The best wide angle and macro lenses for GoPro underwater

[@seanpe80]

Please SUBSCRIBE, LIKE and COMMENT below. I try to reply to all my questions and they help guide me on what content to make for you. If you would like to see more underwater footage I took with this exact setup check out a trip I did to Nusa Penida, Indonesia : kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4jUo4xomMyIm68

[@deepdowndrey]

Dope vidéo ! It’s great to see your gopro setup, I already have the AOI wide lens and I need to add a macro lens before next summer

[@seanpe80]

Thanks mate. I probably take 8 or 9 out of 10 shots on AOI but it's great to be able to swap to macro for small critters like nudi branch.

[@leahmurray2604]

Great video. Just got the macromate for the gopro. Hubby might now want that set up after I show him the video.

[@seanpe80]

Thanks. Glad you liked it. It takes some practice to nail focus but it works well considering it's on a GoPro with such limited macro options.

[@BaelcorEntertainment]

"The further you go down, the further you are away from all those idiots" needs to be an ongoing video sign off! Could also put it on merch haha 😄 Really good video Sean, you spoke really well in front of the camera and your underwater footage speaks for itself 💯👍

[@seanpe80]

Haha. Glad you liked it. It is one of my favorite sayings. I definitely think it may become my sign off and get some shirts with it on :)

[@hassanal-saadi3157]

I enjoyed the video mate , well done !! you should make more videos like these and even videos on ur diving trips and dives locations.

[@seanpe80]

Thanks. I plan on making more talking head videos from now on. They take a lot more work but it's rewarding when people watch and enjoy them. More engaging than just pretty looking underwater footage it took me ages to feel comfortable enough to talk to camera. Glad you liked it.

[@MichaelAVaughan]

Another great vid. A lot of editing, but I really think it paid off. The talking head sound quality is great! Did you get a new mic?

[@seanpe80]

Cheers mate. I found another mic I had which is better. I was pretty happy how it came out. I'll keep getting better

[@shotsbyscott6243]

Nice video Sean! I like that was on the short side and concise. Question, what is the minimum focus using using the AOL UWL lens? Also, does using this lens imply you need to be closer to the reef/subject in order to fill the frame? Your settings are similar to what I have been using. The one difference is your max ISO is smaller than mine. Thanks again!

[@seanpe80]

Thanks. I've never measured the focus distance and I couldn't find anything on their website. As a guess I'd say 15cm. Yes it gives you a wider FOV so you need to get closer to get the same shot but because you are closer it will be much sharper and have much better color. You also need less powerful lighting which means less backscatter. The less water between you and the subject the better. I will only increase ISO to 800 if I'm in a cave or deep wreck. I personally think ISO 1600 is so bad I'd rather not have a shot. Low light will cause issues with slow shutter speeds and jitters from the stabilization but you can get around that by a)turning the stabilization down or off and practice being very smooth b) use gopro labs so you can control the shutter speed and stop it from going to low c) use more lighting and d) accepting its a gopro and sticking to shots it can do but ISO 1600 is always disappointing. It looks ok on the gopro then you get it home and it looks terrible. A bit like picking up when you are drunk and when you roll over in the morning you are full of regrets and swear you will never do that again. :)

[@seanpe80]

Further to below I will do a video on just that lens and the full settings I use soon. I wanted to be a bit shorter and to the point for first videos then if enough interest do a longer detailed video or probably a bunch of 10 to 20min videos on a specific topic so people can pick and choose which topics they want to watch. Eg one on the AOI and one of the Macromate etc. Otherwise I'll start talking and end up at a 3hr video :)

[@jethroe1903]

Sean, could you provide me info on the rig you are using. I just started diving and got the hero black 12, and now I need to be able to get a holder and lights like you have.

