# GoPro Hero



## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

One of the newest and youngest billionaires? Still massive potential for growth after 10 years of doubling year after year... Hot off the press one of the most dazzling YouTube videos yet.






Wish I had a small piece and I don't usually want to invest in companies I also like. The Chinese were brilliant to snap this one up.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Love my GoPro Hero3 Black Edition. Have taken some nice kayaking videos from this past summer - I even mounted the camera on a pole to I could dunk it beneath the water to get shots of marine life in kelp beds and amongst shallow reefs. I am thinking of opening up a HD Vimeo account so that I can start posting stuff for others to see, although I am starting to think my desktop may be showing its age - it struggles to handle to high quality video that this little camera provides.

m3s, I think I bought this camera on your recommendation quite a while ago on another thread - thanks for that man....


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## Spudd (Oct 11, 2011)

I've been craving one of these for years but so far have managed to refrain. You guys are not helping!


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## Ag Driver (Dec 13, 2012)

Great marketing. Buy this camera and you can be a hero and do amazing things just like these top of the line adventurist and athletes.

Don't get me wrong, I want one too.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Ag Driver said:


> Great marketing. Buy this camera and you can be a hero and do amazing things just like these top of the line adventurist and athletes.


Why can't you? There's some really cool home family videos as well, like point of view from kids. What about the lions hugging in HD!! And the bird cam, and the monkey dropping the camera from a tree! The possibilities are endless. There are some very creative videos. Nobody will leave their couch anymore except those like Jon_Snow sharing life's rare and unique point of views.



Jon_Snow said:


> Love my GoPro Hero3 Black Edition.


I love mine as well and I'm consistently getting better photos from it "automatically" than _I_ can so far with my Nikon. What's also impressive is that it can be controlled by a smartphone automatically. You can trigger it by GPS or whatever you want. My iPhone can even sync sound, data overlays, etc etc effortlessly and the upload to youtube all by itself..

For spudd, I would refrain as long as you can at least to see what this + version is. The Black is great but it's not perfect. I had many glitches at first but they seem to be resolved from software updates now. The battery life is really short, but you can buy extras cheap online and aftermarket chargers etc. Today is the surprise release of the Black+ which might be an improvement, and probably lower the price of the Blacks in stock


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

My videos will be much more sedate than the video above - a calm nature based vibe rather than an x-games, adrenaline fuelled vibe. Risk of physical injury doesn't interest me much. :tongue-new:

The first time I plugged the camera into a 1080p HDTV and watched some footage I had shot, I was blown away - it somehow looks BETTER than real life. Hard to explain really.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

m3s why not show cmf forum your own april 2013 goPro video from morocco?

it's probably the most beautiful motorcycle video anyone here is ever going to see, bar none. It's far too spectacular to keep hidden.

breathtaking is not an adequate word to describe those 2 minutes that you created with a goPro attached to the front of the right rear panier, only centimetres above the reeling rocky surfaces of mountains & deserts in north Africa.

there are people who start this video but then immediately they have to stop it, because they are overcome by dizziness.

c'mon mode, please don't be so modest ...


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## Echo (Apr 1, 2011)

This was an amazing video shot from two GoPros on a three week trip to Ireland - http://vimeo.com/69986476


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## Four Pillars (Apr 5, 2009)

Those cameras look pretty neat. So are they only for action shooting? Ie you are doing some action (ie skiing) and want to take footage.

Are they appropriate for regular uses as well ie taping my kids' hockey?


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

Here's some video from my race car 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxoXITg07fk


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## atrp2biz (Sep 22, 2010)

I'm a recreational hockey goalie, and I've always wanted a GoPro to hang from the inside of the net to video tape myself and see how I really look like. I would probably cringe at what I actually see, but it would be interesting and likely constructive feedback on my game.


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## Daniel A. (Mar 20, 2011)

The GoPro works anywhere underwater as well.

