GoPro HERO3: Silver Edition

Lets Start with Pros and Cons Pros: Huge range of movie quality settings Useful 30fps max still image burst rate Remote and app control Top-notch video and photo quality Good range of accessories Cons: Supplied software a little limited Built-in microphone is overly directional The GoPro Hero3 Black Edition is a small but tough camera and camcorder designed to be used in the harshest of conditions. If you've ever watched the Deadliest Catch you'll know the astonishingly exacting the conditions it is filmed in are. Can you guess what they use to film? That's right it's GoPro cameras. That's how tough they are. As the flagship product in the GoPro range, the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition has a number of upgrades over its cheaper siblings. First and foremost, the big addition for the Black Edition package is the supplied Wi-Fi remote control that lets you control the camera – handy if the camera itself is attached to a helmet or anywhere else that might make reaching the buttons tricky. We’ll deal with the set-up and operation of the remote in more depth later on, but for adventurous souls looking to mount their camera somewhere they cannot physically reach it, the Wi-Fi remote is sure to appeal. In addition to the supplied Wi-Fi remote, the Black Edition also has a beefed-up, higher resolution 12MP camera. By way of comparison, the Silver Edition gets an 11MP snapper, while the entry-level White Edition only gets a 5MP sensor. In addition to the full 12MP, the Black Edition also shoots at 7MP and 5MP if needed. Perhaps more useful to the camera’s target audience is the Black Edition’s 30fps maximum burst rate. This is considerably higher than both the Silver Edition’s 10fps and the White Edition’s 3fps. It’s a useful advantage because, in the fast-moving world of adrenaline sports, the ability to fire off 30 consecutive shots is much more likely to bag you exactly the shot you want. For those who don’t require quite so much speed, the Black Edition has 3fps, 5fps and 10fps continuous shooting speeds, too. Last but not least the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition has a time-lapse mode, where the camera can be set to shoot at 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60-second intervals. It all adds up to plenty of scope and flexibility. Of course, the majority of people looking to purchase a Hero3 will probably be much more interested in its video capabilities than its still image prowess, and here again the Black Edition enjoys a distinct advantage over its two supporting models. While the Silver and White editions support a maximum resolution of 1080p at 25fps, the Black Edition can capture 1080p Full HD video at 50/48/25fps in PAL mode (60/48/30fps for NTSC capture). Furthermore 720p recording can be captured at 100/50fps (120/60fps for NTSC), which enables smooth slow-motion playback of high-def movies – something neither the Silver or White editions are capable of. The Black Edition also supports 4K capture at 15fps, or 4K Cinema at 12fps. Alternative video settings include: 1440p at 48/25/24fps (48/30/24fps for NTSC) 2.7K at 25fps (30fps for NTSC) 2.7K Cinema at 24fps 960p at 100/48fps WVGA capture at 240fps. If you’re into extreme sports and are looking for a camcorder/still image camera that you can strap to your person to capture the action with, irrespective of whether it’s in the water or on dry land, then the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition is currently best option on the market. The remote control, along with the GoPro smartphone/tablet app for Android and iOS, only adds to the overall versatility of the Black Edition, making it a fantastic piece of kit at a very reasonable price.

