Cavechat.org

IF you were buying a gopro camera etc. for caving videos today, which model would you get and why? What accessories would you need to get as well? Aside from lights...

I have the hero 4 black. has tons of options other than just great video.

Accessories? Don't need any if you are buying it to video caving. Just stick the mounting clip to your helmet and go caving. Takes great photos too so tripod mounts are great but most importantly.............you have to learn how to use it ;)

Why did you choose the black over the silver?

More options. I use it for more than just caving. I haven't used it enough to give a well qualified review

I'd go black over silver, too. I use mine for a lot of non-caving reasons (skiing, skin diving, biking). I have not figured out why in some cases I get really good video underground and in others I get garbage (user error, I know, but I've yet to define same...probably means I'm not underground enough!). Sometimes the sound is awful and other times it is crystal clear ... and distance from the subject is not the reason nor is background noise. One of my best audio clips is people talking by the waterfall in Norman Cave. I've tried to stay within 10 feet of my subject and that helps most times. Having multiple people shine lights around helps, too (just as slave flashes help a still shot). But that can defeat the fun of action shots and motion. My short-term solution is to shoot lots and lots and delete half or three-quarters of the lots so I have maybe 10 percent left of nice, presentable clips.

hmmm. Are the user groups reporting bugs? Are there frequent software updates?

ohiocaver wrote:I'd go black over silver, too. I use mine for a lot of non-caving reasons (skiing, skin diving, biking). I have not figured out why in some cases I get really good video underground and in others I get garbage (user error, I know, but I've yet to define same...probably means I'm not underground enough!). Sometimes the sound is awful and other times it is crystal clear ... and distance from the subject is not the reason nor is background noise. One of my best audio clips is people talking by the waterfall in Norman Cave. I've tried to stay within 10 feet of my subject and that helps most times. Having multiple people shine lights around helps, too (just as slave flashes help a still shot). But that can defeat the fun of action shots and motion. My short-term solution is to shoot lots and lots and delete half or three-quarters of the lots so I have maybe 10 percent left of nice, presentable clips.

How long does the battery last for video ?
And how does the 4Black do in cold temps ?

My recommendation on batteries is to relegate the GoPro battery that came with your camera to a purely backup role. Get the Wasabi Power batteries (with the green writing - most Internet places have a great price on pairs of them). They are identical to the GoPro and they probably last 2.5 times longer when shooting. What's more, they last a LOT longer when the camera is just sitting around. That is, if you simply charge the battery and let the camera sit for a couple of weeks, you'll want to - or have to - recharge the GoPro battery. The Wasabi batteries don't discharge as fast even when not under load.
I had my GoPro out chasing polar bears by Hudson Bay two months ago and temps were -5F and lower but I kept the camera/spare battery inside my down coat. The battery lasted a full-day on one battery charge but I didn't' really shoot a lot since the bears tend to be beyond good GoPro range (the GoPro favors closer, wide-angle images). I used the Wasabi Power batteries. And a Nikon with telephoto for the bears. Conditions in caves tend to be 60 degrees warmer!

Another question - where to buy GoPro? Any deals to be had?