Right now the have some fantastic deals on Howler Brothers apparel, FishGillz sunglasses, and more! TightLinz is also donating 1% of all sales to the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation.

Register for your TightLinz account using my referral link or just go straight to TightLinz (non-referral link) and create your own referral link.

Fishin’ Guy promises to be the most exciting, must-have iPhone app for anyone who loves to fish. We just so happen to know a lot of people who love to fish, so we’ll be giving away two free iTunes coupons for the complete Fishin’ Guy Deluxe ($4.99).

Fishin’ Guy and Fishin’ Guy Deluxe

Thanks Craig!

The contest deadline is 4pm PDT November 7, 2011 so get shooting! Continue reading for more contest details or head straight to the FoodSaver contest page on Facebook, and you can even check out the competition on Zooppa.com.

YOUR MISSION

Make a video, up to 30 seconds long, demonstrating one or more alternative food preservation methods that didn’t quite work out. The failed methods can be historically accurate, or they can be fanciful failed food preservation methods of your own devising.

Your videos can showcase failed preservation techniques from today, or famous food preservation fails from the past. If you so choose, you can demonstrate how things might have been different if your subjects had access to a FoodSaver®.

REQUIREMENTS

• Videos must be 30 seconds or less.
• Close your videos with the FoodSaver® End Slate provided in the materials download.
• You must mention the “FoodSaver® Vacuum Sealing System” at least once in your video.
• Upload deadline for this contest is 4pm PDT November 7, 2011

Even before I go into the features of this underwater case for the iPhone 4 you’re probably already thinking about price. Aftermarket underwater cases are well-known for being outrageously expensive sometimes exceeding the cost of the device they house. This certainly isn’t true for the RainBallet, this IPX7 (protected against full submersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter) spec case only costs about 50 bucks. Considering your phone costs upwards of 500 bucks, that’s not a bad price.

Overall the Joy Factory RainBallet looks well made, the rubberized front and textured back give a comfortable grip even when wet. It’s bulky, but lightweight and a snug fit for the phone. There are three latches along the top that you have to fully engage before it’s ready for submersion. The handy line around the outside serves as a visual reminder. The touch screen works well through the case, though it does need slightly more pressure. The home button is the only mechanical button that can be depressed once the case is on, though I have been able to depress the power button once or twice I haven’t been able to do it consistently enough to say it works. You’ll also be happy to know that the camera functions are fully supported and you can shoot photos and videos through the Sharpvue™ lens protecting both the front and back camera. The Intelli-filter™ design allows sound to travel both ways through the case, so you’ll be able to capture audio in all your videos, listen to your ipod, or even conduct a business meeting underwater.

More photos after the break!

The adapter is pretty easy to install and took me less than 15 minutes to complete, though you do need to let the sealant dry for 24 hours before you can use the camera. You’ll be provided with pretty much everything you’ll need to get the job done which is great because I typically don’t have aquarium sealant lying around the house. While the BlurFix adds a little bulk to an otherwise tiny camera, it does make it look a little bit more professional, instead of looking like a toy. Not only does it sharpen up the edges, but it allows you to change filters which I’m certain will come in very handy for most people who are into cameras.

The BlurFix kit includes installation materials and one clear filter for $75 USD. Now this isn’t very much in the world of camera adapters and accessories, but it may be too much for people who already think the GoPro is priced too high. Personally, I think the camera is a great price (I’ve paid more for lesser cameras), and an extra $75 to improve the hours and hours of footage you’ll no doubt get out of it isn’t very much in the grand scheme of things. We’ll share some underwater footage with you soon so you can see the adapter in action.

For those of you wondering how difficult it is to install, here is a 6 minute video from Snake River Prototyping that shows the BlurFix installation from start to finish.

For obvious reasons the rocket cannot be hooked up to the line on the reel and send your catch flying in to the air.

