Not every Class 10 memory card will work properly on GoPro HERO 3+ and HERO Black cameras, and in particular, failures are observed in ProTune mode and when shooting 4K video.
The GoPro HERO3+ and the slightly older GoPro HERO3 are particularly sensitive to this type of microSD card. If you notice that the video recording stops unexpectedly, then it is definitely the memory card that is the problem (the only exception can be a battery that is almost empty).

The incompatibility of a memory card with GoPro equipment is precisely when you are trying to record video at the maximum resolution that the camera is capable of. The problem will be more visible if you use ProTune mode, which allows you to record more data than in the standard camera mode. Manufacturers of microSD 10 CLASS also did not announce its speed in advance, which further aggravated the situation. If you look at any packaging of memory cards from world brands, you will definitely find information that identifies speed data. Some manufacturers indicate the reading speed. Some indicate a label to indicate the write speed, such as 300x.

Both of the above GoPro 3 cameras need a microSD card with fast write speeds, and this map 10 CLASS does not meet this requirement. I used a Sandisk Ultra memory card. Although on paper its characteristics seemed to me more than high, in reality the video shooting was not carried out properly. But, as soon as I purchased a SanDisk Extreme memory card, the video “flyed” not just in standard mode, but even in Protune mode.

Both GoPro cameras, HERO 3+ and GoPro HERO 3, work on a CLASS 10 microSD card, but only up to 64 GB. However, not all CLASS 10 flash cards are the same. It would be great if the cards of this class were standard, but, unfortunately, this is not the case. Two different cards 10 CLASS from two different manufacturers may have different write speed parameters, and this is the main problem! But if you delve deeper into this problem, it turns out that there are different kinds write speeds, which vary depending on the combination of hardware and software the digital device you are using. Below is a list of memory cards that are officially recommended for use with GoPro HERO 3+ cameras.
And if you are wondering what is the difference between SDHC and SDXC, then this has nothing to do with speed. It's just that the SDHC card type has a storage capacity of up to 32 GB, while SDXC has more than 32 GB.

	SanDisk Extreme 64GB microSDXC Memory Card(Model No. SDSDQXL-064G) Includes microSD to SD adapter
	SanDisk Extreme 32GB microSDHC Memory Card(Model No. SDSDQXL-032G) Includes USB adapter
	Lexar 64GB SDXC 300x(Model No. LSDMI64GBBNL300R)
	Lexar 32GB SDHC 600x(Model No. LSDMI32GBSBNA600R) Memory card plus small USB adapter
	Delkin 64GB SDXC(Model No. DDMICROSDPRO264GB) Includes SD adapter
	Delkin 32GB SDHC(Model No. DDMICROSDPRO2-32GB) Kit with SD adapter
	Samsung 64GB SDXC(Model No. MB-MGCGB/AM) No adapter. Although this card is officially recommended by GoPro, some users are having trouble using this card due to the slow write speed.

New Versions of SanDisk Extreme Memory Cards

SanDisk Extreme cards, which are included in the official GoPro listing, have faster read speeds (60MB/s) and slightly slower write speeds (40MB/s).
The new map version seems to work perfectly in GoPro HERO3+ Black cameras. And while the new version isn't on the official GoPro list, there are two benefits to working with the new model. The first is the price. As stocks of the older model dwindle, some retailers are raising the price due to high demand. And some sellers generally inflate the cost by half compared to the new model. The second advantage is that the new model is much easier to find in the sales markets. So here are the newer versions.

	. Model No. SDSDQXN-064G-G46A. Included with SD adapter
	Model No. SDSDQXN-032G-G46A Included with SD adapter
	(Model No. SDSDQX-064G-AFFP-A) Included with SD adapter
	SanDisk Extreme Plus 32GB.(Model No. SDSDQX-032G-U46A) MicroSD to SD adapter

Other GoPro Hero models aren't as picky about their requirements, as their specs are lower than their Black Edition counterparts. However, there are skeletons in the closet here too: the problems of matching the card with some models and some shooting modes.

HERO3 Cameras: White and Silver

These two cameras are compatible with any CLASS 10 microSD card (both SDHC and SDXC). Under certain circumstances (see below), you can get away with a lower class card.

HERO3 Silver and HERO3+ Silver

Requires MicroSD CLASS 10 up to 64 GB to capture time-lapse at 0.5 second intervals; for continuous shooting (10 frames per 1 second - 10/1); to support Protune mode.

HERO3: White Edition

Requires a CLASS 4 microSD up to 64 GB.
Requires MicroSD CLASS 10 up to 64 GB for time lapse shooting at 0.5 second intervals.

HD HERO2

Requires SD 10 CLASS up to 64 GB for time lapse shooting at 0.5 second intervals; for continuous shooting (10/1); to support Protune mode (if you want to use any of these features, make sure your memory card is SDHC, not SDXC).

HD HERO Original and HD HERO 960

Requires SD 4 CLASS up to 32 GB.
SDXC type cards (more than 32 GB) will not work in these models.

I'll start with the main one.

What is an action camera and what is it for?