I must have read 1000 of reviews of GoPro Hero3 online. 90% of these included some kind of negative comments, namely: 1. Camera freezes 2. Battery getting hot 3. Recorded only few frames 4. WiFi not working 5. Protune problems, etc. Well, either I got lucky or I had made a good call considering that most of these reviews were written by illiterate, spoiled shoppers. Yes, it is true that Hero3 does not come with a "manual" and it is certainly true that it is kind of less intuitive to navigate menus of this camera than, say iPhone ... but iPhone was tested on non-intuitive people ... everyone knows that. And GoPro Hero3 does have only 2 buttons and no touch screen ... When camera arrived, I followed manual that I downloaded from GoPro site, inserted card, charged battery. Then I followed video posted on their site on how to update firmware. I opted for manual update (it is the same as automatic), but since I do not believe in Internet Explorer or Mozzila I have had to go with manual. It is easy ... you enter your info, name your camera and choose password, enter serial number (do not forget to put back the battery and fire up camera again - or write down serial beforehand). Their site creates custom update for you (basically it makes one extra file in which it inputs info about name of the camera and password you choose). I downloaded it as .zip ... unpacked it and copied files using Windows Explorer (or whatever Mac people use) to copy it to the root of the memory card (one in the camera ... if your PC does not recognize camera as USB storage device you may think camera is not working ... there should be additional external storage registered on your computer - that is the camera card - work pretty much the same as any flash drive). As soon as you disconnect your camera, it turns off. When you turn it on ... process of firmware update begins and it ends in approximately 6-7 minutes. It took a little while for me to figure how to navigate all menus with two buttons only, but as I said ... it is enough intuitive if you are not an average iPhone freak. Now, I am a video freak and I have few PCs, but 1440p at 48fps (native resolution) is not an easy thing to handle ... hens some people write frames skipping ... indeed. Use Quick Time Player for these high resolutions ... Windows Media player will not handle those at all, and all you can get is sound (it is NOT camera fault but PC is too weak). I had to use Adobe Premiere to make it playable on average PC. 4K only worked on my 32GB RAM workstation ... :( I downloaded GoPro App for Android, and it is smooth. Leg is about two seconds, maybe even less. It allowed me to change settings much quicker then using remote or camera itself. Quality is stunning (Protune) considering you do not have Iris, Focus, WB and Shutter speed controls like any normal camera should. I admit that Protune quality for someone who is not post processing is not optimal, but I expected that. I edit all my work anyway. Frame rates are a blast for freak such as I am ... I have whole world in slo-mo. Battery does heat up, but not to extreme. It does drain out maybe little bit too quick, therefore I bought two extra Wasabi batteries, Although, to that account I used Wifi all the time, Protune was on, and resolution was extreme while I was experimenting. Now, without Wifi, battery life is somewhat longer. GoPro App drained my phone battery pretty fast. I also purchased suction cap, head strap and few other accessories. The handlebar seat-post mount is nice accessory too. Bottom line ... it is a nice little gadget. It is unbelievable what GoPro managed to put into this little thing. Them mentioning word professional is overstatement, but I hope that you know there is nothing professional for this kind of money. One can make videos from impossible angles and in impossible situations, but for any professional work RAW files will have to be edited heavily. For someone who is serious about video as I am, I firmly recommend GoPro Hero3 Black edition. For someone who wants to make fun videos to put online or share with friend, I presume White edition, or Silver one is more then OK.

Not something you will likely take out of the box and start using. Many set up options, not a point and shoot camera. While all advertising videos of the camera are shot in places that are wet, dirty and nasty for precision equipment, it creates the illusion that you can just turn it on and you get magic. You can get magic - if you are very careful to keep the camera protected and in a "clean room" environment when it's out of the case. Suggestions: Mentally prepare for a 2 to 4 hour session to update camera firmware and read manual and "play" with settings before you get to use camera. Download the manual and read through it while waiting for the camera to arrive. Think about what you want to name the wifi server in the camera and password if you want to alter the defaults, because this is done from the software update procedure which you don't want to repeat. Write down the serial number from the battery compartment before you insert the battery or you'll be taking the camera back apart to do that to set up your download to update firmware and change name and password. You are going to want to understand all the settings and capabilities and have it configured for your particular use. Read the review on the camera at DPReview dot com (digital photography review). It will give you an idea of what the variety of video modes and camera settings will do for different kinds of shooting. Punching though the settings menu is tedious and after awhile, you may get fast at it, but it's much faster to use GoPro's wireless application for your smartphone and scroll through most of the settings. So someplace along the line go to the wireless setup in the manual and get that app running to facilitate setting up the camera. Have lens