How often do you really use your GoPro?

[Mamil]

Ha ha ... I'm also the buggest audience demographic of my own videos.

 

I enjoy using my GoPro and editing the clips after almost every ride. I use it for my rides, kids' sport, holiday videos or whatever and edit using the GoPro Quick software on my phone. It's quick and painless and does the job just fine. I had a GoPro Session 4 and upgraded to a Hero 7 Black before Sani this year. The HyperSmooth function is awesome!

 

Thing is, if you're doing it for views you'll probably be dissapointed as people don't care, nor enjoy, looking at your singletrack clips. I think I average 4 views per video, of which 1 is me on my phone, the other me on my TV and then probably two sympathy views from my wife. For me, I enjoy looking back and have found it a cool way to keep stock of some good memories. Hoping to have a massive collection of footage so that I can cancel my dstv subscription when I move into my nursing home one day...

 

I try and keep my MTB clips under a minute, except for stage races where I try and get as much as possible in as short as possible time. Here's one from a race we did in the Karoo recently:

 

https://youtu.be/yc51iEOTcLs

[RocknRolla]

Anyone want to sell a gopro?  

 

For really cheap? I would put my hand up for one.

[Pure Savage]

For really cheap? I would put my hand up for one.

I really like the square looking ones, my Hero 2 is so difficult to grab out of pocket and take pics. 

 

Would love to get one of those for cheap for some of our social stuff, I really like that form factor.

[RocknRolla]

I really like the square looking ones, my Hero 2 is so difficult to grab out of pocket and take pics. 

 

Would love to get one of those for cheap for some of our social stuff, I really like that form factor.

 

Yeah, a session would be great. Been riding with some-one who has one, and it just seems so much less cumbersome.

[Danger Dassie]

Anyone want to sell a gopro?  

I have an old(ish) one that I'd probably part with. Think it needs a battery.

[Pure Savage]

I have an old(ish) one that I'd probably part with. Think it needs a battery.

Do you know which version?

[Grey Hubs]

Bought a Gopro 7 Black for Vic Falls trip with a Spanish colleague.

 

Filmed some nice stuff and took ok pics. I used the voice command on the Gopro to video a bird knocking on my glass sliding door.

 

Then went to Dullstroom and did some riding at one of the resorts that has a MTB trail.

 

The stabilization of the 7 is way better that the Garmin Elite I used.

Before the Mrs could not watch more than a minute of the footage on the Garmin before she felt ill (not my riding ). With the Gopro, we sat after every ride and played the complete ride on the TV screen. The stabilization makes a huge difference.

I could also use the Gopro Quick story app on the phone to send short edited vids of my ride via Whatsapp. I thought that was cool.

 

I prefer taking a small camera with me on walks and hikes in Spain that fits in my pocket. Just a quick-pic-and-go...

 

I took this pic below in "night mode" With the Gopro &. Pretty cool.

 

For me, it was a good buy!

 

 

[RaymondC]

Novelty still going strong 4 years down the line Watch some Chris Rodgers clips if you need inspiration. 

[capediver]

Novelty still going strong 4 years down the line Watch some Chris Rodgers clips if you need inspiration. 

Chris is next level...! I believe some of his footage ended up in the GoPro promo for the 7 series when it was launched....

[ChrisF]

Yeah, a session would be great. Been riding with some-one who has one, and it just seems so much less cumbersome.

 

 

PLEASE dont .....

 

 

 

I have a much older GoPro that has gathered lots of dust .... battery bust, yada yada ....

 

 

So I buy the GoPro Session (square thingy...), get all the mounts and harnasses and and and ...

 

Damn thing has a fixed built in battery !!!

 

Cool if you know that you want to record two DH sessions for the day ... not so much if you are doing Hermanus trails and keep on missing the nics stuff as you come around a corner, so now you leave the thing ON .... and the battery runs out before your water bottle needs a refill .... except you CAN refill your water bottle, but that camera is done for the day !!

 

 

I then bought the traditional shape GoPro in 2018, with a lots of spare batteries .... 

 

 

The GoPro lives on Maritz's bike, while I ride with the Sessions (and still missing the key bits, so this unit may well be replaced ...)

 

 

 

Older vs newer ....

