gopro hero 2 lcd screen free sample

2023-01-03 12:32:11

I currently have 4 GoPro cameras, including the 3D setup. My main desire with the screen is for help in aiming the cameras appropriately to make better use of the footage I take.

I use my camera mainly for motorcycle track days and racing. I see almost every weekend I am at the track people having the GoPro pointing too high or too low, and I can only imagine what their footage will look like when they return home. My concern on the day isn"t for looking at footage for review, it"s simply to check the angle of the camera mounting then remove and use only the camera itself.

The battery usage is higher than I would like, which is why I don"t run this on the camera, or use it to review footage. Most days I don"t have time while at the track to review the footage, and because of the screen size, I would rather review the footage on a laptop or at home on a larger monitor. I suppose if you had something that you wanted to show someone, for example, a line around the race track, close accident, etc, it would come in handy, but the small size of the screen doesn"t demonstrate it well.

Here is my setup. I put the camera on the bike with the door open and the LCD attached. I adjust the angle to get the perfect setup with the wide angle lens, then I remove the camera leaving the case still on the motorcycle, remove the LCD screen, put the camera in the case and close it. This gives me the perfect angle for each camera setup. The LCD screen then goes back in storage until I need it again if I change angles, or for the next days.

gopro hero 2 lcd screen free sample

While the wide angle lens on the Hero2 means you don’t have to worry too much about precise framing, I’m sure anyone with a GoPro Hero2 HD is going to be pretty disappointed if their action packed car chase scene is taken up with 90% dashboard or that gnarly skate session has only recorded your feet. The fact that the lens is offset to the left of the camera doesn’t help either when “guessing” what you’re aiming at.

Obviously using an LCD panel is going to mean your battery takes a hit. The LCD panel can be either left on all the time or made to auto off after 60s. In addition, pressing the button will also turn the LCD panel on and off. GoPro makes a Battery BacPac which doubles the battery capacity of the GoPro; however, you cannot stack the Battery and LCD Bacpacs.

Those who already own an original Hero HD might get confused, as the R4 code on the Hero is [email protected], whereas the R4 code on a Hero2 means 960P @ 25. Not an issue for me since I’ve never memorised the Hero HD codes but ….

In addition, another “selling point” of the Hero2 is that it has 4 “operating” LEDs on it so that no matter what angle you’re at you can see if you’re recording. The LCD BacPac covers the rear one, so if the LCD is off, you can’t actually tell if the unit is recording. Yes, the small video icon goes red when I’m recording, but that’s no good if I have the LCD panel turned off.

The GoPro LCD BacPac does exactly what it’s meant to do. It gives you the peace of mind that you’re able to properly and quickly frame your videos and stills and allows you to easily review the footage you’ve taken while on location without having to transfer the data to a tablet or notebook. Covering the rear activity LED is a bit of an issue which I’m sure I’ll get over, and the video codes are a very minor gripe (but to me worth mentioning) :).

gopro hero 2 lcd screen free sample

For just $299 you can get the Hero2 along with its waterproof housing, a variety of mounts, and a few straps that let you wear the camera on a helmet (or surfboard or dirtbike, depending on the package you buy). In this growing market of "wearable" camcorders, GoPro has one main rival—Contour—and you can read our review of the Contour+ camcorder here.

GoPro only sells two camcorders—the HD Hero2 and the original HD Hero. Those two camcorders, however, are available in a few different packages that cater to specific shooting situations. There"s the Outdoor Edition, which is the package we got for review, a Motorsports Edition, and a Surf Edition. Each package comes with a few different mounts and accessories, but all come with GoPro"s waterproof housing.

The camcorder itself is rather bland, with a few ports on both its left and right side, a battery that slips into a compartment on the back, and one button each on the top and front of the camcorder. The small lens, recording lamp, and tiny LCD also populate the front of the camcorder. It looks like an awkward security camera, but the design feels both light and durable. We had the utmost confidence in the camcorder"s waterproof casing as well, and we found most of the mounts and straps easy to assemble and work with.

The GoPro HD Hero2 is available in three different packages: the Outdoor Edition, Motorsports Edition, and Surf Edition. The three additions come with most of the same accessories, but there"s at least one or two mounts that are specific to each individual package (e.g. a surfboard mount in the Surf Edition). We reviewed the Hero2 as part of the Outdoor Edition, which included the following accessories:

If all you care about is quality and performance, there are better HD camcorders out there than the GoPro Hero2. But, those camcorders don"t offer the mountable, rugged design that is integral to GoPro"s success. That"s the give and take with hands-free camcorders—not the best quality, but you can record video that wouldn"t be possible to capture with a traditional camcorder.

In our tests, the Hero2 showed some significant problems with noise, especially when we shot using the narrow field of view settings. Other than the noise issues, though, the camcorder did well in terms of video quality. Colors were deep and accurate, motion looked better than most other ultracompact camcorders we"ve reviewed, and its recorded images were reasonably sharp (although not quite as sharp as the competition). In a direct comparison with the Contour+ hands-free camcorder, we give the Hero2 a slight edge in overall performance.

In both bright and low light, the Hero2 put up color numbers that were a notch better than what the Contour+ showed us. In bright light, the camcorder produced a good-looking, but over-saturated image with a 4.91 color error. In low light, the results were slightly better, with the camcorder registering a 4.08 color error and a solid saturation of 92%. More on how we test color.

There are no color modes on the Hero2, so you can"t tweak the color settings for your recording (you can, of course, adjust colors after using editing software—just like you can with any video). The sample images below and above show off the Hero2"s positive color performance in our bright light test.

Notice how deep the colors are and how much pop they deliver, especially compared to the washed-out, overexposed image from the Contour+. This is probably the biggest performance-related advantage we saw for the GoPro when pitted against the Contour camcorder.

Color accuracy remained strong for the Hero2 in our low light testing. The camcorder measured a color error of 4.08 and a saturation level of 92% under our 60 lux lights (that"s what we use for the low light testing). This is a very good performance for the camcorder, but it isn"t any better than the Contour+ managed in the same test. More on how we test low light color.

In both our bright and low light tests, the Hero2 produced high levels of noise. The camcorder averaged 1.2% noise in our bright light test and 2.81% noise in our low light test, both of which are higher than average for a compact camcorder. The Contour+ had major issues with noise as well, but it wasn"t as bad in bright light as the Hero2. More on how we test noise.

