GoPro Hero 3

[george-brooks]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

Well, you shoot (and PP / archive) in 4k now and don't end up having to re-shoot the entire thing when 4k TV's become common.

When has that ever been the trend in digital video?

[BradM73]

For those interested, Best Buys stores have been selling all three models of the Hero 3 since October 22nd. I had actually put off bothering to look for them because I wanted the Black Edition and the GoPro website said that they wouldn't be released until November 14th. But after hearing from someone else that got a Black Edition, I decided to check Best Buy, and I now have a brand new Hero 3 Black Edition in-hand!!!

I haven't done much shooting with it yet, but I can say that my initial impressions are that it's a great camera. I'm really mainly interested in shooting at 1080p@60 and 720p@120 and playing with slow motion. I will also be using it for some time lapse shots that are too risky for my DSLRs. I'm still getting used to all the features and how to navigate the menu, but the manual says that it will shoot RAW format for both photos and video, so I'm really excited about that!

On a down note, the Hero 3 Black IS NOT (as of Oct. 29, 2012) compatible with the GoPro app or the app's "Live Preview" feature. I don't believe any of the new Hero 3's are. I tried to get mine to sync for several hours, trying several suggestions i found online, all to no avail. Supposedly, sync functionality will be coming by "winter", but who knows for sure until it's here. That will make things a bit more difficult for me in the short term, as I don't want to pick up the LCD screen accessory when the functionality I want will be available in an app in just a few months. If you were bent on buying the Hero 3 for use with the app, you might want to hold off until it's compatible, but for those with a Hero 2 and wifi backpack, there should be not problems with the app.

That said, run out and try to find one if you must have one for the short term, and feel free to ask if you have any questions.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by BradM73

That said, run out and try to find one if you must have one for the short term, and feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Could you post

- an ISO 12233 video framegrab in at least the 2.7k and 4k mode? It'd help us to see both the resolution and the geometric distortion (in the, in these resolutions, only available WA setting) of the lens.

- a low-light video framegrab, together with preferably a video or stills camera ever reviewed by DPReview or DigitalCameraInfo so that we can reliably (as we have another camera with known low-light performance to compare to) know how it behaves in low light? 2.7k and 4k would be preferred but 1080pX sounds also interesting.

- a quick original video footage would also be welcome shot of, say, houses with tiled roof or stuff with near-horizontal lines / stripes; then, seeing the aliasing, we could easily see whether the thing is pixel binning or skipping. An example of such a heavily aliasing shot is that of the Canon G1-X; see the video, full of aliasing, at http://s3.amazonaws.com/movies.dprev...x/MVI_0578.MOV . Aliasing is particularly annoying in the last 4-5 seconds in the upper center of the screen - see particularly the white lines on the asphalt.

[BradM73]

Originally Posted by Menneisyys2

Could you post

- an ISO 12233 video framegrab in at least the 2.7k and 4k mode? It'd help us to see both the resolution and the geometric distortion (in the, in these resolutions, only available WA setting) of the lens.

- a low-light video framegrab, together with preferably a video or stills camera ever reviewed by DPReview or DigitalCameraInfo so that we can reliably (as we have another camera with known low-light performance to compare to) know how it behaves in low light? 2.7k and 4k would be preferred but 1080pX sounds also interesting.

- a quick original video footage would also be welcome shot of, say, houses with tiled roof or stuff with near-horizontal lines / stripes; then, seeing the aliasing, we could easily see whether the thing is pixel binning or skipping. An example of such a heavily aliasing shot is that of the Canon G1-X; see the video, full of aliasing, at http://s3.amazonaws.com/movies.dprev...x/MVI_0578.MOV . Aliasing is particularly annoying in the last 4-5 seconds in the upper center of the screen - see particularly the white lines on the asphalt.

