All this enthusiasm has persuaded me to give one a try it's on order and should be here in a couple of days.
At yesterday's wedding I could see so many opportunities and possibilities.

Just a couple of questions to those who use them. Is it possible to get a monitor output to assist with positioning/framing? If you can and do which monitor do you use? The clip-on LCD BacPac looks very small and impossible to see if set high or hard against a wall.

Hi George - 2 options.

http://gopro.com/hd-hero-accessories/wi-fi-bacpac/ to send the image to your smartphone wirelessly.

Or:

http://gopro.com/camera-accessories/hd-skeleton-housing/ run a cable from the camera into a small monitor.

Thanks John.

1 - I don't have a smart phone

2 - That housing looks a bit cumbersome and will draw attention. I was hoping for a more discrete way of maybe attaching a small HDMI monitor. It looks from the information on the site that there is a mini socket on the side. I only want to use it for initial set-up not leave it connected. I am wondering if something like this might work:
Lilliput UK · 668GL-70NP/H/Y · 7 inch field monitor with HDMI and internal battery (http://www.lilliputuk.com/monitors/hdmi/668gl/)

but I don't want to buy one unless I know that it will

Yeah - that should work with the right cable - you'll still need the skeleton housing though to be able to access the output plug.

Because it is so wide angle, all you need to do is point it in the general direction (although maybe carefully) and you will get the scene...can't miss...

Thanks again John. So the only way to monitor anything out from the basic camera is by using the skeleton housing, I won't be able to plug straight into the mini HDMI socket on the side of the camera, is that right?

Renton, I appreciate that it's got a superwide angle but I don't envisage using that setting as it's image is so strong that I could only use it once or twice, whereas the more natural view would give me more 'usable' footage, or at least footage I'd prefer. I guess that for the sort of work it is designed for the superwide is fabulous but in terms of a wedding video less is more.

My main intention is for easy discrete placing in otherwise inaccessible positions.

Hi George

I'm a cheapskate so I made up a long cable (cos my Hero is usually up on a light stand) and plug it into a 7" LCD TFT monitor but a low res one!! I found a hi res one with HDMI in but they want an arm and a leg for them so I use the standard one that is used in the back of car headrests...All of $35.00 plus I use a spare 12v battery pack from my stedicam monitor ..the quality isn't much to look at but it's perfectly fine for framing. All you need for the interface is an RCA on one end of some screen cable and then a 4 pole 2.5mm mini jack plug to go into the camera ....going from plug body to tip the first two rings on the plug shaft are ground and video out ...the 3rd ring and tip are audio out but I don't bother with them.

Makes framing a piece of cake ...however as Renton says it's hard to miss even set to 127 degree FOV...I used to eyeball the camera. I have a LCD BacPak and it's virtually hopeless unless you are inside!!

Chris

Thanks Chris. Using your method I will need the skeleton case though, in the illustrations that seems to make the camera look more bulky and noticeable, or have I got it wrong. I have a couple of similar 7" LCD monitors but they don't have a HDMI input. I'm not bothered about image quality (on the monitor) just want to be sure of the framing I thought if I could use a quick connection between camera and monitor to square up the framing, then pull it out of the camera and let it go.

I find the LCD backPack to have been one of the best investments I have made.

Like others I simply bought a GoPro as an inexpensive specialized tool for 1 specific job (mounting to a motorbike for 1 project), but have found the GoPro comes with me on every shoot these days as it is so versatile.

The LCD backpack makes the camera more bulky (so its not as discrete), and heavier (which is not good for extreme sports stuff), and draws more battery power (though it can be turned off).

For 90% of the shots I can just look at the screen mounted to the GoPro and decide if the framing is good or not. Once I am happy with the framing I simply remove the LCD, and swap out the back panel (takes less than 30 seconds to do this). So long as you don't change the mounting then the shot stays the same.

For 10% of the shots I have to mount it on a canoe, or some place inaccessible. So all I do is set it up in the general direction, roll some video, stop it, take the camera out of the case and review it. Generally after 2 or 3 shots I'll get the shot I want and then set it up without the LCD.