cleaner and clean microfiber cloths and a sheltered clean, dry place to work if you plan to charge or change batteries or download content since you cannot do it while the camera is in the protective case or via the wireless. And any dirt or water in or around the camera will compromise your investment and your hope to record magic. Set it to shut down if you're not shooting or punching it's buttons to conserve battery. Turn off some of the LED's and turn down the beep volume to conserve battery. Wireless remote likes to be on - make sure you turn it off when not in use to conserve battery. This is a wonderful miniature camera with exceptional capabilities as you can see from all the promotional videos. Just realize you are buying a technical piece of gear that requires skill, care and knowledge to get that kind of results. This is my middle of the night review after slogging my way through the setup. Pictures come next. I'll update with reports on how the camera works in my real world. For now, it's a 3 - took a bit of time to get familiar, lots of tiny parts to get lost easily. But then - it's a miniature piece of precision technology. Only the protective housing suggests it could be out there in the dirty world. After the learning curve is over, I expect it to be great fun and useful. But it made me tired tonight. Confident that my rating will go up if the camera has no glitches in the real world. Not ready yet to say that with so many people encountering problems in many of the Amazon reviews. I can say that after setting it up in my office, all functions seem to work as they are supposed to. ****** 9/18/2003 Update After having the camera for a few months and becoming pretty familiar with the settings and operation, I can say I've gotten some wonderful pictures, time lapse sequences and video. It captures about what your eyes see in landscape photography, so you can use it hand held to get wonderful wide angle landscape and city views. Very handy to carry for shots I could not get with SLR, just have to get used to shooting without viewfinder unless you buy the backpack and sacrifice battery life and size. It is also excellent for competitive swimming stroke clinics. I have to give credit for this idea to Brenton Ford at Effortless Swimming. It is the primary reason I bought the camera. On an extension pole, it does an excellent job of top and side views, and underwater side and head on views. Quick easy solution to complex task that adds high value to stroke coaching. Frame by frame review of video is sometimes required to catch inefficient elements of body position, pull and kick that are not necessarily visible in full motion. I've raised my rating to 4 stars after learning to appreciate it's capabilities. Valuable tool for coaching - in wet environment. Suspect it would be equally good in other water sports where underwater elements are key to efficient technique.

Light, good for using just anywhere... I have Canon 7D plus 5 lens that are so heavy that it is virtually impossible to take the camera on the beach, skiing or in similar situation. Although seldom do I use GoPro for pictures, it makes fantastic videos of great quality and I feel great about its weight. However, using a camera that has no visible preview (like a smart phone) and no screen where to do all adjustments is somewhat strange. Don't get frustrated over it, just get used to it. I bought this camera for horse riding, skiing and some underwater videos. Results are impressive. However, if you put it on your head, get used to the idea to use your head as camera and don't turn it around too fast - when you do it, this could make you sea sick :)) It does take some training to do slow movements and know how to behave if you are looking towards the horizon, if you are shooting something from a close up, etc. You should also keep in mind that it shoots rather wide and if you wish someone to be really visible, get very close! :) Having the remote is a blessing. Once I forgot it and felt like an idiot each time taking off gloves and reaching in the air to find the right button on the camera, which was on my helmet. What I find as a problem is short battery life. Despite the fact I have bought two extra batteries, it is very uncomfortable changing them while you are still in the action. The way the box opens and closes is rather challenging for women with good manicure. Still, I recommend it as it is safe, provides good quality, it is fun to use, you can even put it in your pocket. If you are hesitating - don't :)))

I'll start with the bad. The battery sucks and the GoPro freezes sometimes (once in a while when I record a while then try to record again). And the price just dropped to $330 from $400! (Good for you, stinks for me I just got it 2 months ago) So, buy two separate batteries on Amazon for about $20 total and take out the battery for a second and put it back in if it freezes. Besides these two issues that can be worked around, I LOVE this camera. I'm a freelance videographer and sometimes you don't have the time to set up the right shot or things are happening so fast you need to focus. Or, you just want everything in focus. Outside, this camera looks amazing. The dynamic range is crazy good and the sky is not washed out. On a nice day you can get some amazing footage. The underwater footage is phenomenal. I love my DSLR setup for video but this GoPro is amazing and has got so many beautiful shots. I HIGHLY recommend getting the GoPole and Headband accessory. The GoPole stabilizes the camera so it's not shaky and can reach the camera out for a very cool angle. The headband can be worn off a role swing or anything you need both hands for. It also is great if you're taping people and want a second point of view from a person in it. All in all, not perfect, but I love it and the footage so much that is deserves a solid 5 stars.

