Should i buy a gopro hero 2

The first is a sealed waterproof door that keeps the camera dry, even when submerged to a depth of feet. The second door is a "skeleton door" with openings that sacrifice waterproofing for increased sound quality. The mounting options included in the box will depend on which HD Hero2 kit you pick up. The Motorsports Edition, for example, ships with a suction cup mount on an articulated arm and five adhesive mounts. The Surf Edition packs a pair of surfboard mounts and a special "Floaty" back door that will keep your camera from sinking to the bottom of the ocean in the event of a detachment.

Finally, the Outdoor Edition includes a helmet strap, a head strap, and a selection of adhesive mounts. Additionally, additional mounts for handlebars, roll bars, chest straps, etc. Same screen, new interface Of all of the changes to the HD Hero, the most drastic is the overhauled interface present on the tiny monochromatic LCD.

For starters the HD Hero2 uses larger, bolder icons for identifying the current recording mode. So tapping the selection button on the front of the unit fills the screen momentarily with a large icon for the newly selected mode that is easier to read with goggles on or at an arm's length.

When the moment is passed, the screen returns to its default state with a smaller icon indicating the mode and a new text-based setting identifier. So rather than memorizing that "R7" is p video at 30 fps, the unit simply displays "," which is much easier to decode.

Likewise, photo modes are clearly identified with, for example, "5 MP 0. Likewise, the menu system has also been made clearer, with more easily identified icons for each setting that leads to a drop-down menu where the different options can be viewed clearly. Navigating the GoPro's many options with just the select and shutter buttons is still an exercise in patience. Fortunately, the date is something you should only really have to set once.

That's an extreme example, but even simpler tasks such as changing the video or still-photo resolution can take as many as 10 button presses. On the bright side, the fact that the GoPro HD Hero2 even offers granular access to all of its settings right on the camera is an advantage that it holds over simpler camera systems, such as Contour's.

There are still a few icons that don't make much sense. I doubt many can tell me what this icon means without first checking the manual. However, the important bits--changing the resolution of photos and video, setting time-lapse intervals--and the options that you're likely to find yourself wanting to fiddle with before bombing down that double-black-diamond slope are extremely easy to understand.

I started the review with the intention of never cracking open the GoPro HD Hero2's instruction manual and I'm pleased to state that I didn't need to use it. Although, I did flip through the manual and found that it is both more thoroughly written and better organized than the old sheet. So if you do find yourself needing help, it's a great resource.

Recording modes So, we've discussed the chassis and we've explained that it's easy to use, but what sort of video and photos can you expect to get out of this camera?

Like the Hero1, the HD Hero2 features a wide range of video and photo modes to chose from. Where moving images are concerned, the HD Hero2's highest recording resolution is 1,x1, pixels p for short Full HD video at 30 frames per second fps with a wide-screen aspect ratio.

Users can also select a 1,xpixel p wide-screen mode with options to capture at 30 or 60 fps. There's also 1,xpixel Tall HD mode that records at a aspect ratio with options to capture at either 30 or 48 fps. Most video modes capture at the lens' full degree wide-angle field of view FOV , but users can choose to step down to medium degree or narrow degree FOVs. To my eye, p video captured at these narrower FOVs appears to be grainier with visible pixelation, which leads me to believe that GoPro is using some sort of digital zoom technology to compensate for the lens' fixed focal length.

This likely won't bother many, particularly at the medium FOV, but I couldn't unsee the image degradations once I'd noticed them and stuck with the full wide FOV for most videos captured after the official testing had concluded. Like the video mode, still photos take advantage of the full degree FOV, but can be set to capture at a medium degree FOV.

The narrow FOV is unavailable for still photos, presumably because the digital zoom artifacts would be too visible in a still shot, but that's just speculation.

Photos taken outdoors at the full resolution with full FOV are sharp and pleasing. I held it in the palm of my hand at the N. Z Nationals and aimed it at the pros going sick over a huge table-top. Check it out here…. I'm the co-owner of Dirt Bike Planet. I live in Star, Idaho and enjoy dirt biking with my wife and two boys throughout the Idaho mountains. I can then to switch back to the amazing degrees for everything else. I am amazed that even at this wide setting, distant objects don't seem that small!

It can be tricky in some circumstances to get the exposure right. The spot metering can help, but be aware of where you point your camera. For example, if it is a particularly dull day and you aim the camera more to the sky, it will expose for the sky leaving the ground somewhat underexposed and losing detail in the important things. Angle the camera down more to be safe. Low light footage looks pretty good.

Not as good as purpose built video cameras but very good nonetheless. Think about adding light as you would using standard video gear if possible and when needed. It looks amazingly smooth in normal playback.

You can also slow this down 5 times using editing software for some beautiful slow motion video. Great for checking out your golf swing! I have used two camera attached to my car using the suction clamp and I must say it works really well. That is as long as I prepare the surface well enough clean it! I use a microphone plugged into the HD Hero 2 inside the car and the sound is exceptional. Here are some screen grabs from the p footage…. Even so, this little camera is great and very handy as an uber-portable alternative for certain events.

Maybe you are likely to get soaked water parks or bashed about a bit concerts. You need to know that your camera is capable of holding its own. Otherwise, you have no way of seeing what you are shooting. Use the wide field of view to make sure you capture the action in most cases. The time lapse feature is fantastic. It has a good range of shooting times from every one minute right down to every half a second using a class 10 SD card. Again, the possibilities to get creative with this are endless.

As are the uses for the high speed, 10 frames in a second feature. Great for air shows, car shows, bike races or any fast action events you may attend or take part in! The self timer 10 seconds is also very handy if you want to be in the shots too. One of my biggest gripes with the original Hero HD, and with the Contour HD I used in Africa, and something that puts off a lot of Vloggers video bloggers , is the quality of audio on many of these small units.

This is great if you use your camera on a motorbike and want recognisable audio from within your crash helmet. I use Sony radio mics so I can speak and record my voice even when feet away from the camera. This is very handy indeed and the quality of sound is awesome. I will say though, that the internal mic picks up engine noise quite nicely if you like that sort of thing.

The number of accessories, add-ons and gadgets for this camera is pretty impressive…but also expensive. Be aware that buying the camera with all the tasty additions cad add up so check your cart before pressing "buy"! Very handy indeed if you want to ensure accurate composition of your footage and stills. This is totally detachable and easy to use and will also allow you to review footage and stills right from the camera. You also receive a series of additional backs to the housing to allow for the extended body:.

This handy little accessory will double the recording time of your cameras. It also plugs into any USB charging source and doubles as a charger for your spare batteries.

All using a special synchronization cable specifically designed to align the footage or stills perfectly for great 3D action. Available from February , this is one of the handiest and coolest additions you can have for any camera and again, read on and think about the possibilities.

Simply attach the Wi-Fi BacPac to your camera and operate it and up to 50 Go Pro cameras remotely from long distances using either:. So, you can place the camera in a location and not only operate it remotely using your mobile phone, you can also see what you are filming!

This is most definitely on my list of things to buy. Should you ever damage the housing or lens for example, you can simply buy a replacement and fit it yourself. You can also buy a "floaty" McFloat Face backdoor to prevent it from sinking should it become unattached from your surfboard! Plus a tripod mount which I use to attach the Go Pro to my Gorillapod!