About terms. The term action-camera is a small camera with a minimum of settings and controls, designed for shooting in different uncomfortable conditions, which dictates the basic requirements that such a camera must meet:

• minimum weight
• ease of mounting (ideally, an action camera can be mounted on anything, including a dog)
• a minimum of controls and, in general, a minimum of operator participation
• dust-, shock-, heat-, waterproof case
• the longest possible battery life (but not at the expense of weight)

It is indispensable for skydivers and other flyers, skiers, surfers, divers and other extreme sportsmen. I especially want to draw attention to divers: in their case, an action camera can be a very cheap and convenient alternative to a bulky camera in.

Many companies are engaged in the production of action cameras, but here I will tell you about the camera of the company gopro, because it was she who was at my disposal.

GoPro Hero 3 action cameras

GoPro cameras have made their way into our market quite widely, and you can now find them in any more or less serious computer or photo store. They gained a large number of fans and received a diminutive name "goproshka".

The Hero 3 series cameras come in three variants (ordered in descending order of coolness):

• Black Edition
• Silver Edition
• white edition

They differ in capabilities and equipment, but structurally they are exactly the same. My camera, the one that is white (White edition) is the worst, but it also has quite pleasant, pleasing to the eye, properties.

Briefly about specifications ah cameras GoPro Hero 3 White edition:

The camera comes in an incredibly pretentious box, most of which is empty space. The box is crowned with a transparent cap made of thick plastic, under which we see, in fact, a camera in a hermetic box, mounted on a special platform.

Inside the box is:

• sealed box door
• two sites for double sided tape(for mounting on flat and convex surfaces)
• paper about the guarantee
• a piece of paper saying that there are no instructions here, and everything that is interesting - see the website
• a piece of paper telling us to make sure we have the latest firmware
• some "GoPro(r) Be a Hero" stickers

A huge, too cool box is, of course, overkill, but the lack of a multi-page instruction for downs, and replacing it with a piece of paper that sends us to the site is right, at least they saved a little wood and saved users from unnecessary waste paper, which most of them even won't open.

On the side of the camera are connectors and a slot for a microSD card.

There are 3 buttons on the camera:

• on/off/mode switching
• shooting/photo
• on/off WiFi

WiFi is used to connect to a WiFi remote control or a smartphone, on which you can install an application that allows you to remotely control the camera and see on the screen the same thing that it sees. Since I don’t have one or the other, this button annoys me, but if you have the appropriate devices, its benefits are obvious: after all, WiFi drains the battery 10-15% faster, so when it’s not needed, it makes sense to turn it off.

Video and photo quality, examples

Video quality I was satisfied almost completely (when it comes to shooting in good lighting). At least, it is much higher than that of a budget camera. The main mode I use is 720p at 30 fps. One minute of video in this resolution weighs about 70 MB.

It's all about, basically, clarity and built-in deshaker which, by the way, works well. But with color rendering things get a little worse.

The camera very noticeably "softens" the image, giving it a yellowish-pastel tone. Moreover, the color ratio is preserved, and when using auto levels in the editor, the picture acquires the lost blue and becomes much more similar to the original. But this is provided that there are no blockages in the frame, for example, a bright sun. If they are, all adjustments will have to be done manually. Here, for example, is the same frame shot on GoProshka and on a regular camera, see the difference:

GoPro Hero 3 camera features that won me over

Underwater photography

As you know, everyone who has ever dived with a mask in more or less transparent waters must have thought that it would be great to capture underwater beauty in a photo or video. Some citizens solve this problem with underwater shooting boxes, to which this site is dedicated.

GoPro owners get an amazing bonus of underwater shooting without any additional devices: because the camera is already supplied with a hermetic box! And what is especially nice here is the price. For example, the GoPro Hero 3 White camera (including the box) costs $200, and the Canon Powershot G15 aqua box costs more than $300.

Let's add here the ability to attach a gopro to any part of the body, freeing up your hands and focusing on scuba diving and contemplating the beauties, and not on whether or not we are currently filming and how uncomfortable it is to paddle with one hand.

This is what a person who knows the problem firsthand tells you: I have ever dived with a Canon SX100 camera in . Unfortunately, I can’t give an illustration of using the GoPro Hero 3 camera underwater yet, but I will correct it.

timelapse

For some strange reasons, the ability to shoot time lapses, with all the simplicity of its implementation, is not available in all cameras. And those in which it is implemented usually cost much more than $200.

GoPro cameras capture time lapses with adjustable frame intervals, which can be selected from the following set of values: 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, and 60 seconds.

Actually, that says it all. After all, capturing how quickly the sun sets and how wildly the clouds rush across the sky is, perhaps, the second obsessive desire of all amateur photographers after underwater shooting and dew on the leaves.

GoPro Hero 3 White edition camera disadvantages

Yes, this camera, of course, also has disadvantages. I can draw your attention to the following:

1. The camera is designed exclusively for shooting in bright light, ideally on a clear day outdoors. When trying to shoot video indoors, an incredible amount of noise appears in the frame, and the overall video quality becomes indigestible.

