Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)The GoPro HD videocam is fundamentally a POV helmetcam for bikers, skiers, and boarders.It offers reasonable HD resolution, wide-angle, with a scan rate up to 60p, which work well for land, air, sailing, or surfing.For the money, it may merit four or five stars for those uses.
My tilt is from the vantage of underwater use, for which the GoPro HD is gol-durned worthless and merits zero stars.
Attractions:
Here's what drew me to buy:
1) The device comes with a waterproof case rated to 180', plus a wide-angle lens, which are intriguing features for a <$300 price.The elastic head strap mount can be worn above goggles.One can also buy dessicant strips to avoid fogging.
2) Dedicated UW videocams cost plenty, and the best consumer "rugged" digicams with HD video (the Panasonic T2 and Olympus 8100) rate only to 30', have LCD screens that are hard to see underwater, and shoot no wider than 28mm, making it hard to frame shots.
Realities:
I used the GoPro HD while snorkeling and free-diving to about 25'.The Cozumel waters were among the world's clearest.Lighting was mixed sun and clouds.The camera case was dry and clean, and it contained two fresh dessicant strips.I shot at the 1920x1080 30p setting.The full HD, I thought, would give me some room for digital zoom when editing, to bring key object to center frame.I avoided the 1920x720 60p setting, since that is a "fish-eye" mode best for very close POV shots, blurs more at the edges, and the faster frame rate superfluous for slow UW action.
1) The GoPro HD's video becomes exasperatingly ill-focussed below the surface.The blur is far worse than my own short-sightedness.I could see far better without my glasses than could the camera.Coral formations were all blurry.Fishes, crabs, and rays appear only as blobs.People who see YouTube GoPro underwater samples that look tolerable probably saw shots of large objects taken with the standard definition models.The GoPro HD's underwater video is anything but HD.It is worse than SD, worse than VHS, worse than MacGoo vision.GoPro has responded to some owners (but not in its product brochure or manual) that it is "aware" of the focus issue, but has yet to offer any optical or firmware corrections.My problem had nothing to do with condensation, since the case was dry and included fresh dessicant strips sold by GoPro.
2) The angle is wide, but not wide enough to alleviate need for careful manual control.One's tendency is to aim the thing a little too high.Since there is no preview screen to learn on-location, it would help if the brochure gave buyers some "heads up" on the problem.Essentially, one must set the head strap hinge about 25 degrees downward from the angle of one's forehead, and NOT have the shooting angle match the foreward diretion of one's diving mask.Alternatively, one should mount the cam on a pole and point it carefully.If holding it in hand with no pole, be extra careful about diretion, usually aiming below a 45% angle from the water surface.
3) No underwater color filters or white balance adjustments.GoPro sells no adapter filters and no generic or third party models fit.GoPro could introduce firmware that allows digital white-balance adjustments for blue or green water, but has not replied it will ever do so.
Bottom Line:
1) People in search of an action or helmet videocamera for land, air, or above-water use should survey the other reviews, plus comments at a user forum.Most are favorable.The most common complaints, meanwhile, are that the protective case latch can break and that GoPro failed to deliver a firmware update, without offering any new ETA.Go Pro's wide-angle and 60p mode offer unique advantages for POV action video ABOVE WATER.A wide-angle conversion lens alone can cost plenty, and none of this sort exists for other small models.However, if you can get by with 28mm equivalent wide angle, various "rugged" P&S digicams are more versatile (for stills or video) and have preview screens.GoPro may soon introduce a preview attachment for its devices, but cost extra and require removing the cam from its protective case.
2) Those in search of a device for underwater HD video should explore other manufacturers' models.Alas, there are few expert reviews that include proper underwater tests.Do not rely on any reviewers' bathtub tests, home aquarium tests (especially if shot from outside, or samples transcoded or shot with SD models. In its present configuration, the GoPro HD is entirely unsuitable for scuba, snorkel, or other diving shots.The earlier SD models yielded more tolerable UW qualty, but anyone in search of HD results, and a $300 budget, might find an underwater enclosure or "marine pack" for a P&S digicam that performs.Circa $400 will buy the latest and best "rugged" digicams with HD video (Panny T2, Oly 8100) rated to 30'. If one intends to dive frequently, or below 30', greater expenditure for dedicated equipment may be in order.Otherwise, avoid risk and expense and get a disposable UW still camera.
As a general, neutral word of advice, people who intend to EDIT GoPro HD video should have a multi-core PC with a recent dedicated graphics card.Sony Vegas Pro, FCP, and Pinnacle 12.1 / 14 support the MP4 h.264 files.Other editing packages may require conversion to another codec before editing.
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GoPro HD Surf HERO CameraProduct Description: GoPro's HD Surf HERO is the world's only 1080p HD on-board video and still photo camera. Professional quality 1080p / 960p / 720p HD resolutions record at 30 and 60 frames per second (60 fps in 720p). Easily mounts to any surfboard in seconds. So light, even top pros claim they don't notice the camera on their boards. The HD Surf HERO can also shoot 5MP photos automatically every 2 seconds while you surf. With the simple press of the shutter button on the paddle out you can capture photos during your entire surf. Other photo modes include 5 / 10 / 30 / and 60 second time lapse as well as single shot, triple shot and self timer modes. The batteries last for over 2.5 hours of HD video or automatic photo taking, so you can document your entire surf with a single push of the shutter button on the paddle out. The included adhesive base mounts in seconds and is proven in heavy surf from Hawaii to Tahiti, Southern Mexico to Northern California. Or you can install an FCS fin plug into the deck of your board and then use the patent pending camera mounting plug to allen key your HD Surf HERO into the FCS plug. Lighten your load on your next trip and use the HD Surf HERO for your non-surf related photos and videos, too. Optional accessories make it easy to mount the camera on your wrist, bike, scooter, jet ski or helmet. Tow surfing? A chest harness is available for that, too. Waterproof to 180' / 60m and protected from rocks and other hazards thanks to its removable pol
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