The dome lens for GoPro is the hottest accessory for FUN summertime photos and video UNDER the water. Actually, HALF under the water, and half above.
If used in the right setting, the dome lens will give you a crystal clear shot of the water line, while offering a balanced perspective of everything both above and below it. What a fun way to document a water adventure!
New GoPro Hero 6 Dome Lens
I’ve used a few different dome lenses in various situations over the years, and have recently received a new one to review by the brand Telesin for my GoPro HERO 6. What perfect timing with summer on its way, a new GoPro camera in hand, and a fresh face to film ❤️
I put the new piece of gear to the test in my very own backyard pool, and compiled a video to show you how to use the dome lens for GoPro, why you’d want to use the dome lens, and offer some tips on getting the most from this fun GoPro accessory.
I also show you a variety of shot comparisons with and without the dome lens- and also from my older dome lens on the GoPro HERO 4 vs. my new dome lens on the GoPro HERO 6.
And since she’s so popular with my viewers, I once again used my sweet Ella Bella Bunny Bear as a mini- model to demo the shots.
WATCH THE VIDEO ▶︎ DOME LENS for GoPro HERO 6 // Best Underwater Accessory
What is a Dome Lens?
The DOME LENS is this half dome contraption that encases your GoPro and allows you to film or photograph really cool, split level shots of above and below water at the same time.
If you’re thinking you could probably get this split level shot with a bare GoPro you can, but you won’t get nearly the same clean water line.
Also, by pushing the water far enough away from the lens, the dome lens makes the underwater field of view match the above water field of view by eliminating the magnification that you get when filming underwater.
Can you see the difference in the magnification of her legs? Crazy isn’t it!
Another advantage of having the dome lens on your GoPro is the general expansion of lens space. It can be quite annoying to end up with water droplets on the lens of your GoPro, especially when you don’t realize it. And the dome lens tends to allow water to whisk away more easily.
This expansion of space also gives the dome lens a one third wider field of view when it’s fully underwater, so it’s a great thing to have attached to get those slightly wider shots in a close setting.
Since Ella can’t deep dive quite yet, I left this one to Brian to demo ❤️
You can see the dome lens makes the shot slightly wider, and definitely more clear!
Another advantage is that since the dome lens is basically a big air bubble, it will help your GoPro to float! This can be a major lifesaver for GoPro if it’s dropped in open water and it doesn’t have a floating handle.
In the dome lens video, you can see footage I shot with my previous dome lens by SHOOT on the GoPro Hero 4. This lens was a fun one to start with, but overall it wasn’t nearly as great as my new one. It leaked a little, which caused a lot of fogging up during filming. I needed to have Brian take apart and reseal the whole thing to prevent this from happening every time it got submerged in water.
So far, it seems that the new Telesin dome lens is a pretty great step up. I like the design much better. The snap opening in the back is much more efficient than the other model and it also includes a trigger mechanism on the handle to operate the buttons inside of the system.
The Telesin lens also features a tight rubber seal around the base which keeps all the water out and prevents the lens from fogging up. It includes a nice soft protector for the lens itself which helps to prevent scratches on the dome- which needs to be treated carefully since it is a plastic piece. During our initial tests, we experienced no leaking, no fogging, and a nice crystal clear shot.
To showcase quality of both the lens and the GoPros, here are screengrabs from the video of the GoPro Hero4 with the previous SHOOT brand lens, and the Hero6 with my new Telesin brand lens!
What a difference in picture quality!
Not to mention, Ella is much more comfortable in the water as an 8 month old rather than as a 6 month old 🙂
To be fair, our SHOOT lens was slightly beat up by this point and the Telesin lens was new. Also, it was the later model so perhaps they’ve stepped up their game by now. Let me know if you own the latest lens by SHOOT and how it has worked out for you!
Not to mention, the difference in picture quality is much better on the newer model of GoPro. If you’d like to learn more about the differences between the GoPro Hero4 and the HERO 6, then check out the video I made discussing the upgrade.
It is also FULL of fun side by side demos with each of the GoPros in various situations!
GoPro Hero6 vs Hero4 // Footage & Review
Dome Lens for GoPro: Tips and Tricks
Here are a few quick tips that I’ve discovered for getting the best possible shots with your GoPro dome lens.
1. Shoot In Calm Water And Carefully Compose Your Shot.
Composing a split level shot can be quite tricky since you can’t actually allow your eyes to get below the water line and see half above the way the lens is seeing. The Telesin lens does offer this water line indicator so if you match it up with the water line you’re likely going to get it right on the money.
Of course, all of this is MUCH easier if the water is nice and calm.
2. Take LOTS Of Shots, Or Just Shoot Video!
Of course, with any type of photography you’re best off taking SEVERAL photos in order to get one that’s just right. Ok, hundreds even!
Another trick I often use for creating still images is to shoot in 4K video, and simply take screen grabs of the video to use as photos. That’s what I did to capture this shot in our pool last summer.. BEFORE Ella was born 😆
It’s also smart to consider which subjects looks interesting half above and half below water- some things do, some things don’t.
3. Treat Your Dome Lens Like A BABY And Try Not To Scratch It.
Just because the lens is plastic instead of glass does not mean it’s any less fragile. One small scratch and it can permanently ruin the shot coming through it. Be sure to keep the cover on your dome lens at all times while not in use and carefully set it aside after filming- not in the sand, not on the concrete. You’ll be glad you did!
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3. Try The Slow Motion!
And finally, I have to point out that one of the greatest reasons to upgrade to the GoPro Hero6 if you haven’t already is the super slow motion feature. Of course this is super fun to pair with the dome lens and I included some great examples of this in the video. If you haven’t watched it by now, please do!
Thanks for joining me here to learn about the dome lens for GoPro! I’d love to hear your comments here or on the YouTube channel. Head over to the video and let me know what you think!
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