GoPro HERO4 Silver Review
This is the first time I've ever had a high quality camera, so I will write from that perspective. I'm not going to compare it to prior models or break-down a comparison to other action cams. This review is just about the camera itself and how to possibly get the most of it.First and foremost let me say that the quality of the video is absolutely stunning. I think GoPro cameras are mostly meant for video but even their snap shots can be quite amazing too. I have always liked photography but could never justify spending $600+ on a camera I probably wouldn't even use that often due to bulk and lenses. As a mountain biker, I've found myself craving to get some of the stuff I do on video. I've been wanting to get a GoPro for some time and have put it off until my birthday finally came around and my wife bought me the recently released Hero 4 Silver. I didn't order it on Amazon because I didn't want to wait 2 days to get it haha. We went to a local store and we almost bought the Hero3+ Silver edition but my wife convinced me to get the Hero4 instead and boy am I glad she did!
Let me say off the bat some of the problems I've experienced so far:
1. The battery life absolutely sucks. One battery is not enough to get you through almost any activity. I think it lasts even less time if its hot. You will need at minimum 3 batteries. I will be ordering a Wasabi dual battery charger with 2 extra batteries later today.
2. When uploading your vids and pics to the computer it will ask you if you want to clear the SD card. ALWAYS say no. I've lost pictures and videos that have failed to upload TWICE already. I have no way of knowing if it was due to the software not downloading it or if it just failed to record. So download everything, check to make sure it downloaded everything, and THEN delete afterwards.
3. A 16gb SD card will not be enough. You will need a minimum of 32gb and I would go ahead and just get the 64gb card to have some peace of mind. Also make sure you get a Class 10 SD card. GoPro has recommendations on their website. I have a SanDisk Extreme. It will improve the quality of your videos. Don't go cheap on the SD card, you will regret it.
4. One of the frustrating things about a brand new camera is that all the kinks are going to need to be worked out. GoPro releases some updates for this. So far some people have reported Wifi issues (though I have not had any). Its also difficult to figure out some things because they are new cameras and there is still not a lot of information out there yet. It took me an hour to figure out how to take time lapses. Basically you need to select burst mode and then hit the options button on the side of the camera. That little detail was nowhere to be found.
5. As a newbie camera owner I have come to realize that a lot of the GoPro success is due to amazing video editing. They include a software that makes the process easy enough to do some cool vids but you might end up hitting a wall at some point and yearn for some other editing (and more costly) software. I haven't hit that wall yet but I can see it happening. That being said you will not be able to get away with just buying the camera to get good shots. You will need a lot of accessories and there will be a learning curve to understanding what settings to use and where/how to mount and record. This will cost time and money but is actually a big part of the fun.
GoPro Hero4 Pros
1. Timelapses are AWESOME and so easy to do. There is a lot of room for creativity with these.
2. Super easy to use once you learn the controls or download the app to remote control from your phone.
3. There is a video + photo mode. This is super cool because you can set the camera to take pics while its also recording video. You can end up with some really awesome photos like this.
4. I love how small and versatile this is. I plan to use this on all my vacations. Its not a burden at all. I also use it for my mountain biking.
5. My friend is a professional photographer and hates the distortion (fish eye effect) but I think its one of the things that makes this camera so versatile. You can capture so much!
6. The sound recording on this was a lot better than I expected.
7. There are tons of accessories to make this camera capable of doings A LOT.
Some advice:
1. Some GoPro (OEM/Official) mounts suck. So make sure you research and read reviews before you buy anything. Sometimes the aftermarket is better and sometimes it isn't.
2. Get a few mounts right away or you won't be able to enjoy the Hero4 the way it was meant to be enjoyed.
3. This bears repeating: Get some more batteries!!!
4. Watch GoPro videos and learn how people get good shots. Watch how they edit their vids to make them interesting. Then proceed to step 5.
5. GET CREATIVE. It is so much fun to try new shots and experiment with this camera. The shooting process and editing process should be FUN for you. Otherwise, you are spending money on a camera you will not use much. Save your money if you're not into that sort of thing.
6. Teach your significant other how to use it. It will make the story you show in your vids better when it comes from multiple perspectives.
You might be asking why is this review a 4 stars if I think its such a great camera. I would gladly give it 5 stars if it wasn't for some of the problems I mentioned above. I think if I didn't have missing/deleted vids and photos due to software/recording error I would have probably given it a 5 star despite some of the other minor issues. Overall, its a great freakin camera and I think for my intended purposes its almost perfect. If you want a convenient lightweight versatile camera for traveling and action/sports, this camera is a must buy. I will update this again after another month or two of use. Maybe by then the issue will be resolved and I will update to 5 stars. Hope this review helps!
Click here to buy GoPro Hero4 at Amazon with discount
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