GOPRO Hero3 - 4K

[Sabyasachi Patra]

Unfortunately this is not available in a number of countries including my country India.

I feel now the Go Pro is reaching a stage where we can push it a lot for various applications. I would love to have it for underwater applications.

 

[Trevor Meeks]

I've been a fan of using the GoPro for quick and dirty timelapse cams. A network connection would be nice to send images...

Dual Recording Slots

I think people have successfully used Eye-Fi cards in the Hero2... but then again, the Hero3 is now MicroSD. Dang it.

 

[Trevor Meeks]

Previously completely auto which is part of the appeal of these. Completely auto, only a couple settings. Good to go.

agreed. When I have a camera on my head, or my foot or whatever, changing settings is the last thing I'm worried about. I want it to be able to judge auto-exposure quickly, do it well and come out looking good. So far, the Hero2 does extremely well at this. Cannot wait to get my Hero3... and another and possibly another. :shocked:

 

[Pawel Achtel]

Thanks Pawel! You definitely know a lot more than I do about dive housings, accessories for them, and techniques of shooting underwater.

I do have some peripheral water shooting knowledge though. I've personally shot water sports (surfing, jetski, sailboarding, etc.) for many years now - on and just under the water surface with various electronic cameras (including Red One and Epic) in splash housings. For high end shots I'll obviously continue to shoot those shots with Epic. But also for surface zone splash housing sports work I'm really interested in testing out the GoPro Hero3 inside the GoPro Dive Housing with a wet mounting dome red filter port - in their resolutions of 2.7k/29.97fps, 1440p/48fps, and 1080p/60fps. I'll mount the whole rig on "handlebars" and see how it goes.

With tiny, higher resolution new imaging options like this its way fun to just go out and experiment and see what we can come up with

Totally agree with you, Steve. I think it is great option for many subjects and projects. I will certainly be getting at least one or two of those cameras.

Interestingly, many people do not realise that when shooting macro the image sharpness depends on magnification ratio more than pixel count. The lower the magnification, the better. Magnification ratio depends on the size of the sensor, again, the smaller the better.

It's not immediately obvious and requires some heavy duty physics/maths to prove, but for some, high magnification ratio shots, often a 1k sensor will outperform a 5k sensor in terms of resolution! .... far from obvious or even expected!

So, having a small sensor camera in the arsenal of tools is actually very important....the bigger is not always better

 

[Jeff Kilgroe]

Speaking of macro / close-focus, how close can we get with the Hero3? I guess I'll find out soon enough when mine arrive.

As for Gibby's comments regarding underwater use and choice of camera, I really don't see how I could ever go diving again without a GoPro, or two...

 

[Ketch Rossi]

I don't know....I honestly think it would look great at 2K and below with Epic. Obviously the DR is the main difference, but for those impossible shots I think it will do wonders!!!

Just think...2-3 years from now we will be talking about a true 4K 24-30fps GoPro! And I'm sure Canon will still be trying to charge 12K for a 4K DSLR hahaha

My reference as not willing to intercut the Gopro to the Epic shot footage comes in relation ot Movie Making, were I would always want the absolute best RAW captured files, to allow for a comprehensive Post workflow, were I have no limits given by the files on the Gopro or Alexa or any other camera that can't shoot in the same high resolution Raw allowing for equal opportunities in Post.

However the Gopro, for the very first time it is becoming of interest for other BTS and non Movie related material, so I'll be snapping up a few of them and putting them to work...

 

[Ivan Kovax]

My reference as not willing to intercut the Gopro to the Epic shot footage comes in relation ot Movie Making, were I would always want the absolute best RAW captured files, to allow for a comprehensive Post workflow, were I have no limits given by the files on the Gopro or Alexa or any other camera that can't shoot in the same high resolution Raw allowing for equal opportunities in Post.

However the Gopro, for the very first time it is becoming of interest for other BTS and non Movie related material, so I'll be snapping up a few of them and putting them to work...

I guess different strokes... I love having mixed media within a movie. I love the way that, for example, Oliver Stone used to used everything from 35mm, 16mm, 8mm and VHS in the same movie. It helped tell his stories, just the way he wanted them told...

I think people will find great uses for this kind of gear in much the same way. Just another cool tool to throw in the kit.