All the above works well in situations where you have time to set up your shots.

Space and weight is premium to me; so I prefer the LCD screen over having to lug around an external monitor and its batteries.

Hi George

The skeleton case is exactly the same size as the waterproof case..Only difference is it has cutouts on the back and on the sides..if you don't need the waterproof case you could just drill a big hole where the plug needs to go....the normal monitors use the video out plug (top of the camera side ..just a 2.5mm plug.

Of course I just plug in the monitor, frame it up, then un-plug it at weddings and use the same monitor during the ceremony on my A-Camera so I can watch framing while I'm shooting cutaways with the B-cam!! Quality isn't that good but at least I can see if the camera has been accidentally bumped and the framing is out...I probably use it on the GoPro for a minute, purely to adjust framing so the monitor has a dual purpose and on the A-Cam it saves me having to run back to the tripod and squint into the EVF (mine don't have LCD's as it's part of the EVF)... From maybe 10' away I can ascertain that all is well and continue using the B-Cam.

Chris

Thanks for your input Simon though you can probably appreciate that the situations I want to cover at weddings are somewhat different as I'll probably be placing it high in the air on a stand or shoved in a corner or against a back wall with no line of sight to the back and difficult to shoot, check and then replace exactly. The monitor I'm considering is self powered and weighs only 600gms. so not a great deal extra to carry I just need to be certain of the connection to the camera before I order one. I'm still unclear as to whether or not it will connect direct to the HDMI socket on the camera or if I need the skeleton case even when using a HDMI cable.

I may be being too cautious but when I use the CX550 in this way even though it has got a screen which I can angle to see the view it still takes some manipulating to get the shot set up to get exactly what I want so that I don't chop heads or other body parts.

http://gopro.com/hd-hero-accessories/wi-fi-bacpac/ to send the image to your smartphone wirelessly.
http://gopro.com/camera-accessories/hd-skeleton-housing/ run a cable from the camera into a small monitor.1 - I don't have a smart phone
You don't need a smart phone. It could be a tablet or video iPod. GoPro also talk about streaming video to the Internet so I am guessing that any computer would be able to display he image perhaps one of those little netbooks would be suitable
2 - That housing looks a bit cumbersome and will draw attention. I was hoping for a more discrete way of maybe attaching a small HDMI monitor. It looks from the information on the site that there is a mini socket on the side. I only want to use it for initial set-up not leave it connected. I am wondering if something like this might work:
Lilliput UK · 668GL-70NP/H/Y · 7 inch field monitor with HDMI and internal battery (http://www.lilliputuk.com/monitors/hdmi/668gl/)The naked GoPro doesn't have a tripod screw or any other means of holding the camera which doesn't matter for many uses of course as you want to keep it in its protective waterproof case. The skeleton housing is like the waterproof housing in that you can use it to attach the GoPro to various mounts but it also allows the A/V cables to be connected.

I can confirm HDMI out to my 10.2" cheapo portable LCD screen displays what the GoPro sees/is recording. This is the monitor 10'' HDMI monitor media player, with 1024*600 resolution, support VGA input,HDMI inpu (http://www.aliexpress.com/store/product/Free-shipping-Hot-Sale-10-HDMI-monitor-media-player-with-1024-600-resolution-support-VGA-input/803292_431619737.html) I am sure that other cheapo LCD monitors with HDMI connections will work fine too.

Thanks Nigel, that's very helpful.

John, Nigel, and George:

I bought the WiFi Combo Kit for the specific reason of monitoring/controlling the GoPros on my phone and tablet. However, there is no app now (even though the packaging claims otherwise), no live streaming, and no bluetooth. None of this is due out until the fall at the earliest. So, all the wifi bacpac does is start/stop recording via the remote. A total ripoff, and lots of people (including me) are furious over these false claims by GoPro. I returned it.

