Does the GoPro HERO4 Black action camera autofocus? No, the GoPro HERO4 Black action camera has a fixed focus lens with an aperture of f/2.8. The camera is configured so that it's focused at the "hyperfocal distance."
The concept of hyperfocal distance is easy to understand: focus a lens at the hyperfocal distance and everything in the photograph from some near distance to infinity will be sharp. Landscape photographs are often taken with the lens focused at the hyperfocal distance; near and distant objects are sharp in the photos. Source Credit: Hyperfocal Distance Guide, by Don Fleming.
The following video is a proof of concept example of hyperfocal distance in action. The black rock in the middle of the creek is approximately five feet (~5′) from the place in the stream channel where I was sitting on a Coleman camp stool. The video begins with me looking at a seep that feeds the stream; then I pan left, right, and back to center stage. Notice everything in the video is acceptably in focus because the camera is always focused at the hyperfocal distance.
Tech Tips
Here is a collection of more factoids about the GoPro Hero4 Black action camera that might help you to understand how the camera works.
"The GoPro Hero4 Black has a 1/2.3-inch CMOS sensor with physical dimensions of 6.17 mm x 4.55 mm. This sensor has 12 megapixels and is capable of recording video at up to 4K resolution."
 |
| Source credit: http://i.stack.imgur.com/a5SKT.png |
As you can see, the GoPro HERO4 Black action camera sensor is small, very small!
The 35mm equivalent focal length of the lens is ~15mm. That's a fairly wide angle lens, so photos show some "fish eye" distortion.
When the GoPro HERO4 Black is set for "Time Lapse Video" submode, the camera records MP4 videos with a 16:9 aspect ration (3,840 x 2,160 pixels). File size varies depending upon the duration of the video clips.
The GoPro HERO4 Black records JPG photos with a 4:3 aspect ration (4,000 x 3,000 pixels). Each photo file is ~2.2 MB in size.
"The GoPro Standard Housing is a spare/replacement housing for your GoPro HERO3, HERO3+, or HERO4 camera. A flat glass lens affords maximum image clarity above and below water. Plus, it's waterproof down to a depth of 131', and it features large buttons for easy camera control -- even when wearing gloves or mittens. The housing includes Standard, Skeleton, and Touch Backdoors plus a thumbscrew and Quick Release Buckle." Source Credit: B&H Photo.
Related Resources
- Hyperfocal Distance Guide, by Don Fleming.
- Hyperfocal Distance Calculator
- Habitat for Spiketail Dragonfly - a blog post by Walter Sanford featuring the GoPro CapCam© used to mount my GoPro HERO4 action camera on the bill of a baseball cap
Copyright © 2025 by Walter Sanford. All rights reserved.
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments are invited and wlecome.