Have been thinking for a while about getting a GoPro or similar, mainly to take a few pics when I'm out paddling or swimming etc.

I notice that GoPro have brought out a very basic model (and a helluva lot cheaper at ~$200 at a few places), just called the 'GoPro Hero' - http://shop.gopro.com/APAC/cameras/hero/CHDHA-301-EU.html







Curious if anyone's bought/used one, and if it takes reasonable video & stills? Obviously it's not going to be up to the Hero4 etc. in terms of resolution and features, and I'm aware of the fact that it's not as modular (ie. can't attach an LCD to it etc.), but if it takes reasonable pictures, it's a lot cheaper option to grab some pics and video of scenery (and occasionally of myself flailing about trying to surf etc. )

Any feedback would be appreciated!

Looks good and should be fine.. My vids are with the old original GoPro2 and they turn out pretty good.. This should be even better.

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DavidJohn said..
Looks good and should be fine.. My vids are with the old original GoPro2 and they turn out pretty good.. This should be even better.

Cheers DJ. For my amateur purposes, ~$200 is a lot more doable than ~$600!!!

That's a reasonable entry price.

It looks as if Gopro might be in the middle of a major product update. First the Session and now this. As the owner of a 3 that's seem to have reached it's lifetime limit due to maybe questionable hardware, gonna wait a bit and see what arrives next.

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surfinJ said...
That's a reasonable entry price.

It looks as if Gopro might be in the middle of a major product update. First the Session and now this. As the owner of a 3 that's seem to have reached it's lifetime limit due to maybe questionable hardware, gonna wait a bit and see what arrives next.

Fair call. I guess, as with all tech, it's always going to be continual evolution

Yes.......they work good. Got two of them. One I had mounted on my paddle.......the camera mounts snapped off and lost the camera. The other one the clip that secures the opening back door popped open in biggish wipeout. Same with my hero silver. Would suggest using cable tie to make sure door clip stays clipped.
Am going with the XD Replay Prime X camera with underwater housing these days

I'm keen to buy the new GoPro Session and I'm glad I didn't rush into it a few months ago because I now see the original $580 price is now only about $380 from some places.

what a great little ****ing camera

I'm a Go-Pro geek and have them all except the new Go-pro Hero. I picked up the Session on the weekend. In a nutshell which is the best all round it's the GP4 Silver. It is so much better than the GP3's and almost matches the GP4 Black but the rear built in screen is just so good and really is worth the extra money. It just makes it so easy to use especially with menu selection. Great battery life and doesn't heat up. Really cool for watching play backs on water it has a soft screen on the back of the case. It also turns your time lapse into video (not sure if the hero does that) that is an amazing feature.

DJ I'm using the Session for my drones and mounting on bottom of fins , unless you have a specific purpose for it , it's a waste of money just go the GP4 Silver. It's also really hard to hand hold and shoot vision because it's so tiny. It also has no outer case so if you scratch the lens , there is no changing it at this stage. Having said all that it would be the best paddle mount camera , it weighs bugger all.

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Piros said...
I'm a Go-Pro geek and have them all except the new Go-pro Hero. I picked up the Session on the weekend. In a nutshell which is the best all round it's the GP4 Silver. It is so much better than the GP3's and almost matches the GP4 Black but the rear built in screen is just so good and really is worth the extra money. It just makes it so easy to use especially with menu selection. Great battery life and doesn't heat up. Really cool for watching play backs on water it has a soft screen on the back of the case. It also turns your time lapse into video (not sure if the hero does that) that is an amazing feature.

DJ I'm using the Session for my drones and mounting on bottom of fins , unless you have a specific purpose for it , it's a waste of money just go the GP4 Silver. It's also really hard to hand hold and shoot vision because it's so tiny. It also has no outer case so if you scratch the lens , there is no changing it at this stage. Having said all that it would be the best paddle mount camera , it weighs bugger all.

Thanks Rob.. It's just for on the paddle use..

The lens in the center and being small and light would make it perfect..

Yeah that will be perfect then DJ , it's got a pretty cool little LCD screen on top and if you put your smartphone in a waterproof case and carry it with you , you will have full control and view play back. Resolution is not far off the GP4 Silver but perfect for what you do.

I have one and it's a great camera, easy to use , no fogging , love it.

very good toy for the money

Thanks for the input guys - much appreciated!

I have the Session and the Hero (and a Silver).

I bought the Hero as a backup. Its video may not be as good as the Silver/black, but the price is pretty good, and for my surf sessions the quality is perfectly adequate! You can't swap batteries - you just charge the one in the unit. And it can't be removed from the case - so don't scratch it. But you can replace the back door in case you want to occasionally use a door with the floaty thing stuck to it.

I like the Session, but only buy it if the form factor is key. You turn it on and it starts recording. Turn it off and it stops. You have more control via an app.