8 ms·

GoPro introduces Hero3 - 4k video, 2x frame rate and low light performance

36 points by salimmadjd 14y ago

chinmoy 14y ago
Probably off-topic, but many do not know that GoPro was bootstrapped. Here is an interview with the founder Nick Woodman about bootstrapping GoPro http://www.inc.com/maeghan-ouimet/nick-woodman-gopro-10-years-bootstrapping-overnight-success.html http://www.inc.com/maeghan-ouimet/nick-woodman-gopro-10-year...
salimmadjd 14y ago
For anyone in the market like me, here is a good comparison vs. Sony's offering : http://afr.com/f/free/technology/digitallife/sony_shows_gopro_hero_who_first_xQN7lgW5aeKli1a16W5voN http://afr.com/f/free/technology/digitallife/sony_shows_gopr...
- leviathant 14y ago
  Looks like Sony's offering is competing with the GoPro2, rather than the GoPro3. Still, given the inevitable upcoming price drop in the 2 after the 3 comes out, that's a handy comparison to have.
  - salimmadjd 14y ago
    Yes they are. We have to see how it will compare. The GoPro2 compares poorly in low light compared to Sony with lower dynamic range. So I can't wait to see some comparison
jonah 14y ago
Does it resolve the rolling shutter issues? I'm disappointed an action oriented camera displays so much distortion in rapid movement.
- benguild 14y ago
  Yeah, this is a huge problem.
- sliverstorm 14y ago
  Are you sure you aren't misrepresenting the issue? I never had distortion issues with my Hero2, and looking on google it seems the rolling shutter issues mostly pertain to engine vibrations and aircraft props (?), which I don't really expect a $200 camera to be able to capture perfectly, action-oriented or not.
  - TrevorJ 14y ago
    It is certainly not misrepresenting the issue, the rolling shutter is a big issue. Having said that, as a pro-sumer bit of hardware this camera is a fantastic deal. For true professional shoots the rolling shutter is problematic precisely because this is the type of camera that you will be putting in high-vibration locations. I've used these cameras extensively and they are great at what they do if you play to their strengths, but I'd definitely be willing to pay more for them if they move away from a CMOS sensor.
- orcadk 14y ago
  Most of those issues stem from people recording with 30FPS. Having ridden thousands of miles with my GoPro's (1 & 2) mounted on my motorbike, I've come to realize that the quality is way better at 720p@60FPS compared to 1080p@30FPS. 120FPS @ WVGA removes the rolling shutter issue almost completely, but at that point the resolution is too low. I'm definitely looking forward to trying out 1080p@60FPS on the 3.
- ljf 14y ago
  Did you check out the video? Crank up the the quality to 1080p and check out the demos from bikes and planes - looks stunning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3PDXmYoF5U&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3PDXmYoF5U&feature=playe...
reustle 14y ago
Not mentioned in the article but WVGA now supports 240fps. This is amazing on such a cheap camera.
TeamMCS 14y ago
woah GoPro 2 had a very short half-life.
listic 14y ago
Looks like Drift Innovation has some catching up to do http://driftinnovation.com/camera/ http://driftinnovation.com/camera/ Their kind of design looks more appropriate for helmet mounting. I wonder why GoPro do their cameras in compact camera style?
- moondowner 14y ago
  There are underwater casings and a lot of other gear which can be used with the GoPro. And the compact camera style, according to me, is more flexible and appropriate for that.
- ljf 14y ago
  As helmet mounting isn't their only use-case, this allows for chest etc. mounting, where 'tube' cameras fall short.
PanMan 14y ago
Whow. $200 for the cheapest hero 3, which does include wifi, sounds like a great deal!
WatchDog 14y ago
Any videos of the purported low light performance?
Keyframe 14y ago
4k@15fps
- 7952 14y ago
  Would be great for making streetview style imagery.
  - Keyframe 14y ago
    One would need to correct for that horrible lens geometry and rolling shutter first. Not impossible, but kind of tricky to do it right.
madaxe 14y ago
Guess which shmuck just bought a pair of Hero2s. :(
clueless123 14y ago
Dang! I just bought my hero 2 Technology moves so fast that I now purchase with a "rental" attitude.. :(
beagle3 14y ago
GoPro makes excellent hardware, but for some reason they insist on restricting its use. They politely told anyone who asked them about the bus to please stop, and they refuse to release any details of their Wifi protocol - meaning that you can only make any use of the camera with their app. I've got a project that can use hundreds of these, if I could use it as an IP camera (I'm willing to write the code to do that myself, if I get the documentation); As it is, we're paying $700 for a camera that produces lesser quality images. edit: speaking of which - does any of you know of a successful GoPro1/2/3 hacking project?
freehunter 14y ago
Has anyone here ever used a GoPro as a dash cam? I've been looking at one for motorsports, but while I'm not riding I would like to put it to use. Having recently been victim of a hit and run where the officer did not believe that I was not at fault, a dash cam is something high on my list to get. It would be easier to justify the cost if I could use it as dual-purpose. Recording constantly, but footage only reviewed if I need to prove something. I don't need automatic start/stop or the ability to automatically record over old stuff as long as I can delete footage on the camera without needing a computer.
- 3amOpsGuy 14y ago
  I don't think it's possible to configure the gopro to overwrite old footage - unless something's changed in a recent firmware. I have a roadhawk mounted (and wired into the fuse box). The video quality is sub standard for the price, and especially poor compared to even the previous go pro at night. However the software does work quite well and unfortunately the device paid for itself ~2 years ago when i was clipped with no witness and the other party presenting a fabricated story. Until then i had felt a bit guilty about using the camera - i don't necessarily think these are a great idea, but i have to go with my experience and it worked well for me. NB: all these options are useless for "the other driver did X" often they will only help prove what you did or did not do. I mistakenly thought of it as a way to capture what actions other drivers took but it doesnt work well for that use case.
salimmadjd 14y ago
From dpreview: http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/10/17/GoPro-Hero-3-Black-White-Silver-Edition-4k-protune http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/10/17/GoPro-Hero-3-Black-W... The existing Hero HD and Hero 2 models have essentially been re-housed in smaller cases with updated user interfaces and will sit alongside the Black Edition as the White and Silver Editions, respectively
AlexeyD 14y ago
There is a youtube clip with sample video from this camera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A3PDXmYoF5U http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A... Here is a link the same clip with much better quality. This clip has average bitrage over 10mbps. http://fil.io/FL82vTNAs/Footage%20from%20GoPro%20HERO3 http://fil.io/FL82vTNAs/Footage%20from%20GoPro%20HERO3