I'm wondering if the WiFi function will ever be available :- (

The reason is that although ways have been found to shoot stills direct to the Ipad, no-one has yet to my knowledge figured out how to do the same with video even though there would be a huge demand from Ipad3 owners (like me) who want to use the Ipad as a monitor.

Seems like GoPro may have jumped the gun and cannot actually deliver. I'd settle for an Android only App as then I could at least use my Galaxy S3 which has a decent 4.8" screen.

That monitor Nigel linked to looks decent. I was on the point of clicking to order then decided to check out the Lilliput range. The Lilliput 5DII version is quite affordable if you buy on Ebay and has a fold out screen shade. And at 7" rather than 10" it would suit me better - the Ipad is of course about 10" and that seems very big to me. Decisions.

Meanwhile I think I had a narrow escape as I ordered the GoPro WiFi kit but it was lost in the post and the vendor has refunded me. Phew!

BTW the field of view you get with the GoPro is not a lot different to that of the Canon 15mm fisheye (though the distortion is a lot different). I've had the old version which is f2.8 for many years. Its so wide and the f-stop so open that you don't need to worry about focusing much. I use it a lot for 1st dances as it can perform in very low light on the 5DII. And its good for inclusive atmospheric scene establishing shots at any stage of the day. Big difference in maintenance though - the GoPro replacement lens is £10 whereas when I got the vunerable front element of my 15mm replaced it was into the £hundreds.

Pete

I'm wondering if the WiFi function will ever be available :- (

The reason is that although ways have been found to shoot stills direct to the Ipad, no-one has yet to my knowledge figured out how to do the same with video even though there would be a huge demand from Ipad3 owners (like me) who want to use the Ipad as a monitor.It's not strictly using the whole full screen of the iPad as a monitor but the new Canon WFT-E6 (for C300 & 1DX) & WFT-E7 (for 5D3) wireless widgets allow you to access & control the cameras just using a web browser & ad hoc WiFi connection so can be used with an iPhone or iPad. At a slightly cheaper level the Parrot AR.Drone quadricopter streams a heads-up view from its on-board HD camera to the iPhone/iPad/Android app controlling it AR.Drone 2.0. Parrot new wi-fi quadricopter- AR.Drone 2.0 Parrot new wi-fi quadricopter - Fly with iPhone and iPad, Record videos in HD, Share on YouTube (http://ardrone2.parrot.com/ar-drone-2/hd-camera-720p/). So there is no fundamental technical obstacle to GoPro doing something similar.
[/QUOTE]

Thanks - thats great news!

Pete

Has anybody used these with the Hero2?

Eye-Fi card PAGE 2 for the HD Hero camera (http://www.eyeofmine.com/gopro/eye-fi-2.html)

Supplementary question, I tried to monitor out from the composite/video out socket on the side of the Hero2 but I get a scrambled picture. I am in UK and have set it in the PAL format. I can't find anything to indicate that I need any other set up to monitor through that socket, has anybody else found this or have a solution?

I have an Eye-Fi card on its way to me as I'm also interested in their use in the 5DII for both stills and video - and possibly the little Pannys as well. It doesn't look too promising for the 5DII as Eye-Fi only supports SD cards rather than CF cards but some people have had success using SD to CF adapters so I've ordered a couple of versions of those as well.

I've now got another GoPro WiFi pack following Nigel's post and a reassuring discussion with a main dealer in the UK. So far so good. A real pain updating everything but that may be something to do with Cineform's connection with GoPro. I've used Cineform off and on for a few years and always found their updating procedures awkward and infuriating (though the support is quick).

Pete

Pete, Please keep us posted with your opinion of the Eye-Fi card.

I've got a photographer buddy who bought a GoPro (I think V2) a few weeks ago and he's going to let me borrow it to check out the HD Video capabilities so I can see how well it interchanges with my NX5U footage.

I went to the GoPro site and viewed their demo video, and I will say it is very impressive. Grant it, it's at something like 600x400 resolution on the web... I'm really curious to see the 1080 footage on a HDTV and my timeline in Premiere.