There is one caveat with the Hero2"s noise performance. When we shot video using different field of view settings, we found the noise levels varied wildly. The widest angle of view showed far lower noise levels compared to the narrowest angle of view, and the numbers we listed above were obtained using the narrow recording option. We used the narrow results only because that shooting mode allowed us to frame our charts properly (with the least amount of warping and fish-eye effect), but it should be noted that you"ll get less noise shooting in the wider mode.

One of the most positive aspects of the Hero2"s low light performance was its surprisingly-good sensitivity results. The camcorder needed just four lux of light (about what you"d get from a large candle), in order to produce an image that could be used in broadcast. Yes, this image was severely noisy (as you"ll see from the sample images on this page), but it was bright enough to pass the industry illumination standards (that"s 50 IRE on a waveform monitor). More on how we test low light sensitivity.

Other ultracompact camcorders have shown us similarly impressive low light sensitivity scores. The fixed lens and the large image sensor on these compact models usually translate to good sensitivity results. The surprise, however, is how much better the Hero2 did than the Contour+. Countour"s camcorder needed five times as much light (20 lux) to achieve the same brightness levels as its direct competitor. So, if you"re planning on shooting in dark environments with a hands-free camcorder, the GoPro Hero2 looks like the better option for now.

Noise was a big problem for the Contour+ in low light and it was a big problem for the GoPro Hero2 as well. The camcorder averaged just under 3% noise in its low light image—an amount that you can see clearly affected its low light image. Judging by the crops below, we feel the Hero2 managed a slightly cleaner low light image than the Contour+, but neither camcorder put up an ideal performance. More on how we test low light noise.

As we saw in our bright light testing, if you tinker with the Hero2"s field of view options you can bring the noise down to more reasonable levels. The crops above and the samples images on this page were captured using the narrow view option on the camcorder, and we found the wide view setting produced less noise. The wide image has a much broader fish-eye effect (warping on the edges of the frame), though, which is why we did most of our testing with the narrow view mode (so we could frame our test charts properly).

The GoPro Hero2 captures motion differently than a normal camcorder, but the end result sill looked positive for the hands-free camcorder. Our motion test footage had some noise and blur (and some choppy movement), but artifacting wasn"t all that bad and we were impressed by the plethora of frame rates offered on the Hero2. Most importantly, we found the camcorder"s motion footage looked better than our test with the Contour+ hands-free camcorder. The Contour had more artifacting and interference than the GoPro, which is something you should be able to see in our test clip below.

The video directly below was shot with using the Hero2"s narrow field of view setting, which had a similar recording angle to a standard consumer camcorder (still wide, but not so wide that it created an overwhelming fish-eye effect). Further down on the page, is the same motion test shot with the camcorder"s wide field of view setting. The difference is extreme, and you can see how much of a warping effect the wide setting adds to the footage. More on how we test motion.

In terms of the amount of frame rates and resolutions offered for recording, the Hero2 runs circles around the Contour+ camcorder. GoPro includes one Full HD record mode on the Hero2 (a 1920 × 1080 resolution with a 30p frame rate), two 1280 × 960 modes (at 48fps or 30p), two 1280 × 720 options (at 60p and 30p), and two standard definition record modes (an 848 × 480 resolution).

To top it all off, one of the two standard definition modes on the Hero2 is a 120fps slow motion mode (the other SD mode records using a 60p frame rate). A 120fps mode won’t produce wildly slow motion effects, but it should produce video that looks about half speed compared to 60p during playback.

We were surprised that the GoPro Hero2 managed a slightly less sharp image than its direct competition—the Contour+—especially when considering the Hero2 did better than the Contour in much of our other performance tests. In bright light, the Hero2 managed a horizontal sharpness of 600 lw/ph and a vertical sharpness of 575 lw/ph. These numbers are similar to what we see on some entry-level camcorders, but they are worse than the three models we used as comparisons in this review.

In GoPro"s defense, the Hero2 did maintain its sharpness better in low light than the Contour+. Both camcorders had some serious problems with noise and artifacting in low light, but the Hero2 produced a better overall image when the lights were dim. So, if you"re looking for a hands-free camcorder that records sharper video in various kinds of light, the Hero2 may be the better overall choice than the Contour+. More on how we test video sharpness.

In our experience, hands-free camcorders are always something of a challenge to get used to. At the very core they are different than traditional camcorders, and the lack of an LCD or viewfinder to assist with framing your video is always frustrating. But GoPro did a reasonably good job with the Hero2, and, despite its numerous quirks, it was much easier to work with (in our mind) than the Contour+ camcorder. The mounts were simpler to tackle and use, the settings were far easier to change, and we didn"t have to worry about connecting the Hero2 to our SmartPhone via Bluetooth (something that never worked smoothly on the Contour+).

The Hero2 doesn"t have a normal set of manual controls, and focus is not adjustable with the fixed lens, so any recordings are essentially captured in auto mode. The camcorder exposed images very well under natural outdoor light, but it had problems in mixed-light situations. Using center-weighted exposure control, the camcorder often overexposed the brightest portions of the frame when the light wasn"t even. This means windows and lights would look blown-out, but at least the camcorder didn"t make the rest of the frame too dark (we"d rather have some blown-out portions and a usable image than an image that is just too dark all around).

Moving outdoors to brighter light, the camcorder acted quickly in adjusting exposure. There were moments of white flashes as the exposure changed, but the Hero2 compensated for the brighter light in less than a second. And, like we said, under consistent outdoor lighting the exposure levels looked great. Focus wasn"t an issue due to the camcorder"s fixed lens (no focal adjustments made), and we found subjects that were as close as a foot or so from the lens still appeared in focus.

The Hero2 has more settings than we anticipated for a compact, hands-free camcorder, and these settings are adjusted using a two-button system on the front and top of the camcorder. There"s also a tiny LCD display that lets you navigate the menu and controls, cycling through each with a click of the button. It"s clearly not the best or easiest menu system to go through, and we were frustrated by it at times. Since each push of the front button just cycles through options, it"s easy to miss the setting your looking for... which means you have to cycle through everything again. It kind of feels like you"re working with a digital watch, and we all know how frustrating that can be.

