Peau Productions 4.35mm f/2.8 GoPro Lens

[Jubalr]

So I bought this lens last week..Peau 4.35 no distortion replacement lens for the GoPro H4 BK. After getting it installed and putting it through some flights, I'm pretty impressed and will keep it on there. It appears to work as advertised with no distortion or fisheye. Here is a short video from early this morning (shadows). You can see it does a good job with the horizon. This video is taken from the mp4 on the SD card and no post editing except for trimming. Jello seem to be reduced some as well. For no post editing and no gimbal, I was pleasantly surprised.

Maybe a couple of the Pro Videographer people on here can chime in with their better eye than mine. But it looks like it will work well for mapping and surveying too.

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[Kabz]

I'm in production and I've been looking for a good example of this exact lens.
First off, what's going on 0:48 - 1:00 ?
That blue hot spot that appears in the upper-middle of shot. Very strange.
Also Did you not opt for the pink corner filter? It's noticeable even in the thumbnail.

Sharpness was the biggest factor here. Did you shoot this 1080p protune?
Not sure I love what I see, I would have to see a lot more to compare. I figure with filters, installation, pink corner fix, and the lens I'm looking at over $300 to mod my GPH4 Black.

I like the FOV, and the horizon seems fine -- it just doesn't pop. I would love to see a 4K sample clip at 30fps.

 

[Jubalr]

I'm in production and I've been looking for a good example of this exact lens.
First off, what's going on 0:48 - 1:00 ?
That blue hot spot that appears in the upper-middle of shot. Very strange.
Also Did you not opt for the pink corner filter? It's noticeable even in the thumbnail.

Sharpness was the biggest factor here. Did you shoot this 1080p protune?
Not sure I love what I see, I would have to see a lot more to compare. I figure with filters, installation, pink corner fix, and the lens I'm looking at over $300 to mod my GPH4 Black.

I like the FOV, and the horizon seems fine -- it just doesn't pop. I would love to see a 4K sample clip at 30fps.

Thanks Kabz for the input. The sharpness is the focus, which I didn't have dialed in until about 1 hr ago. Will get another video since the focus was off. The 48-1:00 min mark ir looking into the sun. This was at 7:30 this morning and as I did my 360, that was just below the sun. Haven'ty tried ProTune yet. Have to give that a look.

 

[rrmccabe]

How did you end up dialing in focus. I initially marked lens, and took photos 1 mark at time but I need to give it another go at distance to make sure.

Have to say if the gimbal fixes the shake I will love the 5.4 from a FPV standpoint. I love the extra zoom which is more realistic for navigating.

Having the 5.4 is one of the biggest reasons I have hung on to solo.

 

[Jubalr]

How did you end up dialing in focus. I initially marked lens, and took photos 1 mark at time but I need to give it another go at distance to make sure.

Have to say if the gimbal fixes the shake I will love the 5.4 from a FPV standpoint. I love the extra zoom which is more realistic for navigating.

Having the 5.4 is one of the biggest reasons I have hung on to solo.

I'm not sure if the 5.4 is mounted the same or not. But on the 4.35 you screw it on after the GoPro is re-assembled. At that point, you are supposed to focus by turning in or out. When I first went to focus it, I was having to use my big ol fingers. I would turn a little and look at the picture. Tonight I used a pair of hemostats so that I could turn it and watch the screen at the same time. It's much better now I think.

 

[rrmccabe]

Same deal but I think mine sticks out further. Just curious your method. HDMI cable to monitor. Take picture, turn it take another picture,etc.

 

[Jubalr]

Same deal but I think mine sticks out further. Just curious your method. HDMI cable to monitor. Take picture, turn it take another picture,etc.

I didn't have an HDMI cable that would fit the GoPro so I just used the live feed through the app.

 

[rrmccabe]

I started that way but was not sure the resolution loss. So put tape on lens with a mark and rotated lens taking photos. Then reviewed the photo afterwards and picked best shot and went back to that mark.

 

[KRVer]

I'm not sure if the 5.4 is mounted the same or not. But on the 4.35 you screw it on after the GoPro is re-assembled. At that point, you are supposed to focus by turning in or out. When I first went to focus it, I was having to use my big ol fingers. I would turn a little and look at the picture. Tonight I used a pair of hemostats so that I could turn it and watch the screen at the same time. It's much better now I think.

I assume you did the lens change out yourself. How long did that take and any advice to share for others considering it?

Any quick swappable lens options that you know of for the GoPro Hero 4?

Thanks!

 

[Jubalr]

I assume you did the lens change out yourself. How long did that take and any advice to share for others considering it?

Any quick swappable lens options that you know of for the GoPro Hero 4?

Thanks!

They have a video on their website on the install. It doesn't look bad, but I have a friend that does cell phone repair and let him do it since he is familiar with that type of small electronics.