I'll try to print off an ISO 12233 chart later tonight when I get home. I'll try to get the camera mounted in my car window so that you can see the low light performance. I dont have an actual gopro can mount yet, so ill have to see what i can rig up. I probably won't have anything to compare it with though, unless you want some iPhone 4S comparison shots. Lastly, being that ISPs practically dark outside by the time I get off work, I'm not sure what usable footage I can come up with before this weekend, but I'll see what I can do.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by BradM73

I'll try to print off an ISO 12233 chart later tonight when I get home. I'll try to get the camera mounted in my car window so that you can see the low light performance. I dont have an actual gopro can mount yet, so ill have to see what i can rig up. I probably won't have anything to compare it with though, unless you want some iPhone 4S comparison shots. Lastly, being that ISPs practically dark outside by the time I get off work, I'm not sure what usable footage I can come up with before this weekend, but I'll see what I can do.

The 4s would also do just fine as a low-light comparison camera.

[BradM73]

I shot a bit of footage last night, but it pretty much sucked because I had to hand-hold my 4S while driving, and my GoPro decided to take a swan dive off the dash because I lack a suction mount. I might try to go out tonight and find a good mount to use, but the only place that has them is a 30+ minute drive from me, so I'll just have to see how late I can break away from work. I have to get back before the iMore podcast at 9pm EST though.

I took some low light footage of my dog with the black and 4S side by side, and I'm not sure if I have something set wrong, but the white balance seems way off on the GoPro, even though its set to Auto, and I was using ProTune mode as well. The 4S footage was a lot darker, but had better color and less apparent noise.

I'll try and get that ISO chart printed off tonight and take a sample pic, though I can already tell by other people's comparisons that the Black has a lot less distortion than the Hero 2.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by BradM73

The 4S footage was a lot darker, but had better color and less apparent noise.

Yup, the 4s is known for not amplifying the (weak) signal much in bad lighting - this is one of the major differences between it and the iPhone 5. (The latter amplifies it with about 2 stops. Of course, the results, quality-wise, aren't better at all than doing the amplification manually in post processing. Nevertheless, it's still something Apple can brag about and state "we have dramatically increased low-light performance" (of course they haven't).)

That is, I'd call this fair (but definitely not excellent) results from the Hero.

I'm also interested in whether the low-light performance gets better by decreasing the fps. On the iPhone 4S (and many other cameras using in these cases longer exposures and not sticking with 1/30 - for example, the action camera I use and linked to some day ago), it does get better - I've even published an article showing the difference. Of course, the difference isn't THAT big - one stop when decreasing 30 fps to 15 fps, as one would expect.

On my action camera, the low-light performance difference between 25 and 30 (and, in 720p mode, 50/60) fps is much more pronounced: I'd say it's around 1 stop too. Therefore, I always use 25 fps when, say, cycling or skying in semi-darkness to be sure I get as bright footage as possible, even on the expense of the frame rate.

[BradM73]

Okay, here is a quick clip from last night:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1u4pPzcogGI

Let me know if that doesn't work. The GoPro Hero 3 Black is on the left, and iPhone 4S is on the right. The footage from the iPhone is closer to what the actual brightness looked like in real life, though the Hero 3 is much brighter, but with more dynamic range and, unfortunately, noise.

You can't really tell much about the noise from this video. I'd have to upload it uncompressed to Vimeo for better picture quality to really see the noise. Still haven't gotten a chance for the ISO test. Just too busy and tired. I think I'm getting ready for hibernation, lol!

[bearda]

Noise isn't a surprise if you're running in ProTune mode. I know on the GoPro 2 ProTune disabled almost all internal image processing so everything could be done in post. Not totally sure it works the same way in the 3, but if you're concerned about noise it might be worth comparing ProTune to normal mode.

[BradM73]

Here is another clip after it was completely dark outside. This time shot 1080p@60fps, still with ProTune on and auto WB.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PcpIBsyMSyw

Let me know if the video isn't working. I was having trouble seeing videos on my iMac this morning.

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by george-brooks

When has that ever been the trend in digital video?

Here's the thing - even if your current TV isn't large enough (or you don't sit close enough to it) for you to get the full benefit of higher resolutions than 720p, that doesn't mean it will always be so. Technology will progress, and 20 years from now you will likely look back on the 720p footage you created now as being "poor" compared to the typical video you watch then.

So the smart policy is to shoot in the highest resolutions and frame rates available to you. 20 years from now you won't be able to go back and re-shoot the stuff you shot yesterday.

I have footage from 20 years ago that was recorded on an analogue camcorder. If I'd have had even a 720p recording device available to me back then there's no way I could have viewed that footage at the time. But man, I'd sure love to have it today!

