GoPro Hero 3+ Black on Tripod Settings?

[BBQDawg]

I just bought the above video camera to start recording my shoots. I don't know beans about settings on cameras. Filmed some of my practice yesterday doing Bill Drills trying to learn how to use the camera at a shoot this next Sunday. Was very disappointed in the video. It's on a tripod, and the default factory settings of 1080p SuperView 30 fps. It looked like I was a hundred miles away (though tripod only 6-7 ft behind me), too bright (late afternoon sun at my back), and just not very clear. A friend had videoed a couple shoots we were in with his GoPro 2 and they looked much better. He records from a tripod he thinks at 720 x480. Did the search on here and found one old thread where someone suggested 720 Wide at 120 fps, but think he was wearing it. I don't shoot with anyone I know well enough to ask to follow and film me (my preference), not going to wear one, and thus will use a tripod. Is anyone else using one of these with a tripod and what settings have you found to be the best overall? I want to record my shoots because when I watched the videos the friend did it showed me things I needed to improve upon I did not realize. Also I did or didn't do some things I did not realize. Thanks.

[theycallmeingot]

i don't know how much you know about this stuff, so don't be annoyed if i'm stating stuff you already know. the 1080p part is the resolution. if you're wanting the best possible picture, you want to use 1080. any lower number is simply a smaller sized video, so when it is blown up to play on a screen, it looks worse. the only reason he could be having better luck with a smaller resolution is because of other settings inherent in the resolution presets on those cameras, and not because he is using a smaller resolution.

30 fps is fine. some people record at 60fps (myself included) when wearing the cam, because stuff is moving so fast, the extra frames make the video look more fluid, in most cases, and less choppy.

the reason it looks like you are far away, is because you are probably using a wide (fisheye) setting. try using a normal field of view, 1080p 30fps setting. if you post the names of your presets here, i can help you find one you will be happy with. (i don't own a gopro, so i don't know how they package their settings.)

[DC730]

you don't need the camera so far behind you. their is a app for android devices and im sure apple as well if it has Bluetooth . download this and try it out it will give you a live preview of what the camera is seeing . if you play around with it you will get it figured out. their will always be some what have a distance problem since the camera is fish eye for wide angles but im sure you can get it better then what it is now. i would use the 1080 or above with the highest frame rate that it allows i think for 1080 its 60fps ?

[Mark R]

use 60 fps for fast action video...and I doubt you will be able to tell the difference between 720p and 1080p. Save space and use 720

[DC730]

well 1080 will capture a larger image (1920x1080 ) vs 720 (1280x720)

[Mark R]

well 1080 will capture a larger image (1920x1080 ) vs 720 (1280x720)

Larger file size too. Not a problem if you have the space.