2. Incorrect color reproduction, incl. in bright light (“softening” the picture, as mentioned above).

3. Very strange behavior of the camera when shooting a long time lapse, especially when the light starts to change (for example, the same sunset). From frame to frame, exposure and color balance can jump as they please. In low-light scenes, the camera can increase the exposure as it should be, or it can suddenly decide that enough is enough and set the parameters at which we can see only a black screen for the next thousand frames. Here good example illustrating all these jambs:

4. Camera GoPro Hero 3 shamelessly buggy. Maybe it's just my copy. But the glitches will be below in detail.

5. Of the less obvious and more controversial shortcomings: well, why not make more mounting lugs on the case? This would have made the structure heavier by a couple of grams, but how much more versatile the camera would have become in terms of mounting!

Well, since we're talking about fixing...

GoPro camera mounts - make or buy?

A little pleased with the acquisition, I thought. The two adhesive tape mounts included in the kit - one on a flat surface, the other on a convex one - did not impress me very much, because where to glue them, you still have to figure out, and then constantly live with the thought “what if it falls off?”

As a bonus third mount, a flat platform on which the camera stood during the sale can be used, but in my case this was also not an option, because. the length of the mounting lugs does not allow the camera to be positioned parallel to the site.

Well, there is an easy way here - to buy. After all, a crazy amount of different accessories are sold for GoPro cameras. If you look at the Internet on this topic, then, literally, your eyes start to run wide. And, it seems, each gizmo separately is not so expensive. It turns out expensive when the leading eyes also want this mount on the steering wheel for $ 20 and this for the head for 22 and this for the chest for 30 ... As a result, the amount quickly exceeds 100 bucks. In general, buying is not our way. And I decided to do it myself.

Homemade GoPro forehead mount

The first thing that came to mind was to adapt the mount from a headlamp. No sooner said than done, since there were plenty of substandard flashlights in my household.

Not as beautiful and functional as industrial. The main two drawbacks are the impossibility of quickly removing the camera from the site and the periodic spontaneous loosening of the nuts, accompanied by “pecking”. The disadvantage, in principle, is removable, but for now it will do.

Important point. Pay attention to the metal plates hammered between the fixing ears of the hermetic box. It is necessary to select them so that the total thickness of the plates exactly matches the gap, otherwise, when tightening the nuts, you have every chance to spoil the product!

The disadvantage of this GoPro mount on the forehead is its non-rigidity. When driving on a bumpy road, the camera jumps quite a lot relative to the head, adding jitter in order. In this regard, the fastening must be reinforced with additional straps, although, in my opinion, it is impossible to ensure a sufficiently rigid position on the head with the help of a brace. That is why cameras are very fond of mounting on helmets: a properly selected helmet is practically a single whole with the head.

Homemade GoPro camera mount on the chest and other parts of the body

The forehead mount easily transforms into a chest strap. It is enough to slip it under the tightened right place belt.

The mounting platform from the flashlight turned out to be quite versatile. With shorter straps, it can also be attached to places such as the ankle and knee. In general, there is room for creativity.

In the following video, I give examples of mounting the camera on different parts of the body during a ski trip.

For some unknown reason, my camera always turns out to be tilted to the right. Moreover, if at first I thought that I always ride with my head tilted, then I suddenly discovered that the same tilt is obtained when attached to the knee, ankle, chest. What is the catch - it is not clear. Either the camera warps a little towards the battery due to imbalance, or I fixed it on the site with an offset to the right.

Sometimes you really want to attach a bubble level to the goproshka.

Summary

Although the manufacturer will not pay me a cent for these lines, I will say that gopro- an extremely convenient thing, completely worth the money (of course, I was doubly pleased to receive it as a gift, but we're not talking about that). The scope for capturing reality from a variety of angles and in a variety of conditions, this camera provides huge.

For example, there is a video on Youtube where one American DIYer attached it to a radio-controlled glider, on which he descended from a height of about 30 kilometers, so we have someone to take an example from. Although, this do-it-yourselfer is not the only one, Youtube tells us that only the most notorious lazy person has not yet tried to attach a gopro to an airplane / glider / balloon. For example, I’m going to make a report with, but I’ll wait for the wind ...

UPD: Problems with the GoPro Hero 3 White camera: the camera does not turn on

Despite the general enthusiasm for the product, I regret to add the following unpleasant remark here. If in the future there will be problems with the camera, I will add their description here.

Description of the problem

For no apparent reason, the camera suddenly refused to turn on.

The harbinger of strange behavior was the flashing of the WiFi light, which could not be turned off by pressing the corresponding button. It helped only to remove the battery, after which the camera no longer turned on.

How did they do it?

Since the camera is under warranty, I did not try to climb inside, and without this, all options for action boil down to the following:

• remove/insert memory card
• remove/insert USB
• remove/insert battery
• switch on switch off
• shake, knock, blow

And also to all possible combinations of the above actions.

Having resorted to all these measures at the time the problem was discovered, I did not get any effect, caught fire and went to bed, with the idea that now I need to look for warranty documents and ... in short, I lost my camera for a long time.

After about an hour I touched the camera - it turned out to be warm! In horror, I pulled out the battery, already suspecting that there was a short circuit inside, everything burned out, and the battery also died.

The camera worked after I blew into the battery compartment and then inserted the battery. After that, she began to turn on, turn off and shoot without any problems.

Causes of malfunction and disappointing conclusions

What was the reason is completely incomprehensible, but the incident leads to extremely unpleasant thoughts about reliability of GoPro cameras. And if this happened at the moment when it was supposed to be filmed the most valuable video in life?

