SEMA 2008: GoPro Hero can make you (look like) one
by Jonathon Ramsey on Nov 6th 2008 at 5:32PM 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the GoPro Hero
The GoPro Hero digital videocamera is like creating SpeedTV for the masses... without the non-stop NASCAR coverage. The three-megapixel Hero is the world's smallest on-board camera, and it sticks to anything without fuss. It has 16 MB of internal storage, but you can blow that out to 2 GB, good for about 56 minutes. It's got a self-timer, a USB and RCA cable included, works on PC and Mac, and because of its nifty plastic case, you can use it in the rain. And unlike a SpeedTV production, the Hero will only cost you $180. Can we get an "amen!"? Check out the many faces of the Hero in the gallery of high-res photos below.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Ian 5:41PM (11/06/2008)
We've got one for use on a formula car.
Pretty much crap, you get what you pay for in this case.
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Jorge 5:52PM (11/06/2008)
Ian, I follow you. Quality is directly proportional for the price you pay. It would be good to see a video of this thing working so no surprises are present when buying one.
Kitko 6:02PM (11/06/2008)
Afixing a tripod (on leg on a backseat, two in the rear passenger foot-bays, leaning against front seats) with a camcorder inside a normal car would work too. 40GB storage, 36 hours, for 400 dollars. Great for roadtrips. Powered through car-to-AC adapter.
Works like this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISOqTaVgrUg
or this
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ygWrXYdyYDE
the only problem is it makes car go slower than in reality. I'm doing 110 km/h in the second video :-)
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Hot_Carl 6:56PM (11/06/2008)
Soooo, a point-and-shoot camera with a suction cup mount and a water-proof case? Those are pretty hard to find! Are they paying AOL for this?
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tankd0g 7:03PM (11/06/2008)
I doubt you get any sort of quality mount for that price and there's no backup tether so you'd have to add that on many tracks. That much money gets you about half a sticky pod mount with no camera.
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montoym 7:07PM (11/06/2008)
Hmm, I'd much prefer the Oregon Scientific ATC3K which can support 4GB card for about 2hrs of video and is also waterproof. Plus, it looks to be a smaller package as well. They also have the newer ATC5K which was apparently just released. It has an LCD screen while the lesser models do not.
I've been looking to pick one up for my snowboarding and mtn. biking exploits.
It's also about $100 less than this Hero.
http://www2.oregonscientific.com/shop/product.asp?cid=6&scid=14&pid=895
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kygirl 7:38PM (11/06/2008)
a) the GoPro Motorsports HERO Wide retails for $199, which is only $50 more than the Oregon Scientific.
b) The GoPro Motorsports HERO Wide is five megapixels to the Oregon Scientific's VGA resolution.
c) The new GoPro Motorsports cam has a 170-degree wide angle lens and is specifically designed for motorsports.
montoym 8:13PM (11/06/2008)
I misread the prices, for some reason, I thought the Hero was $250.
The Oregon Scirentific ATC3K is not a still camera therefore the MP resolution doesn't matter much. That GoPro is not shooting video at 5MP I can assure you of that. Especially since both camera offer the same length of shooting time(the ATC3K shoots about 1hr with a 2MP card same as the GoPro, but does support a 4GB card as well allowing twice the capacity).
Additionally, I am not planning on using the camera for motorsports so that is not a factor either. I'm much more interested in the waterproof capabilities of the ATC3K which are far more important to me and the smaller size. That GoPro looks quite large by comparison.
Thanks for a bunch of irrelevant info that I didn't ask for though.
montoym 8:29PM (11/06/2008)
For instance, the GoPro site shows the stats for the Hero Wide.
http://www.goprocamera.com/index8.htm
It does shoot still photos at 5MP, but shoots video at 512x384. Actually smaller than VGA(640x480), but I blame that on the wide angle lens.
So, I would gain the ability to shoot 5MP photos, but I am not interested in that. I have a pont and shoot that I use with much more capability and it won't be stuck to my head. It can also shoot 3:2 and 16:9 if I choose.
Still not a fan of the look of the Hero either.
It's not a bad option, I must say, but not the best option for me.
ajkl 7:58PM (11/06/2008)
I have one. The mount is really good - the suction cup holds well and the number of adjustments allows the camera to face forward no matter what angle the surface your mounting it to is facing. The video quality is very good for the price, though the mic performance could be improved. I'm happy with mine.
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montoym 8:26PM (11/06/2008)
For instance, the GoPro site shows the stats for the Hero Wide.
http://www.goprocamera.com/index8.htm
It does shoot still photos at 5MP, but shoots video at 512x384. Actually smaller than VGA(640x480), but I blame that on the wide angle lens.
So, I would gain the ability to shoot 5MP photos, but I am not interested in that. I have a pont and shoot that I use with much more capability and it won't be stuck to my head. It can also shoot 3:2 and 16:9 if I choose.
Still not a fan of the look of the Hero either.
It's not a bad option, I must say, but not the best option for me.
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montoym 8:30PM (11/06/2008)
Supposed to be a reply.
Pat 10:09AM (11/07/2008)
I use a Panasonic Lumix camera for my motorsport video. It records widescreen video at 848x480. New models go to 720p I think...but I don't know if they get around the 2gb file size limit. The appeal of the GoPro Hero is the wide angle. Not sure if there is a file size limit. I like the idea, and the price, but I'll wait until there is a higher resolution version to pick one up.
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KeyboardDevil 9:59AM (11/07/2008)
I have the 3mp model (previous to the 5mp) and am really happy with it. The battery life is pretty bad, and you have to use lithium AAA's which are about $10 a 4 pack, but the quality of the video is MORE than adequate for the price.
I've got a BUNCH of videos I've done here:
http://www.youtube.com/keyboarddevil
It's certainly not a professional camera, but you CAN NOT beat the price. ;-)
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