GoPro HERO4 Black/Silver update v4.0

[pyrate]

just a comical observation, not directed at the constructive conversationolist here. Following with interest.

for months now

GOPRO SUX NO SHUTTER CONTROL, CANT USE IT AS A "REAL" CAMERA"

Firmware releases with all that control

The Average Gopro User

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

^^ Yep. I've had to learn more about cameras this week than I have for the last 10 years being fat dumb and happy in automatic.

 

[Perry Lawrence]

An ND32 filter becomes your bare minimum for a bright sunny days when using a manually set 180 degree shutter.

Yes! Very glad I got the PolarPro 6 pack!

 

[pyrate]

I have not tried it yet, but does the 60fps with a 120 setting really look any better than a 60Fps with a filter on auto?

 

[Pedals2Paddles]

I'm not sure "better" is neccessarily the right word. Nor would it necessarily be fair to say using auto is universally bad. It probably depends on what you want to accomplish, the lighting conditions, direction of flight, etc. I haven't had the daylight to produce a this-vs-that, but it's on my to-do list for this weekend. My plan is to make a tower missing that flies a few quick circles up to 300ft and RTL. That way I can quickly execute the same test flight over and over, changing the filter and GoPro settings in between.

2.7K, 60fps, 1/120 exposure, ISO100, ND32 filter
vs
2.7K, 60fps, 1/240 exposure, ISO100, ND32 filter
vs
2.7K, 60fps, auto exposure, ISO400, ND8 filter
vs
2.7K, 60fps, auto exposure, ISO400, ND16 filter
vs
2.7K, 60fps, auto exposure, ISO400, ND32 filter
vs
2.7K, 60fps, auto exposure, ISO400, no filter

I'm planning to use 2.7K 60fps since I believe it's the most popular due to the higher frame rate and ability to slow down in post. I believe the end result should be comparable in 4K 30fps 1/60 vs 1/120.

 

[RichWest]

I look forward to your results and hope you have a clear day to replicate the same light test to test.

 

[pyrate]

yes that would be a great test

 

[erikgraham]

Well I like the tests, but I'm more interested in 4K results.

 

[pyrate]

time to update that most excellent resource of yours

 

[Eric Sheehan]

In my opinion, they should stay in step with GoPro firmware until last produced Solo leaves the shelf from 3DR store, be it SiteScan order or other. I'd be willing to cut a break on lingering at Best Buy/Frys/BH inventory. If 3DR are still moving internal inventory, I think an obligation/commitment is in hand not to pull out just because they are not willing to fund the staff. If they are in tight partnership with GoPro, let's do this.

 

[pyrate]

not so tight,

 

[erikgraham]

time to update that most excellent resource of yours

If you mean the GoPro sticky I wrote, I can't update it. It won't let me edit it. I can't even fix typos. Every time I make edits and save, it tells me I've exceeded the word count (even if I've actually deleted words).

But maybe I'm being presumptuous assuming you meant that for me. ;-)

 

[pyrate]

yes I was referring to your sticky, I have shared that thing a million times
shame, it cant be updated

 

[ChrisBird]

If you mean the GoPro sticky I wrote, I can't update it. It won't let me edit it. I can't even fix typos. Every time I make edits and save, it tells me I've exceeded the word count (even if I've actually deleted words).

But maybe I'm being presumptuous assuming you meant that for me. ;-)

Just create a new one, take the first x posts (just write reserved for future) so you have future update capability and ask for it to be a sticky.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[erikgraham]

Just create a new one, take the first x posts (just write reserved for future) so you have future update capability and ask for it to be a sticky.

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

Well I suppose I could also ask the admins to lift the restriction so I can edit, but the other issue is that I haven't had time to really play with the new firmware.

 

[Greg Parker]

Well I like the tests, but I'm more interested in 4K results.

The slower shutter speeds available in 4K will might be a problem even for a ND32 on a bright day.

 

[erikgraham]

The slower shutter speeds available in 4K will might be a problem even for a ND32 on a bright day.

How do you figure? Resolution has no effect on exposure.

 

[todderz]

I updated my Hero 4 Black without even thinking about it and without having seen this thread....

Same way I blindly updated Solo without seeing the warnings on another thread...

Went flying this morning. Discovered that, as reported, Go Pro wouldn't turn on automatically.

Powered on manually, and flew two batteries worth.

Had a live feed on the tablet, recording indicator showed it was recording, but it didn't record properly.

I ended up with a few clips of a few seconds each on the go pro, and a load of broken files on the tablet camera roll.

Certainly learned a lesson not to naively take the latest updates.

Now wondering whether to risk trying to rollback the gopro.

On the other hand, now 4 flights into my Solo experience and even without any recordings I'm loving it!

 

[todderz]

Just trying it again with solo sitting safely on the table in front of me.

Sometimes when I press the onscreen record button, gopro starts recording and then after 20 or 30 seconds it stops, the solo app still shows it recording but the stop button doesn't respond.

Sometimes it starts recording and continues normally for at least a couple of minutes (got bored after that)

Several times I had an android alert saying "unfortunately 3dr services has stopped". Solo app goes grey then says "Fly" and comes back to normal.

In every instance, the video file recorded to the tablet camera roll is broken and unplayable.

Something is very wrong. Makes me relieved my flights this morning didn't end with a crash.

I have Galaxy Tab S2, GoPro Hero 4 Black, with all available updates installed for Solo, Solo app, Go Pro and the tablet.

 

[ChrisBird]

Yeah. Your right. It depends on where your flying. Even the geography matters (sand/rocks, vs forrest, vs lake) because of how light is reflected differently). So maybe my assumption was too much of an assumption. All the more reason those Polar Pro ND filter sets are still worth keeping. The point about letting your shutter speed creep up above 1/60 is still valid. You'll still get jello reducing motion blur, but retain some more detail.

Reading the meta data on the photo idea is genius by the way. As long as ISO and other settings are the same so that your comparing apples to apples. I'm gonna start doing this (when I have time at a site). Even if the light changes over time, getting a good baseline using your photo meta data trick will be hugely valuable. I can adjust by gut feel if lighting changes... once I have that baseline.

Hi Erik,

LOL genius, I'll take that! My wife just laughed when I showed it to her. I just stumbled upon it a few months back, I was looking at the metadata because Mission Planner was stripping GoPro out of the desc field when geotagging photos and causing ODM to have a panic attack. I happened to see the shutter speed and thought hey thats useful. Odd thing is I've seen that a thousand time on my A5100 photos and never even thought of it for the gopro. I have used that method a few times just to see what filters get what results. Yes my photos and video ISO levels are set to the same (so it should use the same but as I understand it the ISO isn't locked on the gopro its the max ISO). Both on Medium FOV, so it should be the same or similar I would have thought.

Truthfully I don't chase the 180 degree rule in the air, I do on the ground with my A5100 but not in the air. As long as its slowed a bit so somewhere like 1/60 to 1/120 I get reasonably good footage. I think its a case of working out what filters work in what lighting / environment conditions and using the right one. I'm about to start putting my A5100 up in the air on my DIY 650. Just a bit more testing to do.

Chris