GoPro Hero 4 Black replacement lens

Airpower · Apr 16, 2017

I know 10mp is low but the sensor is 8.4mp. I've tried two 16mp 3.97mm lenses but they have much worse edge sharpness than the 16mp gitup2 4.35mm lens which I currently use with no jello and no super mount. I don't believe there is any gain in getting a higher megapixel rated lens than the 4K sensor can do(8.4mp). So I would much rather go for what gives me acceptable even edge sharpness. I know this is like splitting peas but I'm really obsessive with quality as I'm trying to build a professional business out of this. I have learned that there is no such thing as a perfect lens, but for $10 I'm excited to try this 10mp 4.35mm.

speatuk I have been looking on AliExpress and just cannot find the super mount. I have searched GoPro super mount - GoPro mount - GoPro lens mount - GoPro s mount - m12 mount.. I even searched down the list of GoPro accessories for like half an hour. Any ideas? It would make me feel a lot better having a more secure lens, especially if I'm changing lens during a shoot

speatuk · Apr 17, 2017

Airpower said:
I know 10mp is low but the sensor is 8.4mp. I've tried two 16mp 3.97mm lenses but they have much worse edge sharpness than the 16mp gitup2 4.35mm lens which I currently use with no jello and no super mount. I don't believe there is any gain in getting a higher megapixel rated lens than the 4K sensor can do(8.4mp). So I would much rather go for what gives me acceptable even edge sharpness. I know this is like splitting peas but I'm really obsessive with quality as I'm trying to build a professional business out of this. I have learned that there is no such thing as a perfect lens, but for $10 I'm excited to try this 10mp 4.35mm.

speatuk I have been looking on AliExpress and just cannot find the super mount. I have searched GoPro super mount - GoPro mount - GoPro lens mount - GoPro s mount - m12 mount.. I even searched down the list of GoPro accessories for like half an hour. Any ideas? It would make me feel a lot better having a more secure lens, especially if I'm changing lens during a shoot

Please see post #5 in this thread. Direct link

Airpower · Apr 17, 2017

I checked the link but that mount looks no different than the average gopro mount, with threads only on the bottom half. Compared to pictures of the pea productions super mount you can see threading going all the way to top. If you think it is still more secure than stock that is still an advantage that would make it worth purchasing for only a quarter of the price of peau mount.

pyrate · Apr 17, 2017

Airpower said:
I know 10mp is low but the sensor is 8.4mp. I've tried two 16mp 3.97mm lenses but they have much worse edge sharpness than the 16mp gitup2 4.35mm lens which I currently use with no jello and no super mount. I don't believe there is any gain in getting a higher megapixel rated lens than the 4K sensor can do(8.4mp). So I would much rather go for what gives me acceptable even edge sharpness. I know this is like splitting peas but I'm really obsessive with quality as I'm trying to build a professional business out of this. I have learned that there is no such thing as a perfect lens, but for $10 I'm excited to try this 10mp 4.35mm.

speatuk I have been looking on AliExpress and just cannot find the super mount. I have searched GoPro super mount - GoPro mount - GoPro lens mount - GoPro s mount - m12 mount.. I even searched down the list of GoPro accessories for like half an hour. Any ideas? It would make me feel a lot better having a more secure lens, especially if I'm changing lens during a shoot

In the end its about results
I had a 40 buck 4.4 cheap lens and was wowed by it. changed it myself and it was good. But I am totally happy with the results I got from my Peau
Clients seem pretty happy too

Airpower · Apr 17, 2017

I really like the peau 3.97mm but i kept getting bad samples. I told them my lens couldn't adequately focus edge to edge with video evidence so i mailed them back that lens and they sent me a replacement. The replacement has even worse focus that is biased towards the left side. So while im sure you can get great results and I've seen them, peau wouldnt replace the replacement they gave me, which they atleast couldve sent me that first lens back, and $140 is alot. I was able to still use that lens perfectly if shot in 2.7k and medium FOV, but for some jobs ive had to take pictures which use the native 4:3 aspect ratio, and then i pixel peep and realize how blurry it is especially on one side. Just wish i could try some more samples becuase i love the way the lens looks, it flares wonderfully, their new 3.37mm lens has a wider fov and the lens flare is very spiky. All subjective as to what you want.
Maybe I'm just too demanding

speatuk · Apr 18, 2017

Airpower said:
I checked the link but that mount looks no different than the average gopro mount, with threads only on the bottom half. Compared to pictures of the pea productions super mount you can see threading going all the way to top. If you think it is still more secure than stock that is still an advantage that would make it worth purchasing for only a quarter of the price of peau mount.

