My very own go pro
hero 3. A camera designed to capture footage for extreme sports. I’ve always
thought it would be cool to own one and just on a whim I brought one. I had
seen loads about the camera from youtube and getting one was almost surreal,
just like I pulled it out from my computer screen (Strange, I know). After
having mine for 3 weeks it’s a love hate relationship. You are first introduced
into a world of high quality, well thought out packaging. It was encased in a
clear plastic cube that reminded me of a museum display cabinet. As you
unpackaged the camera everything looks and feels high quietly. It soon becomes apparent
that everything about the camera is about practicality. The camera sets inside
a housing that is waterproof and extremely tough. It only has three operating buttons and comes with ergonomic
bolt fittings and mounts.
I love this camera as its shoots in high
quality 1080P, captures 12mp images, it’s waterproof for up to 60m and tough
enough to withstand high impact. All in something that is smaller than a credit
card. Its wifi connectivity even allows you to operate the camera in a
different room. With its tiny size it could easily be used for something
covert. Its toughness allows me to just throw it in my bag and not have to worry
about it getting damaged. Something that my rather expensive Canon IXUS point
and shoot has become a regretful victim of. The Go Pro is something that the
professional use all the time. I you can seem them being used for T.V and film.
Plus it’s a desirable respected gadget to own.
However I also there
are some big drawbacks. I was disappointed to discover that the battery life at
most is only one hour. It was not anything I would have thought I would have
needed to think about these days, most cameras have at least 6-8 hours as
standard. Working with this camera is a real think before you shoot and extra
batteries job. Another reason I don’t like the camera is that it doesn’t come
with a display screen on the back as standard, or even a viewfinder. Unless you
want to spend the extra £100 for the LCD touch screen display that dose not
have a waterproof housing. It requires you to use wifi connectivity with your
phone that has about a four second lag in live view. Again making this camera a
think before you shoot job.
The camera is meant
for video rather than photography but is capable of capturing photos. It
favours a slow shutter speed around about 1/50sec that is useless for capturing
anything that moves. I came to the conclusion that you would only use its photo
function for capturing that epic view of you and your friends once you have
reached your summit.
I find this camera is
an expensive buy at first as owning one is buying into another company all over
again. I have already invested a good grand into Canon so far and buying a Go
Pro is no different. £260 for camera, £2.50 a month insurance, £30 memory card,
secondary battery and charger £20 and you just got to get the head strap.
What comes into
question is that after all this why did I buy A Go Pro in the first place? The
answer is simply for the adventure. No other single camera can withstand the
extreme challenges that people could ever put themselves through. Whether the
location is on the land, under the sea, taken air or venturing space, 1mph or
1000’s. I can be sure that my Go Pro can capture it all.
Below are some test
images I have taken with the camera so far.
