of it's capacity(and footage maybe a little closer to what you may be shooting that just surf and bmx videos):
around 4:50 the footage is somewhat decent but the DR just isn't there with the blown out sky
6:20 low light in the city
Weekend in Amsterdam - YouTube

some black and white footage (with maybe 5% footage that's non gopro):
CHIFUMI - Les murs de ma ville - Mulhouse - YouTube


and a rig shot(here installed on a tripod) of an inversed video handle that holds both the H2N and the gopro:
http://img577.imageshack.us/img577/5020/42239330754611989711676.jpg

Hi John

Nothing wrong with that at all and it shows it can be done quite easily..a still camera flash bracket works well for the GoPro to increase stability too!!

I notice on the weekend video that there wasn't a lot of curvature at all..did you shoot using the narrow angle setting mainly??? I normally use the medium one (127 degrees). Yep a zoom and you will have good audio too....The Yamaha C24's are very neat recorders and not as bulky as the zoom!

Chris

Thanks for posting the videos!
Has anyone ever done a test to see which (reasonably cheap) hand-held audio recorder has the cleanest preamps...translating into the least amount of background noise under quiet conditions? I had mentioned somewhere else that my Zoom H2 was noisy and its static sometimes intruded into sounds recorded at a distance...like far-off thunder.

Looks to me like the GoPro will be my camera of choice for holidays...

Hi Lynne

Bothe Nigel Barker and Noa Put sing the praises of the Yamaha C24 recorder!! They have a post in the wedding forum called "Recording Speeches"

Renton? Apart from anything else the GoPro is tons of fun and that's what holidays are about. The only thing so far that has disappointed me is the LCD BacPac....I rarely use mine so it might be time to put it on eBay and buy some more exciting mounts...I can easily review footage with the cable and external LCD too and that was only $35!!!

Got a wedding in the afternoon tomorrow so the Hero will be up on a light stand again doing a semi aerial shot!!! Great as a backup too!!

Chris

I've got the LCD Backpac and think it is ok. I didn't have it when I was skiing so not sure how it would go in that type of situation, but I have liked framing a shot with it the few times I have done so...I have it on the camera all the time now, and the camera goes with me most times/places now. Who knows what you may be able to film...its so easy to carry and don't have to worry about it getting damaged.

Renton

I can see that you have a new love in your life now that goes with you everywhere!! They addictive cameras aren't they. Thanks to you, I now am compelled to buy the new underwater housing, ready for Summer which hopefully isn't too far away.

What I'd love to see is a semi-water/splash proof external mic that can plug in the skeleton case and give a little better audio ....I wonder if those tiny stereo mics that used to sell as mics for the little MiniDisk recorders would work....does anyone know what mics work well?? I have a dynamiv lav mic but it doesn't work at all with the camera..I would suspect it would have to be a powered mic???

Chris

Two observations...
One, converting the Hero footage to black and white certainly elevates the footage to a whole other level. An effect worth pondering.

Two, I tested a bunch of external mics and posted my results on another very active GoPro site from down under. I came to the conclusion no mic can overcome the basic noise level built into the current editions of Hero cameras. Very noisy preamps. An AGC that's out of control. Unless you're planning to use a mic to constantly shout on the soundtrack, it's probably not worth wasting money on anything other than the bare mic that comes built-in.

You might find this interesting on oliviatech review website OliviaTech GoPro HERO 2 with Boompole and BlurFix Flat Lens Housing (http://oliviatech.com/gopro-hero-2-with-boompole-and-blurfix-flat-lens-housing)

Chris. Here's something more to spend your money on... :-)

Hooded Silicone Covers for GoPro HD (http://www.xsories.com/hooded-silicone-covers-for-gopro-hd.html)
XSories Hooded Silicone Cover for GoPro HD - Product Reviews - PointofViewCameras Vancouver BC Canada (http://pointofviewcameras.ca/reviews/gopro-hd-hooded-silicone-cover.html)

I got one of these to carry all the bits...Pelican knock off...
Kincrome Water Proof Safe Case Medium. #51011 (http://www.justtools.com.au/prod4144.htm)

Perhaps this...
UNRULY - HEADCASE + HEADGEAR Housings for GoPro by /CLARK/ — Kickstarter (http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/jimlclark/unruly-headcase-headgear-cases-for-gopro)

Also...
UShot (http://www.xsories.com/ushot-2-0-43-cm.html)

Hi Renton

Thanks for the links and thanks to Lynne for the mic comments too!!

