GoPro. Worth It ?

I am thinking about purchasing a GoPro. My 2017 SR has the windshield GoPro mount. I am seeking comments from anyone who has experience with using the GoPro mount: good or bad impressions. Thanks.

 

I don't have one, but no, they are not. It was a cheap gimmick that only ends up taking away more valuable visibility from the already short windshield.

Also, are you like some pro youtuber? Cause everyone I know with a gopro immediately regrets it. You aren't cool, the shit you do isn't cool and you just threw $500 down the toilet.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPwK5fN4Qfg

 

GoPro has places it's great. Particularly in situations that being water proof is good. Scuba diving, mounted in my kayak fishing for example.

Of course if you watch car shows you see them stuck on the sides of cars, interiors to view the occupants, etc. Work good for that.

But almost all those applications are close ups.

Keep in mind its a really wide angle lens (fish eye) so it's not very good for distance shots. I've used mine in walking narrow city streets, and don't care for the results.

If you are looking for dash cam 'security', be sure to include products meant for that before you settle in on a GoPro

 

For the most the GoPro is neat but also gimmicky at the same time, The sound recording quality sucks so it is only worth it for the right applications so would I purchase another one? no

 

It's alright. The value vs usage is mixed. I use it by hand way morr than I use it on the windshield mount. And now I mostly use it on the suction mount anyways.

I normally end up with 300 clips like this and end up doing nothing with them haha

https://youtu.be/e8SM_MnPS5M

 

So, it seems the GoPro mount on our 3'rd gens is more of a gimmick than a useful item.

 

Pretty cool video. Nice snow driving.

 

I got the GoPro Hero 7 for a Christmas gift from my girlfriend. I love it so far. I am going to use it when it warms up some to go mountain biking with. so far I've only used it at one trail ride, but I absolutely love it. great camera quality and the hypersmooth tech is awesome. here's a video I shot with it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNdVdy6ejTo&t=138s

 

Thats my opinion of it. The GoPro mount gives you the most boring view ever of your truck.....fun offroad videos need to be shot from different angles

 

Oh hey look, its me!

But thats my problem. I know myself, and I know I dont have the time, motivation, or skill to do anything cool with all the video I would get if I had one. BUT I do think GoPro's fish eye lens is great. Imo it gives the most realistic "human" view point. Sure its not great for long distance, but if youre shooting that kind of stuff, you're probably not looking at a GoPro anyway..

 

Go pros are fantastic! Go buy one. I have 4 different generations. The 7 is the best thus far. If however, you are just trying to capture daily driving then a dash cam is a better choice.

 

I can purchase the GoPro Hero5 Black Edition Camera for $225. Good camera ? Good deal ?

 

do you do much action/outdoor sport stuff? if not, I'd go with another camera. the batteries on the gopro's are awful so keep that in mind, and you need to keep ways to charge them.

if you're really wanting a GoPro I'd spend the extra $ to get the 7, the technology is way better.

 

A few of my buddies bought GoPro chinese knock offs from ebay for $50 and they literally work exactly the same. They shoot video in 1080p, have great battery life, and come with all the waterproof cases and mounts. Literally $50-$60 on ebay. Still working great after a couple years.

I wouldn't spend $400 on something like a GoPro. Might as well buy a phone mount for ten bucks and film things on your iphone.

 

I got the Hero 7 when it came out and used it for recording at the beach, excursions and pools while on vacation. I will use it as a diagnostic tool and will use it to watch my suspension.

It obviously has the environmental ruggedness, standard. It now has the gimbleless 4k 60fps. The audio is significantly improved (Hero 6 and earlier has tinny audio) and now acceptable. The only other feature it has over using your smart phone (in a ruggedized case) is the ability to immediately record with the press of a button. There is no waking the device up, swiping, then hitting record. If you don't care about 4k 60FPS, with smooth video and enviro ruggedness, there are other cheaper options. No one really mentions this - plan on 1 hour of recording (at 4k 60fps) per fully charged battery.

Another option might be to hack a Hero 6 into a Hero 7 to get the gimbleless video recording. The processor and lens are the same.

Lots of reviews have an inconclusive conclusion on whether the go-pro is needed or not - its a good device - but your budget and how you are going to use it will drive whether its useful recording tool to have.

 

I have a couple of the chinese knock off FauxPro's (1080p & 4K models). The video quality is pretty good, can use all the same mounts as the real GoPro and are a fraction of the cost. From the dash isn't that great of a view. I've used mine several times while on the trails using a suction cup mount on the body or the handlebar mount on my sliders. Since the cost is pretty minimal, I wouldn't be pissed if I lost or broke the camera out on the trail.

 

OP - I have a brand new Waylens available with a SD card for sale. It is very similar to a GoPro but uses information from your OBDII port to overlay engine data while you are driving. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmHZ3OCImU4

 

Cool video.

 

Watching my own fishing videos taken with my GoPro are what get me through long stretches of Winter that I can't get out...You don't have to be a YouTuber to own a GoPro.



I was also able to get my proposal to my wife on top of a mountain on video because I'd set it up "to get a picture" of us but actually had it recording. She loves going back and watching it.

Do it!