Videography and photography are art forms! It requires care and attention to capture the perfect shot. As a commercial product photographer with a passion for cameras, I find myself constantly searching out new cameras to achieve my desired look or feel – which can be challenging when you’re on a tight budget!
Today I will do a product review on the Waterproof GoPro Max –I bought mine on Amazon Canada for $669 CDN, but it currently retails at about USD $470, so keep this info handy before making any; purchase decisions based on price alone!!
The GoPro Max is a 360-degree camera that captures 5.2K video and 16.6MP stills. It has two lenses, one on the front and one on the back, that work together to create spherical content. The camera is waterproof up to 16 feet (5 meters), making it ideal for underwater shots or use in the rain.
I use the GoPro Max max when I kayak or longboard. While it is on, it records everything in all directions! I like to use it for recording videos as I kayak because I don’t have my hands free to handle my camera.
Later, when I am editing my video, I can choose and select the camera direction scenes I want for my video.
Use the GoPro Max while Skiing, longboarding, running, biking or anything!
The GoPro Max is an excellent camera for anyone who wants to be able to capture content in various sports activities. It is waterproof and has impressive image stabilization, making it perfect for action recording.
Suppose you are using the GoPro Max with a selfie stick, such as when you are hiking or longboarding, the software will erase the selfie stick in the final video, making it appear like the GoPro Max shot the video drone-mounted camera. I don’t think this feature works for underwater footage for snorkelling, but I plan to test it to find out. That said, see my longboard videos to see how impressive the footage can be!
For added impact, if you record the video on a cloudy day, there will be no shadow of the selfie stick. To remove the selfie stick in the video footage, you only need a regular selfie stick that runs parallel down the axis of the camera.
Mounts for the GoPro Max when you go Kayaking
If you use the GoPro Max for Kayaking or any water sport, be cautious about securing it to something, so you don’t lose your camera. In the past, I lost a camera because the suction cup mount lost its grip on my kayak. When you buy a cheap plastic GoPro Max mount with only a single suction cup, you could lose your camera in the water if the lone suction cup fails. I recommend two or more suction cups to fasten the mount to the boat’s hull.
After losing my GoPro Max, I purchased a second robust double suction cup camera mount. Even with two suction cups, occasionally, both can fail. For good measure, I attach a floating buoy on the mount so it will float in the water if both suction cups fall off.
GoPro Max accessories
Newer put together a very respectable kit of GoPro accessories. The kit includes a GoPro helmet & chest mounts, selfie sticks, tripods, and much more. The kit consists of knock-off components; if you purchase these accessories individually, it would be costly. For about $40, it is well worth the purchase price to buy this kit.
Setting up your GoPro Max software
Take the time to learn your GoPro Max, so you fumble less with it on the field when you are ready to shoot. Here are the settings that I recommend.
Best Settings for the GoPro Max
- Resolution 1080
- 60 fps
- Digital Lens Linear Mode (19 mm)
- Hyersmooth ON
- Clips OFF (Shoot 15 or 30 Second videos for social media)
- Horizontal Leveling On
- Bit Rate High (Do the maximum for best quality)
- Shutter Speed Auto
- Compensation 0
- White Balance 5000k / 6500k for a Warm Sunny Look
- ISO 100
- Sharpness Low
- Colour Flat
- Raw Audio High
Editing video with the GoPro Max software
When I am ready to edit my footage, I can export my 360° content as a traditional rectangular video with a stationary view, or I can pick any direction from the camera’s perspective; this camera records everything around it! Therefore when I produce my movies, my audience can see my movie from whatever view I choose.
The GoPro Max is also a photographic camera
The GoPro Max shoots pics at 16.6 Megapixels. Although this is not huge by today’s DSLR standards, it is respectable. I’ve taken video stills and converted them into beautiful scaled photos. A cool thing about the GoPro is its simulated lens and focal ranges. When taking pictures, I can choose between three different fields of view:
- Narrow (equivalent to 14mm in 35mm format)
- Linear (equivalent to 27mm in 35mm format)
- Wide (equivalent to 35mm format).
Because this camera has unique attributes to its design, you are empowered to do extraordinary things with it. Using the different lenses can serve various practical or artistic applications. Experiment with all the lens settings to develop your skills as a videographer and photographer. Remember that this camera is waterproof, so you can also use the GoPro Max to shoot underwater content. If you shoot partially submerged video or photo scenes, it makes a unique scene less familiar to your audience.
Unique features = unique shots = novelty = cool pics!
GoPro MAX IMAGE STABILIZATION
When I use the GoPro Max for Kayaking, longboarding and trail running adventures, it has incredible image stabilization, making those activities much more bearable by ensuring no shaking or shaky footage. Additionally, with its stabilizing software, my videos appear to be shot from above using a drone-mounted camera.
The GoPro MAX for VLOGGING
The GoPro Max is also a great vlogging camera because it has two lenses. I can shoot with both lenses simultaneously; later, in post-production, I can choose which lens I want to use for the final video. This gives me creative control and flexibility when editing my videos.
The GoPro MAX Audio Quality
Some people say that because the GoPro Max has two microphones on the camera’s front and back, recording in windy conditions is noisy. I never had this problem, even on windy days or when flying at breakneck speeds.
The GoPro MAX for Commercial Video or Photography
Because you can set the GoPro Max‘s white balance to a static value, the colours won’t shift as you record. For cameras like the iPhone, because the white balance is automatic, you can get shifty colours as the camera adjusts its white balance. For many cameras, not including the GoPro Max, because the white balance is automated, it is impossible to colour correct the footage in post-production.
Accessories that I recommend that you purchase
If you buy the GoPro Max,I recommend purchasing two or more GoPro batteries and some redundant micro SD cards with 100 gigabytes of space. Inevitably, the batteries will run out, and you will
need to change them if you’re doing videography in the field. If you use your GoPro Max when you go camping, I recommend that you also purchase a power bank to recharge your batteries. Since charging them takes time, it’s good to have some spare batteries ready when you need them. Often, I run out of batteries before I run out of video storage space on my micro sd cards.
iPhone Android Compatible to use remotely
You can run the GoPro Max remotely from your cell phone via a Bluetooth connection. The app lets you access the video and photo content. You can also see live content as your camera can broadcast video to your phone as long as you are nearby. When I am in my kayak, I can initiate my camera to record with the app since I cannot physically reach the device. The app is intuitive and part of the annual USD 49.99 yearly subscription. I would say it is a good value for what you get.
Editing Software Requires
To edit your video content, you will need GOPro’s proprietary software. Fortunately, the software is intuitive and inexpensive; you purchase it as an annual subscription to access the software.
If you plan to produce any videos, I always recommend that your laptop or computer is powerful enough; otherwise, it will be very frustrating to edit your content. It does not matter if it is a PC or Mac, but you can purchase much more computing power for less money with a PC. Suppose you plan to buy a laptop for video editing; your computer should have at least 32 GB of RAM, a graphics card, multiple processors and 20GB or more free hard drive space. I recommend purchasing a gaming computer because it usually has the graphics card, processing power and memory you need to do the job right.
CONCLUSION
I want to emphasize that the GoPro Max is an excellent 360° camera. I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to record content in various activities, including Kayaking, longboarding or any other physical sport.
With the right tools, the GoPro Max will help you capture amazing content you can share with others. If you plan to use the GoPro Max for Kayaking, buy a mount with two suction cups for added security. And, if you plan on doing any video editing, be sure to invest in a powerful computer.