I'm using an aluminium case from Bunnings for the Hero and it's already full..it was a cheaper option at $29.00 and I added a chunk of foam from the foam shop up the road. If you go this option make sure you buy the very light closed cell foam that's quite stiff ..it's also easy to cut!!

OK, seems like the Hero has the same audio issues as DSLR's...so a Recorder is the answer then?

I have never used mine for main audio but I do use the audio it produces just for syncing with other footage

Chris

External mic...

Better GoPro Sound with the Sony ECM DS70P - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=QZbIbJcZ_0s&NR=1)

http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=sony+ecm-ds70p

The Sony mic seems to lose all the bass response judging from the video.

My mate Philip in the UK uses a AT shotgun mic with his cameras and he seems pretty happy with the outcome. Then again you really don't want anything too big otherwise you are defeating the portability of the unit. My Rodes are already modified for permanent XLR connections on the big cameras so I can't try those either!! All three of my wireless receivers are also XLR output too. I must admit I don't like using a recorder for interviews as you have to re-sync the audio in post and that might involve a bit of adjust with long interviews..I guess short ones would be fine but I still prefer to work with synced audio

These guys have a raw mic and also a mic with a windscreen. http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/GoPro-Microphone-Accessory-Mounts-GoPro-Hero-2-/280887116153?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item41662d4179

Chris

Referring back to the youtube that had been converted to black and white, perhaps one reason why it stood out to me was because the removal of color then put the GoPro footage on par with any other camera! Which maybe is a poor testimony for the Hero's overall image quality but the colors have always looked rather flat to me. Maybe the protunes upgrade will address that issue?

As for handheld recorders, I've tried to track down a Brandon T. Hickey who wrote an article called "Audio to Go" in last month's Digital Video magazine. I haven't been able to get an email address for him, however. But that's the question I'd like to pose to him...what handheld recorder under $300 has the cleanest sound when all else is total quiet. Just recording "room noise" or natural sounds outside. The meter's not even moving. What sounds the cleanest, without white noise or static? (My old Zoom H2 wasn't clean at all under such conditions.)
I'd crawl over broken glass to find a "cheap" recorder like that! Yes, I know I could pay thousands to find a high end recorder that delivers such results. But cheap, is it possible?

I'd crawl over broken glass to find a "cheap" recorder like that!Is this part of the pitch for your 'Extreme Backpacking' documentary:-)

Ha! Actually,that's always been my dilemma. Embracing lightweight backpacking as I do (necessarily so), how can I hike a trail and make a video at the same time without violating my own principles?
Thus the search for the ultimate lightweight video "studio."
Which is why it's hard to ignore Hero, in spite of its serious and many shortcomings.

When I started making backpacking videos back in the mid-80s, I used 8-pound super 8mm film cameras and 12-pound tripods...strapped to my pack. That's 20 pounds!!! It was impossible, I quickly found out. Later on hi-8mm video bailed me out but only slightly. Between the camera and lighter tripods or even the Steadycam JR, I was still carrying 10 pounds of gear in my pack that was totally unrelated to the strenuous and taxing hike itself. (We're talking many weeks or even months of long-distance hiking for some projects I undertook.)
Fast-forward to now, 25 years later, where my body has sufficiently broken down (herniated discs, gimpy knees, neuroma-plagued feet). If there's any hope of carrying on, it's only going to happen if I can find some camera and tripod and recorder whose TOTAL weight is under 2 pounds. That's including batteries and accessories.
That's my dilemma.

Hey Lynne

Getting old really sucks doesn't it but we still stuggle on and act as if we are still in our 20's (I turn 66 this month BTW!!) I'm still reasonably OK but the wife also has a dicky knee and the same foot complaint.

I was very pleasantly surprised yesterday when I was playing with some video done on a little Panasonic GH1 (it has been hacked to shoot at a bitrate higher than my big cameras) and I just relied on the tiny stereo mic on the top of the camera...it's audio is REALLY good and certainly good enough to do close interviews. I was quite surprised at the quality!!! There you have a camera that has pretty good built-in audio and awesome image quality. However I find it rather "fiddly" to use sadly and you still need to focus now and again as the AF hunts a bit. You certainly wouldn't have an IQ issue with that though and audio is excellent.

