GoPro HD Hero cameras are small, simple and easy to use, it’s no wonder they’ve been so popular with the latest HD Hero 2 camera being the latest in the range to offer spectacular HD video quality in a tiny waterproof package.
Why Does it Fog?
One issue that I, and some of our customers, have run into when using the cameras is fogging on the inside of the housing lens, this misty fog forms because the relatively warm air on the inside of the housing (warmed as the camera heats up during use) is cooled by the relatively cold surface of the domed lens, making water droplets condense on the inside of the housing.
This obscures the view of you surfing, usually making it blurry and possibly ruining what would be some good footage.
The centre of this frame grab is blurry due to fogging on the inside of the GoPro housing
I have worked out a few steps to take which should prevent this happening with your camera, they are based on preventing moisture building up in the housing and keeping the camera cool when in use:
Moisture Prevention
- Prepare – after each session remove the camera from the housing and make sure it is clean and dry with no drops of water on the inside.
- Charge the camera, prepare your SD card and insert the camera into the housing before you leave for the surf, also insert the GoPro Anti Fog strips each side of the camera if necessary. Seal the housing in a dry environment, don’t be tempted to put your wet wetsuit on before setting up the camera or open the housing in the rainy or damp atmosphere at the beach.
When Using The GoPro
- Use the “One Button Mode” on the camera, this setting means you use only the front button. One press turns the camera on and starts recording, there is a lag of a second or two before it starts, I have never found this an issue for recording surf footage, I just hit the button when a likely looking set is approaching and hold it down for a few seconds to turn it off when I’m done. One button mode means the camera is cooling down between waves, making it much less likely to heat up and cause fogging.
- Film as little as possible – you don’t want to miss a classic wave but remember that all the time the camera’s on it’s warming up and all the time it’s off it’s cooling down, if you do start to see fog forming you can often make it disappear by switching the camera off for a few minutes, if you only record the waves and not the paddle back out you will thank yourself later when watching the footage back and you’ll decrease your chances of fog ruining the action.
- Disable the LED’s – the new GoPro HD Hero 2 has 3 additional LED’s on the camera body, I’m not sure if this makes a really big difference to the temperature in the housing but it’s easy to disable some, or all of the LED’s and for the mounts I use most frequently (helmet and board mount) it’s just as easy to tell if it’s recording by listening for the beeps or looking at the LCD display.
Unfortunately the colder the water the worse the issue is likely to be so being based in the UK is not ideal but by following these tips I’ve managed to get fog free footage from 3 hour+ sessions all over the UK including the North East and Scotland.
Frosty but fog-free French frame grab from the end of an evening session in March
If you’re after some more advice on choosing or using your GoPro HD Hero camera give us call on 01548 854660 or e-mail store@magicseaweed.com where we’ll be happy to help.
One suggestion I may had is to place the camera and the casing next to an air conditioning vent for a few minutes prior to closing it. The air is then very dry and cool, with much less humidity than the ambient air (such as on the balcony of a warm and humid caribbean resort…).
hi..:) im from indonesia. i wanna ask, while the GoPro is in the storage box, better keep the GoPro on housing or take it off? what happened to the rubber in its housing? worry slack if its frequency.
thankyou before :)
Hi,
We’d recommend storing the GoPro outside the housing, with the housing left open, this prevents the rubber O-Ring being compressed for long periods of time and makes sure it’s still effective next time you use it.