[May 9, 2013] PERFORMANCE + RELIABILITY: HERO3 SOFTWARE UPDATE
The latest HERO3 camera software update fixes known bugs and enhances performance for all HERO3 editions, making your GoPro better than ever.
The latest HERO3 camera software update fixes known bugs and enhances performance for all HERO3 editions, making your GoPro better than ever.
In addition, this software update enables new video modes for HERO3: Black Edition cameras:
Narrow FOV for 1080p60 / 1080p30 / 720p60 fps
Medium FOV for 720p60 fps
Medium FOV for 720p60 fps
I am glad to finally get some update from GoPro which I hope will resolve the issues below.
First getting the Hero3 is like finding a beautiful girlfriend with a stunning body to boot and then, you quickly discover she comes with a host of nagging issues. That is how my relationship is with the new GoPro Hero3 Black Edition.
I love how it is built and the resulting video recording and images but it is driving me insane with the problems it has.
Watch the first video produced from the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition here.
GoPro or Go Home
These days consumers will only buy either an expensive camera or a dirt cheap camera. The duty of almost everything in between have been taken over by the smartphones.
The only other camera that sells are special purpose cameras. These are usually waterproof or wearable Point Of View (POV) cameras.
GoPro is obviously the pack leader in the wearable POV segment but since 2012 there have been many others entering the market such as the Sony Actioncam, JVC, Contour+, etc. These are also slightly cheaper priced and may pose a serious threat to GoPro especially with the host of issues the Hero 3 seem to have.
Almost Endless Mounting Options for the GoPro
This is the main reason for my choosing the GoPro over others for now. The other reason being its proven toughness.
Out of the box the GoPro’s standard mounts only allows you limited options. For fishing, be prepared to spend on other accessories. My first batch include;
- Extra rechargeable battery. One full charge only gives you around 60 minutes of recording. A 32GB micro SD card gets you about 3 hours 20 minutes on 1080p 30fps
- Head Strap for POV shots
- Tripod mount for errr… mounting on tripods
- Handlebar mount for mounting on rods and poles (can also use this on my bike)
The photo above was shot using the Hero3 Black
Looks Can Be Deceiving
The GoPro camera itself is an extremely plain looking camera. Basically. Just a small squarish box with a round lens, two buttons and a tiny LED display that you’d expect to find on an electronic gadget from the 1980′s.
The impression it gives is it must be a piece of cake to use. Well, it is not. You will have to get through the initial setup and decide from the myriad of camera setting options.
Being excited like a kid out of the candy store, I tried to use the Hero 3 Black straight out from the camera shop and riding shotgun in Sek’s Ford Ranger along with Mr. T at the backseat. Mr T also bought an extra battery pack and a head mount for his Hero 3 Black.
I tried pairing it with the WiFi remote and iOS GoPro App which I downloaded while in the camera store. Nothing worked. I found out later that I have to hook up to a computer, fully charge the camera, download and install the latest updates, create a password and pair up the devices.
GoPro, No Go – Freezing up
On just the first two days and the Hero Black 3 has frozen up on me twice during charging through the computer USB. I searched the web and apparently some refer this as the “Back Red Light of Death!”.
My web search also resulted in many other critical issues. There are comments on the web that buyers should just go for the Hero 2 as it just works.
I was perplexed when I had playback problems with footage shot using 1440p and 1080p 60fps from the Hero3. The videos are choppy and lags. Whereas 1080p 60fps videos shot using other cameras runs smoothly on the same machine.
A search on the web for answers seem to suggest slow hardware is the issue but the recommended minimum specification is below my machine which has a processor of more than 3+ GHz and 12GB of RAM. Guess I’ll have to figure this one out as I have been doing quite a bit of editing and have never encountered any problems, until now. It is likely a codec that GoPro uses to make the file compression.
Battery Life
No wall charger in the box. You have to buy this separately. What you get in the box is a USB cable for connection to a computer. I intend to try plugging the cable to a wall socket charger from one of my other electronic gadget eg iPhone charger. It should charge properly with the right output which is 1000 mAh as stated in the manual.
Talking about user manual. You will have to download that, too.