[@seanpe80]

Hi mate. Here is some info for you. If you have just started diving then nailing your boutancy is key first. Until you can be motionless holding a camera with two hands without thinking about it you wont get a smooth shot. After that apart from the wet lens and flip system don't bother with any brand name stuff and just add parts as you practice and get good at it. I can get good video with nothing but a gopro. Add a handle and a cheap light and I can get really good shots. Its just the more additions you add the more shots you can get. All my stuff is from ebay. So start with a tray and given the small price difference get a dual handle one that you can adjust like in my video. Heaps on Ebay and I paid like $75AU. Next I would get lights. The ones I use are off ebay and sometimes called QH18. They cost under $100 australian each. Two is better than one but again you can start with one and see how you go. You will need clamps to hold them on and again you can get them from ebay for like 15 to 25. After that I would add a cheap tripod. Practice with that until you are getting good footage and happy you have worked it out as you can get most shots with that setup. Once you have nailed that then go to backscatter and get a flip system for your camera and include the backscatter macromate. Doing macro takes lots of practice as you have a very small focusing distance. Now you need to be able to stay dead still while knowing you are 3inches from a subject. Then I would practice till you can nail macro. Then invest in an AOI wide angle lens at which point you really do need two lights. Once you add that lens or even the macromate you might also look at getting float arms. Again off ebay. That way you can get your setup more neutral in the water and get your lights wider to avoid backscatter. It will be very heavy with two lights and two wet lenses without floatation. If you don't want to go the lights route first then you can try red filters but I would get a single light instead of red filters. Small cameras like action cameras, biggest issue is low light so adding lighting is the key. The real key to any camera is learning how to use it and taking the shots you can take and not try getting ones you can't. Hope that helps and stay tuned as I will be doing more videos on setups and settings. Hope that helps

[@andyvaldez212]

Dude. Thank you for this. How do you get color back into your video without red filters??? Thats the only reason im caught between this and the backscatter sharp with red filters

[@seanpe80]

Hi mate. Thanks glad you liked it. The backscatter sharp lens I believe is just a straight copy. I assume its just the holder that is different to allow those filters to slide in. You could consider getting a circular 55mm threaded filter and screw between the lens and the flip system would be an option with the way I do it. I only ever use lights though. I really do not like red filters with action cameras. The main reason is the two biggest issues action cameras have is poor low light capability and no manual white balance. By putting a red filter on you cut even more light out and since you can't manual WB either you get inconsistent results. I'd suggest two cheap lights off ebay is worth every cent. If you just want to do shallow dives with a wide angle lens then the backscatter sharp lens will be your best and cheapest option. If you plan to do stuff below 10m or macro later then you really need lights. Hope that helps. You gave me an idea on a video though to discuss re filters versus lights etc. I have lots of videos to make I just need to get time :)

[@andyvaldez212]

@@seanpe80 I see.. makes sense. so how do you correct the WB? in post production or do you rely solely on your dive lights? also the uwl-03 has a 'pro' version for double the price... you think it's worth it??? it's the same FOV; honestly don't know what the difference is at all.

[@seanpe80]

Hi mate. I always try to get the WB right underwater. Unless it is a very small tweak in post I tend to not do color correction in post. If your lights are strong enough it will white balance correctly. You should also consider installing gopro labs so you can use the auto white balance function. It will mean that your gopro will keep auto white balance until you hit record and then it will stay locked on that white balance for the duration of the shot. Stops you getting shots that change color half way through. You can then point your camera at something close (the sand or even your fins) then start recording and then point camera at your subject. The pro version will be better quality and they say a bit sharper and also has less lens flare. My issue is for that small improvement (as the non version is sharp and there are ways to avoid lens flare) its a lot more money, especially to attach to an action camera.

[@andyvaldez212]

@@seanpe80 bro, you need to make a video about all this. Please keep doing underwater videos/tutorials .. thank you though i wrote all that down!!

[@seanpe80]

Thanks mate. Glad I could help. I will definately keep making more. Just setting up a new area to film in . Thanks for watching