I saw BandH offers a package that includes a steadicam for the thing, and footage I saw of that looked pretty impressive as well, for being <$400 total.

Well I used it at the wedding yesterday but found it difficult to aim without a monitor when using on a high stand or in awkward positions, I definitely need to be able to see what it is 'seeing'. I used the medium angle as the full wide image looked too distorted at the edges for anything other than a special effect or novelty shot and I'd only use such a shot once or twice. Having to take a guess at what would be included resulted in getting either too much foreground or too much ceiling and even a slight off-horizontal is an exaggerated slope.
Does anybody have any helpful tips for getting a good aim when the camera is in a position which is not easy to reach.

With a nod towards Kyles reservations, the quality is fine on computer but on a large TV it is noticeable different to regular footage and in anything other than perfect lighting it is soft and grainy, and the auto-only exposure burns out highlights; some way of locking exposure would be helpful.

My initial conclusion is that for it's designed use, getting otherwise difficult or impossible or cool funky shots and putting them into productions that will be viewed online it is perfect but disappointing for quality use in HD which will be viewed on large screen TV.

My initial conclusion is that for it's designed use, getting otherwise difficult or impossible or cool funky shots and putting them into productions that will be viewed online it is perfect but disappointing for quality use in HD which will be viewed on large screen TV.I refer the honourable gentleman to my reply #16 earlier in this thread where I reached the same conclusion.

[QUOTE=
Supplementary question, I tried to monitor out from the composite/video out socket on the side of the Hero2 but I get a scrambled picture. I am in UK and have set it in the PAL format. I can't find anything to indicate that I need any other set up to monitor through that socket, has anybody else found this or have a solution?[/QUOTE]

I had the same problem. Couldn't find any reported issues but for the heck of it downloaded the latest firmware update - Viola - it now works!

Hi George and Nigel

Just bear in mind that the original post was about using a GoPro for Renton's ski holiday not as a primary wedding camera....if that worked my equipment costs would plummet...!!

I always place a GoPro on a Church balcony but I often don't even use the footage...It makes a nice establishing shot before the wedding and if the MOB walks in front of my main camera in the aisle so I have 30 seconds of her ample behind in my viewfinder I can use 30 seconds of the Hero footage as a cover shot. It obviously also depends on the lighting in the Church... UK Churches do have a tendency to be very dark, so if my main cameras were going to struggle then I wouldn't even bother with the Hero.

For me it's very little extra effort to set up the balcony cam and it has already saved my bacon once!!

Chris

Thanks Art, I'll try that, I hadn't updated the firmware as I understood that it was only necessary to use the WiFi app, but I'll give it a try.

Chris, I appreciate what you say, I never intended it to be my main, or even 'B' source. I don't know how Philip will go on when he attempts a GoPro only wedding.

I read across in the GoPro threads that you've removed the dome from the case to prevent fogging, would you advise doing that; looking through my footage from Saturday I can see that it fogged after 15 minutes or so, that footage is completely shot.
I might end up just using this for car chase footage as they speed off from the church to the reception.

Oh, the overhead shots during the dancing are good though I should have gone for full wide. Still this was just just the first outing.

Hi George

The dome on only my skeleton housing is removed...if the weather is bad I'll use the waterproof one ...Someone else suggested using the camera totally removed from the case so I met the idea halfway and the last shoot definately had no fogging. However I never used any of the footage!!

Yeah you do need to update the firmware for video video..it never occured to tell you as I did an update a while back and video out was fine.

I did a videoshoot at a golf resort in June and we had the use of little electric carts to use to speed around the course...as we sped off around the greens and fairways I realised I never bought the Hero ...talk about dumb!!! I have more shoots there in the new season so I'll make sure the cam is fastened to the cart straight after the reception!!

Chris

Chris.

I don't get outdoor weddings here (well I have had one) so all of my use would be indoors so the weather wouldn't be a problem, but you, or someone, mentioned that the coating on the lens is very susceptible to scratching, that worries me, I guess it means extremely careful handling as without the dome it is very vulnerable. How do you attach it when using it without the case?