I leave mine on the dash when driving it records what is happening good when dealing with bikes or intersections.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

jamesbe, have you tried Harrys laptimer? I like that it starts/stops the video for me and I found the iPhone records better audio of the car engine. The data overlay freezes sometimes because I was trying to charge GoPro batteries and my GPS craddle needed power too (got a splitter now) Didn't you have a yellow s2000 before? This new one is fast! I want to hear its engine 






The Morocco video is on the same channel. It's GoPro 2 instead of 3 and looks like I uploaded it wrong and hurt the quality. The video Echo posted was amazingly creative and an I can only imagine the amount of effort that took!!! It gave me a lot of ideas but you would need a lot of SD cards and organization. On this trip I'm just using the GoPro for time lapse photos


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

ok but i don't know if they can find le Royaume du Maroc so here's a link. Quality does not seem hurt in the least, though.

.


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

m3s, yes I did have an S2000.

That camera angle was from a passenger that just stuck the camera on the fender. The camera picks up great audio if placed properly. Here is a short clip from where my camera is situated. I'm actually thinking of getting a smartycam instead with data overlay.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV8f78a8F8I&feature=c4-overview&list=UU3F7UVWK6faiEOd3bHPUnqg


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

jamesbe said:


> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VV8f78a8F8I&feature=c4-overview&list=UU3F7UVWK6faiEOd3bHPUnqg


Ohhhh now that's more like it!!! That sound grabs me by the heart :love-struck: I feel like I've just raced around in a very rare car I don't imagine I ever will in real life. Is that a turbo whistle I hear? I'm not sure, reminds me of my sportbike days or a high revving F1 car. Thanks!

Smartycam is definitely better for racing but not as versatile as a GoPro. I like the option to take it rafting, hiking, motorbiking or who knows what.... I would LOVE to get a quadcopter thing to fly the GoPro around, but I shall resist as they mature.

Just imagine the videos if they made a quadcopter that follows the smartphone in your pocket? The POVs the little copters can get will make amateur videos as good as (and better than) pro TV


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Actually I don't think I hear a turbo on the shifting (never actually drove a turbo) Maybe it's just revving so high or sucking in so much air that is whistles like that


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

What you are hearing is the suction of air combined by straight cut gears.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

> The one negative of straight cut gears, and its a big one, is that they produce a lot of noise.


I guess "high pitch whine" of straight cut gears it is. Sounds great. Is the GoPro out of it's protective case? The sound of my bike is nothing like it really sounds, and too much wind noise. Someone should make a good wireless mic



humble_pie said:


> Quality does not seem hurt in the least, though.


It's pretty good, but all GoPro videos on YouTube are noticeably degraded from the raw file. I think I rendered the edited video into the wrong format for YouTube. Vimeo is supposed to be better quality.

There are lots of things I wish I captured in Morocco but the logistics I having the batteries charged and HDD space is staggering. I had lots of time to waste in Afghan to edit it because it takes a monumental effort as well, for little result. I think I'll stick to photos!


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## jamesbe (May 8, 2010)

It was in the case, sound is pretty accurate, it's an original gopro.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

My kayaking videos are the polar opposite of the racing ones. Mine are more like to put someone to sleep - a cure for insomnia marketing opportunity? 

Put a few videos up on Vimeo, maybe I'll post one here soon. Basically my first time out on the water with the camera, so nothing great.... I learned quickly that I need to mount the camera higher off the deck - salt water drops on the lens are not good.


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

I can imagine a great kayaking video with shots of the west coast mountains reflecting off still water, water dripping from paddles in 60fps ultra slowmo HD.. morning mist rising off the water... drifting clouds in time lapse/sped up, sunsets/sunrise reflections sped up, different landscapes and reflections, underwater views from the paddle, or ideally.. the orcas in action! The right music could set it all off, something that complements the video but doesn't steal the show



Four Pillars said:


> Those cameras look pretty neat. So are they only for action shooting? Ie you are doing some action (ie skiing) and want to take footage.
> 
> Are they appropriate for regular uses as well ie taping my kids' hockey?