Hell, I just recently intercut shaky cam SD footage with Epic footage. Works great for the story.

 

[Jake Bastian]

I guess different strokes... I love having mixed media within a movie. I love the way that, for example, Oliver Stone used to used everything from 35mm, 16mm, 8mm and VHS in the same movie. It helped tell his stories, just the way he wanted them told...

I think people will find great uses for this kind of gear in much the same way. Just another cool tool to throw in the kit.

Hell, I just recently intercut shaky cam SD footage with Epic footage. Works great for the story.

Exactly - the RED is just a hammer, and it takes more than a hammer to build a house.

 

[Chase M. Wrenn]

I guess different strokes... I love having mixed media within a movie. I love the way that, for example, Oliver Stone used to used everything from 35mm, 16mm, 8mm and VHS in the same movie. It helped tell his stories, just the way he wanted them told...

I think people will find great uses for this kind of gear in much the same way. Just another cool tool to throw in the kit.

Hell, I just recently intercut shaky cam SD footage with Epic footage. Works great for the story.

If it is clearly for the purpose of the story, that can make sense...but from the point of view of digital distribution, in which I work, mixed media isn't very helpful, and often rejected for its inconsistent quality. It's one thing if it's different types of film, b/c the difference is in the overall aesthetic and grain size, which can still be scanned at the same pixel resolution. But when you get to mixing different forms of digital, with different pixel resolutions, (unless you are windowing the image to maintain its proper size in relation to the largest pixel resolution) services nowadays don't want to accept content with aliased edges, macroblocking, banding, pixellation, etc....which isn't always the case, but with the differences in cameras, there can be varying levels of content that may or may not be acceptable.

Basically, I agree with Ketch to a degree, the higher quality the source capture, you can get the look and feel you want from it to a degree that can be justified and acceptable. While I get that the artist or filmmaker should do what they want to get the image they are going for, from a digital distribution perspective, higher quality or less varying mixed media = better.

Just my 2 cents for anyone who might be interested in the digital distribution path...for future proofing purposes...obviously, the GoPro Hero3 can capture at higher resolutions than any of the services currently provide (above 1080) so mixing that for a 1080 output should be no issue whatsoever...but as Jim often points out, looking ahead to when the standard is 4K, that makes it tougher to go back to these other films. Looks at all the films that were shot on SD cameras, they'll never sell for the higher price tiers and will have no "re-sell" value in the digital markets b/c they can't be re-scanned...even a lot of 35mm films where the prints have been lost or damaged are stuck in their current form for the rest of their days...

 

[John Jacaman]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to let you know that my start-up online TV network* is running a GoPro® HERO3 Black Edition Giveaway on Facebook to build its fan base. Anyone who likes our page can earn an unlimited number of chances to win up until November 16, 2012.

Here's the link if you want to check it out: http://bit.ly/RBHdbt

We could use your help -- thanks in advance!

*more on that later...

 

[roryhinds]

Does anyone know if the HDMI out of the GoPro3 is a live feed?
Would be great for multicopter use.

 

[Ivan Kovax]

Chase,

I watched Natural Born Killers the other day. For what it is it still holds up - even the portions shot in videotape.

But point taken regarding digital distribution.

I simply think that nobody should be scared to find a way to make the appropriate tool work for the story. And from what I have seen, the Hero 3 seems like it will be able to cut more than fine with many types of footage, given that you can find jello-less bits...

 

[Zeb B]

Coptercam that I can fly. Leaving the RED Octo to the experts like Justin/Tonaci

 

[Ketch Rossi]

I guess different strokes... I love having mixed media within a movie. I love the way that, for example, Oliver Stone used to used everything from 35mm, 16mm, 8mm and VHS in the same movie. It helped tell his stories, just the way he wanted them told...

I think people will find great uses for this kind of gear in much the same way. Just another cool tool to throw in the kit.

Hell, I just recently intercut shaky cam SD footage with Epic footage. Works great for the story.