I ordered our GoPro HD Hero3 Silver in advance of a family ski-trip out west. First thing you notice is buying a GoPro is just the beginning -- there are no end of accessories you'll end up tempted by (we got the Chesty harness, a 64GB SanDisk MicroSD card, and eventually bought more curved surface mounts at a local shop). We tested the camera out over a couple of days at our home resort in NH, and were immediately impressed with the image quality it's capable of producing. With just a little editing, you're producing some fun action video to share with family and friends. In this regard, the GoPro meets expectations -- it's simple to operate, and it shoots amazingly high quality video. At home and over the first few days of our vacation, we played around with different placement and angles (you do have to aim the camere somewhat carefully in "medium" view, or you end up looking at the ground a lot). We successfully (though not without glitches) have used the iOS and Android apps to manage setup and aiming. And we took some really compelling video of storm-riding at Steamboat, where the wide-angle and high resolution made simply beautiful shots. We also took it with us -- in its waterproof housing -- to the famous natural hot springs outside Steamboat. It was great fun taking the camera right in the water, and the first few pictures and short video I took were cool. And then it happened -- I am guessing something glitched when changing between camera and video modes -- but the unit stopped recording altogether. Oh, it looked like it was recording, and the video / image counter incremented... but nothing was actually stored on the MicroSD card, and the counter reset when you shut the camera off... so, we ended up "losing" pictures and video we took that day -- and the next day, too, because everything appeared normal. When I realized what was happening, I spent quite a bit of time researching the possible problems. This is where you go off the cliff with GoPro, and realize that the new Hero3 is just not ready for prime time. The more you read, the more you realize that this nifty little device is buggier than a pile of elephant poo in the hot sun. There are apparently dozens of known "glitches", most of which require fairly heroic technical intervention, unless you're a tech nerd; I am, so when GoPro's tech support emailed back a laundry list of things to try, I was OK reformatting the SD card and monkeying around with things. This morning I got it to work again -- but that means we lost use of the device for the last several days of our vacation. More the point -- I don't think most people would consider this kind of unreliability to be worthy of a consumer-level device. Maybe in a few more months, they'll have the bugs worked out, but unless you're willing to sign up for some frustration, I would keep my distance for now. That's a shame, because when it's working, it's a pretty remarkable action camera. A few other notes: - Battery life isn't great -- probably not two hours in cold weather. - You really need the GoPro USB charger or some other higher output USB device -- charging off a computer USB port overnight was not enough to get a full charge. - As noted, if you buy into GoPro and you're at all into it, you're going to end up with the accessories, too. My annoyance notwithstanding, now that it is working again, my son and I are both looking forward to further experimentation, on snow and elsewhere. I can see more accessories in our future.

