Wife wants to buy me a GoPro for Christmas, but which one?

[irie]

Will use it as helmet cam when kitesurfing, helmet cam while skiing, and chest/helmet/bars cam on MTB.

But which GoPro? Simple editing is fine, don't want to muck around with fancy editing (ex software geek, yawn).

Thinking GoPro Hero 8

Let the camera wars commence ...

 

[Doomanic]

Get a 10.

 

[irie]

How is the 10 better than the 8?

 

[Expidia]

I just happened to be reading this review a few minutes ago:

GoPro Hero 8 vs GoPro Hero 10 | Worth Upgrading? A Runners Perspective

I've upgraded from a GoPro Hero 8 to a GoPro Hero 10, lets take a deep dive into the good and the bad of using a GoPro from the perspective of a runner

www.runadventurer.co.uk

 

[Doomanic]

How is the 10 better than the 8?

Simple maths tells you it's two better...

I've got a 9 and a 10. The videos from the 10 are better than those from the 9 when using the same settings.

 

[SwampNut]

The DJI Action seems like the best GoPro yet.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

The DJI Action seems like the best GoPro yet.

Dont they say that with every new release ?

I've the Hero7 and its good enough for me. But I think something like the 8 is pretty well respected and it's always going to be cheaper than the latest model, which is sometimes only a tiny bit better or has features you might not use.
So by going down a few models,you could save yourself a wad.

 

[flash]

Do you need 4K? I have a bunch of action cams but the one that gets the most use by FAR is my Insta360 Go2. Get the 64GB variant. My second most used one is a 360 x3. Don't remember which drawer my GoPros are in.

Gordon

 

[Bones]

My YouTube vids are done on the 8 black. Filmed in 4k and they look OK to me.
The biggest thing that annoys me with the gopro is the microphone. It picks up the slightest noise and if it's windy it sounds like a force 10 gale
I've tried all sorts of mods to make it less sensitive.
You might need to add a separate sound recorder and add that in edit otherwise you can spend ages on the sound editing.

 

[Hamina]

But which GoPro? Simple editing is fine, don't want to muck around with fancy editing (ex software geek, yawn).

Just bought GoPro 10 and been quite happy with it. The video quality is good but all the other things are shit:
- Connecting phone to camera (continuous errors with iphone)
- The GoPros PC editing software is end-of-life
- Video filenames are extremely useless as "GP00032" with no date or anything. No native solution to combine the 4gb files to one
- The current editing capability seems to support only mobilephones or table. Something new is planned but when(?)
- If using the quickcapture the camera needs (I guess) couple of minutes to catch GPS for GPS telemetry

 

[Slymobi]

Ok let's throw the GoProMax into the mix too you would get some amazing 360 shots when kite surfing I'm sure and you can always just use the hero mode for standard recording.
The max is slightly bigger than your Heros but it's capabilities of alternative 360 shots are worth it imo.

 

[2WheelsNot4]

The biggest thing that annoys me with the gopro is the microphone. It picks up the slightest noise and if it's windy it sounds like a force 10 gale

I've seen foam baffles that fit over the microphones that cut down on that noise. Im not sure though if gopro themselves make them, but ive seen number of types from different manufacturers.

 

[Bones]

They don't seem to work for me, even with a dead cat stuck on them.

 

[Mikerb]

I use the Hero 7. I have used Gopros for years starting when they were only SD quality. I saw nothing to persuade me to upgrade when the 8 was released...or indeed subsequent models. The 7 is when Gopro started to have good video stabilisation and also superview which is the best setting for MTB. I guess if I was buying today I would get the cheapest brand new I could find which would probably be the 8 now.
Note: every Gopro has some settings that are better than others depending how the sensor is used and the bit rate applied. With the 7 I almost exclusively use 2.7k at 50fps Superview.........which is a frame rate fast enough for action sports and 2.7k produces good video even in relatively poor light because Superview uses more of the sensor. My Gopro is always also set to quick capture ( single button operation to switch on/of and start or stop video. That makes it easy to keep clips relatively short and with relevant/interesting content even when riding the bike ( or other activities depending where you mount the Gopro). I edit with Magix ( formerly Sony) Movie Studio. Unlike one experience above my phone to gopro connection is flawless ( using Gopro Quik) and makes it easy to review clips and create short clips to send out on whatsapp etc prior to editing a full video and uploading to You Tube.

 

[irie]

Gonna buy a Hero8 Black. Thanks for the help.

 

[dobbyhasfriends]

Will use it as helmet cam when kitesurfing, helmet cam while skiing, and chest/helmet/bars cam on MTB.

But which GoPro? Simple editing is fine, don't want to muck around with fancy editing (ex software geek, yawn).

