Go pro? Which is best make or model

Planning to hopefully get something for the holidays to capture my fishing adventures, maybe become a pro j/k .. But feed back what would work best for such fishing adventures taking pics/ videos. Any recommendations?


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Planning to hopefully get something for the holidays to capture my fishing adventures, maybe become a pro j/k .. But feed back what would work best for such fishing adventures taking pics/ videos. Any recommendations?


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GoPro bro

Dino
HOW - NWest

I have the GoPro 3 Black. I really enjoy it. It is a pretty amazing little device. I like having the higher megapixel camera just in case I need it plus it has a bigger range of recording options for slow motion shots. I think the best thing about the Black is that it comes with the remote. I used the remote a lot when fishing. As soon as I start to get bit I can just push the record button and it is game one. It really depends on what you are looking to do with the camera. A lot of guys don't use it for much more than a standard video camera and don't really use their GoPro's to their full potential. If you just want a tough video camera that records in HD then I would go with the white or silver addition. If you want to do more complex shots with slow motion or editing within more powerful video editing software then you might as well go with the black. They all have wifi so you can just buy the remote which I think is a worthwhile upgrade.

The + series is purported to have a longer battery life than the 3 series which by the way sucks! I have four batteries and that is enough to get me thru a full day of fishing barely. While I'm sure the longer battery is in part due to changes in the camera itself I think a big part of this is the battery was upgraded by 100 or so mAh. You can pick up comparable batteries on Amazon and wall charger for a significant savings from what GoPro charges (http://www.amazon.com/Wasabi-Power-AHDBT-201-AHDBT-301-AHDBT-302/dp/B00AAIPT76/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1384974207&sr=8-2&keywords=gopro+batteries).

Also I encourage to look at other options besides GoPro. I also have a Nikon AW100 which I picked up refurbished for $150. It does HD, has a decent battery life, can go to 33 feet, and has an external microphone so you don't that crappy clunky noise like you do with the GoPro. 

See previous thread on the GoPro Black 3+:

http://www.northwestkayakanglers.com/index.php?topic=11926.0

It's not just extended battery life that you get with the 3+ compared to the 3. In brief: new (sharper) lens, better wide mode, better sound with waterproof case on, etc. Check youtube for some side-by-side comparisons of the 3 vs. 3+. I think that the 3 is a fine machine, I'm just pointing out that the 3+ has quite a few qualitative differences. Function-wise they are very similar.

I've been weighing my options recently too and after looking around I landed on the GoPro Hero Black 3+. This will be my first GoPro device. There are other good cameras out there too; it's not an easy decision to spend that much. For me it won me over with its combination of toughness, shooting modes, video quality, and remote. As always, it depends on what you're going to do with it.

Sweet thanks guys


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I thought the Black model had lots of bugs, have they been fixed? I looked on Amazon recently and people were still complaining, or is the "plus" version new again??

I thought the Black model had lots of bugs, have they been fixed? I looked on Amazon recently and people were still complaining, or is the "plus" version new again??

I can't speak to the Hero 3 Black. The Hero 3+ Black has known issues, but only in some specific cameras. So until the old stock is gone you kind of roll the dice. The issues have to do with two separate manufacturing problems: 1. Misalignment of the sensor causing one side of the picture to be less in focus than the other, and 2. Incorrect tuning of the lens distance from the sensor causing object farther than 4-6ft. away to be slightly out of focus. Google will tell you more.

I got a 3+ Black for Christmas and have had no problems yet, although I have not fully tested it for the previously mentioned issues (been foggy/cloudy here every time I go out to test it). Functionally, though, it's awesome.

I really want to pull the trigger on the 3+ but feel like as soon as I do the Hero 4 will hit shelves!

I know this is a tad late but I'll go ahead anyways....

I have the Hero 3 Silver edition and love it! As I'm just getting into kayak fishing I wanted a camera that I had some experience with (my buddy had a Hero 2 practically since they came out and we used it on our mountain biking trips).  I really didn't need the Black edition because I felt as a "noob" I wouldn't use it to it's full potential, and I think I don't use the Silver to its either.  As far as a remote goes, if you want the remote but don't need the extra features of the Black edition, GoPro has a free mobile app so that you can sync to your camera via your phone's wifi and turn it on/off, switch bursts, switch modes and even give you a live preview with very little delay.

I will agree that the battery life kinda sucks on the Hero 3.  I think the first time I went out with it it last around 2 hrs maybe a little under and turned on the entire time (I believe that was on 960p or 1080p but not sure if that matters).  I did get an extra battery for Christmas but I'm not sure even then it will be enough.  I missed an opportunity at REI to snag a BacPac for 20ish bucks when they were coming out with the Hero 3+ compatible ones  .  However I believe the battery life on the 3+ is barely fractionally better through tests I've seen on Youtube (like 20 mins).