Not me, I absolutely like to have the best possible image at the highest resolution, which right now can only come from the Epic, but I however do like to mix and match Lenses to get thru their qualities a certain fill for the scene in which I would use them, and not just by doing so with the Focal length of the lens and its aperture or calculated distances of Lens to Subject and back ground to subject, but also the involve the actual lens defects and artifacts to play with in the characterization of the scene, even so I still prefer the perfectness and neutral sharpness defects and artifacts free of Master Primes which then allow me to do as I please in Post.


EDIT:

Having said the above, I would of course as any sensible and smart Director would, make use of any camera possibly available, in this case the GoPro Hero3 to make sure I did get that shot if it was absolutely no possible to get with the Epic...

 

[Adam Johnson]

I agree with you to an extent....

I would love to film everything I shoot in 5K 96fps RAW 3:1 compression, but I simply do not have that ability right now haha. Currently I am "limited" to 4K RAW on my Scarlet (which is no complaint here!!!) and I make the choice of shooting 6:1 compression which looks great to me. In my current workflow I would not hesitate to intercut GoPro 3 footage for a second. I will be relying on the GoPro 3 as a C camera in most instances. Basically having it setup and utilizing it on shots or in situations I could not achieve with my low budget and scarlet rig. The maximum distribution resolution I would choose (at this point in time...because I'm limited in many aspects) would be 2K. As much as I would love to have a TRUE 4K workflow/ delivery it just doesnt make sense for me at this point in time. However, if I had the resources to do so, yes, I would choose the absolute best of the best in resolution, frame rates, and lenses all the time

I try not to get too caught up in the resolution game as I am not shooting an IMAX film or a feature at the moment. However when I do shoot my feature I am OK with having to settle for a 2K delivery. I believe a great story, cinematography, acting, sound design, and editing is LIGHT YEARS more important than delivering a film in 4K. Don't get me wrong though as I know how great 4K looks on the big screen and even better when projected at high-frame rates!!!

Not me, I absolutely like to have the best possible image at the highest resolution, which right now can only come from the Epic, but I however do like to mix and match Lenses to get thru their qualities a certain fill for the scene in which I would use them, and not just by doing so with the Focal length of the lens and its aperture or calculated distances of Lens to Subject and back ground to subject, but also the involve the actual lens defects and artifacts to play with in the characterization of the scene, even so I still prefer the perfectness and neutral sharpness defects and artifacts free of Master Primes which then allow me to do as I please in Post.


EDIT:

Having said the above, I would of course as any sensible and smart Director would, make use of any camera possibly available, in this case the GoPro Hero3 to make sure I did get that shot if it was absolutely no possible to get with the Epic...

 

[Zeb B]

First REDie to post legit Epic and Hero3 intercut footage gets megaprops . . . then immediate admission into the witness protection program in a small town in Kansas

 

[Bryan Moore]

First REDie to post legit Epic and Hero3 intercut footage gets megaprops . . . then immediate admission into the witness protection program in a small town in Kansas

How about stills for now Exporting

Frame Grab from my epic.

 

[Zeb B]

@Bryan

You're still alive 5 minutes after posting so clearly stills don't count. That said . . . look out your window for a red color drone . . .

 

[Trevor Meeks]

Picked up two Hero2 Blacks at Best Buy today and cancelled my pre-order... I'll try and do some side by side tests with the Hero2 when it stops raining and I have some nice days. So far though, I played with it a bit in post-sunset light, and the image is incredibly clean at 2.7K 24fps. WOW

ProTune & "raw" white balance mode is a beautiful neutral picture with a lot of potential.

 

[Ivan Kovax]

Not me, I absolutely like to have the best possible image at the highest resolution, which right now can only come from the Epic, but I however do like to mix and match Lenses to get thru their qualities a certain fill for the scene in which I would use them, and not just by doing so with the Focal length of the lens and its aperture or calculated distances of Lens to Subject and back ground to subject, but also the involve the actual lens defects and artifacts to play with in the characterization of the scene, even so I still prefer the perfectness and neutral sharpness defects and artifacts free of Master Primes which then allow me to do as I please in Post.


EDIT:

Having said the above, I would of course as any sensible and smart Director would, make use of any camera possibly available, in this case the GoPro Hero3 to make sure I did get that shot if it was absolutely no possible to get with the Epic...

Like i said, different strokes...

Lenses, cameras, mediums all play part in making a movie. How any of us chooses to use them is an artistic choice