Words aren"t the best way to describe how the Hero2 "handles" as a camcorder. It"s best to simply look at the photos to understand, as this is a camcorder that is unlike most other camcorders. It fits snugly into a provided waterproof housing, and from there it can connect to a variety of mounts, straps, and holders that make the camcorder wearable and makes hands-free recording possible. Yes, holding the camcorder in your hand and recording in that manner is possible, but why would you want to limit yourself like that? If you want to do handheld recording, just get one of the other ultracompact camcorders that are flooding the market these days, and most of them are cheaper than the GoPro Hero2 anyway.

GoPro designs its mounts and casings quite well. It was easy (but not too easy) to pop off the lock on the waterproof case and set the camcorder in place. After some time with the waterproof casing, we did notice the locking mechanism started to loosen a tiny bit, which is not a good sign, so the case needs to be treated with care if you want it to last.

We do love the snap-clip mount design on the base of the casing that allows you to switch what you"re mounting the camcorder on in seconds. Just pop the clip out with your fingers and you can switch to another mount. With the "Outdoor Edition", which is the Hero2 package we reviewed, the camcorder comes with a reusable head mount that has two adjustable straps and an elastic band that fits around the top of your head. It kind of functions like a headlamp and it stays tighter if it"s wrapped around a thin helmet (like a construction helmet), but we love the multiple uses that you can get out of this strap. Other mounts are stuck with adhesive on their base, which means once you stick them to a helmet or a surface, you basically can"t move them.

Despite its flaws, the GoPro"s handling and control system are designed far better than the company"s most direct competitor—Contour. The Contour+, which we reviewed last year, showed off some alarmingly bad butt design and we had trouble getting many of the camcorder"s features working. With the Contour+ you can"t adjust controls on the fly, you need to do so by connecting the camcorder to a computer and using a special software. There is the really cool ability to link the camcorder to a SmartPhone and use a free app to adjust a few different record options, but our iPhone 3G had a terrible time connecting to the Contour+ via Bluetooth.

The GoPro Hero2"s more traditional on-board control system is far more reliable. And the buttons, while nowhere near perfect, aren"t all that bad. We especially like that the buttons are still accessible even when the camcorder is inside its waterproof housing (thanks to a cool exterior button pushing creation). You can also simplify the Hero2 by turning it to "one button mode", which makes the camcorder automatically start recording when it is turned on (and stop recording only when it is turned off). If you have no need to set any controls during your shoot, this is the easiest mode to use (and you can start recording without even looking at the camcorder to make sure you pressed the right combination of buttons).

The GoPro HD Hero2, in many ways, is the very definition of a portable camcorder. The actual camcorder itself is exceedingly small. In fact, it"s not much bigger than the battery pack you get on most high-end consumer camcorders. So, size isn"t really a factor with the Hero2 at all—it can go with you almost anywhere. With a weight of only 98g (3.5 ounces) including the battery pack, the Hero2 also won"t bog you down one bit.

But unlike most ultracompact models, the Hero2 isn"t meant to be slipped in and out of your pants pocket. It"s meant to be strapped to your head while you go water skiing. And that brings up another concept of portability: the rugged design and waterproof factor of the Hero2. The waterproof casing that ships with the camcorder is easy to use, looks cool, and functions extremely well. It allows you to plunge to depths up to 197 feet. Contrast that with most waterproof camcorders, which can be taken to depths of 10 - 30 feet on average, and you"re staring at a huge difference. The waterproof case does add bulk and weight to the overall package, but together the Hero2 and its case only weigh 188g (6.6 ounces), and that"s not bad for a consumer camcorder.

GoPro"s most direct competitor, the Contour camcorders, are almost equally as portable as the Hero2. Contour, however, charges an extra $40 bucks for its waterproof case (while GoPro includes one free with all Hero2 packages). We also give an advantage to GoPro with the design of its provided mounts and straps, which are more versatile and easier to use than Contour"s.

The GoPro Hero2 lasted for a solid 139 minutes in our battery life test. That means the camcorder recorded continuously (in its Full HD mode) for 2 hours, 19 minutes. That"s certainly not bad for a hands-free camcorder (nearly a half hour better than the Contour+), and it is good for an ultracompact camcorder in general (most stop after about two hours of straight recording). If the 2+ hour battery life isn"t good enough for you... well, GoPro has another trick up its sleeve. For an extra $50 bucks you can buy an extra battery pack that straps right onto the back of the Hero2 to provide roughly double the battery life. The accessory, called the Battery BacPac, can also act as a charging station for the Hero2"s supplied battery pack when it is not in use.

In Full HD record mode, the Hero2 has a clip limit of 34 minutes, 42 seconds. When a clip reaches that length, a new clip starts recording immediately (and there shouldn"t be any gaps between the two clips). More on how we test battery life.

The Hero2"s rechargeable battery pack fits into the back of the camcorder, behind the removable battery cover that takes up most of the back of the model. The battery can be tricky to remove, as there"s no good grip or slot where you can get leverage to pull the battery free. The best method we found was to open the battery cover and gently knock the camcorder against our palm until the battery loosened. We could then free it from the constraints of the battery compartment with ease.

Charging the battery is done by leaving it in the camcorder and connecting the GoPro Hero2 to a USB power source (via the USB terminal). The power source could be a computer with a USB terminal or a USB power adapter that lets you plug right into a wall outlet.

Technically, the GoPro Hero2 does have an LCD, but the screen is only used for menu navigation and control selection—it does not provide a visual display for framing or viewing video content. The tiny LCD on the front of the camcorder simply tells you what mode you"re working in, and by pressing the buttons on the front and top of the camcorder you can cycle through various settings and make changes to your recording options.

This leaves us with a daunting question—how in the world are you supposed to frame your shots if you can"t see what they look like beforehand? Well, because of the Hero2"s wide angle lens you don"t really have to frame your shots that carefully. The view is so wide that it"s fairly likely you"re gonna capture interesting footage within the frame. If you"re really concerned about getting the right shots, however, you can purchase the GoPro LCD BacPac, which straps to the back of the Hero2 (via the proprietary Hero Port) and functions as a normal screen for previewing or playing back content. The BacPac costs an extra $80 and we can"t attest to how well it works because we didn"t get one with our review unit.