You can find a side by side comparison of the Hero 3 and 3+ and I encourage you to watch it, it's pretty cool seeing the same objects through both cameras at the same time.

I would also check a Costco near you, they had the Silver Hero 3 for 229 but the one near me ran out by Christmas (but you never know!)

Good Luck!
PS I also love to use my GoPro for a point and shoot camera as well.  I took this picture with it at Barview using the smart phone app to get it at the right angle.

I have been using a Gopro Hero 3 for the better part of a year now and I'd say I'm pretty happy with it.  I had some issues early on with keeping the Wifi remote paired with the camera, but after chatting with customer service I got the kinks worked out.  I'd say the customer service is pretty good too.  I will likely keep upgrading to newer models though.  The app is sooooo sweet!  I thought I would use the wifi remote all the time, but I actually don't use it much.  Instead I mostly use the one-button mode.  As for the battery life, it is pretty crummy when using just the one battery.  However, I bought the Wasabi Power batteries and two of the battery backpacks and that solved the problem as far as I'm concerned.  While using the battery backpack I usually don't have to switch out to a fresh battery and battery backpack.  I'd say roughly 80%-90% of the time one battery backpack and battery on a fresh charge is all I need for a day on the water.  I haven't tested it out to see how much record time I get but I would guess it might be over 2.5 hours(1080p @ 60fps not using wifi).  I should probably do that and share the results.  I've got some time tomorrow.

I recently got the Sony Action Cam HDR-AS30V/B  and am very happy with the quality of the video and the pics.  I haven't got to take it kayak fishing, but that's mainly because it's winter up here in interior Alaska.  However, I have been exploring the different video options (basically identical to GoPro) during atv/snowmobile/icefishing/bow shooting adventures and have been very pleased.  I especially like the image stabilization that takes out the a lot of the shaky movements while riding. 

Within the past couple of years, many other companies have jumped on the "action cam bandwagon", make sure to explore all options before making the financial commitment!

Cheers

So here is my take on my gopro 2 since owning it. I shot a lot of 1080p with my DSLR and also with my gopro and my Kodak play sport ($99). If you are shooting in full daylight conditions with your settings correct you will only notice the difference in the three lenses. I do no the newer gopros have better lowlight capabilities for your night time or early morning videos.
My playsport is really daylight only. So it works for most fishing trips. And I don't usually shoot with my DSLR to much on the kayak since it lacks waterproof capabilities.
The main thing that will hold back your video quality is shitty software and converting to the wrong file types to conserve space. So if you want a $300 camera you should really look into getting good software to go along with it. Because if you use software that is crap you will still end up with crap video quality.

I have a Hero3+ black edition and really like it...but don't really have anything to compare it to. I've taken some pretty cool fishing video and underwater shots of fish coming to the boat...really looking forward to recording the upcoming fishing season. I use the free GoPro studio for editing and have made some pretty good videos but I think I'm the limiting factor here, not the software.

The only things I don't like is the lack of display and the battery life. The display thing isn't really an issue, just that I've always had some sort of display with any other camera I've owned...I like to be able to confirm that I "got the shot". I'm sure as I get better with the camera, the lack of display will be less of an issue. I too purchased a two-pack of wasabi power batteries which came with a wall charger for about $40...that addresses the camera battery life but the remote unit dies before the camera...is this normal? If I leave the remote on (in standby) I get about two hours of life. This seems odd to me...maybe I have a bad remote???

Yeah Nangusdog, I would say that the battery in your remote is shot.  Like I mentioned earlier, I don't use the remote much, but when I do use the remote the battery for it seems to last forever.  Make sure the electrical connection points on the remote do not have any kind of corrosion buildup on them.  I had a bit of trouble getting my remote to make an electrical connection with the charger until I scratched a thin film of corrosion off of the anode and cathode. 

To follow up with what I had mentioned earlier I tested out the battery life of the Gopro Hero 3 (black edition) with the battery backpack.  I was a little optimistic with what I claimed about the run time.  I ended up getting a solid 2 hours of continuous recording with 1080p @ 60fps but no more.  I have a suspicion that shooting for 10 or 20 minutes here and there and giving the battery time to rest between shots may increase the battery life a little, but I haven't tested it.

(Also, in the interest of proper disclosure, I do have a pro-deal with Gopro products.)

Nangusdog, next time you're done charging the remote, unplug it and hold down the power key.  Sometimes it just keeps searching for wifi until you turn the remote itself off.  Hopefully that helps.