Mounting a GoPro Hero onto a HID Light

Using the GoPro underwater

So my darling girlfriend bought a GoPro Hero for my birthday which I got to use for the first time when diving in Sweden. On that particular set of dives, I had nothing in my hands other than the GoPro. And even then, it was a little fiddly. Actually it was quite fiddly and I lost the functionality of my hands as they were used for holding the camera - I could do nothing else with them. So I needed a new plan ...

Thinking ahead ...

Longer term, I wanted to get into underwater videography which by implication involves handling the camera effeciently. So I figured that my best would be to attach my GoPro on the side of my HID light. This would also mean that the GoPro is pointing at whatever is being illuminated by the light too, so win-win in my opinion!

The Bits

GoPro in their thoughtfulness supply the GoPro Hero with a multitude of accessories to allow you to mount your GoPro how you like. In the picture below, you can see that the attachment I thought most suitable is the flat-surface sticky mount. On the right is the light reflector assembly.

The light head assembly and a GoPro mount to mount .... somehow

The first problem is attaching the sticky mount to the lighthandle. Initially I was going to mount it on the opposite side of the handle to boltsnap. What I really wanted to do was to mount it on top of the ballast so the GoPro was looking over the light head, but the ballast is too curvy.

Looking at the side I was going to use (in the image above the left-hand side of the handle as you look at it, right when hold it) there was a disgustingly big screw head in the middle. When I tried to see if I could just push down enough to let the compressible adhesive material absorb it I was hugely dissapointed.

In the end I had to dig out the Stanley knife and drill to clear away some of the adhesive and then drill out some of the plastic.

Modified attachment

Now I was able to ensure that a large area of the adhesive would bond to the metal of the Goodman handle to ensure a robust attachment. The result of my labours:

Finally installing the GoPro on the light. Firstly, I had to make up a kind of right-angle mount. No DIY required here, it requires using all the accessories that is provided when you buy a GoPro. I did a hunt on the internet using "GoPro Right Angle" because the final result is something a litte more cumbersome than one would like, but nothing!

In the picture below, you can see the adaptor that is used to provide a connection between the flat surface plate and the GoPro in the top-left, bottom-middle are the two connectors required and top-right is the GoPro

Adaptors

Assembled GoPro on the light head

Underwater Results

The proof is in the pudding, so off I went to test it out. The results are a mixed bag. The great thing is that there is always light where the camera is pointing. But in some respects there is too much light because you get the quite clear blue light of the HID in the bottom left corner. The effect decreased SLIGHTLY when I defocused my light head as much as I could.

Visible light beam

Conclusion

I am confident however, that if I were to use a video reflector such as the one below then the central spot would be far less intense because even a defocussed HID light is still extremely focussed in comparison.

Video reflector, from Deep Ideas Ltd