All of the adrenaline junkies will tell you how good a GoPro is, but to everyone else, it seems to get written off as a costly camera. Make no mistake about it, it is fairly pricey. There are plenty of cheap(er) cameras out that that may satisfy the bulk of the public and thus explains what I hear or read. But you get what you pay for! When you first hold one in your hand, you'll be surprised at how small the camera really is - I mean the pictures don't do it justice. It's about as big as two key fobs put together! Its amazing that so much performance can be crammed into such a little product. But it can and it works fantastically! I purchased this Black Edition specifically because I wanted the capability to have a higher frame rate in 1080p and 780 (up to 60fps in 1080 and a whopping 120 in 780!), capability to do 30fps in 12MP camera mode and because of the WiFi remote that comes with it. First, I'll mention the remote. The remote is great, especially to mount to your motorcycle, your wrist, or anything while the camera is mounted in an inaccessable or incovenient area (something as simple as mounting it on a helmet can make it a worthwhile accessory). However, since GoPro now has an app that can control the camera through your WiFi enabled device, it all but makes the remote obsolete (except in extreme cases where it is better to have the small remote). The remote works good though it takes some practice to get a hang of the using the buttons (but so does the camera). The Black Edition is a must have for anyone that will actually use higher frame rates and actually produce, whether amatuer or professional videos. I am very much an ametuer on video level but having the capability to record what some of the very best (and very expensive) cameras in the world do in such a small, practical device is simply amazing (and reassuring that it'll be relavent for at least a few years). It allows you to record cinema-quality video in a tiny little device. Depending on the setting, you can also take photos simultaneously with video (for an excellent time-lapse video, too). The only thing I and some people will be dissapointed with is the battery. I've only used it for up to an hour of video and stills, but it quickly approaches low battery in a matter of no time, especially when using WiFi (I suggest only using WiFi when focusing using the app or when absolutely necessary when using the remote to control the camera). The optional battery that plops on the back of the GoPro will likely extend the battery enough to make it useful where longer shooting times are necessary (for me, motorcycle trips are a prime instance). If GoPro figures out a way to have a waterproof case that can accept a charger for constant use, I'll be all over it. With that said, if it weren't for the amazing capabilities as far as imaging goes above the Silver, I would have, and recommend for most people, the Silver Edition GoPro. But you won't be disappointed by spending an extra $100 (at the time of this review) on this Black Edition!

New Update!!! (11/27/13) DO NOT PURCHASE THIS CAMERA. I know that there are a lot of black friday deals out there, many of which make this camera seem attractive. Do not be lulled into thinking you're getting a good deal. This camera is faulty on almost every inch, and will give the person you're potentially buying this for more headaches than it is worth. The Hero3+ is out now, and this camera has addressed almost all of the issues that this camera suffered from; I know you are going to be paying more for it, but, PLEASE, do NOT buy this camera unless you get it for under $150. Spend more money and be happy with your purchase. UPDATE AT BOTTOM! WITH VIDEO!! (6/30/13) I know this is long, but if you're considering buying a GoPro product, this is worth the read. I'm writing this not as a review of the Hero3, but of the GoPro company itself. I purchased the Hero2 back in the summer of 2012, with the intent of capturing footage from a tough mudder event that I was participating in. Arriving a few days before the event, I had ample time to set up, charge, and play with the camera prior to giving it the full run on the day of the event. I observed no big flaws/problems at this time. Taking it to the event however, and running on a full battery, the camera only produced 10 minutes of footage. Additionally, the camera bricked 5 minutes into the race when I attempted to turn it on; this being a big problem since by this time I was already caked in mud and water, and was loathe to take the camera out of the case with muddy hands. At the conclusion of the race I also noted that the housing case had sustained some scratches and scuffs to the part covering the lens, also concerning. Due to these failures and frustrations, I contacted GoPro and informed them of the failures of their product. While I was within my 30 day full refund window, I was promptly contacted by the GoPro customer service department and assured that these failures were an anomaly and that they would remedy the situation asap. They sent me a new battery, a new housing, and offered their apologies. The new battery and case arrived a week or two later, right around the time that I was directing another mud run, and was charged with providing footage of the event. Again I didn't have time to thoroughly test the camera prior to the event, however the bricking issue had been resolved, and battery length seemed better. This did not hold up day of the event. Again, I was only able to capture 15 minutes