Hey guys.
I know a handful of people are starting to use the HD GoPro video cameras. Which models do you have and what are the pros and cons of each? Do you all use the HD GoPro Hero 2?
HD GoPro cameras
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F[uns]tylin' Eclectic
- Post Master General
- Posts: 4092
- Joined: 05 Feb 2010 19:53
- Location: Drumore, PA
One of our dudes at PSU has one and I can tell you one pro about it and one con... The pro is that they are madd durable. He had me shred with it (camera as the footbag) while it was filming and it dropped a bunch onto grass and hard ground and it's still kicking ass. The con is only a small one; they don't have a view finder. You kinda have to guess where you will be filming. I want one though.
I know this is a bit of an old thread, but I figured since it only has one reply (and it mentions me) I could fill in a bit. I have used my GoPro HD Hero (first one) for two years now and it has been great - Actually, I got mine replaced under warranty due to a faulty usb port in my first one, which confirmed the awesome customer service at the company. As Nick mentioned, the gopro is durable. I carry it around in my backpack every day in case I ever need to film anything spontaneous (like a random kick session).
This summer I was able to play around with a friend's HD Hero2, and here are some differences: the Hero2 has more vivid colors and doesn't wash out as often as the older model in bright light. It also has a few additional shooting modes, which add 60fps in 1080p. That last point is one of the best improvements over the first model (I edit colors and levels in post processing anyway) because it gives you more frames for slow motion shots while keeping the 1080p video size - on the previous version, you could only get 60 fps on the 720p video size. One of the reasons this is so big, is that I almost exclusively film in 1080p, due to its narrower fov - it has very little fisheye effect, which I find annoying whenever I film in 720p (which has a 170 degree fov). So this essentially allows me to film high speed shots without the fisheye distortion. Is it worth it to get a new one? In my opinion, if you can shave $70-100 off the Hero2's price by getting the first version - NO, go with the first version. If the price difference is less than $70, get the newer model.
And the downside that Nick posted about no viewfinder... I bought a viewfinder "backpac" that they sell for around $70 and it is awesome. The downside is that it drains battery faster, but I also have a few spares on me when I film. Another thing that i love about the gopro - it is relatively lightweight and small, which means you can put it in cool places for nice shots (a la headcam or gopro on a stick) and not worry about it being damaged if it falls due to its indestructible nature. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
edit: haha, just saw your reply on the other camera post... whoops!
This summer I was able to play around with a friend's HD Hero2, and here are some differences: the Hero2 has more vivid colors and doesn't wash out as often as the older model in bright light. It also has a few additional shooting modes, which add 60fps in 1080p. That last point is one of the best improvements over the first model (I edit colors and levels in post processing anyway) because it gives you more frames for slow motion shots while keeping the 1080p video size - on the previous version, you could only get 60 fps on the 720p video size. One of the reasons this is so big, is that I almost exclusively film in 1080p, due to its narrower fov - it has very little fisheye effect, which I find annoying whenever I film in 720p (which has a 170 degree fov). So this essentially allows me to film high speed shots without the fisheye distortion. Is it worth it to get a new one? In my opinion, if you can shave $70-100 off the Hero2's price by getting the first version - NO, go with the first version. If the price difference is less than $70, get the newer model.
And the downside that Nick posted about no viewfinder... I bought a viewfinder "backpac" that they sell for around $70 and it is awesome. The downside is that it drains battery faster, but I also have a few spares on me when I film. Another thing that i love about the gopro - it is relatively lightweight and small, which means you can put it in cool places for nice shots (a la headcam or gopro on a stick) and not worry about it being damaged if it falls due to its indestructible nature. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask.
edit: haha, just saw your reply on the other camera post... whoops!
I use the Hero 2 and all i can say is that its totally worth the money. the quality is awesome, even though if you film towards the sun. It is not like the only thing you can see is the sun, you can easily do things in the front and can see everything. filming towards the sun looks so great with this cam.
I use it for snowboarding, motocycling, climbing and footbagging and in every situation it is just great. I had no helmet cam before but nevertheless chose that one because of the awesome feedback, what i can totally agree with.
Underwater videos arent that good (at least in a lake... ok the lake where i was trying to film was a bit dirty though^^).
I have to disagree with isirc10 that it can film in 1080p with 60fps. in full HD it is still 30 fps but in WVGA 120 or 60 fps are possible. the quality and resolution with 120 fps is better than my exilim ex fh 25 with same settings.
60 fps in small HD is possible and all i need. I dont film in full HD... once i tryed the narrow fov (90°) in full HD but some how the quality totally sucked. I only use 170°.
Not sure if there is a newer version which can film in 60 fps 1080p... My cam is not able to film like this (bought it in dec. 2011)
all in all it is a very nice came i can only recommend.
