UKC

I'd like to buy a GoPro but there are just far too many options to choose from so I'd appreciate advice on which option to go for.

I'm not interested in 4K filming and I don't want to spend top-dollar on the top-of-the-range model. Maybe a generation back or two would be welcome provided I don't lose out on actual capture quality.

I'm only interested in GoPro advice rather than the cheaper clone varieties as you get what you pay for. What options are available to me?

Cheers

In reply to The Lemming:

OK, going to ignore your request about GoPro only..

I've owned GoPro Hero, Hero2 and Hero3-Black.

Now use a Mobius Standard Lens (£58). I reckon at 1080P is better/as-good as Hero3 Black. I got bored with GoPro battery life and annoying menu system. I love the no nonsense simplicity of the Mobius. Not waterproof though - there is a case available. I bought camera from www.joovoo

Some Mobius footage here 1080P high bit rate (remembering this has been compressed by Vimeo):

vimeo.com/120655781

Versus GoPro Hero3 1080P here (remembering this has been compressed by Vimeo):

vimeo.com/118444901


That said, the GoPro Hero3-Black 2.7K/30fps footage is very very good and a real big step up from 1080P. New 4K at 30fps will be amazing I'm sure.

The white balance on the Mobius can be a bit odd sometimes when conditions change fast (like when riding downhill)

In reply to The Lemming:

You can get comparison charts from the gopro website, and use that to decide what you want. I.e. for the 3+ http://gopro.com/support/articles/hero3plus-camera-comparison

The biggest appreciable difference between editions is with regards low light and the treatment of dynamic range. Obviously the pricier the better.


GoPro has many competitors which are anything but clones, and many of them arguably superior. The Sony range is one of these for example. Have a read on this article (now outdated, but useful if you are after older models) http://www.dropzone.com/news/Gear/Best_Action_Camera_2014_-_Ultimate_POV_Ca...

In reply to Mr Lopez:

this is a funny topic, so many friends have bought 2 or 3 different brands of camera because the specs are better on paper etc etc. they all end up eventually getting a gopro for one reason or another mainly because its the best package all round.

to answer your question, any of the current go pros (3 black upwards) will do exactly what you want- recently got the 4 black and the frame rates are extremely high, low light is better than anything out there (yes, even the sony) and once again it is the industry leader. the stills you can pull from video in 4k mode are great and in protune mode can be edited into impressive pictures.

furthermore the point about the menus being hard to navigate is ridiculous- if you buy something learn to use it!

In reply to tom84:

Have i missed a post you are replying to?

In reply to tom84:


Sorry - they are a real PITA to change settings (had 3 heros, all the same PITA). Having used lots and lots of different ditigal cams in my time there are well designed menu systems, and GoPro isnt one of them (I know how to use an camera FFS). And the menu system was pretty buggy on the hero3black (latest firmware), often kicking you back out.

The best way to change settings is to use the Phone app via Wifi.

Its also very easy for the wifi button to get knocked on - and Wifi really makes the battery life suck even more.

The OP didn't want 4K

In reply to ChrisJD:

don't usually have my go pro on for a couple of minutes at a time so battery works fine for my purpose, I've not knocked the wifi button accidentally but i guess its possible depending on what you're doing. I've only had 3+ black and later so maybe they've improved the menus, but i doubt it- maybe I've got used to them because i find them easy.

In reply to ChrisJD:


I have a Mobius myself but have seem to have put it into a little box and forgot about it. Maybe I should consider bringing it back out of retirement?

Cheers

In reply to ChrisJD:



I could not help notice an awful lot of camera shake in the GoPro video. Now I know that this is not the fault of the camera itself rather than the fact that the landscape made the footage bumpy. Its the bumpy footage that puts me off watching home videos and to counter this I am going to treat myself to a hand-held gimbal to eliminate the off-putting bumpy footage.

The initial plan was to make my own gimbal but my brain hurt when I realised how complex this task was, even though I thought I had the correct components to build one. I'm now going to buy one off the shelf from China at the end of the month. This should allow me to make more pleasant viewing from my phone or cam of choice, mobius or otherwise.

In reply to The Lemming:

I bought the GoPro Hero recently; the budget one. I think it was £90 from an airport. It has been great; more than enough for my non-professional needs. I've used it for filming down hill skiing, time lapse for climbing and for stills during cross country skiing. I'm afraid I don't have anything online to demonstrate, but I have been very impressed. You can pull the stats from the website, but practically I can't tell the difference between it and a Hero 2 or 3, especially when viewing on a device or computer screen.

I haven't found the menus to be difficult to navigate. Slightly more time consuming to beep your way through options than access via a touch screen sure, but not deal breaking. Also, there are heaps of cheap accessories (straps, connectors, floatation devices etc.) available for it online, which may or may not be the case for other (perhaps less mainstream?) brands. Battery life has been ok so far, but I haven't tried hours and hours of filming in one stretch.

Can't compare to other brands as this has been my first 'action camera', but I would replace it immediately were it to break/get lost.

In reply to The Lemming:

No kidding. Its the worst thing to try and counter with POV MTB filming and hard to eliminate when going fast DH off-road on the rough stuff.

The GoPro footage was chest mounted and the Moboius cable tied to top of helmet. The latter has proved to be the much more stable of the two. That's what I particularly like about the shape of the Mobius - it can be cable tied directly to top of helmet without any mount (bit of thick carpet foam underlay as a cushion) - job done. It is the mounting solution on the GoPro that add the capacity for wobble (I've tried lots of different on-bike mounts and have adapted the GoPro chest mount to improve stability). I also prefer the less extreme wide angle point of view of the Mobius Standard lens compared to the default GoPro wide setting (using full sensor at 1080p or 2.7K)

So yes, have another go with the Mobius (as you've got one!). Get the latest software here (this will also allow you to update to latest firmware):

https://www.mobius-actioncam.com/downloads-info/

In reply to The Lemming:

And this is a good resource for understanding GoPro resolution options etc:

http://abekislevitz.com/understanding-your-new-gopro/

In reply to tom84:



And I didn't say they were hard, I said they were annoying

In reply to ChrisJD:

beep beep beep beep beep beep, no idea what you mean!

In reply to ChrisJD:

Thanks for the link to the firmware update.

I'll let you know how I get on with my gimbal once it is shipped.

Cheers

In reply to The Lemming:
The configuration software (top of page link) is simple and to the point

And good luck with trying with the Mobius again.

In reply to tom84:

I think you missed a couple of beeps there