 

[rrmccabe]

They have a video on their website on the install. It doesn't look bad, but I have a friend that does cell phone repair and let him do it since he is familiar with that type of small electronics.

Took me an hour. In the video they can do it in 15 minutes easy

Get some plastic loctite or use a dab of screw heads when you put it back together. Screws are short and not much to bite into.

 

[VideoArch]

I too have been looking at this lens for one of my 3+. Interesting focal length.

What I like to do with lens tests is set the GoPro to Protune shoot a still image max res of a color checker in a controlled lighting situation. Use the stock lens. Do the mode change test again with the new lens. Repeat outside. Do a wide shot, add a Checker, Pull all the stills into Photoshop look for color shifts, blooming, sharpness. Use a tripod.

You need some kind of baseline for comparison before adding the sUAV to the equation. Sure looks like it has potential though. Thanks for posting.

 

[Groom Lake]

I assume you did the lens change out yourself. How long did that take and any advice to share for others considering it?

Any quick swappable lens options that you know of for the GoPro Hero 4?

Thanks!

1 word of caution - the instructional video points out not to disconnect a particular flat cable. In my case that cable was not very secure in the first place and slipped right out. That cable connects the shutter and front buttons to the circuitry. Unless it stays secure, it seriously complicates putting the camera back together. If you don't get it right (and you just reverse the steps in the video for reassembly), you will get it all back together before discovering the shutter button doesn't work.

The only thing the Peau video doesn't show is putting it back together. Yes, you just reverse the steps...but you ARE going to drop some tiny screws, so make sure your workplace will make it easy for you to find them.

IF you are comfortable with the steps in the video you can do it yourself...but be very gentle. If you are the least bit squeamish about having a non-functional $500 camera with a $200 lens in it, you might be better to pay someone a few bucks to do it.

 

[rrmccabe]

1 word of caution - the instructional video points out not to disconnect a particular flat cable.

Yes that little cable does not lock well. Is hard to insert and put case on without pulling cable back out...

Sound familiar?

 

[Earldgrayjr]

I have a Hero 4 with the peau 5.4 with "depink" etc. It also has an internal ND4 filter, along with various external filters (ND4, ND2, polarized, etc.), and shades, The internal ND filter REALLY helps with Jello, as it lowers the shutter speed, and the others are used for blooming, water repflection etc. It is 2X zoom from stock and so takes a bit of getting used to but I am happy with it. The only issue at all is that it doesn;'t fit in the dive case, so now I use it almost exluscively for UAV.

I also have 2 more Hero 4's with stock lenses and have always wanted to take the same vids/pics side my side, but have just been to busy. Some day...

 

[rrmccabe]

I have a Hero 4 with the peau 5.4 with "depink" etc. It also has an internal ND4 filter, along with various external filters (ND4, ND2, polarized, etc.), and shades, The internal ND filter REALLY helps with Jello, as it lowers the shutter speed, and the others are used for blooming, water repflection etc. It is 2X zoom from stock and so takes a bit of getting used to but I am happy with it. The only issue at all is hat it doesn;'t fit in the dive case, so now I use it almost exluscively fior UAV.

I also have 2 more Hero4's with stock lenses and have always wanted to take pics side my side, but have just been to busy. Some day...

Is yours as shaky as mine handheld?

 

[Earldgrayjr]

Is yours as shaky as mine handheld?

I haven't really done anything with it raw handheld, but with 2X zoom, i would imagine it would be 2X shakier

I have a crane adapter and a rail dolly adaper, but nothing for hand held/

I haven't personally used any of the units below, but I know people that have used the hanheld unit and they get decent results. As you can see there are various units for different purposes.

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/searc...oGJL_Jd53ZbZRS_Xy0zqapdMAJDZojuwF0aAiQX8P8HAQ

 

[rrmccabe]

I am not concerned about it really. If I send the Solo back I will put the stock lens back in. I just know it does not work well for handheld. The Solo gimbal is going to have to be a good one

 

[Greg Parker]

There is no reason to take your GP apart to change the lens. Less chance of damaging your camera. Pop the guard off from around the lens and swap the lens. Use teflon tape rather than glue on the new lens threads.

 

[Earldgrayjr]

I am not concerned about it really. If I send the Solo back I will put the stock lens back in. I just know it does not work well for handheld. The Solo gimbal is going to have to be a good one

It should easily handle the camera and lense as it isn't really much different than others (such as the the P3) with the exception of ISO, which just handles exposure a different way (by ND filters).

I know people like RAW and all, but I can easily set up the GoPro to have essentially the same result if I want to do a lot of post, and I like the ProTune, Spot, and GoPro color settings for no fuss shots. In the end, I really like the versatility of the GoPro, and using them in Solo over the other solutions, even though they have their points

Being a "video drone" 3DR certainly can't screw up the gimbal, but given the PixHawk and 3DR already control several existing gimbal units, and this is really nothing special I certainly wouldn't bet against them...

Assuming it ever gets released..... he he he...