UnderwaterHousing
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GoPro HD Hero 2's free ProTune upgrade will add 24fps and higher bitrates
On the show floor at NAB 2012 GoPro had more to show off than just a finalized version of its $99 WiFi BacPac and Remote Control kit we saw at CES, announcing a ProTune firmware update that should bring an all new level of quality to its existing HD Hero 2 cameras -- for free. Once it's released in the in the summer, the new ProTune mode will enable owners to record their video at a new 35Mbps data rate, and shoot at 24fps to more easily intercut it with other sources later. Also integral to the new software is the "CineStyle" color profile developed by Technicolor that will let pros and prosumers streamline their workflow and produce better looking videos. We got a look at some of the video shot with beta versions of the new firmware aboard and the tweaks did plenty to enhance the color balance and image quality we were already impressed by earlier this month in the desert. Unsurprisingly given the pro atmosphere here at NAB, GoPro is also continuing to push the Cineform codec it acquired last year. There are press releases after the break as well as a few more pictures in the gallery, including a few more of its new underwater dive housing (above) with a flat front to reduce blurring and vignetting.
Panasonic GF1 is ready to take the plunge Big Daddy style with the INON X-2 waterproof housing
It takes a special suit to stand up to the worst that Rapture can throw at you, and for the Panasonic DMC-GF1 that suit is the INON X-2. It's an aluminum alloy case available in white or black that looks beefy enough to survive far deeper than the 75 meters it's rated for. It also seems capable of standing up to being driven over by a car or being thrown down a flight of stairs. Add on two optional M1 grips plus underwater lights and you have yourself the diving rig pictured above, absolutely dwarfing the tiny GF1 cowering inside. Its cost does too, with the case alone going for 186,900 yen, about $2,200, and each grip costing 10,000 yen (about $115). That seems like an awful lot to spend to protect a $650 camera, but don't let such words dissuade your capitalistic instincts.
3D video dives deeper with custom dual-camera case
Underwater stills are Eric Cheng's passion and -- from what we gather -- livelihood, but the award-winning editor of Wetpixel is presently experimenting with faster and deeper photography. Discovering German shop Digi-Dat, he wound up with this custom BS Kinetics DuoDive case, which turned his pair of Sony CX550V camcorders into a totally badass underwater 3D camera that will no doubt make manta rays pop out of his screen. If you'd like to follow in his fins, €2,900 (about $3,700) will buy you a similar pair of synchronized stereoscopic goggles, but note that it takes the shop four to five weeks to integrate the watertight LCD and all the LANC-based controls. See another shot of the carbon-fiber-clad contraption after the break, and hit our source link for Eric's full story.