Thinking GoPro Hero 8

Let the camera wars commence ...

have a look at the reliability videos available on youtube.
because of this I bought 2 hero black 7's even though they were out of date, they have been very reliable.
I had trouble with them once (Forest of Dean Forum Ride) but when I investigated, it was my own fault.
If I were to replace them now I would look at another brand like DJI

 

[Mikerb]

have a look at the reliability videos available on youtube.
because of this I bought 2 hero black 7's even though they were out of date, they have been very reliable.
I had trouble with them once (Forest of Dean Forum Ride) but when I investigated, it was my own fault.
If I were to replace them now I would look at another brand like DJI

to be fair there have always been multiple reports of issues with Gopros but the vast majority have been due to user error or bad micro SD cards. The market is flooded with fake micro SD cards, especially the high capacity ones, so always buy from a reliable source and test them before use. Sd test programs can be found online. They enable you to see if indeed the card meets the data write speed for its class. I have bought SD cards from a well known high street vendor and taken them back after testing them because their write speed is nowhere near the class standard.......using a card like that would cause the Gopro to freeze. How the micro SD card is used can also cause problems mainly because Gopro expects to see a very specific file table. So you should not use the card in any other device, should not delete files by another device....use Gopro to delete files and format. If you want to view the micro SD files on a laptop or PC it is best to put the card into a card reader and copy the files to the PC/laptop hard drive. Then remove the card reader and put the card back into the Gopro. If you use the laptop or PC to do anything other than just copy the files, the file table can be corrupted and/or hidden files added to the card (e.g. for virus checking etc). After several years of Gopro ownership and various Gopro models I have never experienced a single fault...........following those simple rules.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Let the camera wars commence ...

She sounds like a wonderful woman and you should definitely keep her for at least another year (She might suggest something crap next year - @BAMBAMODA can help you with resourcing for finding a replacement/test drives/alternative options should the need arise).

However, you should remind her that Christmas is about giving and that we all feel better giving than receiving (no bambam pun intended) .. to cut a long story short, I'd quite like an Insta360.

 

[Zimmerframe]

Buddy, you need a well protected drop proof camera.

What the hell are you saying !!!!

(I did fall off yesterday ...)

 

[Zimmerframe]

That camera is legit but you’re gonna fall on it daily!

Do they come with a crash warranty ? Maybe if I order one and they know my level of ineptitude, they'll just send me a ten pack to save on the postage ?

 

[LeftItLancs]

Thinking GoPro Hero 8

I bought a GoPro 8 for a friend who is a dog trainer/walker and it more than does the job, including a harness, so the actual dog can wear it and with perfect filming results after an edit or two.

An excellent piece of kit.

I also bought directly off their site, it was reduced by £150 and looking at the site today they have a few more offers worth checking out.

Action Cameras for Sports, Adventure & Everyday Life | GoPro

Shop all GoPro action cameras. Go big. Save big. Bonus value with bundle deals. Free shipping and money-back guarantee through GoPro.com.

gopro.com

 

[Paulquattro]

Go pro 8 is fine
Only issue with it is its the worst of the bunch for battery life when run like for like with video quality
It depends what you need from the camera.

 

[irie]

Go pro 8 is fine
Only issue with it is its the worst of the bunch for battery life when run like for like with video quality
It depends what you need from the camera.

Just short stuff, nothing longer than 10 minutes. No way do I want to be sitting editing hours of videos. Thought I'd wait to see if the Hero 8 Black, currently about £280, is reduced for Black Friday. Will need to buy a chest mount as well.

Last week the Hero8 Black was on sale on the Gopro site, but it's now no longer there.

 

[Paulquattro]

Just short stuff, nothing longer than 10 minutes. No way do I want to be sitting editing hours of videos. Thought I'd wait to see if the Hero 8 Black, currently about £280, is reduced for Black Friday. Will need to buy a chest mount as well.

My mates got an 8 i have the 10 and its far better battery , video stabilization and quality
I dont suppose from the right place the 10 will be much more with the 11 being out.

 

[Bones]

Get a glass screen protector for it as the lens is not replaceable on the 8 and any marks will cause lens flair.

 

[SwampNut]

Get a glass screen protector for it as the lens is not replaceable on the 8 and any marks will cause lens flair.

This is another reason for the DJI; the included lens protector is instantly swappable to another, or to filters and add-on lenses.

 

[Ushtang]

I've owned most of the GoPro models from the original Hero, all the way up to the Hero 9. But I've recently been using a 360 degree video camera more than my GoPro. A 360 camera like the Insta360 or GoPro Max offers a lot more versatility than than an action camera with regards to camera angles.

Essentially you have 360 degrees to work with in post from where you have the camera mounted. What this means is that there's no more fussing with making sure your camera is angled correctly for the best shot and you can focus more on the activity itself and focus less on how and where your camera is positioned.
The only downside is that you will have to edit your video in post whether using the camera's phone app or it's desktop app before posting your video online. Whereas with a GoPro, you can post your videos without having to edit them first if you choose.

Here's recent edit I made with the Insta360. If you watch from the 1:08 timestamp to the 1:45 timestamp you can see many angles I've been able to use in my edit from a single mounting location of the camera; the top of my helmet.