GoPro HD Underwater Blurry Fix

    I hadn't been following this one. But I'll gladly help any way I can.


    The only thing I really know about machining clear stuff is that it won't be clear anymore where you cut it. The tool will leave tiny scratches that make it look frosted. Maybe it can be polised back to clear, but I've never tried.

    my thinking is that I will end up with two housings, one for land and one for sea....i hate to waste $ but the current housing is sooo awesome one land, to lose that would be awful... i think Dan's walk-through is right on what I'll be doing...making a PVC tube with a flat lens and mad glue/epoxy.


    I think the videos do show considerable improvement Dan, much sharper and the objects dont seem to be so very far away

    i like to spear fish

    Quote from Tin Man

    The only thing I really know about machining clear stuff is that it won't be clear anymore where you cut it. The tool will leave tiny scratches that make it look frosted. Maybe it can be polised back to clear, but I've never tried.


    There is no need to machine the clear lens - that one has to be cut only as a circle from a good (uv/scratch resistant acrylic).


    The machining is for the "lens ring"- the thing that will get screwed onto the original ring and hold the new lens in place on top of the original lens+ring. That new ring doesn't have to be clear - it can be any color, black white or opaque.

    Quote from Tin Man

    I hadn't been following this one. But I'll gladly help any way I can.


    The only thing I really know about machining clear stuff is that it won't be clear anymore where you cut it. The tool will leave tiny scratches that make it look frosted. Maybe it can be polised back to clear, but I've never tried.


    I haven't been on this forum very long Tin Man , but from what I have seen, you do amazing work!! :hail1:


    If you think you can construct something for the GoPro Camera's, I will gladly wait rather than epoxying something to my GoPro housing. I would even volunteer my underwater housing for you to work on, but it may take a while to get it to you.

    Quote from Tin Man

    If someone could sketch up what you need, I'll give it a look and see what I can do.


    Anyone had a chance to take some dimensions? Maybe some photos of where you want it attached. Also, do we know what the housing is constructed of? In my (very) limited experience, I would bet that it is some sort of polycarbonate, and anything attached is probably better bonded with solvent or cyanoacrylate glue than epoxy.

    Jeff I will take some detailed pictures and break out the calipers tonight...the basic needs are a spacer and a way to mount a flat lens onto or over the existing convex lens.

    i like to spear fish

    that is the wrist mount for the 3 mp version...I was thinking that it couls be done using those holes. one thing that occured to me though was, adding to the existing case without modifying it has the advantage of preserving the waterproof rating and strength. if the mod fails, the camera stays dry basically, not as big an issue with you making the mod piece :)


    I will see if I can remove my lens with the screwdivers I have, might need my smaller ones which live at dad's house..I'll post up the measurements tonight if happy hour allows me to :)



    here is the HD housing

    oh, the black ring is just that, a plastic ring that uses pressure fro mthe screws to compress the glass under it against an O-ring ....Hau posted a few pages back the replacement kit.

    i like to spear fish

    I found the replacement kits. Is it the curvature of the glass lense that presents the focus problem? I read through the previous posts and I couldn't tell where the idea landed - could you not just use a flat glass or plastic piece to fit in the existing black ring? Or is there something special about the backside of the lense to hold the camera in position inside the housing? Or do you just not want to swap lenses for land / sea use?


    Edit - May have an idea. Where's the cheapest place for me to pick up a housing to play with?

    Edited 2 times, last by Guest ().

    cheapest housings are on ebay, like 50-60 bucks though is nothing to sneer at.



    the issue is that the camera has a convex lens too, so the existing lens should be kept in place as it accommodates the bulging of the lens...what is more, the curved housing does expand the field of view on land so it serves that purpose as well. that last bit is something of a double edge though, I wouldn't mind a little less fisheye and depth of field in exchange for a larger image. ideally you could keep the existing one and add a flat lens for when you wanted it.


    thanks for even thinking about this, hope it turns out to be a quick fix because you could make a fortune with it :D

    i like to spear fish

    Sorry Jeff,
    I don't have any particulars yet. I am still waiting for my gopro from that websight. It's soo cheap it is on back order for "afew weeks." I would be glad to send you my housing once I get it so you can check it out and mess around with it. I really think there is a big market out there for this..

    Quote from LunkerBuster

    it is the housing for the GoPro Hero HD...there is only one...if you think you can make due with one, I will send you mine


    LB - That would be great, if you can do without it for a couple weeks. If I can come up with something, I'll send it back with a prototype. But I don't want to leave you stuck if I'm delayed a little.

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