How To GoPro Like A Pro - With Matt Rissell - Part 2

In a recent blog, we focused on the ideal settings for getting the most out of your GoPro and tips for capturing the best footage, courtesy of videographer Matt Rissell.

This week, we tapped Rissell’s knowledge to look at some of the must-have accessories, from memory cards to mounts, when it comes to the GoPro.

Any discussion of accessories should begin with the basics:

BATTERIES AND MEMORY CARDS

If there’s one downside to the GoPro, it’s that they have short battery lives. “I just buy a lot of batteries,” Rissell said of his solution to this issue. “The batteries are tiny so I just recommend getting a bunch of them.”

You can find extra batteries here. We also have GoPro chargers for your automobile (this one allows you charge two at once) as well as this wall charger which also allows you to charge two cameras at the same time. The wall charger also allows you to shoot videos and photos while plugged into the wall.

Rissell recommended Sandisk for your memory card needs. You can find them here. For those shooting at high formats (4K or slow-motion), he suggested extreme pro memory cards that have high write speeds (minimum of 45 mps up to 95 mps). All cards should be a class 10, like the ones we sell.

CAMERA MOUNTS

Handlebar Mount – This is a great mount for those who want to shoot video while biking. Rissell has attached this to a stick or railing, keeping the GoPro stationary while capturing images of people and objects passing by.

Suction Cup Mount – Attach this to any clean, flat surface like a window or car for either fast-moving shots or still ones.

Clamp Mount – With its bendable arm, this is Rissell’s go-to mount for “shots where I need to adjust something quickly and have to get the right angle. It’s good for run and gun shooting.”

POV Mounts – At X-Wear, we sell three separate mounts – chest, head and one for dogs (yes, that’s right) – that will give you cool, first-person footage from your GoPro.

DRONES

When they first came out, GoPros were heavily used with drones. These days, Rissell said, that is no longer the case. “Drones are now shifting away from the GoPro,” he told us. “Bigger companies are having cameras built into the gimbal and they are pretty much identical to the GoPro.”

For those who have drones where you can attach a GoPro, Rissell recommended shooting at the following settings: 1080p and 60 fps. “You can slow the footage down in GoPro Studio and slow-motion will look a lot smoother,” he said. “And it will extend the actual length of the footage. You can slow it down to 80 percent so what would be a couple of seconds of footage will be 30 seconds in slow-motion and you’ll get a buttery look without the jittery camera movement.”

OTHER TIPS

• You know the box that comes with your GoPro? Don’t throw it away. Rissell said the box, which the camera is mounted on, can serve as a tripod. “Every time I buy a GoPro I save the flat piece of plastic,” he said. “It’s a cheap tool.”
• Regularly monitor the rubber o-ring on the back of your GoPro to ensure it is free of sand and debris. If there is too much, there’s a chance that water can get in when shooting underwater.
• Lost the lens cap on your GoPro or simply want added protection for your camera? Then use a beer koozie which is the perfect size to fit your camera.
• To ensure your footage is as sharp as possible, make sure to clean the lens and housing of your camera often using a clean microfiber cloth. “Even though the housing won’t break, it’s easy to scratch the lens on the housing,” Rissell said. He suggested purchasing several back-up lens caps which are much less expensive than having to purchase entirely new housing.
• In cold and warm temperatures, the housing can fog up and impact the quality of your footage. These anti-fog inserts are one way to prevent that from happening.