Action Camera Revolution

Period: 2010–2013+ Key players: GoPro, Contour, Sony

Overview

The action camera revolution transformed underwater video from an expensive, specialist pursuit into something any diver could do. Between 2010 and 2013, GoPro’s HERO series cameras went from novelty POV devices to the most widely used underwater video cameras in the world, following a trajectory remarkably similar to the Canon Digital Rebel’s democratization of underwater stills photography in 2003.

The impact on the Wetpixel community was profound. While serious underwater photographers initially regarded GoPro footage as low-quality curiosity, by 2012 the cameras had reached a tipping point: the HERO3’s 4K capability, combined with a rapidly expanding ecosystem of third-party housings, dome ports, filters, and mounting systems, made action cameras a legitimate tool for underwater content creation.

Timeline

2010: Early adoption

GoPro’s HD HERO camera began appearing in Wetpixel coverage in late 2010, primarily in the context of shark-encounter POV footage and mounting experiments. The cameras were waterproof to ~60m in their standard housing but produced mediocre video quality with significant barrel distortion and no color correction capability.

2011: Ecosystem emerges

2011 was the year GoPro went from niche to mainstream underwater. The company released the 3D expansion kit (enabling affordable stereo 3D underwater), the BacPac LCD screen (critical for framing underwater), and the HERO2 (significant quality improvement). Meanwhile, third-party manufacturers rushed to build housings, filter adapters, and accessories.

2012: Mainstream acceptance

By 2012, GoPro had become impossible to ignore. Backscatter — long the authority on underwater video accessories — released dedicated filter solutions for GoPro. Multiple housing manufacturers offered alternatives to the stock GoPro case. Dome ports from Snake River Prototyping enabled over/under split shots. And the HERO3 introduced 4K video (albeit at only 15fps), Wi-Fi control, and a much smaller form factor.

2013: Professional recognition

In 2013, professional housing manufacturers including Hugyfot and ReCSea began producing dedicated GoPro housings — a clear signal that the action camera format had achieved legitimacy. Light & Motion released fluorescence filters for GoPro, and the HERO3+ brought improved low-light performance and a sharper lens.

Impact

The action camera revolution had several lasting effects on underwater imaging:

  1. Democratization: Like the Canon Digital Rebel before it, GoPro made underwater video accessible to recreational divers who could not afford traditional video housing systems ($3,000–$20,000+). A complete GoPro UW setup cost under $400.

  2. Content explosion: The volume of underwater video content online exploded as divers began routinely carrying GoPros. YouTube and social media filled with POV dive footage, shark encounters, and marine life videos.

  3. Industry response: Traditional underwater video manufacturers had to reconsider their price points and value propositions. Gates Underwater Products and other cinema housing makers focused more heavily on professional differentiation.

  4. Accessory ecosystem: A cottage industry of GoPro UW accessories emerged — flat ports, color correction filters, video lights, tray/arm systems, dome ports for split shots — creating business opportunities for companies like Backscatter and new entrants.

  5. Aerial + underwater convergence: By 2013, GoPro cameras were being mounted on quadcopter drones for aerial ocean footage — a convergence that Eric Cheng was among the first to explore. ([19])

References

Sources

  1. Wetpixel article, Sep 19, 2010: Gopro Underwater Shark Experiment ↩
  2. Wetpixel article, Dec 18, 2010: Ulcs Releases Gopro Mounting Options ↩
  3. Wetpixel article, Jan 7, 2011: 3d Expansion Kit For Gopro Hero Cameras ↩
  4. Wetpixel article, Feb 1, 2011: Gopro Launches The Bacpac Lcd Screen ↩
  5. Wetpixel article, Apr 1, 2011: Gopro Acquires Cineform ↩
  6. Wetpixel article, Jul 8, 2011: Uk Germany Releases Housing For Gopro Hero ↩
  7. Wetpixel article, Aug 2, 2011: Blurfix Adapter Released For Gopro Hero ↩
  8. Wetpixel article, Oct 24, 2011: Gopro Announces Hd Hero2 Cam ↩
  9. Wetpixel article, Aug 19, 2011: Gopro Hero Footage From 100 Meters ↩
  10. Wetpixel article, May 14, 2012: Gopro Underwater Housing Round Up ↩
  11. Wetpixel article, May 16, 2012: Backscatter Announces Filter Solution For Gopro ↩
  12. Wetpixel article, Sep 26, 2012: Review Gopro Hero2 Pov Cam ↩
  13. Wetpixel article, Oct 17, 2012: Gopro Unveils The Hero3 ↩
  14. Wetpixel article, Oct 16, 2012: Review Snake River Prototyping Dome For Gopro ↩
  15. Wetpixel article, Jan 17, 2013: Hugyfot Housing For Gopro ↩
  16. Wetpixel article, Mar 7, 2013: Light Motion Announces Fluorescence Filter For Gopro ↩
  17. Wetpixel article, Oct 1, 2013: Gopro Releases The Hero3 ↩
  18. Wetpixel article, Oct 31, 2013: Recsea Announces Housing For Gopro ↩
  19. Wetpixel article, Jul 29, 2013: Aerial Surf Footage From A Quadcopter ↩
  20. GoPro shark experiment (article) ↩
  21. GoPro acquires CineForm (article) ↩
  22. HERO2 announcement (article) ↩
  23. GoPro UW housing round-up (article) ↩
  24. Backscatter GoPro filters (article) ↩
  25. HERO3 unveil (article) ↩
  26. HERO2 review (article) ↩
  27. Aerial surf footage from quadcopter (article) ↩