of footage before the battery croaked, and the camera bricked again many times. Thoroughly frustrated, I contacted GoPro again, and was told that this was perhaps a firmware issue. So I went through, updated the firmware, with no measurable increase in function. They then said perhaps the old battery would be better with it, so I went through and updated the firmware, rolled back the firmware many time with different battery combinations. Nothing was any better. Finally, GoPro accepted to return the camera, and replace it with another one. Had to pay for shipping myself, and was told that I could expect a new camera back in 1-1.5 weeks. Heard nothing about my camera for 4 weeks. My emails were not returned, so I called their customer service line and had to be on hold for 2 hours. Finally talking to a customer service rep, I vented my frustrations, anger, and resentment towards purchasing a GoPro product. They informed me that my replacement was arriving that day (ironically enough), and was certified, tested, and approved by their own staff personally. I told them that I didn't trust their camera, that I didn't trust the company anymore, but was assured that this camera was certified, and 100% sure nothing would be wrong. Sure enough, when I tested the camera, the battery length was significantly better, and did not brick. Confident, I took this camera on a trip to phoenix for a wedding. It was only after I watched footage of the groom's bachelor party at a pistol firing range did I discover that the sound on this camera was abysmal (could BARELY hear any gunshots, all voices/talking was undecipherable). Returning from this trip I called GoPro and told them that I wanted my money back, that I was sick of dealing with them and their crappy products. I was informed that I was outside of the 30 day return window and that all they could do was have me pay for shipping AGAIN to mail the camera to them and they'd repair it. Understandably, this sent me into a rage, demanding to talk to the highest manager I could. After many emails, I was informed the only thing that they could do was to repair it, and if that was not enough, mail it back to them and they'd give me a 20% off coupon towards another GoPro purchase. Let me say that again. I mail my camera back, the one I paid $300 for, and they give me a 20% off coupon towards the purchase of a new camera. I ended up contacting amazon, told them this tale, and they gladly let me return it to them for a full refund. BEWARE when dealing with GoPro. If your camera EVER breaks or does not work well, RETURN it. Beware in dealing with them! UPDATE (6/30/13)! Since Amazon was so great in dealing with my last GoPro disaster, I decided to try the Hero 3. A few brief notes: 1.) The video is incredible. SO incredible, that your computer will not be able to process it correctly (most likely). I have a home built, recently new computer that had a hard time processing the HD video. The choppiness you see when you play it on your computer is not a result of the camera but of the high quality 2.) Battery life is still awful. I came prepared for this, with 2 spare batteries and a wall charger and I'm very glad I did. Each battery will only last you a GOOD hour of recording. Plan on 40 minutes at most, bring extra batteries. 3.) If you're going to shoot underwater, get a color correction filter. They are $5 on amazon and made this video so much better. If you don't, it'll look green and disgusting. 4.) Do not charge the batteries via USB. Buy the extra pack and wall charger from Wasabi Power, and charge exclusively on that. 5.) I followed a ton of suggestions on how to make sure my camera didn't brick, and thankfully it never did. My suggestions: Upgrade firmware manually (you'll need a card reader for this), never use wifi remote, charge batteries with outlet charger, upload files via card reader. I don't know what's going on with the USB port, but from what I've read this is a huge source of failure on the device. 6.) THE CAMERA GETS REALLY HOT. Even after scuba diving, I'd come up and the camera was warm/hot to the touch. Beware! Considering all of this, but primarily for the battery life, heating, and problems with wifi, I returned it to amazon. I'll hopefully be purchasing it again in the future whenever GoPro re-releases the black model. Hope this helps!

Si te gusta el deporte, actividades al aire libre y quieres sacarle el máximo provecho a tus salidas, sean cuales sean, esta es tu cámara. Es muy pequeña y ligera, sumergible y muy resistente. La calidad de imagen es soberbia incluso en situaciones con poca luz. Este modelo te permite grabar a distintas resoluciones y a distintas amplitudes con un número de fotogramas por segundo muy variado. Si te gusta hacer cámaras lentas con buena calidad y manejas ligeramente algún editor de vídeo puedes conseguir verdaderas joyas. Recomiendo: -1 o 2 tarjetas microsd de 32gb de las mejorcitas (no escatiméis en esto si queréis exprimir al máximo el potencial de la cámara) -1 cargador + 2 baterías (no es necesario que sean gopro, hay buenas ofertas. Leed opiniones antes). La batería se consume muy rápido así que viene de perlas un par de vidas extra para la cámara. -Leer blogs y páginas en internet donde se aprenden barbaridades y curiosidades que nunca te has planteado y te harán comprender y mejorar el manejo de la cámara con su consecuente mejora de resultados. Ver vídeos en youtube y sobre todo EXPERIMENTAR. Envío cojonudo (1 día desde Alemania a Alicante). Recomiendo su compra.

