Go Pro Hero 3

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.