Since the camcorder also has HDMI and AV outputs, you can also connect the Hero2 to a television to preview your content. Additionally, in March of 2012, GoPro has announced it will start selling a WiFi BacPac kit that will enable you to sync the Hero2 to a smartphone, tablet, or computer running a free GoPro App (for live streaming and remote operation). This is similar to the (somewhat finicky) system Contour has put in place on its hands-fee camcorders—you can read about Contour"s LCD solution here.

There"s no manual control over exposure, aperture, shutter speed, or gain on the Hero2, so don"t expect to be able to manipulate your recordings as such. The only thing you can do in terms of exposure is switch between center-weighted or spot exposure evaluation. As we discussed on our Ease of Use page, the Hero2 did well with exposure under even lighting, but it often overexposed areas of intense light under mixed-light environments. GoPro recommends switching to spot exposure if you want to avoid this in certain situations, like if you have the camcorder pointing out the window on the dashboard of a car, for example.

It"s not quite the same amount of flexibility that you get with Contour"s rotatable lens, but the GoPro Hero2 does have an image flip option that lets you mount the camcorder upside down if you need to. Just go into the settings and hit the image flip option and your video will be recorded right side up (even if the camcorder is upside down). This gives you a bit more flexibility when you"re mounting the Hero2.

Like most ultracompact camcorders, the Hero2 has an NTSC/PAL output switch. So, if you"re connecting the camcorder to a television overseas, you can switch to PAL output and the signal should playback fine.

The Hero2 isn"t big on audio controls, but the camcorder does come with a built-in mono mic and a 3.5mm external mic jack. GoPro recommends using the open back door on the waterproof case if you want to capture better sound, as this allows the mic to pick up more audio (it does make the case no longer waterproof, though, so make sure not to submerged the camcorder in this setup).

Perhaps our favorite thing about the Hero2 is that, despite being an ultracompact model, the camcorder still has options for changing controls and shooting modes on the fly. You don"t need to use special software or link the camcorder to your smartphone to access the menu system—you can do it all by using the tiny LCD on the front of the Hero2 and by pressing the camcorder"s two buttons to cycle through the menu options. It"s not the simplest system, and all that button pushing kind of made us feel like we were setting a watch or alarm clock, but at least the ability to adjust controls on the fly is an option. Important features include: multiple recording resolutions and frame rates, a bundle of still image controls (up to 11-megapixels), and an adjustable field of view for recording.

The GoPro HD Hero2 uses the H.264 codec to compress video using the MPEG-4 file format. This is the same compression system used by many ultracompact camcorders, and it is different than the AVCHD compression utilized on more traditional HD camcorders. The MP4 files can simply be dragged and dropped from a memory card onto a computer and played directly in a media player without requiring any kind of conversion (the same can"t always be said about AVCHD). Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various high definition compression types.

The memory card slot on the side of the Hero2 fits SD or SDHC memory cards (up to 32GB in size). GoPro recommends using a card speed class four or higher, and for certain recordings (like the time-lapse function) higher-speed cards may be necessary. We like that GoPro uses SDHC cards, as they are easy to obtain and are fairly inexpensive—especially compared to the MicroSD cards used by Contour on its camcorders. Read more about the advantages and disadvantages of various media types.

In terms of the amount of frame rates and resolutions offered for recording, the Hero2 runs circles around the Contour+ camcorder. GoPro includes one Full HD record mode on the Hero2 (a 1920 x 1080 resolution with a 30p frame rate), two 1280 x 960 modes (at 48fps or 30p), two 1280 x 720 options (at 60p and 30p), and two standard definition record modes (an 848 x 480 resolution).

To top it all off, one of the two standard definition modes on the Hero2 is a 120fps slow motion mode (the other SD mode records using a 60p frame rate). A 120fps mode won"t produce wildly slow motion effects, but it should produce video that looks about half speed compared to 60p during playback.

Still photos can be captured at three resolutions on the GoPro Hero2: 11 megapixels, 8 megapixels, and 5 megapixels. In addition to those three resolution options, there"s also a self-timer setting and a 10 photo burst option for taking photos in quick succession. The camcorder"s time-lapse record function also makes use of photos by capturing a single image at a previously selected time interval.

The small, fixed lens on the front of the GoPro Hero2 doesn"t look like much, but the design of the lens allows you to capture images at extremely wide angles. The lens has a fixed aperture of f/2.8 and has no optical zoom, but you can set the "field of view" that the lens records to three different options: wide, medium, and narrow.

Here"s where we get into some inconsistencies, though. According to GoPro, the Hero2 has an angle of view of 170° in wide mode, 127° in medium mode, and 90° in narrow mode. But we measured things differently in our wide angle test. The widest view measured at 124°, medium view measured at 99°, and narrow was 58°. There may be some slight differences in how we measure wide angle compared to GoPro, but either way, this is still an extremely wide angle lens that captured a wider image than the Contour+ in our testing (at the widest setting).

For a tiny camcorder, the GoPro Hero2 has quite a few connectivity options. The left side of the camcorder has three ports: an AV-out jack that can double as an audio output, a USB terminal, and a 3.5mm external mic input. On the right side of the camcorder you"ll find the memory card slot (fits SD/SDHC cards) and the mini HDMI port.

It"s the proprietary Hero Port on the back of the Hero2 that may be the camcorder"s most interesting connectivity feature. This port allows you to attach accessories—like GoPro"s LCD BacPac, extra battery BacPac, and WiFi BacPac kit—easily to the camcorder. The Hero2 does not have built-in WiFi or Bluetooth connectivity (unlike the Contour+ camcorder), but the proprietary Hero Port does expand the wireless capabilities of the camcorder.

The Hero2 itself isn"t exactly rugged, but it comes with a waterproof casing that, much like a plate of armor, hugely increases the durability of the camcorder. The case also makes it possible to use the camcorder up to 197 feet underwater, which is far deeper than most waterproof camcorders are capable of traveling (regular waterproof camcorders—without a waterproof case—can usually function 10 - 30 feet underwater).

GoPro"s main competitor, the Contour camera company, also makes a waterproof case that allows its camcorders to travel to the same depths (197 feet). The thing we like about GoPro, however, is that this case comes free with all Hero2 camcorder package. Contour charges an extra $40 bucks.