I can assure you I got one from
that link and it is threaded all the way it's on my number 2 H4B sorry I can't show photos of it, I would have to strip the camera down.

jetsetwilly · Apr 18, 2017

Ordered the 3.8 from 4k lens, how long does it normally take as says upto 60 days ?

Thanks

speatuk · Apr 18, 2017

It took 4 weeks to uk.
But then again it's coming to you slow boat. So "up to 60 days" is a probability

jetsetwilly · Apr 18, 2017

Thanks

Airpower · Apr 18, 2017

Well the 3.8 still takes sanding the heatsink in order to focus all the way right?

I'll take your word for it speatuk on that mount, having that will make me sleep better at night!
EDIT: bought the mount, thank you speatuk!

pyrate · Apr 18, 2017

Airpower said:
I really like the peau 3.97mm but i kept getting bad samples. I told them my lens couldn't adequately focus edge to edge with video evidence so i mailed them back that lens and they sent me a replacement. The replacement has even worse focus that is biased towards the left side. So while im sure you can get great results and I've seen them, peau wouldnt replace the replacement they gave me, which they atleast couldve sent me that first lens back, and $140 is alot. I was able to still use that lens perfectly if shot in 2.7k and medium FOV, but for some jobs ive had to take pictures which use the native 4:3 aspect ratio, and then i pixel peep and realize how blurry it is especially on one side. Just wish i could try some more samples becuase i love the way the lens looks, it flares wonderfully, their new 3.37mm lens has a wider fov and the lens flare is very spiky. All subjective as to what you want.
Maybe I'm just too demanding

They installed mine, so it could be they cherry pick good ones for the ones they put in, who knows
but I agree on the flair. I like it on this lens better. So many stock gopros are out of focus you can see it on peoples videos. but most don't even notice it. I understand where your coming from, if you are not happy with it, it is never right

jetsetwilly · Apr 26, 2017

3.8 Lens arrived today. I normally have gopro set to 2.7k 60fps medium, do I leave it on medium or change to wide?

Thanks

speatuk · Apr 26, 2017

Wide mate. You won't get the legs in shot don't forget to focus it.
I have a 55" LCD and I use a 3m long hdmi cable then focus it to the woods at the bottom of my garden about 600m away.

jetsetwilly · Apr 26, 2017

Thanks mate

David Boulanger · Apr 27, 2017

pyrate said:
In the end its about results
I had a 40 buck 4.4 cheap lens and was wowed by it. changed it myself and it was good. But I am totally happy with the results I got from my Peau
Clients seem pretty happy too

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No problem with those antennas on the building tops. They always scare me a bit. Nice work!

yarrr · Apr 27, 2017

Airpower said:
I really like the peau 3.97mm but i kept getting bad samples. I told them my lens couldn't adequately focus edge to edge with video evidence so i mailed them back that lens and they sent me a replacement. The replacement has even worse focus that is biased towards the left side. So while im sure you can get great results and I've seen them, peau wouldnt replace the replacement they gave me, which they atleast couldve sent me that first lens back, and $140 is alot. I was able to still use that lens perfectly if shot in 2.7k and medium FOV, but for some jobs ive had to take pictures which use the native 4:3 aspect ratio, and then i pixel peep and realize how blurry it is especially on one side. Just wish i could try some more samples becuase i love the way the lens looks, it flares wonderfully, their new 3.37mm lens has a wider fov and the lens flare is very spiky. All subjective as to what you want.
Maybe I'm just too demanding

I'm also very disappointed with the performance of the Peau 3.97 on a Hero 4, purchased as a package and focused by Peau.

It's very blurry on the edges, and their suggestion was to refocus the edges first. This makes the entire image unusable.

I'm back to using my Hero 3 Black with a Chinese 5.4mm that I installed myself.

jetsetwilly · May 13, 2017

Either my focus is out or a got a bad sample

Zzz · May 15, 2017

jetsetwilly said:
Either my focus is out or a got a bad sample

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Did you focus the lens using an HDMI monitor? Some of your shots are pretty crisp in the center and soft on the edges. Not sure what can be done about that because of the largish fixed aperture. You might try focusing it on a distant target?

Or it could be a bad lens.

jetsetwilly · May 16, 2017

Will have another go at focussing the lens when the weather improves. Raining here at the moment

jetsetwilly · May 18, 2017

Checked focussing on my 55" tv and it is perfect.

Checked the raw gopro footage and that is sharper and pans are smooth so looks like an editing issue.

I use Adobe Premiere Elements 15 so if anyone else is familiar with this software could I have some tips please