Reviewed: GoPro HERO 3 Black Edition

Posted by Melanie van Zyl on 20 March 2013

If you thought a GoPro is only for the action-orientated, thrill-seeking exhilarated adventure junkie, think again. It’s as much for the  average Joe looking for some new perspective.

What is it?

The GoPro HERO 3 Black is the newest addition to the Hero family and is lighter, higher res and includes WiFi. This little camera (it’s just bigger than a box of Lion matches) is about versatility, high quality and adventure. If you enjoy making the most of the outdoors, this is a great way to share it with the world.

 

 

The GoPro will totally transform your holiday videos. It comes with a series of attachments that you can mount to virtually anything or you can simply pop it into your pocket and take it with you.

 

GoPro3 Black Edition is nearly the size of a matchbox

GoPro3 Black Edition is nearly the size of a matchbox

 

You have a wide choice with the GoPro HERO3 and can shoot high resolution HD videos from a wide perspective, take beautiful still photographs and capture time lapses. And that’s just the beginning. Once you get used to the camera, there are plenty of options to mix and match to get the perfect shot.

It’s great because…

  • The quality. Wow. GoPro is heralded as the leading adventure camera in the industry and for good reason. The videos and photographs are interesting, colourful and pretty clear, even in low-light conditions. However, that said you can’t shoot much at night as the images are grainy – you always need a solid source of light.
  • It’s tiny. You can pop this into your handbag, backpack, saddlebag or your cubby hole. There is no excuse not to have it on you and you’ll never miss that special moment.
  • The camera comes with waterproof housing, which is effective up to 60m. Underwater shots are beautiful and you can hear the bubbles and swishes too.
  • It’s pretty easy to use once you get the hang of it. As the saying goes, everything gets easier with practice! However, it can be a pain to change settings as there are just two buttons you use to cycle through all your options. If you miss the feature you want, you’ve got to start again.
  • It comes with a GoPro App that you can use to control your GoPro. It connects to the live feed of the camera through the WiFi and you use it to switch it press record.
  • There are so many accessories! It’s amazing. You will never run out of things to attach this camera to.

But

  • The battery life. This is the one critical downfall of the GoPro Hero3 Black edition, especially if you are using WiFi. Also, the battery indicator doesn’t indicate the juice left, so much as jump from full to empty.
  • The GoPro has a fixed lens which can be frustrating you want to zoom. If you want close shots, you’ll have to physically get closer.
  • It can be a bit fiddly to get going. There is no screen on the GoPro so you can’t see what you’re recording. This means there are plenty of videos that begin with a shot of your face screwed up in concentration, asking “Is it on?”. However, there is a solution for this. You can buy a detachable LCD BacPac to view your videos as you shoot them.

The HERO 3 specs:

GoPro3 Black Edition in Waterproof Housing

GoPro3 Black Edition in Waterproof Housing

 

  • Field of View: 170° or 120°
  • Storage: up to 64 GB microSD
  • Frame Rates: 4K (16:9 and 17:9) @ 12, 12.5, 15fps; 2.7K (16:9 and 17:9) @ 30, 25, 24fps; 1440p (4:3) @ 48, 30, 25, 24fps; 1080p (16:9) @ 60, 50, 48, 25, 24fps; 960p (16:9) @ 100, 48fps; 720p (16:9) @ 120, 100, 60, 50fps; WVGA (16:9) @ 240fps
  • Aperture: fixed at f2.8
  • Megapixels: 12
  • Capture Modes: Single shot; loop video; photo at 0,5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 & 60 second intervals.; 3 photo burst; self-timer; it can shoot 30 photos in a second(other variations also available) and shoot video and stills at the same time.

The HERO 3 action pack includes:

GoPro3 Black Edition

GoPro3 Black Edition

 

  • The HERO3 Black Edition camera
  • Waterproof housing effective up to 60m
  • Rechargeable Li-ion battery
  • Wi-fi remote
  • Quick release mounts
  • Curved and flat adhesive mounts (simply plak it onto your ‘vehicle’ of your choice)
  • Three-way pivot arm

Tips

You must buy a specific MicroSD memory card for the GoPro so that it can record the best quality HD. It’s called a Class 10 SD card and sizes range from 8GB to 64GB.

The lens is very fragile, it’s best to keep it in the rugged waterproof housing at all times to protect it.

The WiFi drains the battery. Turn it off when not in use.

Have fun and use your imagination! There is so much you can do.

Check out the GoPro on safari capturing elephant behaviour on the Getaway Blog.

 

Where can I get one?

The GoPro HERO3 Black Edition costs R4 999.

They are available from various camera and outdoor stores including Outdoor Warehouse, Cape Union Mart, Action Cameras, SA Camera

You may also like






yoast-primary -
tcat - Gadgets
tcat_slug - gadgets
tcat2 -
tcat2_slug -
tcat_final - gear