At the base of the waterproof case is a small connector that can be linked with GoPro"s available mount systems. The camcorder comes with a few mounts that use a snap-connector system (kind of like the clips on a backpack) that are both easy to hookup and simple to remove. This makes swapping the camcorder to and from different mounts a very easy task, especially when compared to Contour"s somewhat frustrating mount system.

If you’re looking for a hands-free, wearable camcorder, GoPro vs. Contour is the most important comparison to look at. The two companies make very similar products in terms of what the camcorders can do, but they differ greatly in actual design. The Contour+ is long and cylindrical, looking more like a laser gun than a video recording device. The Hero2, on the other hand, looks like (and is) a small box with a tiny lens.

After working with both camcorders, we developed a quick preference for the GoProHero2 over the Contour+. It wasn’t better image quality that drew us in—both camcorders have their benefits and disadvantages when it comes to performance—but it was handling and user experience that made us prefer the Hero2. We loved the fact that adjusting settings on the fly wasn’t a challenge with the Hero2 and the tiny LCD that displays menu options was a welcomed feature.

In terms of what it can and can’t do, the Contour+ looks great on paper. Contour touts the ability to connect the camcorder to your smartphone via Bluetooth, which allows you to remotely control the Contour+ while also using the phone’s screen as a wireless LCD. But in practice we found this system almost never worked. The camcorder and our iPhone 3G were able to make a Bluetooth connection maybe one out of every eight times we tried, and the connection often failed after a few seconds. This forced us to connect the Contour+ to a computer whenever we wanted to change recording settings (something you don’t have to do with the Hero2).

If Contour could make the features on its camcorders more reliable, then we’d be looking at a much stiffer competition between Contour and GoPro. For now, however, GoPro has a significant advantage in the handling department, and the Hero2 was a much more pleasant camcorder to work with than the Contour+.

The Samsung HMX-W200 isn"t a "wearable" camcorder like the Hero2, but it is a waterproof model with a rugged build. It"s also one of the best ultracompact camcorders we"ve ever reviewed, in terms of video quality and performance that is. The W200 simply surprised us with crisp footage, good color accuracy, and strong results in low light—all of which catapulted the camcorder to the top of our ultracompact rankings

But if you"re planning on taking the W200 to the slopes or on your water-skiing trip this summer, you may be in for a disappointment. While the W200 is waterproof, it can only handle a depth of up to 10 feet, and that"s 187 feet less than the Hero2 can travel in its provided waterproof housing. The Samsung also doesn"t come with any kind of mount, head strap, or device that lets you "hold" the camcorder without using your hands. So, if that"s something you really want to do, then you"ll have to spend a ton of extra money finding various mounts that will work with the W200 (or make your own).

The truly great thing about the GoPro Hero2 is that it comes in a complete package and is ready to go right out of the box. You get enough mounts and straps to keep you satisfied for a while, and it ships with its versatile waterproof housing that lets you take the Hero2 almost anywhere. The video quality may not be on par with the Samsung W200, but the shooting experience you get with the Hero2 is much more pleasing. Especially if you"re trying to capture rugged, adventurous moments with your camcorder.

The Kodak PlaySport Zx5 is another rugged, waterproof camcorder that is geared towards average consumers. It is not designed to be worn or used "hands-free", although Kodak does sell a Burton (yes, the snowboard company) edition of the Zx5 that comes with a unique color scheme (but no extra rugged features). It is a good ultracompact camcorder that, like the Samsung W200, is waterproof to around a depth of 10 feet. The PlaySport is also very easy to use, comes with good built-in software that helps you upload content to the web, and it has a simple, durable design.

If all you"re looking for is a simple, waterproof camcorder, the PlaySport Zx5 will probably do you just fine. Its video quality was good, but it didn"t quite have the performance of the Samsung HMX-W200. The real benefit of the Zx5 came from the camcorders simple design and easy-to-use interface. That"s something we can"t really say about the GoPro Hero2, as that is a camcorder that definitely has a steep learning curve due to its unique nature.

In addition to its mounts and hands-free design, the Hero2 does many things better than the Kodak PlaySport. Its ultra wide angle lens lets you capture action that wouldn"t even be in the frame with the PlaySport, and it has more still features (like a burst mode), a time-lapse record setting, and far more video resolution options. The Hero2 is certainly the better camcorder for the serious adventure videographer.

If you"re interested in camcorders, or even gadgets in general, it"s almost impossible to ignore the GoPro HD Hero2. In our experience, the Hero2 is the best adventure-style camcorder we"ve worked with, and the model was easier to handle and control than its most direct competitor: the Contour+ camcorder.

The GoPro Hero2 wasn"t a stellar performer in our video tests, but its Full HD video looked just as good as what we see from your average ultracompact camcorder. The Hero2 produced deep colors in both bright and low light, and the camcorder"s automatic control over exposure was adequate for most recording situations. Like the Contour+, the Hero2 had some issues with noise, but the camcorder was better than its rival in low light performance overall. Also like the Contour+, the Hero2"s lens records with an extremely wide angle of view, which means capturing all the action in front of you shouldn"t be a problem.

Realistically, performance plays second fiddle for the Hero2, as the most important feature on the camcorder is its go-anywhere design that is made possible by GoPro"s waterproof housing and variety of mounts and straps that ship with the camcorder. We specifically reviewed the Outdoor Edition of the Hero2, which means we got to play with a vented helmet strap (perfect for hooking to a bike helmet) and a stretchy, adjustable head strap that felt similar to wearing a headlamp. The Surf and Motorbike editions of the Hero2 come with a few different mounts, but the waterproof casing (which can handle a depth of up to 197 feet) is the same for all three editions.

In all, we liked GoPro"s mount and strap accessories better than what shipped with the Contour+ camcorder. The mounts were easy to work with, although we did notice some wear on the waterproof housing after a week of intense use. The straps and mounts will certainly wear down after repeated use, but the versatility of GoPro"s mounts impressed us—and you get more in the whole package than you do with the Contour+. This is particularly true with the waterproof housing, as GoPro ships the case free with all editions of the Hero2. Contour has a nearly identical waterproof case (that can also go down to 197 feet), but charges an additional $40 bucks for its inclusion.