The battery life indicator is only indicated by three bars. It is difficult to gauge exactly how much more juice is left to shoot with. It will be better if there is a percentage reading.
A red light and a running battery indicator bar tells you when the GoPro is being charged. When fully charged, the red light goes off but the bar remains running.
The first two charge using the USB-computer cable yields only 70% level according to the iOS app. I then left the camera on continuous recording mode to drain the battery so that I can recharge it again. The camera managed only about 40 minutes of recording time from the 70% charge level.
On the third charge, I used the supplied USB cable on a iPhone 5 wall plug and managed to get it to 100%. But the “Back Red Light of Death!” problem reoccurred. GoPro should really send out an update fix on this issue quick as it is extremely annoying.
Oddly, the first charge for the spare battery made it to 100% but it also suffered the “Back Red Light of Death!” attack.
As I was setting up the Hero3 the first time (Yes,before you even use the Hero3, you have to connect to the web and do an update and the GoPro site will tell you you may even have to attempt the update a few times to be successful!), I kept having to search the web for solutions to annoying problems. And I found many dissatisfied users out there. Many shared their problems and some solutions on blogs and GoPro forums. Here is one that listed down some of the issues into a chart.
There are more! Go to http://www.gethypoxic.com/reviews-tests-hacks/tests/100-gopro-hero3-issues-list.html for the full list.
I hope GoPro is working on update fixes and get them out fast as the last update was back in December 2012.
Memory
At the moment GoPro advises against using 64GB Micro SD card as it can cause the camera to freeze and erases all data in it. It would be unimaginable losing your precious recordings! The solution for now is to use 32GB cards.
1080p 30fps and 720p 60fps settings will get you about 3hr 20min of recording on a 32GB memory card. Shorten that by half if you record on 1080p 60fps or 720p 120fps. These four resolutions will be the most commonly used for me I guess. Along with the time-lapse photography. I will definitely play around with the 4K and 2.7K resolutions later, just for the heck of it even though I cannot think of any good reason why.
GoPro Hero 3 is Hot – Literally
The GoPro Hero 3 heats up very easily both during charging and recording. This poses a problem because one time (so far) it refused to operate when it got too hot. When that happens, you can either wait for it to cool down before using again or if there is urgency, remove the battery – reinsert and hope it will run.
I also did an initial recording test by placing on my car dashboard and recorded my 30 minute drive one afternoon. It worked continuously but got so hot that I cannot touch its side (next to the lens).
I am imagining now getting my brain fried while having the Hero3 mounted on my head with a head-strap.
WiFi Remote and Smartphone App
The WiFi remote will come in handy in some situations and the smartphone app is great. But you will have pair it with a password before using. You can basically control everything about the camera on you phone. The cool thing about it is you can see what the lens is viewing. I intend to dunk the camera to get some underwater shots and see if it will work properly.
Getting Mixed-Up
The GoPro Hero 3 is a tiny camera especially out of its underwater housing. Your camera can very easily get mixed-up with another that belongs to your buddy’s. Hey, everyone has got a GoPro these days!
To prevent that from happening, I suggest writing your name on the body of the camera using a Sharpie. Another way is to write your name on an adhesive sticker of some sort if you do not want it to be permanent.
Conclusion
As of posting this, if you are thinking of getting a Hero3 and is not a computer savvy person, the GoPro 3 is a no go. Go for the Hero2 instead which has been around and is… well… sorted out. But if you are willing to live with the annoying problems with the Hero3 but get better quality visuals, go ahead.
The first sea-trail for the Hero3 is just a couple of days from now. I’m pretty sure I will come back with some kick-ass videos. Just hoping the Hero3 won’t fail when we need it. Fingers crossed and check back here for more updates and the video results!
Source: sportfishin.asia
GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition Review
I’ll be reviewing the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition. This is the top of the line camera, and there are other versions available depending on your needs/wants and I will link to all of them at the end of the review!
Image Quality
The GoPro takes great images, but only when there is good light. When the light isn’t good, it’s hard to get a good image. However, if you have somewhere to set the camera so it won’t move (table, railing, tripod, etc.) images can actually turn out really great! Images are 4,000 by 3,000 pixels in size and they look great. There is a slight fisheye effect in the photos, but Adobe Lightroom has a lens profile for correcting fisheye and it does a decent job most of the time! Check out a few sample shots below!
