Article by Larry Jock
Last week in his “Chum Lines” column, Capt. Mark Sampson wrote about the fun he has doing some filming on his trips with his GoPro video camera.
With more and more people sharing photos and videos online, these small, very portable high definition video cameras are growing in popularity. Anglers are attaching them to their boats, poles and even dredges to get some interesting video of their trip.
The company’s most recent release is their HD HERO2 “Professional” cameras that retails for $299.99, which is $100 more than their HD HERO ORIGINAL camera, but still a bargain for a high definition camera this versatile.
The HD?HERO2 can shoot still shots up to 11 megapixels, in addition to 1080p video. The 170-degree wide angle lens is 2x sharper than their original lens. In photo mode, the camera can shoot 10 photos per second for fast action photography.
All of the cameras come with a waterproof housing, a USB cable to link your camera to your computer and a rechargeable Li-ion battery, that can last 2.5 hours when fully charged.
The Professional series comes in three editions, each geared to a different application. The “Outdoor Edition” comes with mounting accessories that you would use during outdoor activities such as kayaking, skiing or biking.
The “Motorsports Edition” includes suction mounts and adhesive mounts that you can use to attach the camera to your bike or your helmet for a POV recording of your outing.
The “Surf Edition” comes with 2 adhesive surfboard mounts and an FCS?compatible mount that allows you to plug your GoPro camera into the deck of your board like a FCS fin.
The GoPro camera really does shoot outstanding, quality video, but what makes it unique are the number of accessories that GoPro offers. They have handlebar mounts, a chest mount harness, a tripod mount and a wrist mount just to name a few.
As these cameras grow in popularity, outside companies are also jumping on the bandwagon and producing some cool accessories. For fishermen, there are two that I could definitely see being used on the boat to capture some exciting action. The South Chatham Tackle Company produces a GoPro Camera Extention Handle that has a gimbal receiver that fits in a boats rod holder. The fiberglass and aluminum pole extends from 4-feet out to 8-feet and has a GoPro camera adaptor on the end so you can plunge the camera into the water to catch some underwater action or just stick it in a rod holder to record the excitement on the deck. The handle retails for $115.00.
Another nice mount is the GreenFish CPR Camera Mount with a flexible arm that lets you position your camera at multiple angles so you get the best, hands free shot. It can even be placed underwater. The base of the mount utilizes Expansion Lock technology that fits most rod holders. The GreenFish mount comes with a padded carrying case and retails for $95.99.
Every month, companies are releasing new accessories to make your GoPro videos more professional looking and fun.
If you shoot a video that you would like to share with Coastal Fisherman readers, you can submit it to us in the “Viewers Video” section on our website.