Following Art's advise I'm attempting to upgrade the firmware. I say attempting 'cause this is my fourth try and the fourth 'Firmware Update Failed' notice. I've read that this updating procedure is a big problem, any tips?

Hi George

I updated a while back and as far as I remember it works OK!! Maybe someone else has tips....I think I'll stick with using the camera inside a skeleton case with the dome off (I also drilled a few holes in the top and bottom to create an airflow) With the Dome off the lens is pretty protected still.

I'm not too sure how they attach a bare camera...double sided tape??? The skeleton housing works great!!

I'll try mine with the latest update and see if it updates OK and let you know!

Chris

...
Following Art's advise I'm attempting to upgrade the firmware. I say attempting 'cause this is my fourth try and the fourth 'Firmware Update Failed' notice. I've read that this updating procedure is a big problem, any tips?

It didn't work for me so I emailed them and they sent me the file to install...straightforward...

Thanks Renton.

I've just turned off the UAC and Avast! and it worked. It must have been firewall/antivirus that was stopping it. Firmware updated.


addendum: I've tried it on the monitor but I'm still getting a scrambled picture.

Hi Guys

I couldn't update Version 8.1 at all. I put a 32GB card in and also disabled UAC, Antivirus and the Firewall and it still comes up with an error.

George?? Doesn't appear that yours worked either if the image is still scrambled!!!

Chris

It tells me that it is up to date. First off I should have realised that the update set it back to shipping default (NTSC) but I changed it back to PAL 1080p25 but still not good.
Chris was your composite image okay to begin with or did you have to do the original update first before you could see it?

For anyone who may be interested in my latest outing with the Hero2 I've posted some comments (and pictures) and asked some questions over on the Gopro forum.

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/new-micro-pov-camera-systems/502901-gopro-hero2-replay-1080xd-general-use-2.html#post1743719 #24

I'd be interested in comments from anyone who uses GoPros for theatre work if they have come across similar situations and if they have found a solution or a better way of using them.

Just to show that there are circumstances in which I think the GoPro can be a great asset when shooting a wedding here is our latest highlights video from a large Jewish wedding we filmed at the Riverside Plaza Hotel in London a few weeks ago. The Thames Room where the ceremony was held is wonderfully well lit with vast windows overlooking the river. I put a GoPro up in the chuppah looking down & you can see at 2:40, 2:50, 3:00 & 3:05 that in good light the image quality of the GoPro is pretty decent. The point of view certainly makes for a great shot of the groom stamping on the glass. At 3:00 you can spot another GoPro on a GorillaPod fixed on the metal rail in front of the window behind the chuppah. The sharp-eyed among you will also have spotted Lord Jonathan Sacks the Chief Rabbi officiating.

Talia and Daniel on Vimeo

Nigel. In contrast to the problematic GoPro images I got at the theatre shoot these shots are very impressive, in fact they look to my eyes clearer than the shots surrounding them. Just goes to show that in good lighting GoPros work very well.
Just a side point, is there a reason for the cool blue grading in some of the shots, it stands out noticeably against the 'truer' colours of the GoPro.

Hi George

I agree too!! The Hero looks really pristine..I guess the difference might be that the main cameras might have a colour profile that creates a "cinematic look" whilst the GoPro only can produce a "video look" ..The cinematic look if often made (intentionally) a lot more contrasty hence the difference.

I'm sure Nigel will tell you the reason. He shoots on a range of cams including the new Canon 5D III

It really is a big ask to expect the Hero to perform well in a dark and contrasty theatre...Dunno about the UK, but here a GoPro is a mere 1/17th of the price of a JVC HM750 with Fuji lens!!! My Hero cost me $399 and an HM750 here is around $6850 (before tax too!!)

The nice thing is you can add them without breaking the bank and you don't HAVE to use the footage but more and more I find myself adding in the GoPro footage here and there cos I love it!!!