For example, it was precisely because of these problems that the moment of flight from rescuers was not captured on video at the time, which is rather insulting.

I will definitely unsubscribe about further oddities in the behavior of the camera, although, of course, I really hope that the glitch was a one-time, caused by bad location satellites around Jupiter, and it will not happen again.

Continuation of a story

Alas, the disease progressed. About a month after writing the previous paragraph, the camera finally died: it refused to turn on and charge the battery when connected to USB. The “let it rest and try again” method, which worked well earlier, has now failed to produce results.

Recharging the battery outside the camera did not help either, and the methods of reviving the camera, which are in abundance at the request of “GoPro dead”, “GoPro won’t power on”, etc., did not work either.

Tellingly, there were no extraordinary actions with the camera, or its use in extreme conditions. The problem arose upon arrival home after a completely normal past video shooting.

In May 2014, the camera was handed over for warranty repair in Moscow and returned to me only in August. The fault is the motherboard that was replaced. As it turned out during a thorough examination, it was not the board that was replaced, but the entire camera as a whole (some characteristic abrasions on the case disappeared).

One way or another, let's hope that the problems are over. At the moment (December 20, 2014) — the flight is normal.

Finally, the long-awaited novelty is in our hands. Of course, it could have appeared earlier (online stores are always ready to serve), but I really didn’t want to face the peculiarities, albeit rare, of the so-called “gray supplies”. Namely - with the lack of localization, software flaws and other unpleasant surprises. Fortunately, there are still official suppliers of this equipment in Russia, and the speed of their work is pleasantly surprising: the third GoPro Hero series officially entered our market shortly after the foreign announcements. The difference of a few months can be considered insignificant - it is enough to imagine the difficulties that you need to go through to get just one certificate.

But let's leave the bureaucratic obstacles to those who, by the nature of their activity, are called upon to overcome them. After all, there is a much more interesting reason for the article:

Design, technical characteristics

The reader should be warned: in this article you will not see fascinating footage taken in the stratosphere. There will be no wrecked cars or broken limbs here. Exotic ways of attaching a GoPro to anything are also up to the owners of such cameras. We will focus on learning technical features apparatus: controls, shooting modes, methods of processing the received video. Everything that is not covered in the user manual or on the product web page.

Traditionally, the GoPro Hero camcorder comes in several variations, or, if translated edition Literally, publications. They differ not only in completeness. Before buying, it is recommended to carefully study the characteristics of each "edition" - this can be done on.

But everything is much simpler for us: the camera kindly provided for testing belongs to the "older" version - GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition.

The camera comes with a serious set of accessories (looking ahead, we note that even such a collection is probably not enough to implement all the ideas):

• multiple mounts including pad
• waterproof housing
• replaceable back cover for the case (not sealed, with holes for better sound recording)
• radio remote control with charging cable
• Mini-USB-to-USB cable
• paper instruction in Russian

The concept of the camera remains the same as in . Design - yes, slightly changed. The battery has ceased to resemble a telephone, now it has the shape of a brick. Of course, the old batteries will no longer fit the new camera.

The included battery enables continuous recording for 95 minutes at 1280×720 50p with Wi-Fi off. Wireless communication takes a lot of energy, the battery is depleted literally before our eyes. Not knowing this, the author, going to shoot and having charged the camera, did not pay attention to the flashing blue indicator, and arrived at the shooting site with an almost empty battery. It turns out that turning off the camera is not enough - you also need to make sure that Wi-Fi is also disabled: the wireless network adapter in the camera is turned on and off separately.

The body of the device, as usual, is made of impact-resistant plastic. On one of the ends there is a Wi-Fi on / off button, on which the corresponding icon is applied.

The camera screen still does not have a backlight - this is a serious minus. And, just like in previous versions, navigation through the menu is carried out with two buttons. This way of managing parameters cannot be called comfortable; however, it is a matter of habit. It is enough to work closely with the camera for a week to change, for example, the recording mode with your eyes closed, focusing on sound signals and the number of clicks. But, we repeat, for a beginner such an unobvious method of control may seem inconvenient and antediluvian.

The service interfaces of the camera are covered with a removable cover: Micro-HDMI, Mini-USB, and a slot for a microSD memory card (up to 64 GB).

The remote control screen also does not have a backlight; in active mode, this screen completely copies the screen of the camera itself, repeating all the set parameters and icons. Device information is exchanged over the same Wi-Fi. The remote control works stably, the maximum distance at which the camera is able to receive a control signal and transmit information can be 200 meters in line-of-sight conditions.

To recharge the remote control, a special connector of a cunning shape is used; charging is carried out from a USB port or from a similar adapter. During charging, remove the metal eyelet from the remote control, for which the remote control is designed to be attached, in order to avoid losing it.

The main technical characteristics of the video camera are given in the table:

Video/photography

First of all, you need to know with what resolution it makes sense to shoot. It would seem: if you want to save events with maximum detail, use the 4K available here. But the frame rate when shooting with this resolution, alas, is not yet high enough - only 12.5 frames per second (hereinafter we will use the PAL standard as the main one in Russia and most other countries).

