HELP- UW Videographers, having trouble figuring this out

[ricki]

I am still evaluating the GoPro Wide for use underwater. It seems to lack the image resolution of other cameras that I have used and yet it appears to have some unusual properties. The low price at $140. USD including housing is only one of the unusual aspects.

I was scooter free diving using the GoPro Wide and an Olympus Stylus 1030 simultaneously while going over a wreck in about 40 to 70 ft. of water last weekend. Visibility was poor estimated at around 30 ft.. The depth of field captured by the Olympus was similar to what I saw with the naked eye. The Olympus was set at a 35 mm equivalent of about 28 mm. The GoPro Wide is fixed with a field of view of about 170 degrees.

I would suggest running the two videos to cover similar scenes. Once I pass the pilot house, the distance captured in the GoPro seems to substantially exceed that of the Olympus.

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?p=41429#post41429

Ideas for explaining this would be welcome. Ideas put forward so far, is that it is an illusion promoted by the wide field of view of the GoPro (apparent distances over the deck seem to belie this conclusion), the wide angle optics capture more light and provide better distance illumination (possible and yet the GoPro performs particularly poorly in low light). The thing I notice is the haze created by the suspended silt or turbidity is less apparent in the GoPro than in the Olympus. Again, the images recorded by the Olympus are similar to what I saw on the wreck. No way were things as apparently clear as recorded by the GoPro. The question is, why? I suspect white balance has a role in this, but is that all?

By the way the Tracy is 132 ft. long lying in 70 ft. over sand. There are still other GoPro video from that day at:

http://fksa.org/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=8512

Input?

Thank you,