Chris

We had already picked that up as it looks like Vimeo compression accentuated the colour differences that we were aware of between the clips but looked near enough in Premiere. While the Thames Room was very well lit by daylight it was a blustery day so clouds were whizzing across the sun so maintaining correct white balance (& exposure) was a bit of a nightmare. The GoPro auto-everything actually handled it pretty well although it was a bit too heavily saturated compared to the other cameras. We have re-visited the colour correction & got it a lot more even now.

The GoPro works very well in bright daylight which is why all the surfing & snowboarding videos shot with it look so good.

Hi Nigel

Yeah that would change it quite a lot. You also have to remember that a bride wouldn't pick that up in a thousand years cos she is looking at what's going on during her wedding not technical issues. Regardless, I think you did a really nice job there, the bride must be pretty happy!!

Just for interest what were the other cameras in the shoot??

Chris

Hi Nigel

Yeah that would change it quite a lot. You also have to remember that a bride wouldn't pick that up in a thousand years cos she is looking at what's going on during her wedding not technical issues. Regardless, I think you did a really nice job there, the bride must be pretty happy!!The bride was very particular & we had several iterations before she was totally happy but just received this from her in an email
I am EXTREMELY happy with the video and Alice has very kindly given her time and dedication to use her professional skills to perfect this video! I absolutely love it now and feel that it really incorporates everyone's emotions, the atmosphere of the event and the beauty of the environment. The video totally builds up the Bedekken and Chuppah so amazingly!!

Just for interest what were the other cameras in the shoot??

ChrisLots!:-) We are not Jewish & had never even attended a Jewish wedding until about 18 months ago. They are hard work but such fun. We have since shot six or seven very traditional Orthodox weddings all on a similar scale (5* London hotel & 250+ guests) & have another couple booked for later this year. Apart from Alice & myself there were two other camera operators & we used at various times Canon 5D2, 5D3, XF105 & C300. With all that is going on at these large Jewish weddings it's really not over the top to throw so many resources at them & is a nice chance to break out the big crane & other gear that we usually don't get a chance to use at smaller weddings.

My comment wasn't meant as a challenge it was an observation.

It was images like those of yours Nigel that convinced me to buy a GoPro when I saw what they could achieve and yes Chris it was a bit unrealistic to expect it to achieve those sort of images in every situation, as I mentioned to you previously at £180 it cost less than a battery for my cameras.

Now that I am able to monitor the framing it is much easier to place, the footage from yesterday's wedding is a lot more useful. I used the skeleton case with the dome removed and there is none of the fogging that I got previously when it was encased in the waterproof bubble.

It looks as if I'm staring to admire this little thing as much as other enthusiasts.

Nigel. You must have been posting as I wrote my last piece so I've only just read you description of shooting the Jewish wedding which is of interest to me as as I will be shoot one next month. In all the years I've been doing weddings this will be the first Jewish one. I'm very concerned now as there will just be two of us doing it, though my colleague has done many so she should know her way around. Perhaps I need to get a few more Heros to dot around the place.

George, not all Jewish weddings are as large as that one as some are even larger:-) If you have never attended one before then do some reading up beforehand. It's straightforward but there are various traditional parts that if you are not anticipating then you could miss. There are certain shots that you will absolutely want to get e.g. just like the ring shot or first kiss in a church wedding the stamping on the glass shot is essential. Once you have done one or two then it's not such a mystery any more & you won't get ambushed by something happening unexpectedly. Luckily when we did our first one the very helpful photographer took us under his wing & guided us as to what was happening & where we should be for various essential portions. We really enjoy filming Jewish weddings as there is so much to film, lots of people beautiful locations & decorations. Rather like all the beautiful colourful saris at Indian weddings it's all a bit of a gift to the videographer. The dancing is very exuberant. Don't be hesitant in getting up close to get your shots. We still suffer from a bit of reserve after being ordered around by vicars & registrars but the participants & celebrants really do want the photographers & videographers to get the best possible shots & it is not only permissible but encouraged & expected that you will be right up close under the chuppah. Jewish weddings are wonderful joyous family occasions that are hard continuous work from afternoon to midnight but very satisfying to film & lovely when you get to review all the super footage that you have once back in the editing suite. Rather than hijack this thread even further drop me an email & I can answer any questions you may have. nigel@alicebarkerimages.com

I borrowed a Hero2 version yesterday for a wedding I was shooting in the evening. At the rehearsal, I learned that the unity candle was at what I consider an odd angle, about 30 degrees facing away from the guests, so when that was going on, no one could see their faces or anything.