But how to measure the resolution of a given camera? The test chart we have, printed on an A3 sheet, is not suitable for this. The fact is that the lens of the camera in question has a fixed focal length. Simply put, objects as far away as a meter from the lens and up to infinity will be in focus; objects that are closer than a meter will leave the focus area, blur.

What's the way out? Of course, a huge-oh-ohm test chart! True, to print (and place) such a rather expensive. In addition, it doesn’t make much sense: after all, the main zones of the table, by which you can quite accurately determine the resolution of the camera, fit only on six sheets of A4 format (the entire table could have been 3 meters wide).

To print the required six sheets, we split the "virtual" table into sheets. After that, only the desired area was printed - in the next figure it is highlighted in color.

Having glued the resulting sheets and placed them on a vertical surface (wall), we thought about it. Dilemma: How far away should you shoot? After all, it is required not only to remove this object. The main thing here is to maintain the desired proportions. It would be possible to use a simple calculation, but alas, the optical distortions introduced by the camera lens are so strong that the usual geometry is not suitable here. There is only one way out - sequential shooting made from different distances from the table will help us. Armed with a tape measure and choosing a step of five centimeters, we made the necessary shooting, making several dozen takes.

Now it is enough to combine graphics editor freeze frames obtained from each take, with the image of the table itself in the original and choose the most suitable frame in size, where the key objects of the table of interest to us coincide with the original ones in location and size. Ready!

The shooting was carried out, of course, in 4K 3840 × 2160 mode. This mode was chosen because the aspect ratio in it is standard 16:9 - exactly the same as in the test table. The calculation showed that the actual resolution of the camera reaches 2800×1600. Here it is hoo! I recall Carlson with his sincere surprise: “Such a big housekeeper - in such a small box?” What is this processor inside our camera that allows you to encode a picture with a similar resolution? Look, it heats up like an internal combustion engine? Let's measure this parameter.

This photo was taken half an hour after the start of recording in 720p mode, while the camera was in a room with a temperature of 24 ° C. As practice has shown, it is possible to avoid reaching a critical temperature by refusing to use Wi-Fi and providing the device with the maximum possible ventilation. That is, shooting in the heat with a camera placed in a sealed box threatens to overheat and then turn off the device - this aspect is covered in detail in the user manual. One thing pleases: due to the presence of a thermal sensor in the chamber, you should not be afraid of the device breaking due to overheating.

But back to resolution. So, 2800×1600. Those numbers are pretty damn similar to the frame resolution you get when shooting in 2.7K mode. Conclusion: you can get maximum video detail and at the same time avoid unnecessary waste of disk space by using one of the 2.7K modes: 2.7K (2716 × 1524, 16:9) or 2.7K Cinema (2716 × 1440, 17:9) . Moreover, the frame rate of such a video is already close to normal: 25 or 24 fps.

You can visualize the difference in the detail of each of the recording modes using the following video:

To view in full resolution, click on the button "Original size"

A huge number of shooting modes available in the camera in question makes it necessary to display their description in a separate table - it is impossible to fit all the parameters in the main table of technical characteristics. Here you can also download still images and original clips shot in these modes.

Here you should decipher what the column called "Protune" means. This shooting mode is activated in a separate item of Capture Settings, and there is a choice between automatic white balance, manual setting (3000 K, 5500 K and 6500 K) and shooting in Cam RAW mode. The latter mode, apparently, allows you to get the picture as it is, without software color processing. We will deal with this feature of Protune a little later.

It can also be concluded from the table that some shooting modes allow the use of different frame rates. It is hardly necessary to convince the reader to always use the highest possible frame rate, especially when shooting fast-moving subjects. And since we're looking at an action camera, that's just the way it's supposed to be done.

Another burning question concerns angles. Those that are now for some reason not indicated in degrees, but have a more understandable designation: Wide (Ultra-wide), Medium (Medium) and Narrow (Narrow). Let's try - clearly, of course - to see and evaluate the difference in the angles of view of the lens. As you can see from the table above, not every recording mode allows you to change the angle. Just two: 1080p and 720p. In general, these formats are the most popular today, so in the future we will shoot in the older one, 1080p. With the highest possible frame rate, of course.

To measure angles, a lot of free space is required. And therefore we will go to the open air, armed with a shovel for clearing snow (we are in Russia, but now it’s not summer).

What's the verdict? It looks like the camera has a 150° angle of view in Wide mode, 110° in Medium mode, and narrows it down to 80° in Narrow mode. The most preferred is the medium mode, Medium. And the field of view is wide enough to cover the main scene, and at the same time, geometric distortions do not hurt the eyes as much as in the maximum Wide mode.

By the way, about distortions. How to fix them? The answer is unlikely to please: it is difficult to overcome this distortion. However, it is possible. For example, in Photoshop. Do not be surprised, this program works well with video (Processing Video in Adobe Photoshop: Part 1, Part 2). There is also a way to correct distortion using open source software: a filter for VirtualDub. Unfortunately, in both cases, the video will have to be recoded or repacked into a format that is understood by the corresponding programs (Photoshop and VirtualDub) before processing.