Video
Video looks great as well on the GoPro! I usually shoot in 1080p (1920×1080) at 30 fps. That’s the same as my Canon t3i, so when I’m editing it all matches up correctly. Video can also be shot at 4k resolution, but only at 12 or 15 frames per second. At 1080p 30, 60, and 24 fps are available. You can see a full chart of resolutions below, from the GoPro website:
In our video review below you can see some sample footage from the GoPro. Here’s a hint – it looks great!
GoPro has a feature called ProTune which is essentially used for professional filmmaking instead of typical snowboarding/skydiving action shots. It enables a special color mode similar to Technicolor’s Cinestyle, if you are familiar with that. It also allows you to shoot at 24 fps, the standard frame rate of television.
Quality
The GoPro is built really well. It is made of a tough plastic that is covered by a rubberized layer. The buttons are easy to press and all the ports are easy to access.
Features
Because of the lack of a built-in display, it is hard to set up your shot. Luckily, the GoPro has built-in wifi. This enables you to connect your iOS or Android device to the camera and see a video feed to set up a shot, as well as control all the camera’s functions and even view the media stored on the camera! The GoPro creates its own wifi network, which is great because you don’t need to carry and extra equipment with you when you are shooting.
This particular camera also includes a wifi remote. This is a hardware remote that can be paired with your camera using wifi. However, it cannot be used at the same time as the iPhone app.
Size
The camera is TINY; much smaller than I expected it to be. It also only weighs 74 grams.
Video
Here’s our video review of the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition:
If you’d like to see the full specifications for the camera, you can check them out on the GoPro website!
Other Models of the GoPro:
Final Thoughts
The GoPro is a great camera and is definitely worth its cost. At $399 it’s not cheap, but like I said, it’s worth it in the end. Please rate it above if you’ve ever used one, and comment below with your thoughts on the camera!
Source: techshowsyou
GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition review:Top-of-the-line action cam improves on excellent predecessor
The Good The GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition produces some of the best -- if not the best -- video we've seen from an action cam. Its abundant resolution and frame rate options will satisfy beginners and experienced shooters.
The Bad Navigating the on-camera settings menus still isn't the best experience. Battery life can be brief depending on the features you're using. Plan to buy accessories including a microSD card.
The Bottom Line Like the Hero3, the GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition's strongest attributes are its excellent video quality and impressive list of shooting options. If that's what matters most to you, this is the action cam to get.
Depending on whom you ask, GoPro's action cameras are the best available or they're all marketing.
Regardless of where you fall -- or if you're still undecided -- it's impossible to ignore GoPro's position in the category. The release of 2012's Hero3 models seemed to propel them far in front of competitors and the 2013 Hero3+ models aim to keep them there.
The Hero3+ Black Edition is the top of the GoPro lineup, followed by theHero3+ Silver Edition, and the Hero3 White Edition, with the White being the only one unchanged from 2012. (Oh, and despite the colorful names, the cameras are all silver and black with just the "3" on front in the corresponding color.)
As the highest-end model, the Black Edition has the most shooting options including a Protune mode for high-bit-rate video with neutral color and 24 frames per second recording for professional video production, the highest resolution capabilities up to 4K at 15fps, and includes a Wi-Fi remote.
Compared to the Hero3, the Hero3+ has a lighter, smaller housing, longer battery life, faster Wi-Fi for use with the GoPro app, a SuperView mode for more immersive wide-angle video, an Auto Low-Light mode, and updated lens for sharper video.
Yes, at $399.99 it's expensive, but, for the category, the video quality is excellent and if you want the best video you can get from an action cam, what you want is the GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition. That said, other aspects might turn you off and there are certainly other cameras with very good video quality that might be a better fit for your needs and your wallet.
In the box
GoPro doesn't exactly shortchange you on accessories for your $400, but at the very least you'll need to get a microSD card up to 64GB. That's really the only thing that you'll need in addition to what's in the box to get you shooting.
