Have you heard of "GoPro"? It's famous among outdoor activists and it sets a standard for wearable camera industry. You never feel uncomfortable wearing it on your head or chest and it has been widely used in marine sports, winter sports such as skiing and snowboarding, rock climbing, and bicycling. The third generation GoPro HERO3 was compact and had advanced features, but this new one is the "+" version. Simply put, it's smaller, generates better quality movies, and easier to use. The former model was rather a special camera for particular audience, but this new version is for everyone to enjoy. For those who are new to the GoPro HERO, I'll show you how to use it and how fun it is. Also, for existing users of the older models, I'll talk about the points of improvement.
( Photo & Movie : Z II, A.Inden, 4 Beats, 48 / Text : 48 )
Look how small it is! It's much smaller than the GoPro HERO2 and the housing has become lighter for the HERO3+. Instead, the waterproof performance has been downgraded to 40m, but it must be a good news for those who don't dive deep (Divers, don't worry. There's an optional housing for 60m waterproof.) The interface is extremely simple. The button on the front side is the main switch and the one on the top side is the on/off switch for recording. And, it has a WiFi switch on the side. That's it. Just 3 switches. Basically, you just turn the power on and use the top button to start or stop recording. It's that easy!
There're a variety of mounts that let you mount the camera on a variety of points. For example, if you fix it with the chest belt, you can shoot a "chest-eye" view. There're other mounts on helmet, bar, wrist, surfboard and so on. So, just find the one that fits your needs.
However, operation becomes a little complicated when you change settings. There're only two buttons: one is for menu and the other is for "OK." This means you have to keep pushing the button until you get to the item you want to change, and do the same until you reach the item's value you desire. So, I almost felt this inconvenience is the weak point of this device, but I can be free from it once I connect it to a smartphone through WiFi and start the App. This is an epoch-making upgrade for the GoPro HERO2 users. Now, let me show you how to operate it with the App.
It doesn't have a LCD, but it's almost no problem because you can view on a smartphone. You can even turn on and off, and check recording through the App. The fast connection is stress-free and it reached to the level that lets us enjoy a wearable/action camera without worrying about the speed. This is made possible not only by camera's advancement, but also by smartphone's improvement. The GoPro HERO3+'s WiFi sped has become 4 times faster, so this body will let you best enjoy what the up-to-date technology offers.
It's nothing but fun to use this camera and it just takes great movies. They are colorful in daytime, but even in the limited lighting condition, it still generates good movie quality by automatically changing the frame rate. So, I recommend you to get some mounts that suit your needs and just keep recording scenes you encounter. I'm sure you'll be entertained by the capability to record the point of view just as it is.
The black edition can support up to 4K resolution video, but the frame rate changes in accordance with resolution. So, if you want to shoot smooth movies or super slow movies, you need to adjust the resolution. The best resolution would be 1080p or 720p in terms of shooting time and final output format. Battery life has been extended, but I should say it doesn't last more than a good 2 hours. If you want to shoot longer, don't forget extra micro SD cards as well as batteries.
How does a child see a world? I put it on the chest of a 2-year old girl to record her activities. She fell suddenly and made a quantum leap. This movie tells us how innocently she reacts to her curiosity. Get a GoPro for children who started walking. The movies will become treasure for the parents and the children.
We think of sports festivals or events when we say "shooting movies," but now we have this new interesting gear that expands our preconception. You can wear it on and shoot things just as you see. Not everyone can shoot the cool movies presented on the brand's official website, but you'll find how interesting you everyday surrounding is once you start recording. Put it on your chest or head and enjoy your time as usual. It's so much fun to shoot playing tags with children, playing catch, playing with dogs, or weekend driving. Children's, or even cats' points of view must be amusing, too. And, you'll find something new in an ordinary scene as well. Of course, dynamic movies of sports are definitely cool and it will let you easily share something you cannot express in words. Even if you have the older version, it's worth replacing just because of the upgraded WiFi connection. It's easier to use. It's smaller. And, the battery lasts longer. The harder you use it, the better it will perform.
With the GoPro HERO, everyone can become a hero or a heroine. Now, what do you want to shoot?