Hobie Cat Forums

I would like to know which video cameras used for your wonderful reportage? such models, their advantages and their problems and disability, waterproof or underwater? and also what rods used to support and maneuver them, staying in a island kayak?

I use a GoPro Hero camera. Very good Hi-Def video. If you don't like the really wide angle, nearly fish-eye, lens, you can get a narrower view GoPro. The newest GoPro also has 'Wi-Fi' capabilities. Go to the GoPro website for camera models, multiple camera attachment accessories, and video examples.

Nikon Aw-100

waterproof, shock proof, gps, lcd screen, stills AND 1080P hd, flash.
awesome video and pictures and no attachments needed.
I eyed the gopro hard, but decided on this instead....a flash is kinda of important when night fishing, and the gopro doesnt have a flash

I just screwed in a 1" ram ball to the bottom and have a ram mount on my TI.

this video is from my pro angler.

(a little shaky, but we are moving all around and a little wave bounce too)



yeah, we are all on hobies, theres even an orange outback in the group

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2011 Hobie Pro Angler - Papaya
2012 Hobie Tandem Island - Papaya

Panasonic Lumix FT1 here. Only negative is that Panasonic warrenty is crap ie: useless, but then again it's probably no different to most underwater cameras. If you read the fine print, they have a 'get out of jail' card by saying that unless seals are replaced every year by a specified service center, the warrenty is null and void. But mine takes heaps of abuse and I love it. The image quality as good as I've seen on anything short of a DSLR. It's either mounted on a gimbal mount or fixed on the end of my paddle.

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

I have bought and tried many and have now settled on just two.

1. Drift HD170 Stealth for videos. Fantastic for movies. Even on the lower 720 setting I can play the movies on a 45 inch big screen TV and the images are sharp as a tack. And at 720, the file size is far less than if I took them at 1080.

The remote on/off control is what originally sold me on this camera. It works like a charm.

2. Sealife Mini II for still shots (but it takes darn good videos as well!) The 9 megapixel lens is way overkill for most still shots but the camera is completely waterproof (divers use them under water down to 130 feet), has a tough rubberized exterior coating and is very simple to operate. Photos are very good, as are movies. No remote switch, of course.

Thanks for the tips Tom, The Drift Stealth HD170 is on my list at the expense of a GoPro2!

I guess you should check out lots of reviews, but to my eye the GOPRO has far superior optics and electronics.

Better mounting options and product support / development as well.

The Hero really is a broadcast camera posing as consumer electronics. Not the other way around.

That's where my $$ would go, if the wife would let me.

If you want HD on a budget the kodak playsport is pretty good and waterproof to 3 metres. if you wanted more waterproofness you could stick it in a clear phone case. Quick before they stop making them!

MY GF has one and loves it. Lack of optical zoom on these devices means you need to get close to the action. They are good for people and scenery but you will never get close up animals unless you are really stealthy. Sound will also be poor compared to proper cameras. Even audio on a go pro will not be that great. Remember hard disc storage and don't skimp on the editing unless you want to bore all your friends to death.

Here is some example footage, 1280 x 720 H.264 Don't watch it all. Its 12 minutes of your life you can never get back.

You mentioned sound - I'd like to add that the Drift HD 170 offers an external microphone which delivers fantastic quality sound for any video you shoot. Also, because it has a cord several feet long, you can mount the camera away from you yet still have the mic in close range of your voice.

Here's a very short video shot with the external mic mounted about 3 feet in front of me.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LBy7kr2F3c

If you are buying a GoPro...note that the microphone is installed within the housing. It does not have an external mike. The unit was designed more to be an excellent water-resistant Hi-Def video capture device rather than an all-around unit. I have several other 'bullet-type' Hi-Res cameras...but I keep coming back to the GoPro. The camera can be bought with either a near-fish eye lens or a longer more traditional focal length lens. The videos excel over any of the other cameras. And you can get a lot of neat attachment accessories. My GoPro can sit on the end of an extendable pole, on a couple of ram mounts on my TI, a ram mount on my motorcycle, and on both my cycle and ski helmets.
If I were buying a replacement, I would get the upgrade with WiFi. This allows you to remotely control the camera and communicate directly to a laptop, etc.

I was just using an Olympus tough for my videos and they looked like this:

http://youtu.be/Y7bt8Y7A3ho?hd=1 (watch in 720)

And I just got a gopro and this is the result of my first attempt:

http://youtu.be/bLi3c772YGs?hd=1 (watch in 720)

I love my olympus, great camera, I still carry it around to take pictures, and probably will still use it for video. Now I need to play a bit more with the gopro before I can say anything , so far so good. Image is really sharp. Ordered a polarized filter for it see if that makes the videos even better.