This was one of our larger weddings, nearly 600 guests, with 26 people in the wedding party (combined with musicians and guest readers, at one point there were 35-40 people on stage at one time) Due to the number of people on stage combined with church restrictions on movement, there was no way for a camera man to be on stage getting face shots.

So, I knew the only way to possibly see them do this unity candle would be with a GoPro.

It was provided to me by a friend in the plastic case that comes with the kit, I guess. It had a tap on the bottom for a tripod plate, so I attached a spare Bogen 501 head plate to it. Then I just sat it on the organ right beside the unity candle facing at it. I didn't have time to do a test shot to make sure it was framed well (The LCD would definately be an accessory to buy).

Anyways, I only needed it for that 10 seconds or so and it delivered. It got an amazing shot, and the colors don't look that bad at all. It mixes in nicely with the NX5U, XHA1, and XA10 footage.

I had it set on the narrower angle,127(?) because the 170 was way to wide when I tested it at home.

I think I'm going to pick one up for just such an occassion. Also on stage, there was no where to put a tripod either, especially without the risk of it getting bumped by one of the 40 people up there!

I saw some people posting about fogging. This GoPro2 ran for 47 minutes constantly. When it was done, it was very very warm, but there was no fogging on the lens dome or anything.

I used the GoPro Hero 2 for the first time at a wedding last Saturday and the results are fantastic :- ) The previous weddings I've shot since acquiring this cam did not have suitable layouts.

I should qualify that by adding that the church in question, while not light, is lighter than most and so the collapse in performance that some users have reported did not come into play.

It is a large old church and the interior design is such that finding decent shooting positions is very difficult indeed. Add to that a celebrant who does not like persons of our ilk :- )

I had one locked down cam at the very rear and that would at least record the ceremony though on its own not be terribly interesting. I had another small cam clamped to a choir pew and hidden by the pew end, unmanned as it was inaccessible during the service, to get the couples upper bodies. They were obscured much of the time by the rear of the celebrant but there is some nice usable stuff. I had a further cam on a lightstand mainly for doing cutaways to the guests in this 200 guest ceremony. And a 5DII suitably tricked out on my shoulder.

But the real icing on the cake was that I was able to place a gopro on a small stone ledge on a pillar about three feet over eye height and and about four yards from the couple. The altar was to the left of the field of view, the church entrance to the right, and the couple smack in the middle - so it was a side to side view rather than a front to back view if you see what I mean.

There were around 20 choir people and another 20 bridesmaids groomsmen etc and as the choir streamed past and the bride made her entrance followed by the bridal party it looked just great.

I'm particularly pleased because this footage turns what could have been a very limited and uninteresting coverage into something unique.

I was shooting video only rather than my normal stills and video - the couple had already booked their photographer before a friend recommended me to them. There were two photographers and it was interesting to see how they worked in the particular set of circumstances. They missed a lot of opportunities for sure, even taking into account the restrictions on movement. But crucially they had no hope of getting anything like the the shots I have from the cam on the front pew and of course the GoPro. The conditions were just light enough that I can take decent stills from that footage. They were limited to one shooting with a 70-200 from the back of the church and the other trying to shoot through the choirs heads to get the odd image of the couples faces. And the ring exchange ..... forget it for them whereas I have the lot :- )

Nigel's AR Drone thread has put some naughty thoughts into my head:

http://www.dvinfo.net/forum/new-micro-pov-camera-systems/509232-parrot-ar-drone-2-0-a.html

Since these devices can fly inside and you can attach a GoPro (and have it shoot a series of stills in addition to video) how about flying one in a church :- ) Only for the really awkward celebrants though! "Wassup mate, you got a problem with that?" Or buzz the togs who don't know what they are doing. Ha Ha.

