http://tinyurl.com/3df54t
Anyone got one of these for $139, plus free shipping and no sales tax? Looks pretty good, and 3.2 megapixels is not too shabby for on water pics.,
Thoughts from current owners appreciated.
embarrassed to say
I won one at a drawing at the Outdoor retailer show in AUG and I haven’t even powered it up.
To EZ to just use my optio.
looks cool tho. I really wanna try it on my motoscoot!
steve
I’ve got two of 'em…
...and I use them every week, kayaking. I can add some links if you want to see plenty of examples of what they can shoot. I've probably uploaded between 50 and 60 videos on YouTube and vSocial. I think they're great, even with their limitations (i.e., no instant onscreen playback, small view finder). I think they're little workhorses, and I'm stoked with them.
Gotta Wonder…
About a camera that comes in your choice of colors…
Steve…
Was that the retail show in Salt Lake City? If so, I was on a video display at GoPro’s booth showing just some basic stuff with the camera mounted on my bow.
yep
they were giving a demo and handing out beers! I was lucky drawing winner. they gave away 6-8 cameras!
now to use it!!!
steve
Great video
I used one most of last summer. I took the wrist mounting hardware off and mounted it to a head harness from a headlamp. It takes better video than my Olympus 770. Use lithium batteries especially if you shoot video. I have taken very few still pictures with it so can’t comment on them. I am really satisfied with it.
Here is a decent review.
http://reviews.cnet.com/digital-cameras/gopro-digital-hero-3/4505-6501_7-32312327.html
I’d have to disagree…
…with the lackluster review. Maybe my sites are set too low, but I like how they shoot, and they enlarge to a full screen quite well. Here are a few samples:
http://www.vsocial.com/video/?d=172391
http://www.vsocial.com/video/?d=116941
http://www.vsocial.com/video/?d=111559
http://www.vsocial.com/video/?d=110989
The camera is designed for video
And the internal storage capacity (32 MB) is consistent with that. But, as a still camera it sucks. Almost any of the currently available, commonly used, waterproof digital cameras will take much better still pictures. So you have to decide what you want to do. Videos from attaching the camera to the deck of your kayak or your helmet can certainly be decent and interesting. But if you want a quality photograph of a still scene you will be disappointed (or should be). So, you can get lots of medium quality video, which may be just fine for paddling videos, but inferior still shots.
nice
guess it’s time to power her up and give it a try!
entertaining vids!
steve
Thanks for posting the nice videos
what great places to paddle!
Thanks, and…
...just FYI...since they don't have the deck and helmet mounts available for sale just yet (later this month, I think), I made my own little bow and stern mount. I took about an 8" piece of dowling (about 1 1/2 inches wide), wrapped it with a piece of foam pipe insulation, wrapped the camera's wrist band around it tightly, then shoved it under the deck lines where they merge near the bow (or the stern, depending). It actually works great, and it floats like a cork if it should come off (which it never has).
Thanks, all.
Enjoyed the review.
How, rangertommy, is it for stills?
Inexpensive, you get what you pay for
I’ve had one for about a year. It was cheaper than buying one of the Optio-class cameras but I’ve come to hate it as a camera. The optical view finder has a small blinking light that blocks much of the view and in the waterproof case it is pretty much impossible to get your eye close enough to the view finder to really know what will be in the shot. It also has a really short time out timer to save batteries and I’ve found it usually takes me several tries to turn the camera on again - so I’ve found I can never catch a shot of a bird or some boat going by or any other action shot.
I’ve pretty much given up mounting it on my wrist and just stick the case in my PFD pocket and take out when I want to take a picture. Probably my biggest issue is that it has such a long exposure time that trying to take a picture in water that has any wave action is pretty useless - you just get a schmeary blur.
So, you get what you pay for.
I’d agree…
...to some extent with the previous post, as it relates to stills. The viewfinder is a very small sort of "pass through" window that has a red light letting you know when the shot is being taken. The stills aren't as consistent as they would be with a more expensive camera, but they can take some great shots. If I knew how to post some stills, I'd throw a few up. The biggest problem, as the poster said, is being able to confidently frame the shot. I think this camera is best used for its video application. In fact, prior to condensing the file for web use, the resolution is really good!
I think that this kind of camera is one that has to be understood as a compromise between the lack of some of the features a larger, more expensive camera might have (like higher megapixels, instant video/still playback, zoom), and the positive features of its simplicity, price, James Bond-size, bombproof waterproofness, case durability, how conducive it is to a variety of cool mounting scenarios, "wearability," etc. As for me...you can probably tell I dig it.
Indoors?
I have trouble judging streaming video because of my slower internet connection. Does this camera produce an acceptable video when used in an indoor pool session? Thanks.
Great replies and honest opinions.
I plan to skip the Hero 3 based on it's lackluster reviews from the pprofessional reviewer, from owners on that website, and from owners here on Pnet.
Flatpick, looks like you can keep it new in the box and eBay it for $100 or so to some dolt who didn't do his research. :-) You likely should not open it yourself as you already have a superior wet-cam.
Thanks for the tips, gentlemen.
Ouch…
…did I say, “Ouch”?
Great videos.
1. Now I have an idea about what Deception Pass is all about.
2. Why didn’t I notice any water drops on the camera lens after the rolling? Were there drops actually there and just don’t show up in the video, or do you treat the lens in some way to shed water quickly?