 

 

The 2018 GoPro is mounted on the handle bars of 24'' bike with a crap shock .... still the image stabilisation WORKS !!

 

Friend has a 3 year old GoPro .... he is constantly complaining about the lack of stabilisation .....

 

 

 

Editing ..... I much prefer photo editing !!  Video editing is my least favorite thing ....  I have a year old ride of Hermanus trails that will probably never see a final edit ....     Using Pinacle Studio on a powerfull laptop, still the video editing often results in buffering ....

[Mamil]

That built in battery is the big drawback of the Session camera. There is a somewhat unsatisfactory workaround if you hook up a power bank to the camera it will still record while charging --- cumbersome solution and of course the waterproofing is void with the door over the charging and SD slots off or open.

 

An interchangeable battery would make the session 5 the one to get but then GoPro knew that and so ....

 

PLEASE dont .....

 

 

 

I have a much older GoPro that has gathered lots of dust .... battery bust, yada yada ....

 

 

So I buy the GoPro Session (square thingy...), get all the mounts and harnasses and and and ...

 

Damn thing has a fixed built in battery !!!

 

Cool if you know that you want to record two DH sessions for the day ... not so much if you are doing Hermanus trails and keep on missing the nics stuff as you come around a corner, so now you leave the thing ON .... and the battery runs out before your water bottle needs a refill .... except you CAN refill your water bottle, but that camera is done for the day !!

 

 

I then bought the traditional shape GoPro in 2018, with a lots of spare batteries .... 

 

 

The GoPro lives on Maritz's bike, while I ride with the Sessions (and still missing the key bits, so this unit may well be replaced ...)

 

 

 

Older vs newer ....

 

 

The 2018 GoPro is mounted on the handle bars of 24'' bike with a crap shock .... still the image stabilisation WORKS !!

 

Friend has a 3 year old GoPro .... he is constantly complaining about the lack of stabilisation .....

 

 

 

Editing ..... I much prefer photo editing !!  Video editing is my least favorite thing ....  I have a year old ride of Hermanus trails that will probably never see a final edit ....     Using Pinacle Studio on a powerfull laptop, still the video editing often results in buffering ....

[Headshot]

Got a 3 Black. The only way to get a vaguely smooth vid is to chest mount it. I havent used it for ages until recently. The light was perfect and at 60fps it was quite watchable from a smoothness pov but I didnt crash so dead boring.filming in high contrast and dappled light conditions is a waste of time IMO. The day I rode there was high cloud and nice even light with no shadows.

[Jacoo]

My take on on the whole gopro thing is this:

 

1. Mine also collects dust most of the year, but that odd time i get to go do somthing cool i like having one.

2. As has been mentioned, cycling videos just look boring as hell unless the scenery is out of this world or you're an actual professional bombing down the red bull rampage course.

3. Because of this, the videos you end up with are kinda useless, theyre not the type youd wanna show people.

BUT - I've found that when i do use my gopro i most often use the setting where it takes a picture every 2 seconds. At the end of the session of whatever you were doing you scroll through and if youre lucky you end up with a few great photos. Pausing the video for a screenshot is not even close to the quality of the gopro taking actual photos. Photos are a lot more usable than video. Ive ended up with some great photos doing this.

[Skylark]

If you are in the market for the GoPro 7 Black also consider the Dji Osmo Action, I find the Action better than the 7 Black, it can go head to head in terms of stabilisation/quality and has some other cool features. It's also not as fish eye and has the clever screw on lens.

 

The next GoPro 8 vs Osmo Action 2 is going to be mighty interesting.

 

And finally the 2018 GoPro Hero can have the GoPro 5 Black firmware loaded on it and that converters it to a fully fledged 5 Black. The hardware on the 2 cameras is identical they just hobble the firmware on the Hero. Google for download links.

 

The GoPro 5 black is the probably the minimum anyone should get, first GoPro with essentials like no waterproof housing needed, voice control, touch screen etc.

[Frosty]

Time-lapse setting (10s) on today’s ride yielded a few decent photos worth looking at.

 

 

My setup on the bike. GoPro Hero 3 Black,

bike mount and a Red-E 4000mA power Bank.

 

Some of the photos from today’s ride

[Frosty]

 

Decent enough to capture mud flying off the rear wheel (in front).