How about a wireless lav mic like the VHF Azdens...I use one of my old ones as a comm unit between me and my second shooter but they would be great for interviews. There is not much better than doing an interview with a lav right under the subject chin for decent audio!!

Chris

I suppose if I was going to go in the direction of a GH1, I'd probably stick with the tried and true Sony camcorders as I've used in past projects. Maybe my search for a true "pocket studio" will go nowhere but that's what I've been researching. Thus the Hero...
On my last project (which ended up on blu-ray), I used the Sony HC-3 with its wireless mic system. It was effective and convenient and cost-effective, altho' hardly high-end audio- or video-wise.

GH1 or GH2 i awesome hacked. I just shot the entire 2days of interviews and on-water ocean racing footy with a GH2 and 14-140 HD kit lens, no fails in 500clips using FlowMotion settings. Check these screen grabs straight off the ungraded 1080 interlaced video via VLC. Natural light thru a window and a mobile School White Board used as a bounce board on the left hand side...haha improvising!! But awesome video camera. CLICK ON THE THUMBNAILS and then click twice to full size

How easy is it to edit this footage?
Once the hack is done, can you later switch back to the default camera video settings?
How much hacked footage can a 32GB SD card hold?

Hi Lynne

It all depends on what hack is installed ..I have a modest one that shoots around an average of 28 mbps so in AVCHD on a 32gb card you could probably squeeze in about 2.5 -3 hours depending on the footage. My proper cameras run at 24mbps variable bitrate as well and I get 90 minutes on a 16GB card. With the extreme hacks (not really advised unless you are prepared to put up with cameras crashing) will eat up card space faster!! You can install the original firmware back into the camera instead of the hacked firmware (some guys do this if the cam has a warranty issue) but there really is no need once a modest firmware hack is installed. On my version the footage is pretty pristine but then again it doesn't need to go to a local TV network for broadcast.

Chris

Has this hack been tested so that users have determined what the "sweet spot" is? In other words, if the normal rate is, (I'm not sure), 24 mbps, does bumping up to 28 produce major improvements? Or are only very subtle changes noted? Is its normal bit rate that "bad" that folks "must" hack it or does it actually produce amazing (or at least, very good) video without hacking at all?
I'm assuming these higher bit rates can easily be handled by MBP laptops using FCP, for example?
Is there a lot of excitement about this particular hack and camera because it's the "cheapest" DSLR out there that can pull this off? Or is this just one of many such cameras in this price and gear range? Lots of questions, I know. I've just never considered such a camera as potentially useful for backpacking videos (due to size and weight). But I must admit its erg. design (the fact it can hang from one's neck on a strap) could work to my advantage where an ordinary camcorder couldn't.
Does it offer zebra stripes for exposure or is it only histogram-driven?
Has any web site emerged as the go-to place (besides this one, of course, which is my all time favorite) for fans of this camera and hack? Or is this too early in the camera's existence?

Hi Lynne

To be perfectly honest I made a slight boo boo a few years ago and was shooting a Realty home simply to record condition and left my HMC82 in HA mode which is 17 mbps and the next day I forgot to change the bitrate to 24!! I couldn't tell any difference in that and previous footage and even at 1920x1080 either bitrate looked pretty much perfect. Unless you are shooting for a 3rd party who is insisting on a specific format and bitrate then I very much doubt whether you could tell which was which!!

The more drastic the hack on a GH camera the more likely it is to crash or lockup ..I have read of guys shooting with a killer hack that runs the cam at something like 175mbps but the whole idea (apart for seeing how hard you can push it) is to get nice footage and flawless reliability!! For docs and such you would probably be quite happy with the footage from a standard camera!! Mine was hacked simply because the PAL models have a 30 min record limit..my other minor mods include NTSC/PAL selection and allowing a aftermarket battery to be used.

Both the GH 1 and GH2 can be used for great video straight out of box if that suits you but a low end hack might suit you for a couple of extra features. The DVX forum has extensive posts on hacks!!

Just also remember a GH isn't as easy to use as a camcorder at all...it's a different animal..even at controlled weddings my choice of which camera to use puts my GH1 at the bottom of the list as it's fiddly compared to normal camcorders - you often need focus correction and there is NO zoom button so you need to learn how to zoom with the lens ring and keep focus!!

Chris

Chris