The GoPro HD Hero is a solid product for what it is, a basic camera that comes with sturdy-looking cases and mounts that allows you to capture personal point-of-view action shots.
Hero Original
Hero Original is waterproof up to 197’ (60m), captures 170º wide-angle 720p video, 127º semi-wide angle 1080p video, and 5 megapixel photos.
The Hero Original is available at most electronic retail stores and on the company’s website and retails in "naked" form for $199.99.
Hero 2
Hero 2 comes in three professional editions – outdoor, motorsports, and surf. The only differences in the professional editions are the mounting gears.
All are waterproof up to 197′ (60m) and can capture 170º wide-angle 1080p video and 11 megapixel photos at a rate of 10 photos per second.
Hero 2 retails at $299.99.
Performance
Though the camera is very basic, this is not a cheaply made product. The HD Hero performs extremely well for what it was designed to do.
It’s durable and fairly resilient when inside the plastic mounting case, and it’s small and easy to carry.
The quality of the picture is fairly decent, and there’s a fish eye effect on the videos and images. Although fish eye is a cool effect, on the Hero it can’t be turned off, which creates some limitations for the user, which is odd for camera that's supposed to be the most versatile camera in the world.
Audio is also an issue for the Hero. The cameras were not designed to capture professional audio, and the protective casing needed for many situations where a GoPro is warranted prohibits the user from capturing quality sound.
Users can ensure they get the best sound possible by using the skeleton case when they’re indoors or outside when winds are relatively calm.
A Little Dab Will Do
As cool of the advertising makes it seem, GoPros should not be substituted for more traditional cameras when it comes to shooting movies and taking pictures. No matter how many megapixels or how cool the mounts and fish eye effect are, after a while the viewer becomes dizzy from the constant bobbing that often comes with shooting personal point of view action shots. The Hero is a great camera to own but works best when used sprinkled into your post-production arsenal as opposed to being the main weapon.
Hero Original is waterproof up to 197’ (60m), captures 170º wide-angle 720p video, 127º semi-wide angle 1080p video, and 5 megapixel photos.
The Hero Original is available at most electronic retail stores and on the company’s website and retails in "naked" form for $199.99.
Hero 2
Hero 2 comes in three professional editions – outdoor, motorsports, and surf. The only differences in the professional editions are the mounting gears.
All are waterproof up to 197′ (60m) and can capture 170º wide-angle 1080p video and 11 megapixel photos at a rate of 10 photos per second.
Hero 2 retails at $299.99.
Performance
Though the camera is very basic, this is not a cheaply made product. The HD Hero performs extremely well for what it was designed to do.
It’s durable and fairly resilient when inside the plastic mounting case, and it’s small and easy to carry.
The quality of the picture is fairly decent, and there’s a fish eye effect on the videos and images. Although fish eye is a cool effect, on the Hero it can’t be turned off, which creates some limitations for the user, which is odd for camera that's supposed to be the most versatile camera in the world.
Audio is also an issue for the Hero. The cameras were not designed to capture professional audio, and the protective casing needed for many situations where a GoPro is warranted prohibits the user from capturing quality sound.
Users can ensure they get the best sound possible by using the skeleton case when they’re indoors or outside when winds are relatively calm.
A Little Dab Will Do
As cool of the advertising makes it seem, GoPros should not be substituted for more traditional cameras when it comes to shooting movies and taking pictures. No matter how many megapixels or how cool the mounts and fish eye effect are, after a while the viewer becomes dizzy from the constant bobbing that often comes with shooting personal point of view action shots. The Hero is a great camera to own but works best when used sprinkled into your post-production arsenal as opposed to being the main weapon.