Hack A Day via From The Desk of the Mayor

Last sunday I purchased the GoPro Hero HD with the helmet mounts ($349 CDN), not that I’m going to use a helmet while I’m fishing, but because it was the only 1080p version (720p, 960p, and standard definition models exist) that I could find in Toronto. These things have apparently been flying off the shelves all winter, no doubt the snow sports crew have really taken a liking to these and it’s easy to see why. The POV style camera puts you in the action. Watching a video of someone going down a mountain on a snowboard is much more intense. You don’t just feel like you’re watching a video, you feel like you’re there, like that’s you going down the mountain.

The footage from the GoPro is simply fantastic, even indoors with poor lighting I was impressed with the image- much better than my Sanyo Xacti. It would be easy to say that the GoPro Hero HD is the perfect POV camera for anyone, but maybe it isn’t. Early in my testing I discovered something bizarre when putting my camera underwater the video was quite blurry and immediately noticeable when playing back on my 40″ HDTV. I thought at first it was a focal length issue since I was filming inside a small aquarium, but even after moving to our large 90 gallon tank (which I also used when testing the Sanyo) the resulting image was blurry at best.

Underwater Woes?

The curved lens on the underwater housing causes some minor (depends on who you ask) distortions when shooting underwater resulting in blurry and unfocused video. As a fisherman I’d say that almost half of the shots I’d be making with my GoPro will be underwater and when you’re shooting in high definition (1080p) even the slightest blur or lack of focus can ruin the scene. This is not an unknown issue, I only wish I had paid closer attention to some of the support forums. Here is GoPro’s official statement on the underwater clarity issue.

Due to the curved lens of the waterproof housing for the HD HERO camera and standard def Wide HERO cameras, you will notice a slight loss of sharpness with underwater images. We are developing a flat glass adapter / housing specifically for underwater use, thus allowing for the same image sharpness that you enjoy with your GoPro camera above water. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive an update for new product releases.

This is not the end of the world for the GoPro, there are hacks and replacements out there that fix this issue by adapting a flat lens. The most elegant solution I have found thus far is this flat replacement lens that fits the existing body, but I’m not sure many GoPro owners will be happy to know they have to shell out another $50 bucks just to get clear videos when underwater. Still there are even more expensive solutions like replacing the entire underwater housing, or building and hacking your own lens over the top of the manufacturer’s housing. The reality is that all of these are less than desirable for anyone that just shelled out 300-400 dollars on this camera.

By now you’re probably asking yourself how bad could it really be? To be perfectly honest, it’s not that bad for action shots or the occasional dunking, but once you see footage from a GoPro with a flat lens you’ll never want look at the blurry footage again. Take this example from Jazz and Fly Fishing where they created a DIY solution out of a UV Filter and the cap for a baby bottle. The comparison is quite profound.

As it stands I’m not sure how I feel about the GoPro, I’m actually considering returning it- but only so that I could by a cheaper version, or possibly one with the additional flat lens. I’m going to have to decide if the current mounts I have are worth it to me along with the additional price tag of the $50 flat lens replacement. I wrote to GoPro to get an update on the situation and to find out if the lens replacement will be offered to current owners or sold as an accessory. I’ve added emphasis to the most relevant bits.

Due to the curved lens of the waterproof housing for the HD HERO camera, you will notice a slight loss of sharpness/focus to underwater images. Currently, the camera is not marketed as an underwater camera. It is definitely waterproof, however, it was not designed to be primarily used underwater. We apologize if this was disappointing for you. We are developing a flat glass adapter / housing specifically for underwater use, thus allowing for the same image sharpness that you enjoy with your GoPro camera above water. This will be an accessory that customers can purchase separately. Please sign up for our newsletter to receive an update for new product releases.

So there you have it, the GoPro is not an underwater camera though the waterproof case will allow you it to go underwater and they are already developing a flat glass lens adapter and/or an entirely new housing. Fair enough, the overall quality of the GoPro is still fantastic, and solutions exist to address the issue and restore the amazing HD clarity to your underwater videos. Just know that if you’re serious about shooting underwater you’re probably going to need to buy or build a flat lens adapter.

I’m definitely looking forward to seeing Jordan from Sportsman Trophy Plaque again this year, and getting our 2010 Contributor Contest plaque to the printers.

For details see the Spring Fishing & Boat Show website.