Go Pro HD cameras

Terrence Cook

Terrence Cook

EF2
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
196
Location
Broomfield, Colorado
I was curious who on here is using these, they are perhaps the most innovative and useful cameras that I have ever come across. I was lucky enough to have one for May 22 in SD and captured the first couple tornadoes with it. The only weak point is the audio which is acceptable for most.

The motor sports version has a suction cup that allows you to attach it to any window or external panel on a vehicle. Water proof and shock proof, it sits in a see-through housing and is small enough to tuck into some very creative angles. Also, extremely reliable as I tested it to 80 MPH on May 22, (not counting RFD winds on that day). The camera has a Li-Ion battery that lasts 2.5 hours and can shoot full 1920 HD for 9 hours assuming you have a 32 GB SD card and the replacement batteries to keep it running.

http://www.goprocamera.com

For the price, this is by far the most effective HD device I have ever used!
By far the most powerful tool in my video arsenal.

Who else is using these?
 
That looks pretty interesting. How is the low light performance? I currently use a Flip HD for hi def video while chasing and the Go Pro HD on paper looks like it would be a better option, especially with it having the waterproof housing.
 
A good friend of mine uses the Standard GoPro cameras on his racecar to capture on-track and in-car footage. He races Late Model dirt tracks cars so these cameras take a beating when he is racing. So far they have held up great. Low-light is really good on them as well.

There are a couple videos on his website that were shot with the cameras. Disregard the audio quality. I doubt many cameras could keep from having the audio blown out by a 700HP engine sitting so close. haha

As you can see in the videos, even the Standard cameras have decent quality. My favorite thing about them though is their durability. He has beaten the crap out of his and they just keep on rolling.

http://www.jefffloydf1.com/
 
I plan on buying one of these before they year's over, mostly for those alternate angles while chasing. I've read a lot of positive stuff on these little HD cameras, especially how they can take a beating (I'm part of a large motorsport forum).
 
These Drift Innovation cameras could give Go-Pro a run for the money. They seem pretty equivalent and I like that they are more streamlined for outside your car. The Go-Pro is pretty boxy and seems like it could shake in high winds.
Drift also has an LCD monitor for instant playback.

Drift Innovation on Ebay

Also another possibility is the Contour HD. Streamlined but no LCD:

Contour HD on Amazon
 
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I can speak to the quality and durability of Go Pro cameras. I use them quite often in my full-time job where they are routinely exposed to winds in excess of 120 mph. They hold up great and produce good video for the price. I haven't used them for storm chasing yet, but I plan on buying a couple for some unique angles during the 2011 chase season.

Bryan
 
The GoPro is frequently used by Mythbusters on Discovery. Most of the first person camera shots are filmed with the GoPro and it can be commonly seen strapped to Adam or Jamie. Next wednesday before Storm Chasers is on keep a close eye out for it and then the footage that it shoots. IMHO it looks pretty good, especially for the price.
 
This is very interesting. I'm slowly starting to get my video setup for this spring figured out, and a couple of these could answer most of my questions. Thanks for bringing it up!
 
I've seen the GoPro in action and picture quality is great for the price. A big plus is the huge viewing angle. You don't miss much of the action when you have a 120 degree field of view. One downside I've noticed is, without the LCD screen, you have a hard time knowing what the camera is doing or how to get it into the right mode. You have to read the manual and make sure you are pressing the right buttons, so its not completely fool proof.
 
Go Pro in action

Sorry to take so long, here is an example (NOT rendered in HD) of this small camera in action. Was a dream of mine to get an inside view of the aircraft I've been watching for years from the ground. If I didn't have a knack for storm chasing, I believe I would have considered this line of work.



Verne those cameras look very cool and capable, but I am firmly sold on the Go Pro due to it's small size, it is only 1 1/2 inches deep... allowing for the placement on any window without it sticking out in your face or causing a dangerous situation with visibility hindrance.

The Contour looks to be 3 3/4 inches deep... which isn't horrible, but nearly 3X the depth of Go Pro, just not quite as applicable inside a car (for sure the front windshield application).

As Skip noted, it helps to be a proficient videographer as you must be good with cinematography... requires framing without seeing the actual image... as the Crop Duster video shows I have no problem with this... but it certainly can be a stab in the dark if it's not entirely obvious to you whats in the field of view.
 
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