From a usability perspective, our favorite thing about the GoPro Hero2 is its ability to adjust controls and settings on the fly right on the camcorder itself. The two buttons on the Hero2, in conjunction with the camcorder"s tiny LCD, allow you to cycle through menu options and control settings without connecting the camcorder to a computer. This means you can switch from video recording to still image mode with the click of a button. The system isn"t perfect, as using two buttons and a small screen to sift through various controls can be an arduous task. But we"re still happy the camcorder includes this function, and it represents a huge advantage for the Hero2 over the Contour+ camcorder.

With its whole package costing just under $300, the Hero2 is a fun, reasonably-priced camcorder that should please anyone looking for a wearable adventure-cam. The inclusion of the waterproof housing as part of its package is an excellent addition, and the camcorder comes with enough mounts and straps to keep you busy for a while. GoPro has a good set of optional accessories, including an attachable LCD that lets you view and playback your video, available for the Hero2 on its website as well.

Jeremy is the video expert of our imaging team and Reviewed.com"s head of video production. Originally from Pennsylvania and upstate NY, he graduated from Bard college with a degree in film and electronic media. He has been living and working in New England since 2005.

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Every year this action camera company tries to change the game, but did they pull it off leading into 2023? We’ve been busy putting the new camera to the test to bring you our comprehensive GoPro HERO 11 review! We dive into the new features, what they’ve improved (and what they missed) and give our honest opinion on whether the GoPro HERO11 is worth the upgrade over previous models.

No other camera company has managed to turn a product into a lifestyle brand quite the way GoPro has, which is one of the reasons we’ve personally been using their products since 2010 (holy moly, more than 12 years now).

We put our GoPros through hell. Snowboarding, scuba diving, mountain biking and just generally pushing them to their limits through our jobs as travel content creators.

So in our expert GoPro HERO11 Black review we dive deep into what sets this camera apart from its predecessor, how it performs in the real world and whether or not GoPro have missed the mark.

Last year’s slogan for the GoPro HERO 10 was ‘A New Era’, and this year GoPro have opted to go with ‘Finally to 11’. Quite fitting for the 11th series in what has become a bit of a legacy.

You see in 2023 the new camera has a range of moderate improvements, which we’ll get to shortly, but the real highlight is that everything just works, well, nicer.

These things alone mean the GoPro HERO11 Black is superior over the 10, but that’s not what makes the GoPro Experience a step above anything else they’ve done.

They’ve also introduced a new lighter version dubbed the HERO 11 Black Mini, which is almost as good as the main camera but without a few features such as LCD screens.

GoPro have really tapped into the creator market now, without forgetting their core origins for adventure athletes and general travel photographers/videographers, by endeavouring to make the entire shooting, editing and uploading workflow as seamless as possible.

SPECIAL DEAL: GoPro has an incredible special happening right now where you can save 15% off everything at their store, including the new camera, Creator Bundle and accessories! This special is for a limited time only for NOMADasaurus readers, so check it out while it’s available.

GoPro have managed to introduce a whole bunch of new features that make the latest camera a joy to use in any scenario, while also ticking a few boxes for professionals out there.

Here are some of the new and major features of the HERO 11 Black. It’s not a full revamp of the previous model, but the changes that are there are quite significant.

GoPro know that almost everything getting shared these days is shifting to vertical aspects, like what we find on Instagram and TikTok, but native width content like on TV and YouTube isn’t going anywhere.

This also introduces the bigger 27MP screen grabs, and a new immersive digital lens called HyperView, which is perfect for those POV (point-of-view) action thots.

This, matched with the revolutionary GP2 processor introduced on the HERO10, makes the new GoPro HERO11 Black a versatile, diverse and high quality powerhouse.

Using the entire 8:7 ratio on the new sensor, we can now use HyperView, which GoPro claims adds an ‘ultra-immersive’ video that best suits action POV, big selfies and large spaces in tight areas. Think architecture.

There’s also an update in the pipeline that will allow users to jump into the GoPro Quik app and change between all the digital lens options after the fact. So you can leave it on one setting and not be kicking yourself later.

When GoPro first introduced video presets it was a Godsend. We literally use them multiple times every single shoot and they save us so much time and headaches.

However for the average user, it can be a bit overkill. Most people don’t need to regularly bounce between 4k 30fps wide to 4k 120fps linear then to 4k 60fps Superview between shots.

Pick what you want – photo, video or TimeWarp – and GoPro will select the best settings for the situation. Kind of like using Auto on a modern digital camera.

Almost every trip we go on around the world we have people come up to us with a brand new GoPro and ask if we can help them with their settings. We get it – if you’re not a pro, camera settings are extremely confusing,

Set your GoPro up on a bridge over a highway or in the median strip of a busy street, click the button and watch the headlights of cars burn themselves into your shot.

While not a new feature and not directly related to the HERO11, we can’t really do our GoPro 11 review without talking about the app that goes along with it.

And if you sign up for the GoPro Quik Subscription, the app will auto-upload your footage to the cloud so you can clear the SD card and keep shooting without losing your footage.

There’s also rumours or a new feature coming soon where GoPro will use AI technology to make highlight reels of your footage in the cloud. Who needs a video editor, huh?

It’s basically a slightly watered-down version of the GoPro HERO 11 Black camera, without the LCD screens and instead having dual mounting fingers at the bottom and back of the body.

Why? Well not having an LCD screen sucks. You can’t frame your shots properly (unless you’re using your phone as a live view) and you can’t review your footage on the fly.

Well that’s all changed now. We recently bought the Media Mod for the HERO10, and now using it on the HERO11, and are so much happier with the audio improvements.

Never fear, friends. We have your back and have been super busy throwing the camera into all kinds of situations as part of our review of the GoPro HERO11 Black.

The initial setup of the camera was very quick and easy. Turn it on, pick your language, connect it to the GoPro Quik app on your phone, do an update and away you go.

The LCD touch screen is very fast and responsive, and when we did a side-by-sude comparison with the HERO10 we didn’t notice a big difference compared to the old camera.

It’s hard to tell on the little screen, but we could see a lot more of the scene. It was only when we imported the footage into Adobe Premiere Pro though that we could really see just how much more vertical room we had to play with.

