This week GoPro held an event in and around San Francisco to introduce the world to their latest creation, the GoPro HERO 3: Black Edition. Described by the company as the world's first 4K-capable action cam, everyone in attendance was given their very own HERO 3: Black Edition to put the little camera to the test.
With an MSRP of $399.99 the GoPro Hero 3 is 30% smaller and 25% lighter than the Hero 2 and offers 4K video capture at 15fps. For those in the know, 15fps is probably not gonna cut it for the more hardcore would-be filmmakers but the GoPro HERO 3 boasts myriad capture modes iincluding the new resolution of 2.7K at 30fps, 1080p at 60fps, 1440p at 48fps, 960p at 100 fps and 720p at 120fps.
In addition to that the GoPro HERO 3 is also capable of capturing 12MP stills at 30fps, and it also sports improved low light performance compared when compared to its predecessors.
We tested our GoPro HERO 3 at Sonoma Speedway just north of San Francisco where we used to the camera to record footage of various motorsports. We drove an Audi R8 around the track with a camera attached to our helmet as well as one mounted on the roof of the $180k sports car. The in-car footage was super smooth and did a great job of showing what it was like to be behind the wheel. In addition the improved audio with the GoPro HERO 3 made it possible to hear the conversations we were having in-car as well as with the instructor who was guiding us via radio. That said, audio quality is still an issue with these cameras.
The roof-mounted camera likewise did a great job of expressing what it was like to speed around the track at upwards of 100mph. And GoPro sells so many top-notch mounting options that we easily were able to attach the camera to the roof of the car via a suction cup.
In addition to driving the Audi R8 we also mounted the HERO 3 to a motorcycle helmet and were taken around the track on the back of a sports bike while a professional racers tried and successfully scared us to death. The images picked up by the camera are stunning.
As far as specs are concerned the HERO 3 has built-in Wi-Fi for which lets you stream footage live to your computer or smartphone. In addition to that, the HERO 3: Black Edition ships with the $79.99 LCD Touch BacPac. This makes it much easier to set up your shots. Prior to hitting record, we would frame our shots with the LCD Touch BacPac and then turn it off to conserve battery power. The GoPro HERO 3: Black Edition also ships with a Wi-Fi remote that can control up to 50 cameras simultaneously.
One downside with GoPro's cameras is the lack of an easy-to-use UI. And while this is still an issue with the HERO 3 the LCD Touch makes this much easier.
Simply put, if you're an action sports fan that does anything from surfing, cycling, skiing or you just like to record yourself diving fast, you'll no doubt be pleased with the GoPro HERO 3: Black Edition.
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