I use it for snowboarding, motocycling, climbing and footbagging and in every situation it is just great. I had no helmet cam before but nevertheless chose that one because of the awesome feedback, what i can totally agree with.
Underwater videos arent that good (at least in a lake... ok the lake where i was trying to film was a bit dirty though^^).
I have to disagree with isirc10 that it can film in 1080p with 60fps. in full HD it is still 30 fps but in WVGA 120 or 60 fps are possible. the quality and resolution with 120 fps is better than my exilim ex fh 25 with same settings.
60 fps in small HD is possible and all i need. I dont film in full HD... once i tryed the narrow fov (90°) in full HD but some how the quality totally sucked. I only use 170°.
Not sure if there is a newer version which can film in 60 fps 1080p... My cam is not able to film like this (bought it in dec. 2011)
all in all it is a very nice came i can only recommend.
Christopher Schillem
I've purchased the GoPro Hero 2. I bought it for a motorcycle trip I was taking. The pros are the accessories and mounting positions, the durability, the quality of the shots, and the quick start up times.
The big difference with the GoPro's is the user creativity levels. With older cameras you'd be limited to point and shoot with what you could see. Now you eyeball where the camera is going to shoot and get a GREAT perspective. A unique perspective. The housing does not clearly do underwatershots... it is waterproof to atleast 100+ feet, but the clarity is poor. So purchasing additional 3rd party lenses / GoPro's new underwater housing is needed for underwater.
That last underwater part has nothing to do with footbag, but I bought it primarily for motorcycles and freediving.
The popularity of GoPro's and other adventure cameras are becoming so evident you can just youtube gopro and see what you're missing. The audio on them are horrible , so again, accessories will be needed for better audio. Like most footbag videos, 90% or more will be music though.
To get the full experience of adventure cameras is up to the user. You can't treat them like a regular camera. You have to experiment or else you should have just bought a regular hand held.
If you have any other questions please feel free to msg me , or email me at mahoodyATgmailDOTcom.
I don't regular the forums, but I did buy a pair of lavers and Brad is sending me a footbag, so I'll be kickin sacks soon
The big difference with the GoPro's is the user creativity levels. With older cameras you'd be limited to point and shoot with what you could see. Now you eyeball where the camera is going to shoot and get a GREAT perspective. A unique perspective. The housing does not clearly do underwatershots... it is waterproof to atleast 100+ feet, but the clarity is poor. So purchasing additional 3rd party lenses / GoPro's new underwater housing is needed for underwater.
That last underwater part has nothing to do with footbag, but I bought it primarily for motorcycles and freediving.
The popularity of GoPro's and other adventure cameras are becoming so evident you can just youtube gopro and see what you're missing. The audio on them are horrible , so again, accessories will be needed for better audio. Like most footbag videos, 90% or more will be music though.
To get the full experience of adventure cameras is up to the user. You can't treat them like a regular camera. You have to experiment or else you should have just bought a regular hand held.
If you have any other questions please feel free to msg me , or email me at mahoodyATgmailDOTcom.
I don't regular the forums, but I did buy a pair of lavers and Brad is sending me a footbag, so I'll be kickin sacks soon
More C4 please <3
Hey John.
Good to see you posting!
I bought the bike mount for cycling trips but it's unbearably shaky. I can't ride on a sidewalk at the slowest speed possible (slower than walking) without crazy shake every time I hit the teeniest crack in the cement. How does it fare for your motorcycle and how do you make it less jittery if you've encountered that problem? I'll send the same message to your email but maybe others are curious too. There's little help I could find online except that the little rubber bit that comes with it is supposed to help shock-absorption or something, but I've yet to try since I read that. Any thoughts? It feels like I wasted $20 on a silly mount.
Good to see you posting!
I bought the bike mount for cycling trips but it's unbearably shaky. I can't ride on a sidewalk at the slowest speed possible (slower than walking) without crazy shake every time I hit the teeniest crack in the cement. How does it fare for your motorcycle and how do you make it less jittery if you've encountered that problem? I'll send the same message to your email but maybe others are curious too. There's little help I could find online except that the little rubber bit that comes with it is supposed to help shock-absorption or something, but I've yet to try since I read that. Any thoughts? It feels like I wasted $20 on a silly mount.
The rubber bit helps a little with shock absorption, but it's more for the vibrating noises it transfers to the case. I use an adhesive mount on my helmet and there is no shaking. Mainly because the ride of a motorcycle + my body's natural cushioning take away all the shakes. For you though maybe you could try deflating your front tire a little more. Other than that you could try the adhesive mount on your helmet, or a chest strap.
More C4 please <3