Waterproof Action Camera (GoPro): What you need to know

[trapeze5]

If you are going to be shooting pictures in a wet environment or if you are going to be taking pictures while flying through the air on a zip line here are a few things you should consider:

 

1. A GoPro camera is very expensive. It's a great camera for shooting stills or video but there are less expensive alternatives. IF you have the time you can purchase a GoPro knock-off on Amazon or Ebay for a fraction of the cost of a GoPro. Some camera names that you can search for on Amazon are Crosstour, Campark, Apeman, Akaso, 4k...there are many different knock-off brands to choose from. Almost all of these are less than $75 and come with a waterproof case and most of the accessories that you need to clamp it to a helmet or a handlebar.

 

2. If you do NOT have time to wait the two or three days for an Amazon delivery (Holy cow! The cruise in two days and I forgot about an action camera!) to show up you can run into just about any Walmart and purchase a Vivitar version of the GoPro. It costs about $59 and comes with a waterproof case and a helmet mount and handlebar mount. Can't find it in the Walmart electronics area? Ask. They will show you where it is.

 

3. Make sure that you spend at least an hour going over the instruction book that comes with any camera that you buy. You need to know how to turn it on and off, how to switch between still photos and video. It is more than a little irritating and frustrating to not know how to do these very basic things when you are ready to use the thing. Practice switching between modes, resolution settings...stuff like that.

 

4. Know that Royal Caribbean does not allow the use of GoPro or other action cameras on any of their water attractions. That is not to say you can't use it, you just aren't "allowed" to use it. For instance, let's say that you want video of a trip down a water slide...if you are a guy you can wear swim trunks that have a pocket, keep the camera concealed in the pocket and whip it out after you have launched down into the slide. You will want to have it turned on and cued up for video before you get to the top of the slide. When you get to the bottom make sure you have it tightly gripped in your hand...there usually isn't someone at the bottom of the slide to monitor people exiting the ride. If you let the camera get out of your grip you will have a heck of a time finding it at the bottom.

 

5. Again, IF you have the time, order an accessory kit. The kit has a lot of very nice things that will not come with your GoPro knock-off camera. One of the best things that comes with an accessory kit is is a floating handle. You need this if you are going to be taking pictures or video while snorkeling. It has a wrist strap so that you can't drop it and because it floats you won't ever worry about having to swim down to the bottom to recover your dropped camera (which won't happen since it also floats). You can find an accessory kit on Amazon under names like SmilePowo, Zookki, Hapy and Lextreme. The cost of one of these generic accessory kits is usually less than $20 which is a fraction of what you would spend for a GoPro kit.

 

6. If you don't have the time to order an accessory kit (and you picked up the Vivitar at Walmart) you can always get the GoPro accessory kit on board in the photo area. You will have to pay through the nose for it because it is GoPro brand and you will be buying it at the most expensive place on Earth (on the ship) but at least you will have it. BUT...you will need to buy it on the first of second day of the cruise because they don't stock very many and they do sell out of them.

 

7. Or...you can take the absolute most expensive route and buy a GoPro brand camera (and buy it on the ship...that will add at least 10-20% extra). The pictures might be a bit better with the GoPro but most of us aren't good photographers to begin with so the extra quality may not make a difference.

 

8. One other thing. If you buy any knock-off camera you will definitely need to buy a memory card to use with it. Almost always this memory card will be a micro SD card. As with the above advice, if you can buy online you will save money. Just get it done with a week or two before you sail.

 

Bottom line is that you can get a GoPro for several hundred bucks and shell out for an expensive accessory kit or you can go with a knock off for a fraction of the price IF you make the purchase online and at least a week or two before you depart for the cruise.

 

And...as with all advice, your mileage may vary...so put some thought into your action camera purchase and definitely practice with it before you cruise so that you don't have to learn how to use it on the fly.

[ARandomTraveler]

The Yi is also a good GoPro alternative. I haven’t used it, but it’s been recommended by a lot of YouTubers. After reading reviews I almost bought one as a backup, but decided I didn’t need to bring so many cameras with me (I’m already bringing an underwater still and my DSLR along with my GoPro).

 

The GoPro Hero5 is currently being sold at Costco. The 5 and 6 are good to have because they are both waterproof (the older versions aren’t), and they both have the LCD screen on the back (most of the older ones don’t).

 

Another accessory for the GoPro (if you want to spend the extra money) is a Gimbal. It’s a device that makes your video look smooth. I bought one after taking a couple vacations and ending up with such shakey video that it made me dizzy. After doing some research I chose the Zhiyun Rider-M and really like it.

 

Thanks for starting a GoPro thread. People often mention them in reviews, but when you ask questions about them they don’t always come back to answer.

 

 

 

 

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