This week we are looking at HD cameras for the slopes and have enlisted the expert help of Matt Taylor, from Action Cameras, to give us a review of this year's hottest piece of kit, the GoPro HD Hero2.
GoPro HD Hero2
So by now, most people have heard of GoPro and if you haven't you've almost certainly seen footage filmed on one: that video of the fella getting knocked of his bike by a buck in South Africa — GoPro, the one where Ken Block does doughnuts in his rally car — GoPro, point of view footage in films such as the Art of Flight, Deeper and That's it That's All — you guessed it, GoPro. "But that was the GoPro HD Hero 1?" you may say, "what is all this I hear about the GoPro HD Hero 2 Motorsport, Outdoor and Surf Editions?" I hear you cry, well here goes...
First up, they look (almost) the same, they weigh the same, they're both waterproof to 60m and they both shoot HD video through a 170° lens. To spot the differences between the Hero 1 and 2, you have to look deeper. Like its predecessor, the Hero 2 brings increased low light performance, 11 megapixel photos and the ability to capture bursts of 10 photos in a second, meaning it's great for sports photography and cobbling together sequential photos of you going big off that jump or successfully backflipping that cliff. Other features include a redesigned digital display, something which was much needed as the Hero 1 was, at times, difficult to navigate. Plus, there are more developments on the way from GoPro, these include a remote control and a Wi-Fi backpack, which will undoubtedly only be compatible with the new version.
In summary then, GoPros are awesome, they're great fun, easy to use, and great quality. The New GoPro HD Hero 2 ups the game a little, continuing the trend for full 1080p HD recording and offering better quality still photo options and if you like the idea of a remote control and Wi-Fi backpack, anything but the Hero 2 simply won't do.
They both weigh the same, both can record full high definition video and both can shoot a 170° field of vision. Somehow, GoPro’s latest release improves on the HD Hero.
That’s more than twice as powerful as the HD Hero, not to mention the completely redesigned wide-angle lens or simplified language-based user interface. We hope that straightens things out.
Full discloser: We are currently running a win a GoPro competition with Action Cameras.