GoPro doesn't exactly shortchange you on accessories for your $400, but at the very least you'll need to get a microSD card up to 64GB. That's really the only thing that you'll need in addition to what's in the box to get you shooting.
The camera's waterproof housing is good to depths of 131 feet (40 meters); the Hero3's dive housing was good to 197 feet (60 meters). If you don't need the camera to be dust- or waterproof and would like a bit more audio to reach the built-in mono mic, you can swap out the standard backdoor for the skeleton backdoor.
The housing is smaller and lighter than past versions and has a new lens surround, so if you've invested in any sort of lens filters or replacements for the Hero3 housing, they likely won't work with the Hero3+ housing. Also, the latching mechanism has been changed and now no longer has a locking switch on top. The housing is still difficult to open, though, which is for the best in this case.
Two adhesive mounts are included -- one flat and one curved -- so you can slap one on a helmet and go. The mounts work with GoPro's quick-release buckles that attach to the bottom of the camera's housing. You'll find a horizontal as well as a vertical buckle and a three-way pivot arm, so you can mount the camera on the top, front, or side of a helmet.
Once you've put the mount on your helmet, just slide your buckle of choice into it and it's securely attached. A small locking plug (also included) can be used to help prevent the buckles from accidentally releasing from the mount from force or vibration.
There is no charger in the box for the camera, just a Mini-USB cable for charging via computer or USB wall adapter if you have one. GoPro offers a two-battery external charger, but again, you'll need a USB wall adapter or a computer to supply the power. Otherwise, since you're charging in camera, you'll need to plan ahead if you want to carry additional batteries.
Lastly, there's a Wi-Fi remote that comes with the Black Edition. It requires a special charging cable, which is included, but also means if you lose it, it'll cost you $20 to replace. It is nice to have, though, for the those times when you don't want to whip out your smartphone to remotely start and stop recordings. It's waterproof to 10 feet and can control up to 50 cameras at once from up to 600 feet away.
Design and features
There are some differences between the bodies of the Hero3 and Hero3+, but you'd pretty much have to have it side by side to see them. The Hero3+ remains a little box that is not rugged without its housing, unlike competitors from iON , Garmin , and Drift. Don't get me wrong, the camera feels very well constructed and might survive a minor tumble, but its GoPro's housing that keeps the camera dry and safe.
There are some differences between the bodies of the Hero3 and Hero3+, but you'd pretty much have to have it side by side to see them. The Hero3+ remains a little box that is not rugged without its housing, unlike competitors from iON , Garmin , and Drift. Don't get me wrong, the camera feels very well constructed and might survive a minor tumble, but its GoPro's housing that keeps the camera dry and safe.
The camera can sit up on its own, but without an integrated tripod mount there's no way to easily attach the camera to anything without using a housing. Being a leader, if not the leader, in action cams, there's no shortage of mounting options available from GoPro and third-party accessory makers. It's certainly an advantage to getting a GoPro, but not a big one since other action cams either have tripod mounts or available adapters to use with GoPro mounts.
As with the Hero3, the camera's left side has Micro-HDMI and Mini-USB ports and a microSD card slot that supports capacities up to 64GB. On back is a panel covering its removable battery (the same used for the Hero3) and an input for use with GoPro's LCD Touch BacPac or Battery BacPac. There is no 3.5mm audio-in for an external mic, but a Mini-USB-to-3.5mm-audio-in cable is available.
As for actually shooting with the camera, like its predecessor, the 3+ is loaded down with resolution options and frame rate settings. Yes, it shoots in 4K, but at 15fps, it's not good for much. Dropping down to 2.7K, you get 30fps and 24fps settings. Even if you don't have anything to view that one, the extra resolution gives you editing flexibility. For the most part, though, you'll probably want to stick to 1080p or 720p resolutions for battery life reasons alone.
The Hero3+ still has the Protune mode for professionals or hobbyists looking for more control over results. There are burst and continuous photo shooting options, too. And, there's the capability to shoot video and time lapse photos simultaneously. There is a lot here to play with (click on the chart above to see the full list on GoPro's site).