It's meant for any up close or wide angle fish eye shots, not just action. Action that's far away looks less dramatic but it catches every little detail up close. They could wear the GoPro on a helmet or chest strap. It's a versatile camera and it could take a direct hit from a puck. It might even having a setting now for "non fish eye" videos and you can definitely put it on a tripod if you want.

Old GoPro Commercial in the Living Room


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Here is my first test paddle with the GoPro attached to the kayak deck, about a foot and a half in front of the cockpit. Even in calm conditions and with careful paddle strokes water drops hit the lens, which was disappointing. I have another video with the camera mounted on my head - makes for more wobbly, albeit dryer footage. 

This video is far too long - I suggest skipping to about the 12 minute mark where some interesting rock formations really show off the cameras fidelity.


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## martinv (Apr 30, 2009)

They are amazing cameras. Not bad at all for a first time. The sharpness, colours ets. are terrific.
Editing and music would help but I also like just the silence and sound of the paddle.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

I've been messing around with the embedded video settings - for some reason I can't get the fullscreen function to work. But gives you an idea why I want to retire early - this is the sort of thing that I love to do and don't get to do it nearly as much as I want.

Just need some orcas next time!


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## Sherlock (Apr 18, 2010)

I have never been able to understand how gopros became so ubiquitous and successful when there are many competitors, most of which are a lot cheaper, with just as many features and just as high quality, and gopro wasn't even the first. It's the same kind of thing as when the iPod came out back in 2002 or whatever it was. I said "gee, an mp3 player that costs a lot more than all the other mp3 players already on the market, this will never be successful" and look at what happened.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Marketing, marketing, marketing.... and if the product is good as well, that doesn't hurt.


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## james4beach (Nov 15, 2012)

Maybe someone can post a do-it-yourself alternative in the Frugality section. Logitech webcam in a ziplock bag? 

Joking. But they sure used some great marketing, amazing scenes. As a surfing enthusiast I couldn't help but salivate watching that TV commercial with the big breaks against the tropical backdrop, filmed in Tahiti... I don't know how these guys got into my brain, but it's like they directly tapped into my dreams or something. Speaks to the great marketing and knowledge of their potential customers, because _I literally have dreams that look like that_ from my past experiences.

Just a random video from a gopro... a surfer can't watch this without feeling the blood start pumping
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqpNaiTB3oI

Of course, doesn't speak about this product in particular and I've never bought one.

Heck, now I want to go surfing. Why do I live in Canada?


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jon, there's a lot of interesting shots in there with the rocks, sun or trees reflecting off the water. You could edit each scene into 5-10 or 10-15 second clips to show the transit, and the really good scenes with the rocks for longer. If you keep collecting video maybe with various weather, sun, calm water, rough water, different shore lines, different POVs, different speeds. Then if you get an orca scene you could mix it in to cap it all off



Sherlock said:


> I have never been able to understand how gopros became so ubiquitous and successful when there are many competitors, most of which are a lot cheaper, with just as many features and just as high quality, and gopro wasn't even the first.


Specs are price aren't everything though. If you just need a video any camera will do. I had an mp3 player but I know an iPod is different. An iPod uses iTunes, was made of aluminum, and had a special slick dial wheel that sensed the heat of your finger or something much different than any old mp3 player etc. Pros know that a camera with 24 mega pixels is just marketing, but a fool would think a 24 mega pixel camera is better than a 12 mega pixel! The mega pixel has very little to do with the photo result.

GoPro has a much better user experience imo, better mounts (reusable even), better case, smaller/lighter, better end product, maybe better algorithm for auto processing video (specs are nothing really) Compared videos with the guy I rode with in Morocco, all his video was unwatchable jello. He had all the most expensive gear and several more expensive cameras. Before the trip, he said he had a GoPro and didn't like using it because it had no screen so he returned it. Now he will return his new ones for a few GoPros...

