GoPro advice needed

[mikenehrkorn]

Thinking of asking Santa for a GoPro this year but not sure which model to ask for...don't really have any specific requirements except being able to capture some cool video on the boat.

Thoughts on which model and features are must have and which ones are not really needed for a weekend hack like myself?

TIA

[sivs1]

best bet is to get the Costco package deal they typically have this time of year. Think they usually only offer one model.

This is what they have online right now, stores might be slightly different.
http://www.costco.com/GoPro-Hero3%2b...100168588.html

[trayson]

Well, if you want the value proposition I'd say that the 3+ black would be fine. it has the wireless remote and I am a HUGE fan of the remote. it has the same buttons as the camera and it has the same LCD display screen as the front of the cam so you can operate the camera just like you had it in your hands. And it's SIMPLE. I can hand the remote to ANYONE in the boat and have them start/stop video or take pics.

Yes, you can pair the gopro with the app for FREE, but then you're having to use your phone. Killing your phone's battery, swiping to unlock. does your phone have a passcode? are you going to hand your phone to just anyone while on the boat? The remote drops connection less than using the app and uses less battery. The only real advantage of the app is that you can use it as a viewfinder. The remote is waterproof and we use it with a lanyard. the remote is also great for getting the still pictures with the telescoping pole mount.

Now, because I wanted the latest and greatest, I sold my 3+ black and got the 4 silver. it's got the built in color touchscreen which is way cool. However the 4 silver doesn't come with the remote, so you're looking at another $80 I think for the remote. It's way overpriced for the remote, but I think it's invaluable on the boat.

I guess the 4silver adds night mode which is kinda cool and also time lapse. I also like the video mode where it takes video and snags a still pic every 5 seconds.

[trayson]

best bet is to get the Costco package deal they typically have this time of year. Think they usually only offer one model.

This is what they have online right now, stores might be slightly different.
http://www.costco.com/GoPro-Hero3%2b...100168588.html

I would get the 3+ black over the silver because the black will come with the remote control. Also I believe that the black has "superview" which is the video setting I use all the time. it takes the gopro's 4:3 sensor and stretches the outer edges to make it the 16:9 aspect ratio. (assuming that the edges are the less important info than the stuff in the center of the frame). This in my opinion is better than taking a 4:3 sensor's image capture and cropping it to 16:9 (meaning that you LOSE information by cropping part of your capture out).

Sure you can edit to change aspect ratio post production, but "ain't nobody got time for dat"


Or you could go for a $100 knockoff gopro wannabe. Not my style but I have friends that have done it and get their 1080p video just fine and they even use the same mounts and stuff as real gopros.

[sandm]

considering selling mine. never been used, only opened to see what it is. have batteries and some accessories to go with.
not sure which one it is but I'll look when I get home. just don't see a need for it for me...
for some reason I thought I have the 4silver.

[trayson]

Also, check out the new GoPro+ LCD. it's pretty similar to the 4silver, but just seems to have a smidge less FPS and Megapixels on burst mode. it's $100 cheaper than the 4 silver. (not sure if the plus has time lapse or night mode, but you could probably live w/o those).

http://shop.gopro.com/cameras/heropl...CHDHB-101.html

The $100 you save could pay for the smart remote.

[sivs1]

What are you going to use it for? I mainly use mine for snow skiing to capture my son. Last year it was mounted to the tip of his ski, he crashed, camera came off, I was behind him and ran over it with my skis. They take a beating, but think of the cost involved if you'll be super rough with it.

[trayson]

What are you going to use it for? I mainly use mine for snow skiing to capture my son. Last year it was mounted to the tip of his ski, he crashed, camera came off, I was behind him and ran over it with my skis. They take a beating, but think of the cost involved if you'll be super rough with it.

I have a gopro that I use on the boat. it's pretty much the go-to cam for the boat because of the remote control and the telescoping pole as mentioned above. also because I have a couple key locations in the boat where I have mounts setup and we just slap the gopro in a mount and don't have to mess with it. I have a curved surface sticky mount on the rear corner of the boat for surfing. I have a "wrist mount" on the tower mounted below the tow point for wakeboarding or surfing. (just set the gopro in upside down mode). I also made my own mount that tracks with a slalom skier on the rear pylon using the "roll bar mount":



However for skiing or any other sport that has a helmet, my favorite choice by far is the Contour Roam 2. It's a WAY better profile for wearing on a helmet and it's a very simple operation where you slide it forward for on/recording and slide it back for off/not-recording. it does 1080p and is waterproof without a separate case. the battery isn't removable, but I find it plenty to get me through any interesting vid I want to capture for a day on the mountain.

you can find them for $90, which is a good enough deal that I have one of these for snow/motorcycle and have the gopro for boat.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Contour-1800...cAAOSwsB9WCAA8

[mmandley]

considering selling mine. never been used, only opened to see what it is. have batteries and some accessories to go with.
not sure which one it is but I'll look when I get home. just don't see a need for it for me...
for some reason I thought I have the 4silver.

I tried to PM you about your Go Pro, your box is full.

[mikenehrkorn]

What are you going to use it for? I mainly use mine for snow skiing to capture my son. Last year it was mounted to the tip of his ski, he crashed, camera came off, I was behind him and ran over it with my skis. They take a beating, but think of the cost involved if you'll be super rough with it.

Mostly out on the boat, surfing, skiing, etc.