Pete

Hi Peter

The first time I used on in a Church (it was actually on a lighting stand on the upper balcony so I got a semi aerial shot of the entire wedding) it really did surprise me!! I loved the footage and used it extensively and it came really handy when the main camera in the aisle was blocked by the mothers going up to light candles and people going up to the lectern to do readings. A quick cutaway to the high angle and then back to the main camera worked a treat!!

I actually had a Parrot but sold it as it was horribily unreliable!! They are a lot noisier than you think too..I don't think the priest would be too happy with the noise level or distraction...the 4 rotors spin pretty fast and generate a fair amount of noise. They are reasonably silent and 100' or more but you don't want to be that high and have the guests and bridal party look like ants!! Now if you look in the main GoPro forum the helium balloon idea would be totally silent but you still would have to get approval from the Church!!

I'm not really sure that a birds eye view would be the best angle to shoot at... If you had the time, a large ladder before the wedding and a few discretely placed cameras high up certainly would work but I find that the nicest "high angle" is probably no more than around 5 metres with the cam inclined about 30 degrees down from horizontal.

Chris

Yes I was jesting about the chopper Chris :- ) Could make a good April fools joke on an unsuspecting celebrant!

I think I'll be using the GoPro footage extensivly from this particular wedding, it really is terrific. I agree about not being too high - too much risk of the result looking similar to surveillance footage - I am aiming to have it not much more than eye high so that the altitude is sufficient to avoid standing guests featuring in the immediate foreground but not so high as to appear unnatural. At around 7 to 8 feet it can really give a feel for being there.

I'm tempted by the flying cams but in reality I'd probably only use them for a few seconds of establishing shots of venue exteriors and even then I would be at the mercy of the weather conditions, position of expensive parked cars etc. Looks great fun though especially if the range can be extended. I've been watching stuff where flyers have used model aircraft rather than copter types and they seem to have a lot more capaciity per $ Flying radio controlled model aircraft takes me back to being a kid. I wonder how guests would react to a miniature Stuka or Zero appearing out of the clouds :- )

Pete

How about something like this to back down the aisle as the bride walks in.

Well...back to the very first post on this thread...just back from a weeks skiing during which I tried my GoPro out extensively...every man and his dog seemed to have one on the slopes...not quite, but there were a good number of them. There has been a shortage of accessaries in NZ...obviously they are a demand item...

Worked out a way of doing a multi-camera shoot using only one camera...will post up a couple of minutes when I've had time to edit it all together. Unfortunately my chest mount didn't arrive in time to take with me but I got quite a few different angles never the less. Suction cup mount on a ski worked quite well...needed to very fine sand the ski surface to make sure it hung on tight...that footage needs stablising in post as it bounced around a bit...Unfortunately also, my LCD BacPac didn't turn up before I left, so I was only able to check the framing at the end of the day.

Came across an idea that could be helpful. The camera comes mounted on a black flat plate in its box. That plate with its mount could be used as a very stable mount for some situations. Don't throw it out. Perhaps some little half dome rubber feet could be put in each corner of the square plate to lift it slightly off a surface...

Hi Renton

Great..looking forward to the footage!!!

Yeah I kept by base plate as well..not quite sure what to use it on at the moment but it is very neat if you simply want to film from any flat surface...it sits and the feet grip nicely on my dining table as well as my coffee table so if you wanted to capture casual footage in a room it would be a useful mount.

The Outdoor version comes with a strap that goes around your head so you have a head/helmet mount..did you try that one. Wow!! on an actual ski should be quite dramatic footage!! I seriously wouldn't stabilise that one at all..as a viewer would expect it to bounce around and that would add to the action!!

Keep us posted!!

Chris