GoPro Thoughts or Recommendations

599 Views | 6 Replies | Last: 3 yr ago by Midtown SAHD
Midtown SAHD
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I'm thinking about getting a gopro for my summer trip (Montana, Glacier NP) and future trips. Anyone have one and willing to give some thoughts. Was it worth the money?. Do you use it regularly?. I'm thinking about whitewater, fly fishing, hiking, the usual Outdoorsy stuff. What are the strengths and weaknesses?. Video editing on an iPad is preferable as my laptop is slow and weak, used like a phonebook, basically.

Thanks.
lb3
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AG
Video quality is pretty decent. We got caught up in a national media story and we saw everything from GoPros used for B roll footage on local news outlets to $70k+ cameras used by the national news guys.

This prompted my wife to buy a GoPro for some of the work she does inspecting industrial sites. She rarely uses it because the battery life was only about an hour. She was hoping to use it more like a police cam to catch things she missed with her DSLR but with such a short battery life it wasn't really viable in that context.
PlanoAg98
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AG
I use one for scuba diving. I have the forehead mount which is great for active wear. It basically films where you are looking. Just buy the most recent Go Pro version.

The one issue I have with Go Pro is I haven't found an efficient way to get the video off the camera to be playable on a TV. Even with a brand new TV, streaming it from the camera or download to PC/flash drive always shows delays and poor quality on the TV. I must be recording in the incorrect format. However, that was not the point of this convo.
Guitarsoup
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AG
There are a billion action cams. Just get one that has a ton of reviews off Amazon. GoPro charges a pretty hefty price without much benefit.

Action cams are toys that tend not to be used a whole lot by hte vast majority of owners.

$50 and can use all GPro mounts.
https://amzn.to/2O4P5rY
Wildmen03
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AG
I had a Hero 3+ and a 5 black. I use them mostly for timelapses and at the pool/lake to video my son playing. They are definitely a niche device, and while they are great at what they do, I don't use it as much as I'd like. But the past year gets a pass because of the quarantine.
Crazy Ag 97
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AG
I used mine a little when I first got it, but quickly realized I wasn't filming anything that exciting. That said, I know use it mostly for work. I mount it to my front bumper and drive my construction sites pre-construction to easily document existing condition of access roads leading into sites. Has come in handy when arguing with contractors post construction.
91AggieLawyer
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AG
I had a 3+ I got for a vacation back in 2015. Was not even remotely impressed. The only application it had, for me, was action or underwater video, neither of which I did on a regular basis. It ended up being a one or two shot (pardon the pun) deal. With that in mind, I kept discouraging guys from getting a GP about 2 years ago (and a DJI pocket). Unless you needed the action part (of which it was a no-brainer, though you could go with a knock-off), if you wanted quality video, your phone was a better bet. Spend a third of what a GP costs and get a good smart phone gimbal, and download a quality video app.

Well, the GoPro Hero8 changed all that. I started looking at it when it came out and got one about a month and a half later. I haven't even used my phone since (other than quick shots when I didn't have the GP). Anytime I leave the house for a non-specific task (work, church, etc.), I take my GP. The video quality is good -- just about as good as my iPhone -- and it has a built in stabilizer. I've even used it for what I'd think of as decent video work -- shooting my church orchestra when we did a "Jazz Sunday" a few months ago. Its much easier to deal with than a phone and gimbal. Heck, I've got a Zhylis (sp?) gimbal for my phone that I really haven't used.

The GP9 is even better and I may get that. I wish they had the same battery since I have additional batteries and the external charger, so I may just wait until the next version as mine is just fine. I've invested in some decent micro SD cards and I know I'll need even better (and likely bigger) cards for the next version. I upload videos on FB and am working on doing some on YT; maybe some training ones. I think someone serious can work with the GP, though due to lack of manual options and a fixed lens, you are limited. My 3+ did 1080 but it was so processed looking, it was hardly worthwhile. The 4K on my 8, from what I can tell, looks good.

At any rate, it is no longer just an action camera. I'll be out this weekend shooting stuff.
Midtown SAHD
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Thank you all, Some really helpful information here.
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