Wha ho!
Any youz pilgrims use de new GoPro Hero 3 "Black’ editoon camera yet? Seems ta be some foymwaar glitchs in some o’ dem. Gots a Hero 2 wit no problems. Jus’ wunderin’ iffin’ ah’ shood wait a bit ta upgrade.
FE
My 2 cents
I have a silver (same chip as your Hero 2) and several friends have the black.
The black is very high-tech, and this is the source of many of the issues you hear about. The new higher resolutions require high write speeds, and the micro SD cards people buy are often not up to the task. Even if the literature claims they are!
Likewise for the computers people own - the newest features demand a modern 4 core processor running about 3.5 Ghz, and many folks blame the camera when their computer doesn’t have the stones to deal with the video they take.
The built-in wireless is sweet, allows you to preview the camera shot using the phone app, and ccntrol it remotely via phone or the wireless device. I never run it via the case buttons.
The smaller size is nice, but the smaller battery lasts less time. Using the wireless I run the camera only when there’s something worth seeing, which helps with the battery life as well as making the editing easier afterwards. But I carry an extra battery and change it at lunch for an all day kayak trip. If you are never in a dry spot to change the battery, then you will need the extra battery backpack.
I sometimes wish I had the black model (mine was a gift), but I would need to avoid using the resolutions higher than 1080 until I bought a newer PC.
Many of the editing software people use are now being updated to handle the 2.7 and 4K files, but you’d need the latest versions, not the version you currently own.
I can’t say if an upgrade is worth it or not - that’s your call. I hope I gave you some things to consider to help you make the best decision for you.
GoPro alternative
Pure action footage, the GoPro will do well…but to have a good mix of quality stills, HD video and waterproof features, consider the Olympus Tough TG1-iHS… I love the video and still quality…
I got one a month ago
And the video quality is stunning. So far I’ve had no problems. I also carry a spare battery (got 2 extra batteries and charger for $20, it’s called wasabi I think). I’ve been mostly shooting at 1080, 60 fps. It looks incredible and gives you the ability to have slow mo at really high quality vs the other models. Personally I don’t need the higher quality since I’ll be watching on our HD tv and online. But the footage does look amazing.
The videos add up in size quickly though, an external drive is pretty much mandatory for editing…
Cheers!
Luke