At our core, we are photographers, and we’re pleased to say that in our GoPro HERO 11 review we’re very satisfied with the quality of images the little camera produces, and how far we can push the edits in post production without losing quality.

We’re always honest in our gear write-ups, and being an honest GoPro HERO11 Black review we actually tried our best to find something wrong with the camera.

We love the iconic GoPro perspective, but it’d be nice if we could grab a 2x or 3x optical zoom as well to get closer to our subjects and create some lens compression.

We’ve explored all the updates and what’s new in our GoPro HERO 11 Black review, and unless you’re very familiar with the old models you may be left wondering what the difference is between the most recent versions.

The HERO11 has a number of major updates compared to the HERO10, most specifically around the larger sensor and 10-bit colour, but the engine behind it being the GP2 processor is more or less the same.

You’ve almost made it to the end of our GoPro HERO 11 review, and you’re just about ready to either take the plunge and invest, or stash your cash for another day.

If you’re in the market for your first ever GoPro and are wondering if this is the model worth buying, then here’s the advice we give to our closest friends and family:

If you have the HERO9 or an earlier model such as the HERO 8 or HERO 7, and wondering whether now is the time to upgrade, then our answer is yes, you should.

The HERO11 takes the legendary cameras to a whole new level, and the larger sensor matched with the GP2 processor means it’s like night and day compared to the older versions.

Of course the new larger sensor is excellent. 8:7 aspect ratio is extremely useful. 10-bit colour is something pros have been screaming for. And the Night Effects along with 27 megapixels to play around with is worthwhile.

If that doesn’t sound like you though and you already own the 10, don’t feel like you need to rush out and sell your old camera just yet (unless of course GoPro are doing a crazy sale on the 11).

You’ve made it to the end of our GoPro HERO11 review, and after intense use and a serious deep dive into all the new features, build quality and ease of use, we’ve given it a solid 9/10.

Thanks very much for reading our GoPro HERO10 Black review. If you have any questions please leave a comment below and we’ll answer them as soon as possible.

The GoPro HERO11 offers a substantial upgrade over the HERO10 thanks to the larger 1/1.9″ sensor, 10-bit colour, new 8:7 aspect ratio and HyperSmooth 5.0 over the previous model.

If you have the HERO9 model or earlier, use your GoPro more than twice a week or make social media content, then it is definitely worth upgrading to the GoPro HERO11 to make full use of the new larger sensor and 8:7 aspect ratio.

With the new 27 megapixel, 1/1.9″ sensor being powered by the GP2 processor and full RAW capabilities, the GoPro HERO 11 is a fantastic camera for taking still photos.

gopro hero 2 lcd screen free sample

GoPro, Inc.GoPro and sometimes stylized as GoPRO) is an American technology company founded in 2002 by Nick Woodman. It manufactures action cameras and develops its own mobile apps and video-editing software. Founded as Woodman Labs, Inc, the company eventually focused on the connected sports genre, developing its line of action cameras and, later, video editing software. It is based in San Mateo, California.

It developed a quadcopter drone, Karma, released in October 2016. In January 2018, Karma was discontinued.JPMorgan Chase to pursue options of selling the company.

The company was founded by Nick Woodman in 2002.surfing trip to Australia in which he was hoping to capture high quality action photos, but could not because amateur photographers could not get close enough or buy appropriate quality equipment at reasonable prices.

After growing the number of employees by more than 500 in 2015, the company responded to weak sales in the fourth quarter by cutting about 7% of its workforce (100 workers) in January 2016.

In November 2016, the company announced it was laying off an additional 200 employees in an effort to reduce costs. The company also announced that President Tony Bates would be stepping down at the end of 2016.

On May 19, 2014, GoPro filed its Form S-1 with the SEC without specifying the number of shares or their price. The company stated that they hoped to raise at least $100 million through the sale of shares, using the money to pay off debt in full ($111 million as of March 31, 2014) and "to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, technologies or assets". They said that they planned to list on the NASDAQ stock exchange using the symbol "GPRO."

The expected price range was $21 to $24 a share; on June 25, 2014, GoPro sold 17.8 million shares to initial investors at $24 per share (totaling $427.2M).

One reason for GoPro"s decision to go public was the potential to become a media company to generate additional revenue from the content its cameras create.

Woodman worked on his first camera for two years after founding the company, eventually introducing the GoPro 35mm HERO in September 2004 at San Diego"s Action Sports Retailer trade show.

In 2014, the company was selling the HERO3+ in editions of different colors. It was capable of filming in 16:9 aspect ratio, supporting 4K UHD video and 12 MP still photographs.

On September 28, 2017, GoPro released the HERO6 Black, which claims improved stabilization over the HERO5 models and is capable of capturing 4K video in 60 FPS.

On September 20, 2018, GoPro came out with the HERO7 Black, which apart from providing improved stabilization over HERO6 models with HyperSmooth, also featured the new form of video capturing, "TimeWarp", providing a high speed effect to the videos. HERO7 also came out with capability to stream live across multiple platforms like Facebook and YouTube .

On October 15, 2019 GoPro released the Hero8 Black, which included improved in-camera stabilization by way of Hypersmooth 2.0. The Hero8 Black introduced integrated mounting "fingers" which could be folded down for use, and was also notable for not having an easily replaceable lens available from GoPro, though a third party replacement lens kit is available from a company called Camera Butter.

In 2014, GoPro entered into discussions with DJI for a private label model built with the GoPro branding. After the failure of these negotiations, GoPro entered into an agreement with 3D Robotics (3DR) for a similar partnership based on 3DR"s flight controllers. 3DR failed to meet their agreed-upon timelines. As a result, GoPro took full control of the development process in mid-2015.

Scheduled to be released early 2016, the GoPro Karma project was delayed several times before the GoPro Karma was announced with an introduction date of October 23, 2016. The Karma was released along with newer models of the HERO5 and Session cameras and features a removable handheld stabilizer (gimbal) integrated into the design. After a few customers complained about power failure during operation, GoPro recalled Karma drones and gave customers full refunds.

In November 2017, GoPro launched the Fusion camera,omnidirectional camera which is capable of recording 360-degree footage. The Fusion was the first GoPro to feature an increased maximum resolution of 5.8K.

