Jason Ramsey
Admin
man, I knew these things were small, but I didn't realize just how small until I saw one in person at Best Buy yesterday... These things are tiny!
New GoProHD3
- Thread starter GavinAbe
- Start date
Cryogenic Filmworks
Veteran
Every video I have seen off this has that fisheye look. Is this what it's all about cause that is not what I am needing.
De-fishing an image typically results in a significant loss of image quality, even with a high quality fisheye on a high quality full frame still camera. In my (inexpert) estimate, the GoPro footage is not anywhere near 2k measured resolution. It might not even be 720p 
So I don't think it'll be possible to improve the image quality by defishing, but I'm eager to be proven wrong.
So I don't think it'll be possible to improve the image quality by defishing, but I'm eager to be proven wrong.
LiamR
Well-known member
Yeah, you buy the LCD BacPac, unfortunately, it's an add-on so it costs more, it's like around $100
For now the LCD BacPac is the best (only) option for framing your shots. However, GoPro has promised to update their iOS/Android apps in late December so that you can live stream the output of the camera to your Apple/Android smart phone.
Thank you. I think I'm buying one late December then. Being able to see the framing is critical for me when vehicle mounting and wedding shots. Live viewing would be even better for moving pole cam shooting. Guess I'll vest mount my phone as a monitor.
androbot2084
Carbonite Member
So how does the GoPro look on a 1440p computer monitor ?
I thought the GoPro Hero3 Black Edition youtube video looked outstanding on my 2560x1600 color-corrected monitor. But when I shot my own footage, it looked like -ss no matter what resolution I used. If you're intending to use it for action shots you can't get with another camera because the other camera is too heavy to mount or too expensive to risk, the GoPro is great. If you're intending to get great footage, then most other cameras will do better. Much better.
androbot2084
Carbonite Member
So how come the demo footage looks so good but the actual footage not so good?
An excellent question which is troubling me. I heard a rumor on one of the gopro forums that the cameras used in the demo footage had custom firmware. Maybe its true, but it seems unlikely to me. More likely they know how to shoot around the camera's limitations whereas I don't.
The "demo reel" sales footage for the Black Edition looks fabulous.
But user contributed footage usually does not.
I have a running battle from someone who claims that the GP3 BE shoots better video the a Sony RX100 and I just don't buy it (or see it).
The smaller sensor, and poorer lens on the GP3 doesn't look as good to me even when the protune data rate is used at 45 mbps.
The AVCHD footage at 28 mbps we produce with our RX100 seems to have better dynamic range and is much sharper than the GP3. And you don't have to deal with the barrel distortion.
But user contributed footage usually does not.
I have a running battle from someone who claims that the GP3 BE shoots better video the a Sony RX100 and I just don't buy it (or see it).
The smaller sensor, and poorer lens on the GP3 doesn't look as good to me even when the protune data rate is used at 45 mbps.
The AVCHD footage at 28 mbps we produce with our RX100 seems to have better dynamic range and is much sharper than the GP3. And you don't have to deal with the barrel distortion.
I don't know if anyone has been in a store with a Gopro booth. It had a monitor with a continuos loop of footage from the Gopro. It looked fantastic. For years I always thought something was up with that footage because I never saw footage anywhere else that looked that good. It could have been the monitor, it could have been an in house cocktail. Or since its all extreme sports footage, that demo reel was probably culled from a ton of hours of footage with only the best shots used that weren't too long. It needs light and when the light is right it looks great. If you don't hit that sweet spot its crap. Still theres no other cam that can get in places like it does. I worked on a network TV pilot a while ago that used the old go pro in an action scene at night. Quick cuts or lots of light thats the secret if Gopro is playing it honest.
I agree.
Good light, plenty of colors, and a little bit of post, and some of the footage will look fabulous.
But day to day shots without optimal conditions, and I'll take a camera with manual controls, larger sensor, and good lens over the GP.
Still, it produces the most unique shots of any cam I've seen, and certainly at that price point.
Good light, plenty of colors, and a little bit of post, and some of the footage will look fabulous.
But day to day shots without optimal conditions, and I'll take a camera with manual controls, larger sensor, and good lens over the GP.
Still, it produces the most unique shots of any cam I've seen, and certainly at that price point.
Thank you for posting and others for commenting. I passed this along to a friend making a purchasing decision, and after these comments he's decided to get a Canon T4i now, and get a go pro later if he wants it for sports, underwater, crash cam, etc. I recommended that although the specs look good and it's cheap, the gopro should not be his primary cam, but a secondary cam used for it's intended purpose which is extreme conditions.