GoPro HERO3+: Silver Edition

Brilliant camera and is indestructible! I dropped mine off a motorcycle at 70mph and it’s still good as new.

We bought this product, not as gadget geeks but to film skiing, swimming and for use with my partner’s children in the garden etc.. This is fantastic piece of kit for all of the above. The videos and photos are very good quality and once you know how to use the camera, it is easy to do so with ski gloves on, or when it is mounted on a helmet or body. The only real downside when filming is that you cannot see, without having it linked up to your phone on wifi, where you are filming but once you have filmed your skis enough times, or cut off peoples’ heads, it is easy to get the hang of it. We have no experience of the Hero4 but for anyone buying for use with a family and on an amateur basis, this is a really great piece of kit.

Got Hero 3+ Silver to replace a previous underwater camera that offed itself after one too many deeper snorkel dives. Personally, I think the Silver version provides 85% of the benefit most people will need from their Go Pro, but if you are super serious about this stuff maybe go for Black for advanced settings and higher res settings. Everyone else, save the cash – this thing rocks.

First, upgrading firmware, software is pretty easy if you have basic computer skills – dont be nervous – follow website/Amazon review instructions and it will be easy, as will be wireless setup. Go Pro App is sweet – can control camera, preview, review footage all immediately on phone through wireless. Be aware though – wireless range is pretty limited – not sure but Go Pro wireless remote might have longer range – seems to based on advertising. We used this for trip to Dominican Republic, primarily for snorkeling, but also general photos and vids. Default 960p/60 fps (think its 60 fps) vid (can go to 1080p too) is awesome and the camera does pretty well in low light – adjusts quick – I placed the camera several times under a coral outcrop (get the clear Go Pole – must have accessory) and in seconds it adjusted and captured great footage. Def does better closer to object than far away in regards to detail, but as long as you dont expect super zoom type of detail, it will meet your needs. As others have noted, lens does impart somewhat of a fish eye type of effect, but nothing that made me terribly upset. 10mp pics came out nice – once again, closer to subject better. Time lapse and burst are awesome for catching the perfect shot in a dynamic situation. Housing is well made and camera and housing are durable. No problem down to 25 feet snorkeling and rated to like 90+. Antifog inserts a must for underwater or humid conditions. Battery life was excellent – I found myself able to have the camera on and filming on and off for at least an hour and then be able to review footage on phone through wireless for at least 30 min before battery gave out – get Wasabi backups and charger – seems to work just fine with Go Pro battery – charging through USB is a pain to me. Would also be nice to be able to effectively transfer stuff to PC through wireless, but at size of vids and pics easier to just remove from housing and do through USB.

I enjoyed the camera but sadly was only able to use it for two weeks before it was lost on a fly-away drone. In the time I had it, I enjoyed using it under water, taking time lapse video and trying out the various straps and accessories I had also purchased. I will consider a replacement but not right away as I would need to reevaluate my use case before considering a replacement.. There are other suitable and significantly less expensive cameras that I would use in the future on a drone.

Here are some of the high points of the camera:

+ Compact size and water proof case
+ Okay picture/video quality (not great)
+ 240 FPS 720p video for slow motion (top feature for me)
+ 1080p 60 video
+ Large selection of inexpensive aftermarket mounts.
+ Great community to inspire new use cases

Drawbacks

– Wi-fi range is significantly shorter than expected; began to question the value of this feature except for initially framing a shot.
– Picture quality, specifically the loss of resolution when switching from the wide mode to narrow mode. I don’t care for the “fish eye” look at all but if you switch from “wide” to “narrow”, the resolution goes from 12 megapixels to 5 megapixels. The photos look okay but the loss of resolution limits cropping/post editing possibilities. This is a pretty significant disclaimer in my experience.

The drawbacks warrant a one star deduction. Would probably drop another half star if I could.

Once I lost the camera and began assessing replacement options, I quickly discovered that there is a large copy cat market of cameras with the same form factor and many of the same features at a fraction of the cost of a GoPro. The number one feature of these cameras is the form factor and ability to go under water, which is matched by the others out there.

I don’t regret the purchase but to this point, I don’t feel any urge to replace this camera right away. If I do, I will consider the White model. I have an extra battery and accessories so that will factor into my evaluation.