Testing GoPro Hero camera

[BillTheCat]

Hey guys... I just got this GoPro Hero Wide Motorsports camera. This video is nothing fancy, doesn't really showcase the car or anything. Just a test run of the camera. GoPro Hero and Mazdaspeed3

For those of you not familiar with this camera, it's a featherweight camera intended for mounting inside or outside vehicles. Light enough to strap to a helmet, and so lightweight that with its strong suction cup mount, it's perfectly stable at highway speeds on your car.

Comes in a waterproof case (to 100ft) and has a low sensitivity audio option to reduce wind noise when mounted externally. 170 degree field of view, but video is low def. Perfect for YouTube, though.

There is no remote control, and settings & menus are basic, if not primitive. The real selling point of the camera is its versatility in mounting. Records to SD cards & uses AAA batteries. You basically have to mount it, start recording, then get in the car & start driving. And don't forget to shut it off as soon as you stop, because it will eat up some batteries.

No fancy editing here- just a few short clips from different mounting points on the MS3. And no music, so you can hear the audio it does pick up.

I'll be taking this to Deal's Gap in a couple of weeks & shooting some more interesting video (I hope) then.

 

[oaklandopen]

it reminds me of the ghost rider vids...but you'd need a couple more cameras and mighty balls to do something similar to his vids

i was gonna ask you to post some pics of the camera itself mounted on the car but i guess i'll go the slightly less lazy route and goo-gull it meself

 

[Saskatchewan17]

Very nice man. I'd love to have one of those.

 

[CWPspeed3]

I'll be taking this to Deal's Gap in a couple of weeks & shooting some more interesting video (I hope) then.

I was just thinking that angle would be sweet for deals gap. Does it have sound? (at work no speakers)

 

[Saskatchewan17]

Yes it does.

 

[BillTheCat]

Yes, it does record sound. The "Lo" setting is what I used, and it seems to be recording barely above "mute" that way. Need to do another test on "Hi" to compare & see if it's just nothing but wind noise, or if it's more useful.

Another friend of mine took his Hero to the beach last week and said it performed admirably underwater. The water was cloudy, so the images were cloudy, but no glitches, the case stayed sealed as advertised, and it was easy enough to operate.

I'll see about laying out the components for a photo, too. It came with the suction cup, several adjustable arm attachments, the case, and several mounting brackets with 3M double sided tape to affix to the bumper, dash, etc. I think it was 2-3 each of flat & slightly curved (intended for helmets) mounting plates.

I know we can't advertise things here, but retail on these is $200, and one of my MINI club counterparts got a reseller's account with them & is selling them for $150. I couldn't find anyone matching that online, so if you're interested, PM me and I'll shoot you his contact info. He sold out his stock during the MINI event at the end of September, but told me more were on the way.

 

[Design]

Very nice.

I've been running a Chasecam for about 4 years now. Love it. Lightweight and mounts anywhere. Great for track events. The external mic however is a bit disappointing. I usually run a 2nd camera inside the car for sound overlay.

 

[essejkcamraw]

hey bill do you work over here in the USF area? cause i swear i see you around a lot. once off fletcher around morning time an twice off of fowler later afternoon time. ( i sound like a stalker )

 

[CWPspeed3]

I know we can't advertise things here, but retail on these is $200, and one of my MINI club counterparts got a reseller's account with them & is selling them for $150. I couldn't find anyone matching that online, so if you're interested, PM me and I'll shoot you his contact info. He sold out his stock during the MINI event at the end of September, but told me more were on the way.

Which model do you have? I was looking at their website and see 3 different for HD or SD.

I have an "action camera" that i got at sams club for $30 but it only came with a rubber strap and clip on mount. I havent found a good way to attach that to my car yet.

 

[STRICK-]

cool stuff.....Over by the brandon 20, down kings.....to lumsdon.., thats like 10-15 minutes from my house...lol

 

[SBSPEED3]

i have one of the original digital ones with the wrist strap. i use it for surfing and when i dive. picture quality is pretty good for a <$100.00 camera. mine is waterproof to 100ft and the color starts to get distorted that deep which is not surprising. ive been thinking about getting one of the newer wide angle ones. pretty neat cameras for a pretty good price

here are a coupla pics from a wreck dive i did last summer. conditions were pretty horrible and visibility was pretty low. depth is 80-100 feet

 

[chief_wiggum]

Nice; i'm surprised at how stable your videos turned out...that suction cup must be massive. I like the angle from the lower bumper -- something I'd like to try next year for autocross.

Appreciate the review, thanks.

 

[noobinacan]

why wouldn't you wait for the HD hero to come out end of this month...

 

[BillTheCat]

hey bill do you work over here in the USF area? cause i swear i see you around a lot. once off fletcher around morning time an twice off of fowler later afternoon time. ( i sound like a stalker )

I work in Temple Terrace, off 56th, South of Fowler. I'm usually coming in off I-75 around 10:45 p.m. and heading back that way at 7:00 a.m. So yeah, in the general area, but not usually as far North as Fletcher, and usually not in the afternoons. Although I did have a friend who lived off Fletcher & Rome a while back & drove out that way every so often. Been a few months, though.

 

[BillTheCat]

why wouldn't you wait for the HD hero to come out end of this month...

Because I got this one for cheap. I don't play with these sorts of toys often enough to justify spending any more than necessary. HD would be nice, but probably not within my price range.

 

[BillTheCat]

Which model do you have? I was looking at their website and see 3 different for HD or SD.

I have an "action camera" that i got at sams club for $30 but it only came with a rubber strap and clip on mount. I havent found a good way to attach that to my car yet.

I got the SD Hero Wide angle with the motorsports package. (The "package" simply refers to which bunch of mounts you get)