Caméra HD professionnelle pour filmer en 720p et 1080p. Des films à couper le souffle !!! Testé en vélo de course pendant des sorties de 1h30 à 2h. Vraiment géniale. Prévoir une carte Mirco SD de 32 Go minimum Class 10 (anti-chocs et étanche). Caméra utilisable en vélo de course, VTT, SURF, karting, moto, voiture, avion et autres sports extrême !!! Très bonne protection de la Caméra grâce à son boîtier étanche et solide. Autonomie de la batterie d'environ 2h (dépend du format de la vidéo 720p, 1080p...) Nombreuses attache fournies et quelques accessoires. Harnais à acheter en plus pour tous les sports, car meilleur rendu. Prochain essais en VTT, Karting et en voiture !!!!! Merci Go Pro !!!!!

The good : Excellent video quality Underwater camera Controllable via phone Constant firmware updates The bad : It gets very hot it almost burns when touched after 30-40 mins of filming inside the waterproof case . Insufficient battery , i bought a wasabi 2 - spare battery pack to resolve this . I would totally recommend it .

I am a keen amateur photographer and film maker. I have hankered after a GoPro for a while and finally treated myself to one before going on a long weekend trip to Paris. The results are very impressive, particularly capturing the wide open vistas in many parts of Paris with the wide angle lens on this camera. The HD quality is superb and the ease of carrying and using such a small camera is a real bonus. I used a Grenade short handle and an extending GoPole with the camera both of which, for me, are must have accessories. The GoPole in particular is worth it's weight in gold. For POV it's essential, for sticking out and filming back through the safety cage on the Eiffel Tower was fun and for peering over the heads of the manic impenetrable crowd in front of the Mona Lisa at the Louvre it was essential! The other plus of using a GoPole with this camera is that it makes a pretty effective Steady Cam if held upright loosely between the thumb and forefinger at the top of the pole. Downsides: 1) Battery. You need lots as the camera eats them! I took three and a charger to Paris and could have done with a couple more. 2) Monitor. LCD monitor is expensive and drains battery life quickly. Not always necessary, but, useful for reviewing in the field. Using the GoPro App for iPhone or Android is an alternative, although, as other reviewers have reported, there is a 4-5 second delay in preview mode which makes setting up a handheld shot a pain. However, the wide field of view means that the lack of viewfinder/monitor is not a real problem: point at it and you can be sure to have captured it! In conclusion, this is a great little camera for any film maker. Essential for capturing action sports, but, a great device for more conventional film makers too. Small, light, loads of accessories and mounts. Very usable editing software (Download from GoPro website). It's pure fun to use and gives amazing results. If you enjoy capturing moving images then a GoPro has become the 'must have' device.

