GoPro Underwater Lens

[GregAndrew]

They have finally introduced their add-on flat lens. It costs $50 plus tax and shipping.

http://gopro.com/hd-hero-accessories/dive-housing/

[Baja_Traveler]

And it's only $50! Damn I have to get one. Used to be getting into underwater video would cost thousands of dollars. Not any more - but for a true dive rig you'll need to rig up lighting unless you are in the clear water tropics or super shallow...

[GregAndrew]

Got some decent footage in 80 - 90 feet of water at La Jolla with no additional light. Although you do lose several colors.

[Saba Slayer]

Hey Greg, does anybody make an underwater light designed for the GoPro?
Jim / Saba Slayer

[Baja_Traveler]

Got some decent footage in 80 - 90 feet of water at La Jolla with no additional light. Although you do lose several colors.

Oh most definitely - I didn't mean to imply that you had to have them, especially if you are shooting mid day with a wide angle like the Go-pro uses, and like you noticed - you lost all Reds, Oranges and probably Yellows at that depth. Remember your dive class - ROY G BV - the order that colors are lost the deeper you go. These modern cameras have an amazing ability to use existing light, but if you want to do closeups or video of that sarcastic fringehead in its hole in full color, you gotta have it. Then of course there is night...

One light I've seen on the dive boats with greater frequency is the Underwater Kinetics Super Q. I think a mount could be fabricated for the Go-Pro housing quite easily. As a bonus, they are a San Diego company.
http://www.uwkinetics.com/products/super-q-eled-rechargeable-lithium-ion

[GregAndrew]

Just got the new lens today. It comes with an entirely new housing and the lens already attached. They even provide a lens cap to protect it while not in use. On initial inspection I saw that it has the curved lens removed. And, as I suspected, the viewable area is reduced because of this. I am guessing it is somewhere between 5-10% loss. That still leaves it with a pretty wide angle though. The rectangular lens protrudes above and to the side of the housing making it a bit less hydronamic.

You can make a lens that will not reduce the video ability of the camera, but you may impact the front button accessibility and LCD display visibility.

Can't wait to test it out.