Lots of forums comparing these cams to death and for many applications GoPro is a great choice unless you just compare the spec sheet like a robot. iPhone and Macs for example get better results out of lesser specs because of optimization. Specs are nothing but marketing for nerds really. Compare the user experience and end product videos!! Lots of support online and from GoPro themselves etc. Lots of Professional film crews are using GoPros and no, not always because they are paid by GoPro!!


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

When I went white water rafting in Alaska, many of the provided helmets already had GoPro mounts on them... When I rented motorbikes in SE asia, several of the helmets and bikes already had GoPro mounts on them, same with sky diving, surfing, skiing etc etc etc. Sometimes you can swap batteries or cases with someone in a pinch. Just like the iPhones, there is a benefit to using the same form factor and format as a large number of people. If you simply tag a video as #gopro, GoPro themselves will watch it as will a number of its massive community

The guy I rode with returned his GoPro because he hated how confusing it was without a screen. Mine is setup to turn on to the settings I will use "beep beep beep" start recording "beep", stop recording "beep beep beep" and turn it off "beep beep beep beep beep" I can always find the 2 main buttons and know it's working by the sound, without looking at it, without even stopping. Once I told him this, and after he saw how much more stable the video is on a vibrating motorbike on rough terrain, he changed his mind.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

just writing as a viewer, i think this is incredibly successful for a first effort.

the sound track is integral. There's a watery, magnificent rhythm to the paddle splashing & the boat creaking as it slips along. Part of this is obviously due to the steady power & skill of the kayaker himself, ie this is no amateur.

jon i for one would not want to hear canned music added. Most homemade videos have canned music & most of it is added so inappropriately by amateurs that the quality of the overall piece deteriorates badly imho. The discarding of the original soundtrack & the substitution of recorded musak constitutes a manipulation by the video creator which imho downgrades the final art product as a medium intended to transmit a live experience.

what a goPro excels at is conveying the raw experience, exactly as in this video. The raw sound here is actually a pure & authentic form of music. In this video, it's peaceful, serene, rhythmic, slightly rocking, primordial. It suggests what a baby might hear & feel during all the months it's gestating, before it's even born into this world.

this video is very yin. I liked the way the boat nosed gently towards the rocks, never gaining speed, never losing speed, always paddling with the same rhythmn. One could feel the inquisitiveness, the gathering sense of exploration. Was there a tunnel there, into the rocks? would the kayacker slip inside? no, without losing a stroke, he veered away at the last minute.

btw water drops on the lens are not even noticeable. In a craft like this, so low to the water, there will always be water drops flying in the face. I think these things in the camera add to the sense of reality, not detract from.

you could certainly edit & extract parts of this video later but i hope you will always keep this original version in its full length. It's lovely.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

Thanks for the comments everyone.... very insightful stuff there Humble. It was a rare summer weekend off for me and I went for a relaxing hour long paddle and I decided to capture the first leg of the trip on my newly purchased GoPro - footage is overlong and raw I realize. There is wonderful hobby in the making here for me, and I haven't even explored the underwater capabilities of the camera - of course I also need to get a handle on editing - the video I posted weighs in at3 GB! Took forever to upload to Vimeo.

I am not sure how this camera will work in capturing sea life.... there is no zoom lens. An orca would have to be uncomfortably close to the kayak to get a good shot of it, and I prefer to maintain a respectful distance from these animals. If this hobby has legs, and I want to further document the natural wonders of the west coast, I will probably get a good handheld HD camera with a nice zoom feature. 

Anyway, can't wait to film more stuff!


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

neither overlong nor raw! it was astonishingly lovely & convincing. At one point i went into another room for a minute & was happy that i could still hear, through the open doorway, the ocean splashing & the kayak creaking as it skimmed along.

is there a name for the cover that's strapped on towards the bow? i've never seen a sea kayak close up, they're bigger than the little things we have on lakes & rivers. I'm thinking the porthole-like lid must be covering an aperture that's useful for storing gear without having to unload the entire vessel? still, if she rolls over, that porthole is going to leak like crazy, no?