However, you can do without preliminary recoding or writing AVISynth scripts. So, in After Effects, there are several ways to partially overcome distortion, here is one of them:

As we have already seen, the camera in question has a rather big MOS-matrix. In this regard, it is quite reasonable to expect a terrible rolling shutter from her. Let's check this, we will shoot the passing transport in different modes.

If there is a rolling shutter, it is so weak that it does not attract attention even in the maximum 4K mode. Not every camera is capable of this.

The WVGA mode also promises considerable benefits. Recall: shooting in this mode is carried out at a frequency of as much as 240 frames per second. By slowing down such a video by 10 times, you can get a result that is rare in terms of spectacularity. Let the following scenes be rather banal, but the potential of such shooting is not difficult to understand.

Now, as planned, consider the Protune shooting mode. The manufacturer promises that the video shot in this mode lends itself much better to color correction - let's make a preliminary conclusion that the Protune mode allows you to shoot with an increased dynamic range. To confirm this theory, we will conduct another experiment: we will shoot a contrasting scene.

Indeed, dark areas look more distinct with Protune turned on, and, apparently, a lot of color and light can be “pulled” out of such a wide-range video. There would be desire, skill and time. Or rather, a lot of time.

How are these modes different? technical terms? Does the camera in Protune mode manage to encode video with a higher bit rate? No, in fact, everything turns out to be much simpler. The files differ only in bitrate (when Protune is on, it is 1.5 times higher) and GoP length (Group of Pictures, 15 frames in normal mode and 8 frames in Protune mode). Below is the keyframe rate for both of these clips.

As for color correction, it is not only possible, but necessary. The reader has already noticed that the camera noticeably “yellows”. In any scene, wherever and in whatever conditions it was filmed, a yellowish coating is clearly visible. Maybe the lens coating is to blame. Be that as it may, it is simply necessary to get rid of yellowness. This is easy to do in any video editor.

Due to the loop recording mode in the camera, the device can be used as a car DVR. True, in order to simultaneously shoot video and recharge the camera, you need a box with open interface holes - after all, the camera itself does not have any attachments, it can be attached to something only under one condition: when it is in the box.

After reviewing these videos and still images, we can say with confidence: in terms of detailing, none of the car DVRs that exist today can be compared with this video camera.

At night, under street lighting, the camera also behaves very well. In the case of video recording, the fixed focus of the camera plays an extremely positive role.

Interval shooting is only possible in photo mode: the camera is capable of taking photos of a user-specified size at the following intervals: 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60 seconds. Thanks to this mode, it is possible to get a pretty beautiful video sequence by combining photos in a video editor.

A lucky chance made it possible to test the considered camera in underwater photography. Of course, in an artificial reservoir. The result is quite expected: flawless operation in all modes and, most importantly, the almost complete disappearance of distortion. In principle, it is understandable: water is an excellent corrective lens.

The photographic abilities of the camera are worthy of respect, but only in terms of excellent detail. Of the shortcomings - of course, the wrong geometry and the lack of a small depth of field so beloved by many photographers (or those who consider themselves a photographer) and, accordingly, “bokeh”.

Software

The software built into the camera on an external monitor looks much more convenient and logical than on the screen of the camera itself. If not for one thing: menu navigation is possible only in one direction - forward. Damn missing another button that would allow you to go back instead of scrolling through the entire menu again and again with the risk of missing again.

The camera's wireless adapter creates an access point with a specific name when you turn on the GoPro App mode. To control the camera using a smartphone or tablet, you need to install the GoPro App on your smartphone (versions for both iOS and Android are available), connect the device to a specified point, and launch the installed application.

It's a pity, but on the Android devices we have, this application did not really work. Three different devices were tested: a smartphone, a tablet and a media player running Android 4.0. The connection was established, the application was launched, but things did not go beyond this: despite the seemingly reliable connection and even the appearance of a video stream in the viewing window, the application stops working after a few seconds, displaying a message on the screen about the need to check Wi-Fi for correct connection. Why check it, if the camera even manages to display a picture - it's not clear. We hope this bug will be fixed soon.

No matter how much we would like to evaluate the work of the application in the iOS version, we do not have such a device in the foreseeable environment.

Comparative testing under the same conditions

In the almost complete absence of light, it seems much more preferable to shoot without using Protune. The actual resolution of the camera has already been mentioned above - it approaches 2800x1600. This figure is an absolute record, not a single amateur full-format camera has such permissions today - what can we say about such microscopic bricks as the hero of this review.

conclusions

Surprised by the camera, do not say anything. Honest 2.7K at a tolerable 25 fps - isn't that a miracle? As for the 4K mode, it is introduced here rather “for show”, because the real resolution does not reach such an indicator. And the frame rate in this mode is not at all conducive to its use.

The second important positive point is the presence of the Protune mode, in which the image is not subjected to color correction (often incorrect) and software noise reduction, but is taken directly from the matrix.

Finally, one more aspect: rolling shutter. It is practically non-existent, which is at least surprising. A matrix with so many pixels should - no, just have to produce the most terrible rolling shutter in the form of slanted lines and a jelly-like picture. However, we do not observe this.

Speaking about the minuses that characterize this device, two points should be noted. The first is the risk of overheating. True, only theoretical. In practice, during testing, we never encountered overheating - but it’s understandable, it’s winter outside. The second serious minus is inconvenient, archaic control. This two-button blind control is long overdue (though some might consider it a GoPro-only gimmick). And finally insert some kind of backlight into the screen!

