Halestorm sent me a link for this cool product the other day called the Ribcage, from a company called Backbone out of Canada. It's basically a replacement front cover for the HERO3 machined from billet aluminum that allows you to mount different lenses to the camera. You can even continue to use the stock lens after the modification. It also adds a built in 1/4-20 mount.



The mod requires some pretty invasive surgery on the GoPro, but their documentation is excellent and made the procedure very easy. I just followed along with their how-to video and was finished in about 2 hours. They also sell pre-modded complete cameras for the faint of heart (but not the faint of wallet.)



That brings me to the results: It's awesome! If you're a shooter on a budget like I am, using the GoPro for tricks like "overcranking" at high frame rates for display at lower frame rate to get slow motion effects is fun and cheaper than a RED Scarlet. It's not without some cost though, and lenses span the spectrum of price. It also definitely requires some additional photo and video fundamental skills, like knowledge of focal length and the effect of aperture setting on depth of field and focus.

With the help of DCO-65 I made a pretty fund demo reel of the results. If there's interest I'll do a more in-depth how to in the Knowledge Base with all the dirty details. Also big thanks to Big Renna for being my film school mentor, that guy... And finally, there's nothing I can't stand more than some big head dope who thinks I want to see him talk on camera...enjoy!


https://vimeo.com/100377853

Freakin cool! When does the bearhawk build thread start?

you need to edit the end of the video, it's got a audio loop

Would it be worth trying that in the GoPro 4k mode? Or is the frame rate still too slow to even think about it?

Jeredp wrote:Freakin cool! When does the bearhawk build thread start?

Didn't you see it? It was in the last two minutes of the video...

Ha! Enjoy those narration outtake easter eggs at the end.

Man, that rotax sounds pretty awesome in slow mo! Great video Zzz.

BRD wrote:Would it be worth trying that in the GoPro 4k mode? Or is the frame rate still too slow to even think about it?

For "overcranking," a term that I believe harks back to film cameras that were actually hand-cranked, it wouldn;t be worth it in 4k mode, at least not for a GoPro. The resolution is awesome, but the frame rate is only 15 fps. And working with 4k video is a bear. Processing high frame rate 1080p is bad enough even on a hot Mac.

Bearhawk...haha. I needed something to take your attention off my hat.

Awesome! I hope you plan on coming to the High Sierra fly in this year to shoot some more video with this set up!

I'd love to learn more about this rig. I think it's what I've been looking for, but haven't been able to find because I don't know what the heck to call it.

Is this the focus system?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/9 ... us_v4.html

Also potentially useful...

A1Skinner wrote:Man, that rotax sounds pretty awesome in slow mo! Great video Zzz.

That audio of the Rotax is not in slow motion. It was overdubbed from the original unaltered footage for a more pleasant effect.

The rig I use is a Gini, with their follow focus mechanism. I couldn't ask for a better quality unit. They're $$$ but they are nice. Footage was shot from a jib crane though without benefit of follow focus.

Sweet Zane - will have to check that out.

Sweet plane too. Sniffle.....

Zzz wrote:Ha! Enjoy those narration outtake easter eggs at the end.

you are the master of the site.

Lens-o-saurus must be hard to hold stead without a large camera to wrap your knuckles around?

Nice minimalist seat pan design. I don't think you'll be needing Aux tanks with that one... I foresee lots of fuel stops!

Cool vid. That slo-mo kicks ass...as long as it's not any of my crappy landings you're filming with it.