GoPro produces various mounting accessories for its cameras including a 3-way mount, suction cup, chest harness, jaws-type flexible clamp, dog harness, surfing mount, etc.

In April 2014, GoPro was listed by Adweek as one of the "Top 10 Best Brand Channels on YouTube" based on a combination of views, shares, comments and overall engagement.

As part of its transformation to a media company in 2014, GoPro created additional channels with GoPro content on YouTube, Virgin America, and Xbox Live.PlayStation Network in 2015.

The 35mm camera (model #001) became available on April 13, 2005. It had dimensions of 2.5 by 3 inches (64 by 76 mm) and weighed 0.45 pounds (200 g). It included the camera, a clear case with quick release, a camera strap and ski glove adapter lash. It could pivot "on the fly" and be functional to a depth in water of about 15 feet (5 m). It was described as a "reusable wrist camera" and included a roll of 24 exposure Kodak 400 film.

The first generation of Digital HERO cameras (2006–09) were powered by conventional AAA batteries and included a rugged housing and wrist strap. Models were distinguished by their still image resolution and shot video in standard definition (480 lines or lower) with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Like the film camera HERO, the first-generation Digital HERO cameras were equipped with an optical viewfinder.

The original Digital HERO (DH1; 640×480 still resolution, 240p video in 10-second clips) of 2006 was succeeded by the Digital HERO3 (DH3; 3-megapixel stills, 384p video) and Digital HERO5 (DH5; same as DH3 but with 5-megapixel stills). All three of these had a 54° angle of view. A variant of the DH5 was released with an extreme wide-angle lens with 170° of angular coverage on the diagonal as the Wide HERO; the Wide HERO had a different housing than the other first-gen cameras (DH1/DH3/DH5) to accommodate its larger lens.

The Digital HERO released in 2006 (Model: SQ907 mini-cam) had a 640×480 camera and shot QVGA definition 320X240 (10 fps) video for a maximum of 10 seconds. The Digital HERO1 had 32 MB internal memory without SD slot.

The Digital HERO5 was first introduced in 2008. It had a 5 megapixel still photo sensor and supported standard definition (512×384) video capture. It ran on two AAA batteries, had 16 MB of internal memory and could function with a 2 GB SD card. Its housing was rated to 100 ft/30 meters depth. Its dimensions were 2.6 × 1.75 × 1.25 inches (66 × 44 × 32 mm).

The GoPro Wide HERO was the first model with a 170° wide-angle lens. It was released in 2008 alongside the Digital HERO5 and had the same 5MP sensor (2592 x 1944), capable of 512x384 at 30fps video with sound recording (up to 56 min. on a 2GB SD card), 5MP Photos, 10s Self Timer, 3X sequence still photo burst and Auto "Photo every 2 or 5 seconds" mode. It was powered by 2 x AAA batteries (not included in the box).

The second generation of the HERO cameras (2010–11) were branded HD HERO for their upgraded resolution, now offering up to 1080p high-definition video. With the HD HERO generation, GoPro dropped the optical viewfinder.

The basic HD HERO was marketed either with a basic set of accessories (case and mount) as the "Naked", or in bundles with additional accessories named for the intended purpose (such as the HD Helmet HERO, HD Motorsports HERO, and HD Surf HERO).

The HD HERO also offered an expansion port on the camera"s rear panel, branded the HERO Bus. Optional accessories included the LCD Bakpac, which offered a small monitor that displayed and played back video, and the Battery Bakpac, which doubled the battery life of the camera.

All three versions of the HERO3 come in a 30% smaller and 25% lighter package, with WiFi built in. The change of the physical dimensions of the cameras compared to the previous generations (HD HERO and HD HERO2 were physically identical) means that some accessories for HD HERO Original and HERO2 are not compatible with HERO3, so GoPro made new versions of those accessories specifically for HERO3, which mostly also were compatible with HERO3+, see below. Those new versions of accessories are usually not compatible with older Hero camera generations. However, a lot of other accessories are compatible with all HD Hero camera generations.

The Black EditionWVGA at 240 fps.BSI sensor included in a GoPro. The Black edition also includes the WiFi Remote. The Black Edition cannot record at 25/30 fps in 720p and WVGA resolutions; it can only record at very fast frame rates in those resolutions. This is a deliberate firmware limitation, as the manufacturer does not expect that this high-end camera model will be used at these lower resolutions and frame rates.

A timelapse recording one frame every 10 seconds with a GoPro HERO3 camera mounted on a bicycle helmet during a bike ride in Chicago. Note how the wide angle lens allows for the rider to capture wide images.

The HERO3+ camera models claim dramatically improved low light performance and have a waterproof enclosure which is 20% lighter and 15% smaller than the HERO3"s, according to the GoPro website. The HERO3+ camera housing is 20% smaller than the HERO3. The cameras are claimed to have improved image sharpness (close focus down to 7" vs about 3 ft on the HERO3, at the expense of distant focus which is slightly less sharp

The HERO4 Black Edition still has a 12 megapixel (MP) CMOS and a f/2.8 fixed maximum aperture and focus free. It adds Bluetooth connectivity, Highlight tag, Protune Available for photo and a new processor claimed by GoPro to be twice as fast as that of the HERO3+ Black Edition, doubling the frame rates in most resolutions. The HERO4 Black Edition can record 4K UHD video (3840×2160) at a frame rate of 24, 25 and 30 fps.Wi-Fi disabled at 4K/30, GoPro claims the HERO4 Black Edition battery life to be 65 minutes, increasing to a maximum of 1h 50" at 720p/240.

The HERO4 Silver Edition is basically a HERO3 Black Edition with the addition of a micro speaker,touchscreen display, Protune for photo and highlight tag (the first GoPro with this), a lower clocked Cortex-A9 and missing the Black Edition"s integrated analog-to-digital converter which supports a wider variety of professional low-sensitivity external microphones.4K video (3840×2160), but it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and contains the sameAmbarella Inc. A9system on a chip (SoC) as in the HERO4 Black.

The HERO4 models maintain the H.264 video codec of previous versions and MP4 file formats. GoPro claims the mono microphone in both the Black and Silver Editions has twice the dynamic range of that in the HERO3+, and that the HERO4 Black and Silver

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