
GoPro introduces Hero3 - 4k video, 2x frame rate and low light performance - salimmadjd
http://www.engadget.com/2012/10/16/gopro-hd-hero3/
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chinmoy
Probably off-topic, but many do not know that GoPro was bootstrapped. Here is
an interview with the founder Nick Woodman about bootstrapping GoPro
[http://www.inc.com/maeghan-ouimet/nick-woodman-
gopro-10-year...](http://www.inc.com/maeghan-ouimet/nick-woodman-
gopro-10-years-bootstrapping-overnight-success.html)

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reustle
Not mentioned in the article but WVGA now supports 240fps. This is amazing on
such a cheap camera.

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beagle3
GoPro makes excellent hardware, but for some reason they insist on restricting
its use. They politely told anyone who asked them about the bus to please
stop, and they refuse to release any details of their Wifi protocol - meaning
that you can only make any use of the camera with their app.

I've got a project that can use hundreds of these, if I could use it as an IP
camera (I'm willing to write the code to do that myself, if I get the
documentation); As it is, we're paying $700 for a camera that produces lesser
quality images.

edit: speaking of which - does any of you know of a successful GoPro1/2/3
hacking project?

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PanMan
Whow. $200 for the cheapest hero 3, which does include wifi, sounds like a
great deal!

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freehunter
Has anyone here ever used a GoPro as a dash cam? I've been looking at one for
motorsports, but while I'm not riding I would like to put it to use. Having
recently been victim of a hit and run where the officer did not believe that I
was not at fault, a dash cam is something high on my list to get. It would be
easier to justify the cost if I could use it as dual-purpose.

Recording constantly, but footage only reviewed if I need to prove something.
I don't need automatic start/stop or the ability to automatically record over
old stuff as long as I can delete footage on the camera without needing a
computer.

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3amOpsGuy
I don't think it's possible to configure the gopro to overwrite old footage -
unless something's changed in a recent firmware.

I have a roadhawk mounted (and wired into the fuse box). The video quality is
sub standard for the price, and especially poor compared to even the previous
go pro at night. However the software does work quite well and unfortunately
the device paid for itself ~2 years ago when i was clipped with no witness and
the other party presenting a fabricated story. Until then i had felt a bit
guilty about using the camera - i don't necessarily think these are a great
idea, but i have to go with my experience and it worked well for me.

NB: all these options are useless for "the other driver did X" often they will
only help prove what you did or did not do. I mistakenly thought of it as a
way to capture what actions other drivers took but it doesnt work well for
that use case.

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AlexeyD
There is a youtube clip with sample video from this camera:
[http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A...](http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A3PDXmYoF5U)

Here is a link the same clip with much better quality. This clip has average
bitrage over 10mbps. <http://fil.io/FL82vTNAs/Footage%20from%20GoPro%20HERO3>

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salimmadjd
From dpreview: [http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/10/17/GoPro-
Hero-3-Black-W...](http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/10/17/GoPro-Hero-3-Black-
White-Silver-Edition-4k-protune) The existing Hero HD and Hero 2 models have
essentially been re-housed in smaller cases with updated user interfaces and
will sit alongside the Black Edition as the White and Silver Editions,
respectively

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jonah
Does it resolve the rolling shutter issues?

I'm disappointed an action oriented camera displays so much distortion in
rapid movement.

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sliverstorm
Are you sure you aren't misrepresenting the issue? I never had distortion
issues with my Hero2, and looking on google it seems the rolling shutter
issues mostly pertain to engine vibrations and aircraft props (?), which I
don't really expect a $200 camera to be able to capture perfectly, action-
oriented or not.

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TrevorJ
It is certainly not misrepresenting the issue, the rolling shutter is a big
issue. Having said that, as a pro-sumer bit of hardware this camera is a
fantastic deal. For true professional shoots the rolling shutter is
problematic precisely because this is the type of camera that you will be
putting in high-vibration locations. I've used these cameras extensively and
they are great at what they do if you play to their strengths, but I'd
definitely be willing to pay more for them if they move away from a CMOS
sensor.

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salimmadjd
For anyone in the market like me, here is a good comparison vs. Sony's
offering :
[http://afr.com/f/free/technology/digitallife/sony_shows_gopr...](http://afr.com/f/free/technology/digitallife/sony_shows_gopro_hero_who_first_xQN7lgW5aeKli1a16W5voN)

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leviathant
Looks like Sony's offering is competing with the GoPro2, rather than the
GoPro3. Still, given the inevitable upcoming price drop in the 2 after the 3
comes out, that's a handy comparison to have.

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salimmadjd
Yes they are. We have to see how it will compare. The GoPro2 compares poorly
in low light compared to Sony with lower dynamic range. So I can't wait to see
some comparison

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listic
Looks like Drift Innovation has some catching up to do

<http://driftinnovation.com/camera/>

Their kind of design looks more appropriate for helmet mounting. I wonder why
GoPro do their cameras in compact camera style?

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moondowner
There are underwater casings and a lot of other gear which can be used with
the GoPro. And the compact camera style, according to me, is more flexible and
appropriate for that.

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Keyframe
4k@15fps

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7952
Would be great for making streetview style imagery.

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Keyframe
One would need to correct for that horrible lens geometry and rolling shutter
first. Not impossible, but kind of tricky to do it right.

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clueless123
Dang! I just bought my hero 2 Technology moves so fast that I now purchase
with a "rental" attitude.. :(

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WatchDog
Any videos of the purported low light performance?

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TeamMCS
woah GoPro 2 had a very short half-life.

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madaxe
Guess which shmuck just bought a pair of Hero2s. :(

