The ones at Costco are dumbed down a bit...... they shoot lower resolution & not as many FPS as the full scale camera so they won't do 1080p or slowmo.
I've been playing with one all summer. The lens is very short & wide. So if your shooting a subject, it needs to be like 10' away or less.
Also, get the chest strap so you can put the camera right on your chest. Works better than on the helmet because your head bobs & moves with the bumps so much. The chest shot is super stable.
Last edited by bill_airjunky; 11-16-2010 at 3:04 PM.
Were they actual GoPro HD's at Costco? I have seen a cheap knock off of them at Costco but never the real thing. its not like they are super expensive anyway. $179.99 GoPro.com
Spencer, you linked to the 960, which is not the HD. The 960 is what's sold at costco. The HD retails for $269-99 depending on which accessories you add. The 960 is a very good value.
I asked in the photo/video Forum, but was wondering if anyone has compared this to the Contour HD. I'm going to be getting one for christmas and wanted to know which one people have been preferring. i like the body styling and compactness of the Contour more. I appreciate the help and sorry to hijack.
GoPro's form factor is obviously one of it's main weaknesses. It looks like a dimestore digital cam. The Contour looks much cooler. As for how well they actually produce video, I'd suggest taking a trip over to the mtbr.com video forums. Lots of discussions of both cams there. Once you put the contour in a waterproof case, it does lose some of its compactness.
Those kodak playsports (zx3) look cool, but they are aimed at a different use. The gopro is a point of view camera that you can have in the water with you, while the playsport is a compact waterproof handheld. You aren't going to mount the playsport to your surfboard or your wakeboard handle or your snowboard helmet. That said it looks like a sweet rig... just a different use.
GoPro works without a viewfinder because it shoots with a very wide angle fisheye lens. For the most part, if you can see the lens you are in the shot.
The one upside of the gopro is that there are tons and tons of mounts. Here's a vid I did using the motorsports suction cup mount stuck to the transom:
With the GoPro, the field of view is really wide (it's a fish eye lens). You just aim it in the general direction & it'll get the shot. It may be a bit off to one side but your subject will be in there.
I always have to wonder about the next generation of these products. They seem to come quick with great improvement. Everything I read says the GoPro is the way to go.
I still like my Vio POV. It is more expensive, but doesn't seem to be as bulky. You can tuck the recorder in your vest and have the camera head mounted on a helmet
I'm getting one here right away.... should be fun to mount on my snowmobile helmet for the winter and mount on the tower or transom for wakeboarding and surfing in the summer...
For those that have the GoPro...
Which model would be best suited for wakeboarding or the Sky Ski?
Also, what options? Chest harness etc...?
Also... Do they float if they get detached from the mount?
I'm thinking that this would be a nice Christmas gift ....for my .. wife... :
The big thing to remember with gopro is that the focal length is about 10'. Anything within that range is clear and in focus. Stuff farther away just looks small and far away. So the camera sucks mounted to the tower. But it's great mounted to a rider (helmet, board, chest... been wanting to try mounting to handle).
Linear Mode