Diese Kamera hat mir lange Bauchweh bereitet bevor ich sie gekauft hatte, Ich habe mir Fragen gestellt wie: Brauch ich sie wirklich? Ist sie das Geld wert? Sollte ich nicht lieber zu etwas billigerem greifen? Die Antworten kamen nach der Investition dann von selbst: Zu Frage Nr.1: Ich brauch sie nicht wirklich, aber ist eines meiner Lieblingsspielzeuge geworden und ich schleppe sie überall hin mit, vom Motorradfahren übers Inlineskaten ja selbst zum Wandern und Bergsteigen. Man glaubt gar nicht wie lustig es ist in Situationen Dinge aufzunehmen wo jeder andere seine Kamera aus Angst um das Gerät in der Tasche behält. Zu Frage Nr.2: Ich hatte Ursprünglich die Silver Edition im Sinn, jedoch hat mich die Wi-Fi steuerung dann doch zur BE greifen lassen, da sie im einzelpreis den Preissprung von SE auf BE rechtfertigt. Ansonst wäre noch die bessere Aufnahme zu erwähnen. Zu Frage Nr.3: Nach langer Recherche gab ich es auf einen vergleichbar guten aber günstigeren Ersatz zu finden. Es gibt im Moment keinen. Die Verarbeitung der Kamera ist wie schon so oft erwähnt sehr hochwertig und lässt keine Wünsche offen. Die Software-Probleme: ich habe alle Updates gemacht welche empfohlen wurden und kann bis auf einen kleinen Aussetzer der Kamera nichts beklagen. Wichtig ist nur wie bei allen Geräten: Piano Piano. Wenn man sie überfordert durch zu schnelles Drücken der Tasten und verstellen von Einstellungen kann sie schon mal in Verzug kommen und ein bisschen länger rechnen. Find ich persönlich aber nicht schlimm. Montage per Klebepad: Auf meinem Motorradhelm hält diese Pad so gut das ich den Helm zerstören müsste um es wieder zu entfernen. Woanders hab ich es noch nicht montiert, da verwende ich lieber die extra erstandene Kopfhalterung oder den Pole. Die Aufnahmequalität: Ich muss sagen, ich war schlichtweg begeistert. Die Bildschärfe, die Tonqualität, alles ist einfach perfekt. Bei passender Einstellung (720p oder WXVGA) lassen sich unvergleichliche Zeitlupenaufnahmen darstellen. Auf 4k bzw. Cinemode ist die Auflösung so hoch das im Moment kein Gerät zur Verfügung steht (in meiner Umgebung) um diese voll auszuschöpfen, de facto kann ich dazu nichts weiter sagen. Die Aufnahme auf Full-HD (1080p) sind ruckelfrei und gestochen scharf. Lediglich manchmal würde ich mir einen Manuellen Fokus wünschen, aber seien wir mal Ehrlich, es ist eine Action-Cam, wer hat da schon Zeit zu fokusieren? Die Fotoqualität ist jedoch nur mäßig brauchbar. Bei schlechterem Licht ist das Bild oft unscharf. Selbst bei guten Lichtverhältnissen dauert es vom Auslösen zum Foto einen kleinen aber doch zu langen Moment, aber es ist keine Fotokamera und sollte deshalb auch nicht daran gmessen werden. Burstshots entgegen funktionieren Einwandfrei (bei Tageslicht) und Timelaps ebenfalls. Zubehör: Hier hab ich kurz schlucken müssen, denn bis auf das nötigste ist bei der Kamera nichts dabei. Kein Ladegerät (nur zwei Ladekabel für USB-Buchsen, eine für Kamera, eine für Fernbedienung), keine Speicherkarte, keine zusätzlichen Befestigungsmöglichkeiten etc. Man muss alles kaufen, aber dafür gibts auch alles was das Herz begehrt, halt im gegenzug für das nötige Kleingeld. Man muss sagen das sich die Zubehörteile allerdings in einer moderaten Preisspanne bewegen und eine generell sehr gute Qualität aufweisen. Übertragung auf den Computer: geht Problemlos und schnell bei PC und bei Mac. Kamera wurde ohne Probleme erkannt und Daten werden angezeigt. Fazit: Bei dieser Kamera handelt es sich (teils traurigerweise) um die meiner Meinung nach einzig wirklich nennenswerte Out-Door-Action-Cam auf dem Markt und erfüllt ihre Aufgabe mit Bravur in allen Bereichen des Extrem- wie auch des Mainstreamsports. Ich liebe sie einfach und schleppe sie überall mithin. Allein der Gedanke alles aufnehmen zu können verleitet mich zu wesentlich mehr sportlichen Aktivitäten als jemals zuvor!