[george-brooks]

Originally Posted by BradM73

For those interested, Best Buys stores have been selling all three models of the Hero 3 since October 22nd. I had actually put off bothering to look for them because I wanted the Black Edition and the GoPro website said that they wouldn't be released until November 14th. But after hearing from someone else that got a Black Edition, I decided to check Best Buy, and I now have a brand new Hero 3 Black Edition in-hand!!!

I haven't done much shooting with it yet, but I can say that my initial impressions are that it's a great camera. I'm really mainly interested in shooting at 1080p@60 and 720p@120 and playing with slow motion. I will also be using it for some time lapse shots that are too risky for my DSLRs. I'm still getting used to all the features and how to navigate the menu, but the manual says that it will shoot RAW format for both photos and video, so I'm really excited about that!

On a down note, the Hero 3 Black IS NOT (as of Oct. 29, 2012) compatible with the GoPro app or the app's "Live Preview" feature. I don't believe any of the new Hero 3's are. I tried to get mine to sync for several hours, trying several suggestions i found online, all to no avail. Supposedly, sync functionality will be coming by "winter", but who knows for sure until it's here. That will make things a bit more difficult for me in the short term, as I don't want to pick up the LCD screen accessory when the functionality I want will be available in an app in just a few months. If you were bent on buying the Hero 3 for use with the app, you might want to hold off until it's compatible, but for those with a Hero 2 and wifi backpack, there should be not problems with the app.

That said, run out and try to find one if you must have one for the short term, and feel free to ask if you have any questions.

Damn, just checked stock online for Best Buys in the NYC area and none have the Black edition.

Too bad about preview not working from the app, I was debating buying the touch backpack and decided against it when I realized I could use my phone, but maybe I'll have to pick one up now.

[BradM73]

Originally Posted by george-brooks

Too bad about preview not working from the app, I was debating buying the touch backpack and decided against it when I realized I could use my phone, but maybe I'll have to pick one up now.

The Black Edition is definitely a great camera. The app preview feature is coming soon, but it's not available yet. I was hoping for a miracle today with GoPro released a firmware update for the Hero 3's, but alas, still no app compatibility. It will be there eventually. I keep hearing December even though the official statement is "Winter". It might be a waste of $80 bucks to buy the LCD if you don't yet need it and can wait a month or two to see what happens. I'm in no rush right now, so I'll wait.

[bearda]

Originally Posted by BradM73

The Black Edition is definitely a great camera. The app preview feature is coming soon, but it's not available yet. I was hoping for a miracle today with GoPro released a firmware update for the Hero 3's, but alas, still no app compatibility. It will be there eventually. I keep hearing December even though the official statement is "Winter". It might be a waste of $80 bucks to buy the LCD if you don't yet need it and can wait a month or two to see what happens. I'm in no rush right now, so I'll wait.

Take any date you hear from GoPro with a grain of salt; their track record is pretty poor. The iOS app and firmware for the HD2 just came out in the beginning of October. The wifi bacpac has been on the shelves since June. They announced the Android app would come out two weeks after the iOS app was released (still says that on their website). 4 weeks later and still counting.

The current dates they have up at November 12th for the White and Silver updates, and December 14th for the Black. I'm not holding my breath. If the software had been ready day 1 when the Black had been on the shelves I probably would have returned my HD2 and bought one. The fact that the new models did less than the previous models killed it for me (my last track event for the season is this weekend).

[Menneisyys2]

Originally Posted by BradM73

Okay, here is a quick clip from last night:

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=1u4pPzcogGI

Let me know if that doesn't work. The GoPro Hero 3 Black is on the left, and iPhone 4S is on the right. The footage from the iPhone is closer to what the actual brightness looked like in real life, though the Hero 3 is much brighter, but with more dynamic range and, unfortunately, noise.

You can't really tell much about the noise from this video. I'd have to upload it uncompressed to Vimeo for better picture quality to really see the noise. Still haven't gotten a chance for the ISO test. Just too busy and tired. I think I'm getting ready for hibernation, lol!

1, it's a private video...