36 points by salimmadjd 14y ago

Probably off-topic, but many do not know that GoPro was bootstrapped. Here is an interview with the founder Nick Woodman about bootstrapping GoPro http://www.inc.com/maeghan-ouimet/nick-woodman-gopro-10-years-bootstrapping-overnight-success.html http://www.inc.com/maeghan-ouimet/nick-woodman-gopro-10-year...

salimmadjd 14y ago

For anyone in the market like me, here is a good comparison vs. Sony's offering : http://afr.com/f/free/technology/digitallife/sony_shows_gopro_hero_who_first_xQN7lgW5aeKli1a16W5voN http://afr.com/f/free/technology/digitallife/sony_shows_gopr...

leviathant 14y ago
Looks like Sony's offering is competing with the GoPro2, rather than the GoPro3. Still, given the inevitable upcoming price drop in the 2 after the 3 comes out, that's a handy comparison to have.
- salimmadjd 14y ago
  Yes they are. We have to see how it will compare. The GoPro2 compares poorly in low light compared to Sony with lower dynamic range. So I can't wait to see some comparison

jonah 14y ago

Does it resolve the rolling shutter issues? I'm disappointed an action oriented camera displays so much distortion in rapid movement.

benguild 14y ago
Yeah, this is a huge problem.
sliverstorm 14y ago
Are you sure you aren't misrepresenting the issue? I never had distortion issues with my Hero2, and looking on google it seems the rolling shutter issues mostly pertain to engine vibrations and aircraft props (?), which I don't really expect a $200 camera to be able to capture perfectly, action-oriented or not.
- TrevorJ 14y ago
  It is certainly not misrepresenting the issue, the rolling shutter is a big issue. Having said that, as a pro-sumer bit of hardware this camera is a fantastic deal. For true professional shoots the rolling shutter is problematic precisely because this is the type of camera that you will be putting in high-vibration locations. I've used these cameras extensively and they are great at what they do if you play to their strengths, but I'd definitely be willing to pay more for them if they move away from a CMOS sensor.
orcadk 14y ago
Most of those issues stem from people recording with 30FPS. Having ridden thousands of miles with my GoPro's (1 & 2) mounted on my motorbike, I've come to realize that the quality is way better at 720p@60FPS compared to 1080p@30FPS. 120FPS @ WVGA removes the rolling shutter issue almost completely, but at that point the resolution is too low. I'm definitely looking forward to trying out 1080p@60FPS on the 3.
ljf 14y ago
Did you check out the video? Crank up the the quality to 1080p and check out the demos from bikes and planes - looks stunning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3PDXmYoF5U&feature=player_embedded http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A3PDXmYoF5U&feature=playe...

reustle 14y ago

Not mentioned in the article but WVGA now supports 240fps. This is amazing on such a cheap camera.