These shortcomings are quite serious, but other qualities of the camera, positive, undoubtedly outweigh them: excellent resolution, minimal rolling shutter, the presence of Wi-Fi. And they do not just outweigh, but force us to mark this device with our award. Quite deserved.

The official cost of the GoPro Hero 3Black Edition camcorder in Russia is 20,500 rubles; the current average price (number of offers) is $369(10).

GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition is an action camera (or, as it is also called, “sports DVR”) of the third generation. Compact, somewhere three times smaller than the fourth iPhone, the camera is designed to shoot in the most unpredictable conditions where a conventional video camera simply cannot cope: water, dust, sand.

Thanks to its size and convenient mounts, GoPro can shoot while moving, in free fall or up to 60 meters under the water, even when your hands are busy with something else (wheels, for example). However, driving a selfie is not the best use of the GoPro Hero 3. Read on to find out where this miracle of technology can be used, what it can do and how it differs from a regular DVR.

Who cares?

GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition is the base model of third generation action cameras. It has a wider range of options than the White Edition (for example, a built-in Wi-Fi module), and is limited in comparison with the top Black. It also performs well as a video recording device (30 frames per second at Full HD and 60 at HD quality). Of course, the frame rate in 1080p is not enough to mount slow motion video from the footage, but in 720p you will be able to do it. And a rather suitable “soap box” can come out of a silver GoPro - with an 11 megapixel matrix, it is capable of taking pictures in series or in time lapse mode. In the latter, you set the frame capture rate yourself - from 0.5 to 30 seconds.

Characteristics:

• 11 megapixel matrix
• HD and Full HD video (60 and 30 fps respectively)
• photography in 11, 8 and 5 MP quality
• Protune mode (advanced color management capability)
• monochrome display on the front
• MicroUSB and Mini HDMI connectors
• 1050 mAh battery (enough for a little more than 3 hours of continuous shooting)
• microSD slot (supports cards up to 64 GB)
• built-in Wi-Fi module for remote control of the camera from a remote control (not included in the package) or from a smartphone (also not included :))

What's new?

So, we have already said that the new version of GoPro has a Protune shooting mode. Let's talk about it in more detail. In this mode, you can manually select the white balance and increase the amount of video stream capture from the standard 15 Mb/s to 35 Mb/s. Thus, GoPro Hero 3 can be brought closer in terms of shooting quality to professional cameras.

Hero 3 also introduced a video capture mode called Video Looping. It allows you to record a video fragment of a given length an unlimited number of times. In principle, it is useful if you know exactly how long the moment you want to capture will last.

Contents of delivery:

• the camera itself
• plastic protective box
• covers for the box - ordinary and waterproof (up to 60 meters deep). The waterproof lid also provides reliable protection action cameras from dust and dirt.
• three-angle hinge
• flat mount
• stickers to fix the mount on flat and convex/concave surfaces
• USB cable
• brand name stickers
• instructions and warranty card

Camera remote control

As we already mentioned, Hero 3 Silver received a built-in Wi-Fi module. In an action camera, it is not needed at all in order to connect to the free Internet in cafes (and it doesn’t have such opportunities in principle). The camera can be remotely controlled via Wi-Fi. To do this, in addition to the camera itself, you can buy a remote control (remote control). It has the same two buttons as the camera and the exact same monochrome display. With the top version, the remote control is supplied, and for the silver version, you will have to pay another 80 euros for it. But this is not the most important thing. The camera can be controlled via Wi-Fi from a smartphone or tablet running Windows Mobile, Android or iOS. The remote control app is available for download on AppStore, Google Play and Windows Store.

IMPORTANT! Before installing the application, update the camera software from the official website! If you ignore the update, only android smartphones will work as a remote control.

And finally

Do not rush to order a camera "over the hill". Remember that the risk of such a purchase is $ 340 + shipping costs thrown to the wind. Firstly, you lose the 12-month warranty, and secondly, you can get an already broken camera.

To shoot video, it is advisable to install a class 10 memory card. It costs more, but it will affect the quality of the video.

One last thing: GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition doesn't perform well in the dark. in the best way, but better than second-generation cameras.

When it comes to action cameras, action camera enthusiasts first think of gopro and then... oh gopro. The company of the same name has achieved perfection by forcing Asians to rivet crafts under different brands that fall short of the original in all respects. Small, high-quality, with a huge number of accessories and well-thought-out ergonomics, this camera can do much more than “something” iPhone.

Although what is really there. The GoPro Hero itself is an iPhone in its class. Only a quality device could earn such a reputation. He will go under water, climb a mountain and go to the tropics with you - and he will not let you down. Especially GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition, new camera version GoPro Hero 3 released just a couple of weeks ago. What's new?

Action cameras are small, extremely compact units with a sensor, a lens, a processing board and a battery. This is not a camera in the usual sense, but rather a highly specialized tool that extreme sports enthusiasts drool over. Do you remember any exciting event in your life - super-fast skiing or diving into the depths of the ocean? The GoPro is designed to be taken with you and capture those moments as "epic" as possible.

GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition- flies off the tongue, doesn't it? But gossip about the quirks of naming is pointless when the product has no real analogues. This small rectangular camera weighs 74 grams, and its function-to-centimeter ratio is close to the coolest modern smartphones. How about shooting full 4K video? Not every computer is able to play it without brakes, and this "trifle" will not even choke.

The main part of any camera is the sensor, as well as the lens that covers it. Any photographer knows that extreme sports and type lenses fisheye just made for each other. Here, such a lens is installed by default and is equipped with several operating modes at once: wide-angle (Wide) and cropped (Narrow), which allows you to shoot without a strong fisheye effect in cases where it is not needed.

The pride of the manufacturer, relevant only for the latest model - mode super view creating without exaggeration wild panorama and corrects too much distortion at the edges of the frame. Above is a great example of his work.

GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition comes with a mind-boggling amount of various laces, adapters, mounts and other tinsel of varying degrees of usefulness. Particularly noteworthy is the remote control for the main functions of the camera, which allows you to shoot yourself from afar and opens up great scope for creativity in not the best conditions.

The camera does not have an external viewfinder. But you can still view the pictures and videos taken, including right at the time of shooting. The situation is saved by the built-in Wi-Fi module, which creates a local wireless network. By connecting to it via iPhone, you will not only see everything that the camera is currently shooting, but you will also be able to control the process itself directly from the smartphone screen - record and view the photos and videos taken.

Through a proprietary application GoPro App[iTunes Store] It's also very easy to change the camera's system settings. Without an iPhone, this has to be done according to some archaic system: one button scrolls through the menu items strictly in one direction, and the other allows you to select them. You ask, where is all this displayed? On a greenish black and white display on the front. And what do you want - an extreme camera requires a harsh approach to ergonomics.

Like all GoPro models, the camera is enclosed in a sealed acrylic "box" that not only withstands strong impacts, but also does not allow water to get inside. At the same time, all the necessary buttons remain available, even if they are pressed with difficulty. This acrylic case is a must-have without which an action camera simply cannot be itself. Surprisingly, it can be removed in two seconds, only by pulling a simple mechanism on the end to the side.

The GoPro Hero 3+ is equipped with a high-capacity battery that allows you to shoot up to two hours of continuous video in Full HD. Given the diminutive size of this battery, the GoPro engineers should take their hats off. The previous model showed a result about 30% worse. The camera only comes with one battery, and if you're going to shoot tons of videos, it makes sense to shell out for one more.

Since we started about the differences between the old and new models, let's approach the process with all rigor. So, before you Hero 3+ Black Edition and Hero 3. The obvious difference in the design of the acrylic case immediately catches your eye: the Hero 3 has not only thicker, but also heavier. The mechanism for opening the "box" in the old model is less logical: you first need to hook one plug, then the second, and only then pull the lid up. The size of the buttons has also changed - in the new model they have become wider, and their height has decreased, which added convenience when shooting and controlling the camera by hand.

The Hero 3 may look bigger than the Hero 3+ Black Edition, but they're actually exactly the same size and even weight. It’s just that one has a “fat” protective case, while the other has a more thoughtful one. To reduce weight, metal "bolts" and an additional frame in the lens area were abandoned. Now the camera looks a little prettier, if for someone it was important at all.

The most significant changes took place not outside the case, but inside it. The manufacturer claims that the new GoPro model shoots better in low light conditions. Indeed, the difference in detail between the Hero 3 and Hero 3+ was very significant, especially when watching videos on the crisp screen of a MacBook Pro with Retina display. Video shot through the new model was noticeably sharper and more detailed, with fewer artifacts and a more pleasing white balance to the eye. Everything was filmed with the same settings - 1080p, 30 frames per second. Although the camera itself is capable of delivering 60 frames in 1080p, and 15 frames in 4K resolution.

But the photos gave the opposite result. Maybe it was the auto white balance. Continuing the theme of technical improvements, I will pay attention to the photo itself. Me and Arthur stand with different iPhones and control the shooting of two different cameras through two different WiFi networks. On the old model, there was a significant "lag" between the display of the frame on the iPhone and movements in the real world. Sometimes the delay is as much as three seconds, and a kind of “portal” in time is obtained. You can have fun with this, but shooting something moving is not very convenient. But the new camera, Hero 3+ Black Edition, gave the maximum "lag" except for a second. Watching this with my own eyes, the difference is felt very strongly.

The camera does not have its own memory - microSD cards are used instead. I don’t advise you to insert 512-megabyte records lying around in the closet, because their speed is corny not enough. For normal operation cameras and smooth shooting at any settings, be sure to use fast microSD cards from well-known manufacturers. For example, SanDisk Ultra Class 10. It was the one that was pre-installed by the store in this camera, and with its help I shot a video in 4K format without any problems. It is a pity that my laptop on the Core i3 processor did not pull it.

GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition- this is the best action camera and a set of everything you need for shooting in any conditions. Owners of previous generations who are going to spend the winter in ski resorts should plan an update now: it’s worth doing even just for the sake of a prettier video. And additional improvements in all characteristics complete the picture of an ideal gift for fans of active sports. In addition, GoPro has a very strong Russian user community, comparable in cohesion and interest to the owners of Apple equipment. They will advise and help.