2, any info you could share with us (for example, a resolution chart shot so that both the resolution and the lens distortion (fisheye etc. effect) can reliably be checked)? I definitely want to get the Black edition but still would like to know beforehand whether it has a dealbreaker problem (apart from the lack of iOS support and the buggy FW, that is).

[Ifti]

Damn UK release has been pushed back yet another week!!!

I also have a VectorMount on the way to me as well which they would like me to review - should be pretty cool!

If only GoPro would start shipping!!!!

[Macshroomer]

One of my main clients is being supplied quite a few HD3's from GoPro and those of us who are the top shooters for this client get a pro deal on them as well. So I ordered 5 blacks and have two at the moment, they are outstanding, so small!

I am pretty new to video and brand new to GoPro but so far they are working great, used them as 2nd and 3rd unit POV for content generation during World Cup skiing. The App is due out for the blacks on the 14th and a updated version of Cineform will be able to handle files from all devices making aggregating my other rigs like D800's pretty seamless until I move it into another editing SW...

If not adjusted in Cineform, Protune out of camera is rather noisy at times in medium low to low light and especially if it is changing a lot in like a scene swipe like going from front to backlit. However, the standard non-protune camera setting in low light looks mighty peaceful in terms of noise if you can't be bothered to adjust in Cineform...

The remotes are great, super simple and the fact they are $79 by them selves makes getting a black a no brainer considering all the other features. 720/120FPS is just flat out sick, looks great for SOOO many things...

All in all, this is what I have been waiting for and it is truly a perfect jumping on point for me using GoPro. My plan for going all digital for motion work and all film ( Medium and Large format ) for stills is now complete ( insert evil laugh )...

[MacPat333]

Got the green light from my wife to get the GoPro Hero 3.

Found the Silver Edition in store but I don't want this one (basically is a smaller Hero 2 spec wise) and I will need the remote control.

Now I have to wait for it to become available in store by hopefully end of the month!

Big projects are waiting for it, car cinematography here we come...

Please delivery boy or Supply Chain man, get it done and ship them to Dubai ASAP!

[genshi]

I'm excited about this for the 120FPS! I was sent this video from someone I follow on Vimeo showing the more cinematic results you can achieve from this thing (i.e., a non extreme sports video; more of a slow motion music video.)

https://vimeo.com/55113238

Pretty impressive, imho. I may just have to pick one up now...

[MacPat333]

Just got my GoPro Hero3 Black Edition today and did the first test videos.

The first one is uploaded on YT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9QrbccOfdc) and the footage quality is really good. The Hero3 was mounted on top of the hood (which unfortunately is lose and therefore the camera was shacking).

I am currently uploading the 2nd a 3rd video (attached to the front windshield and the 3rd one to the rear window in low light condition (sun set)). I will post the links once they are uploaded.

The original files are recorded in 1080pHD with 60fps and ultra wide angle.

WHat do you guys think?

[Ifti]

Originally Posted by MacPat333

Just got my GoPro Hero3 Black Edition today and did the first test videos.

The first one is uploaded on YT (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k9QrbccOfdc) and the footage quality is really good. The Hero3 was mounted on top of the hood (which unfortunately is lose and therefore the camera was shacking).

I am currently uploading the 2nd a 3rd video (attached to the front windshield and the 3rd one to the rear window in low light condition (sun set)). I will post the links once they are uploaded.

The original files are recorded in 1080pHD with 60fps and ultra wide angle.

WHat do you guys think?

Edit the video in your editor and remove the fisheye
That's what I'll be doing - once my bloody Hero3 arrives!!!! Still waiting for it!

[MacPat333]

I like the fish eye, so much more to see in the videos!

[MacPat333]

Here the second test video (attached on the windshield this time).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2zQua98N2c

[mantic]

I shot this while on vacation last week. This video was shot at West Caicos Island (near the Gully if you're into scuba diving). I actually ended up shooting everything in 720 HD and really regret it.

I'm really not impressed with the quality of this video. I dunno if the lens was dirty or what... it's just not as sharp as I expected it would be.

http://youtu.be/GkD-LHj9DZY

[Big Stevie]

Ive just ordered a GoPro Hero3 Black, but Ive also read reports that the footage can't be played on many TV's (UK) due to it recording in 1440p?

Is this true? I assume that other recording formats can be selected on the Hero3?