TeamMCS 14y ago

woah GoPro 2 had a very short half-life.

listic 14y ago

Looks like Drift Innovation has some catching up to do http://driftinnovation.com/camera/ http://driftinnovation.com/camera/ Their kind of design looks more appropriate for helmet mounting. I wonder why GoPro do their cameras in compact camera style?

moondowner 14y ago
There are underwater casings and a lot of other gear which can be used with the GoPro. And the compact camera style, according to me, is more flexible and appropriate for that.
ljf 14y ago
As helmet mounting isn't their only use-case, this allows for chest etc. mounting, where 'tube' cameras fall short.

PanMan 14y ago

Whow. $200 for the cheapest hero 3, which does include wifi, sounds like a great deal!

WatchDog 14y ago

Any videos of the purported low light performance?

Keyframe 14y ago

4k@15fps

7952 14y ago
Would be great for making streetview style imagery.
- Keyframe 14y ago
  One would need to correct for that horrible lens geometry and rolling shutter first. Not impossible, but kind of tricky to do it right.

madaxe 14y ago

Guess which shmuck just bought a pair of Hero2s. :(

clueless123 14y ago

Dang! I just bought my hero 2 Technology moves so fast that I now purchase with a "rental" attitude.. :(

beagle3 14y ago

GoPro makes excellent hardware, but for some reason they insist on restricting its use. They politely told anyone who asked them about the bus to please stop, and they refuse to release any details of their Wifi protocol - meaning that you can only make any use of the camera with their app. I've got a project that can use hundreds of these, if I could use it as an IP camera (I'm willing to write the code to do that myself, if I get the documentation); As it is, we're paying $700 for a camera that produces lesser quality images. edit: speaking of which - does any of you know of a successful GoPro1/2/3 hacking project?

freehunter 14y ago

Has anyone here ever used a GoPro as a dash cam? I've been looking at one for motorsports, but while I'm not riding I would like to put it to use. Having recently been victim of a hit and run where the officer did not believe that I was not at fault, a dash cam is something high on my list to get. It would be easier to justify the cost if I could use it as dual-purpose. Recording constantly, but footage only reviewed if I need to prove something. I don't need automatic start/stop or the ability to automatically record over old stuff as long as I can delete footage on the camera without needing a computer.

3amOpsGuy 14y ago
I don't think it's possible to configure the gopro to overwrite old footage - unless something's changed in a recent firmware. I have a roadhawk mounted (and wired into the fuse box). The video quality is sub standard for the price, and especially poor compared to even the previous go pro at night. However the software does work quite well and unfortunately the device paid for itself ~2 years ago when i was clipped with no witness and the other party presenting a fabricated story. Until then i had felt a bit guilty about using the camera - i don't necessarily think these are a great idea, but i have to go with my experience and it worked well for me. NB: all these options are useless for "the other driver did X" often they will only help prove what you did or did not do. I mistakenly thought of it as a way to capture what actions other drivers took but it doesnt work well for that use case.

salimmadjd 14y ago

From dpreview: http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/10/17/GoPro-Hero-3-Black-White-Silver-Edition-4k-protune http://www.dpreview.com/news/2012/10/17/GoPro-Hero-3-Black-W... The existing Hero HD and Hero 2 models have essentially been re-housed in smaller cases with updated user interfaces and will sit alongside the Black Edition as the White and Silver Editions, respectively

AlexeyD 14y ago

There is a youtube clip with sample video from this camera: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A3PDXmYoF5U http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=A... Here is a link the same clip with much better quality. This clip has average bitrage over 10mbps. http://fil.io/FL82vTNAs/Footage%20from%20GoPro%20HERO3 http://fil.io/FL82vTNAs/Footage%20from%20GoPro%20HERO3