In March of last year we posted a teaser blog to let you know we were working on bringing you our thoughts on the less expensive White Model GoPro cameras. Well today is that day. We've spent many hours working on various setups and certainly how to put all that raw footage together into something you want to watch over and over.
I really don't want to waste your time with a bunch talk, so I'm going jump right into the meat of what you need to know and I'm going to break protocol by starting with the closing statement. Yes, if you love kayak fishing then you need to get one of these great little cameras! Even if you can't string together clips and turn them into a great short movie, like Teg can, it's still really fun to look back across your footage and relive that catch!
Getting started
Both Teg and I ordered our GoPro cameras from Walmart.com. We both started with the GoPro White cameras, a 16 GB memory card, and a handle bar mount kit. The specs on the White version are below.
MJ- I began by mounting the handle bar kit to the lower half of a 10 foot beach rod. And while this did work, for me it just wasn't a final solution. I want options and ease of use which my first rig didn't provide.
Teg- I started with a broken beach rod handle inserted into a PVC pole to mount his handle bar kit and GoPro to. The old rod handle slips perfectly into the PVC pipe which fits into the rod holder on the Ascend FS12T. A pool float was slipped over the rod handle to allow the camera and rod handle to float.
On our first outings with our GoPros we learned that a battery and 16 GB memory card would compliment each other well by running out at just about the same time, around 2 hours of continuous filming. Being that we typically fish for 4-6 hours we quickly figured out that we needed additional batteries and either additional memory cards or larger memory cards.
So take the total purchase price up by two more batteries ($20 ea.), and for MJ a 32GB card ($20 on sale at NewEgg.com).
MJ- I also changed up my mounting pole which added an additional $15 for a monopod and another $10 for a GoPro Tripod mount. Not an original idea, one that I got here: Palmetto Kayak Fishing The only other accessory I've added has been the suction cup mount. To be honest, I didn't purchase that with intentions of using it for kayak fishing so I'm not going to count it in my total investment. However, I did use it for one fishing trip where you can see the side of my truck driving in the video Teg put together which is why I mention it.
Let's look at a couple of our setups.
MJ- Here's a pic of my GoPro attached to my 10' rod and my monopod setup. I love how I can shrink the monopod for battery changes or for hand held shots.
Teg- Along with the homemade PVC setup mentioned above, I also used the curve mount to attach the GoPro to the top of my depth finder which sits directly in front of my on my Ascend FS12T. The curved mount just happened to fit perfectly on the top which allows for good fish pics after the catch. Again, be creative with your placement, it can lead to some really cool shots.
Some of the things we used were found around the house so no investment. We believe using some of these non traditional mounts really can make for some great pics or footage. For example, Teg had a paint pole at his house. So he mounted his GoPro to it with his bike handle kit and got this great shot that looks like we had a helicopter on site getting our pics!
In this shot where the camera and mount were just laid down on the deck of the kayak to get through a tight spot which turned into a great idea and even better footage. I love how the sun shines through the leaves.
Here’s some footage of an interesting mount we thought up. A 360* GoPro mount for a Kayak. This mount allows the GoPro to swing freely in any direction.
If you’re wondering what setting we recommend using while filming, we can provide suggestions but the best idea is to get out and film to see what works for you. I prefer recording at 1080p which is the highest resolution setting for the GoPro white. 1080p is 1920x1080 which is the standard full HD format. On the GoPro White edition the 1080p setting records at 30fps while the 720p can record at 30fps or 60fps. The fps stands for frames per second meaning that every second of video contains 30 frames. The difference is hardly noticeable(especially to the naked eye) if you’re planning on using YouTube as your distribution channel, but it may make a difference if you use slow motion a lot. The more frames per second you have, the better your slow motion shots will look. Also be aware that the 720p records at what GoPro calls the Ultra Wide angle (more of a fish eye look and will include more of you and your surroundings) while the 1080p has a smaller field of view. Battery life and storage capability will be affected by which setting you select. 1080p will drain your battery slightly faster(see chart on recording times) and will also use more memory on your SD card. There’s an App for that..
One of the greatest features of the camera is that it can be completely controlled via your smartphone (android or iOS) for free! You can download the free app which allows you to control the GoPro via wifi. The app goes beyond controlling powering on/off and stopping/starting recording. The app turns your phone into a video monitoring screen allowing you to see exactly what you’re going to record. This is tremendously helpful ensuring you haven’t cut your head out of the shot or worse missing that monster bass shot because your camera was tilted to far up!.
The app goes beyond acting as a preview monitor. You can also change any setting on your GoPro through your phone. If you’re recording in 1080p and want to switch to 720p this can be easily accomplished through the app. If you’ve just recorded two hours of fishing and just totally got skunked...delete the video straight from your phone! Viewing your recorded videos is also possible with the app but can be cumbersome and time consuming streaming it through your phone. When your filming hours of footage, trying to go back through it is much easier accomplished on a computer. It is easy, however, to view pictures or save the pictures directly to your phone. If you take pictures the app is very useful in downloading the pics straight to your phone for quick sharing through facebook, twitter, G+ or text messaging, even while on the water. Honestly, the app is one of the greatest features about the camera. If you’re like us you will use it constantly on every trip.
Be aware that using the app requires the camera to have the wifi hotspot running which will use slightly more battery. The app’s battery drain is not cause for major concern though. Even with the hot spot running, we still are able to record for approximately 2 hours straight on one battery.
So your total investment, to film a “whole” day of fishing is going to run you about $300 which is considerably less than a GoPro Black with a starting price of $399. Keep in mind you'll still need to add a few batteries, mounts, memory cards, and mounting pole if you purchase the Black model at $399. Is the quality of film from the White model the same professional quality as the Black? No. But is it good enough to share with friends on the internet or watch on your computer, you bet it is! For me, I'd rather be saving for my second GoPro White model than still getting setup on a Black model. And that's the bottom line for me. And did we mention you can use your GoPro for other things besides fishing?
...and check back often because Teg is working on another video. From some of the things he's shared with me...it will be Awesome!
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