Which GoPro?
 

Hi guys

Long-time serious amateur photographer here, I am looking at getting a GoPro for my next trips. It will not be the main video camera (will have a Nikon D750 for that most likely), want to use it for in-car and on-car shots.

I don't need 4k video and don't need to spend a huge sum of money on it, so I am wondering which model to get.

My current thinking is to get a good used GoPro Hero 3+ Black.

The GoPro 4s seem to be plagued by problems, and the 5s not much better (this is judging by amazon reviews, which are proportionaltely far more negative than for the GoPro 3s) and still with a premium price tag.

Can anyone recommend otherwise?

Thanks

EO

What problems are the Hero 4's plagued with? The only issue I've had so far is bending the pins on one original battery - the aftermarket ones are better protected.

I researched all of this about a year ago and went with a couple of Hero 4 silvers. The Hero 4 black does better 4k video but doesn't have a screen as std and that was important for me. It's a lot easier to just proof look at the screen than to have to connect it to my phone.

I also have one of the cheap Chinese clones. Sadly one of the GoPro's didn't survive a ski trip in January so now I've got one and the clone. Since then the clone gets the high risk jobs!

Also - get a proper GoPro remote. It makes shooting from the bike while you ride or any kind of remote use really easy. I've used it professionally to give me multiple angles and it works very well. I did a 3 min video of the Gospel pass en route to last week-end's HU meet at Baskerville Hall by hanging it round my neck on a lanyard and just pressing the button to start and stop.

The only thing I've noticed is that the body gets quite warm if it is left videoing for extended periods. Maybe that plus a hot climate plus the waterproof case could cause issues but I rarely video for more than 1 min at a time.

I would definitely consider the Garmin Virb Ultra 30 as an alternative - allows you to record GPS, acceleration, altitude, and if you have an OBD reader, other outputs from the engine etc. These can then be overlaid in a style of your choosing on the video (or not, if you don't want them). IMO I think that makes them great as on vehicle devices.

Uses the same mounts as a Go Pro. Has voice control and a permanent cache memory so if you press a button or say "Save that" it saves the previous 5 minutes and next 5 minutes of video (or whatever time you set). I'll be getting one for my truck pretty soon.

Else I'm a big fan of Drift cameras if you prefer a 'bullet cam' to a Go Pro style 'flat brick'. I think they suffer less from vibration as a result when mounted externally. Also because the whole camera rotates inside the housing, you can mount the device at any angle to whatever hardware is convenient, but level the horizon in camera.

I know Go Pro has the brand awareness, but there's better options in my personal opinion - I do use Go Pros myself on occasion, but I'd recommend you consider the alternatives.

We have a Go Pro Hero 4 - love it. Easy to use, good quality. Sounds not great but we always have the waterproof casing on. my sister in law has the go pro 3 but i cant stand to use it without a screen. Just habit i guess though as the quality is still good!