Jon_Snow said:


> ... can't wait to film more stuff!


oh, good. Some solution will turn up to enable you to zoom on the orcas. In the meantime i would like to see the kayak in stormy waters!


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

That compartment is indeed for storage - there is one in the rear as well. My boat can apparently carry enough gear for a two week unsupported trip, another thing I would like to do someday. There is a neoprene cover underneath the fibreglass lid, so it is indeed watertight.

This is my boat, a great long distance cruiser.

http://www.nimbuskayaks.com/telkwa.htm


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Jon, maybe you could get a Phantom Quadcopter with GoPro mount like this to film the orcas up close and personal? 300 meter range. GPS autopilot and autoland. Ready to fly out of the box (no experience required!) $500 USD. Much cheaper than an M5 anyways!

You would probably need to add some kind of home made floaty pontoons though?  Quick google search for a floaty Phantom Quadcopter... How sensitive would orcas be to that thing flying around them?










These things usually cause a lot of wobble-jello effect to the video. I think they will get a lot better once they improve the mounts and reduce the vibrations from the props etc. You would probably also want one that floats out of the box and is waterproof for the sea...


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

M3s, I've seen these and I want most definitely want one someday... I've spent so much on "toys" in the past 6 months I need to take a break. :biggrin:

I'm not sure aboat buzzing over an orca pod with one of these... alot of people on my island are particularly protective of these animals and I think they would have an issue with it. Although during the summer months, a travelling orca pod will have 20 pleasure boats and whalewatching boats hounding them during the daylight hours. I don't think this "quadcopter" would be nearly as invasive as the idiots who trail the orcas all summer long.


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## humble_pie (Jun 7, 2009)

m3s said:


> It's pretty good, but all GoPro videos on YouTube are noticeably degraded from the raw file. I think I rendered the edited video into the wrong format for YouTube. Vimeo is supposed to be better quality.
> 
> There are lots of things I wish I captured in Morocco but the logistics I having the batteries charged and HDD space is staggering. I had lots of time to waste in Afghan to edit it because it takes a monumental effort as well, for little result. I think I'll stick to photos!



maybe u don't realize yet how good a video it is? mode the problem with praising your photojournalism is that you are going to get a stuffed head & then you will start acting all arty & stuckup & then the talent is going to dissipate ...

but i'll say it again. There is nothing whatsoever damaged, hurt or wrong with le Royaume du Maroc. On the contrary. It's a powerful hymn to heaven & earth. It's Prometheus striking fire by splintering the sun's rays on parched rocks in the Sahara. OK he used a little gasoline. I really don't understand why it's not a youtube sensation.

please don't stop creating videos like this one, mode. I'm not sympathetic to all this caterwauling about the editing time it takes. You've already said you can edit while at work, didn't missy cummings just order up playing with personal smartphones & laptops as the best thing for staying alert while on deployment?


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

Thanks hp. The GoPro does wonders by itself and I will experiment with it again some day.. I think you need a lot of time to make something great and I'm impatient right now to repeat things for the sake of video or wait for weather conditions etc. I didn't exactly edit it "at work".. I do have rest days with nothing better to do than read Option as a Strategic Investment or edit videos in the dry sun.  At work I hardly get time to eat or run to the toilet some days +16 hrs straight.

Want want want (I think they can get a lot better and cheaper though)


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## m3s (Apr 3, 2010)

The lions! The few clips of lions is what compelled me to post the first video. Some days with time to kill, I just watch youtube videos of lions. This video is the best I've seen though






I spend a lot of time "outside of cities" and I'm afraid the mass majority of people are desensitized to what's happening. The momentum of urban sprawl is probably unstoppable at this point.


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## Jon_Snow (May 20, 2009)

While I was in the Baja for three weeks I managed to get some underwater footage and some cool off roading video. The suction cup mount is amazing - I had it mounted on a Jeep Wrangler we had rented and we slogged down some BRUTAL roads and trails and this mount held firm.

The GoPro is an awesome little piece of tech - this summer my goal is to get underwater footage of seals, sea lions, or even orcas...


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