The camera's built-in Wi-Fi is used for two things: Connecting to mobile devices via the GoPro app for iOS, Android, and Windows Phone 8, and for use with the included Wi-Fi remote. The remote gives you the same menu interface, screen, and buttons as on the camera. It's fine for starting and stopping recordings or changing shooting modes, but can be frustrating for changing settings -- just as it is on the actual camera. For that, you're better off connecting to the app.
The GoPro app gives you a live preview of your shot and, with the camera's faster Wi-Fi performance, there is only a one or two second delay between camera movement and what's on screen. The app also lets you start and stop recordings, change all of the camera's settings, and play and download clips from the camera onto your device. However, not all resolutions are supported for playback and download.
When you're done shooting and ready to edit, the free GoPro Studio 2.0 software for Windows and Mac is actually pretty powerful and easy to use. The latest version has drag-and-drop templates along with several other new features to make your videos look more professional.
There are a lot of features in both, so if you want to know more about what they can do, here are videos explaining the app and Studio software.
Video quality
The Hero3+ Black Edition produces some of the best quality video I've seen from an action cam. With few exceptions, bit rates on action cameras tend to be around 15Mbps or lower. The Black Edition passes double that amount of data, giving you nice detail -- even when you're moving fast.
The Hero3+ Black Edition produces some of the best quality video I've seen from an action cam. With few exceptions, bit rates on action cameras tend to be around 15Mbps or lower. The Black Edition passes double that amount of data, giving you nice detail -- even when you're moving fast.
Also, where other cameras tend to be loaded with compression artifacts that become readily visible at larger screen sizes, that's not the case here. Color and white balance are very good, too, and it's quick to adjust to exposure changes.
That's straight from the camera, though. Depending on your settings when converting and uploading to YouTube or Vimeo or elsewhere, you might end up with compression artifacts and reduced detail. Aliasing artifacts seemed to get worse as well, though that's something that others in this category suffer from, too. It's stuff that's less noticeable when viewed at small sizes, but doesn't look good when viewed closely on a large screen.
Lastly, while I've read complaints about focus problems, this isn't something I experienced. We'll continue testing the Hero3+ as we test other action cams throughout the year and this review will be updated with additional video and photos.
Performance
Battery life is a concern for all action cams; they're small cameras with small batteries that capture high-res video at fast frame rates. GoPro claims better battery life with the Hero3+ and going by its engineering estimates, you can get up to 2 hours of battery life shooting at 1080p 30fps with Wi-Fi off. Using higher resolutions or faster frame rates, as well as using the Wi-Fi with the included remote or GoPro mobile app, will bite into that time. Also, Wi-Fi doesn't shut off when you turn the camera's power off. If you don't turn Wi-FI off separately it will continue to drain your battery.
Battery life is a concern for all action cams; they're small cameras with small batteries that capture high-res video at fast frame rates. GoPro claims better battery life with the Hero3+ and going by its engineering estimates, you can get up to 2 hours of battery life shooting at 1080p 30fps with Wi-Fi off. Using higher resolutions or faster frame rates, as well as using the Wi-Fi with the included remote or GoPro mobile app, will bite into that time. Also, Wi-Fi doesn't shut off when you turn the camera's power off. If you don't turn Wi-FI off separately it will continue to drain your battery.
Basically, if you're going out for extended shooting, you'll want to get extra batteries. At least it has a replaceable battery, unlike other action cams that have built-in batteries. (By the way, the longest battery life I've seen is from the Drift Ghost-S with up to 3.5 hours recording at 1080p30, and its battery is replaceable, too.)
Though I never experienced it during testing, it is possible for the camera to get hot enough during use that it will pop up a warning to let you know that it needs to cool down. According to the manual, the camera will not allow itself to overheat and damage the camera.
Conclusion
Like the Hero3, the GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition's strongest attributes are its excellent video quality and impressive list of shooting options. If that's what matters most to you, this is the action cam to get. However, if you're just looking for something to play with and post videos online or watch on mobile devices, it's overkill and there are plenty of other options out there.
Like the Hero3, the GoPro Hero3+ Black Edition's strongest attributes are its excellent video quality and impressive list of shooting options. If that's what matters most to you, this is the action cam to get. However, if you're just looking for something to play with and post videos online or watch on mobile devices, it's overkill and there are plenty of other options out there.
Source: cnet
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