Help choosing an HD sports camera

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danski

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I'm looking for some advice on which might be the best camera for doing some motorsports filming.

I will mainly use it to attach to my 6 year old son's go kart or his helmet so we can analyse his racing lines when back at home, so it needs to be small & light, but also be securely attached. I've also got a Caterham that I use on the occasional track day or Sunday blatt down country lanes, so would need to be able to attach it to the roll bar or somewhere else on the car. Wide angle lens better, I think?!?

I've seen that there is the GoPro line as well as others like ion and Countour. Are these much of a muchness or is there a stand out best. Not sure if GoPro 3 is hugely better than GoPro 2 (don't think I need 4K @ 12fps - will be too jumpy and my tv ain't 4K!), but the ability to view/control via my iPhone sounds a good idea.

So, what do you think is best? Budget up to around £250

Thanks
 
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Lots of people offloading perfectly capable GoPro 2s to get the 3. I've never been much of a fan of the quality to be honest, but there really isn't much else in that price range to match its versatility.
 
st599 said:
GoPro is used on Top Gear for this sort of thing.
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Rarely, most of the time they use better cams than gopro's for their incar stuff.


But yes, op, gopro 2 will be fine, get on eBay :)
 
can the GoPro 2 be controlled/viewed via iPhone/iPad or is it only the 3 that can do this?
 
danski said:
can the GoPro 2 be controlled/viewed via iPhone/iPad or is it only the 3 that can do this?
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with the optional wifi backpack, yes.

Not that rare, actually.
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gopros aren't broadcast cameras, they don't record at a required quality for HD broadcast, therefore the crew have got to be prepared to rationalise camera choices where appropriate - so gopros aren't used too widely, but for shots where any other solution (eg Toshiba IK-HD1 minicam + external recorder) wouldn't be practical, and for short segments within the overall package. They used them, for example, on the offroading segways...
 
Gopro3 black great spec... 4k as well.
Key Benefits

Wearable, mountable design
Immersive, wide angle capture of your favorite activities
Professional quality HD video & 12MP photos
Built-in Wi-Fi enables remote control via included Wi-Fi Remote or live video preview and remote control on smartphones and tablets running the free GoPro app.
Rugged housing is waterproof to 197’/60M and captures sharp images above and below water
Compatible with all GoPro mounts for attaching to gear, body, helmets, vehicles and more
Compatible with LCD Touch BacPac™ and second generation Battery BacPac™
Backwards compatible with older generation BacPacs™
New advanced camera settings: Looping video, Continuous Photo, Manual White Balance control, Protune Mode, allows to shoot photos while recording video and more.


Key Specs

Professional 4K Cinema 15 fps / 2.7K cinema 30 fps / 1440p 48 fps / 1080p 60 fps / 960p 100 fps /720p 120 fps and more video capture
12MP photo capture with 30 fps burst
Wi-Fi Built-In
Wi-Fi Remote Compatible (included)
GoPro App Compatible (FREE)
197’/ 60m Waterproof Housing*
Assorted mounts and hardware included for attaching to helmets, gear and more
 
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So, which would you go for?


GoPro Hero2 Motorsport (£199 from Argos) or Hero3 White (£200)? From what I can gather, both are the same spec, with the exception 2 Motorsport comes with a load of extras for attachment and 3 has built in wifi but limited attachments? Or have I missed something?

Or maybe GoPro 3 Silver for £280 which is a bit better spec than White, but not a lot
 
itsdavedotnet said:
with the optional wifi backpack, yes.

gopros aren't broadcast cameras, they don't record at a required quality for HD broadcast, therefore the crew have got to be prepared to rationalise camera choices where appropriate - so gopros aren't used too widely, but for shots where any other solution (eg Toshiba IK-HD1 minicam + external recorder) wouldn't be practical, and for short segments within the overall package. They used them, for example, on the offroading segways...
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100%

GoPro's would be classified as non-HD and as such, would be acceptable by the BBC for no more than 25% of a programme. Some exemptions would be fly on the wall, hidden camera type footage.
 
itsdavedotnet said:
with the optional wifi backpack, yes.


gopros aren't broadcast cameras, they don't record at a required quality for HD broadcast, therefore the crew have got to be prepared to rationalise camera choices where appropriate - so gopros aren't used too widely, but for shots where any other solution (eg Toshiba IK-HD1 minicam + external recorder) wouldn't be practical, and for short segments within the overall package. They used them, for example, on the offroading segways...
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Didn't say they were. They would count towards the 25% non HD limit of a production. However, there use isn't rare.
 
LOL, love the nit picking fine details guys :D

If I didn't already have a Hero 2 I'd be getting a Black Hero 3 for sure... in fact I might upgrade in a few months once Christmas is out of the way and the bank balance is looking healthier.
 
danski said:
So, which would you go for?


GoPro Hero2 Motorsport (£199 from Argos) or Hero3 White (£200)? From what I can gather, both are the same spec, with the exception 2 Motorsport comes with a load of extras for attachment and 3 has built in wifi but limited attachments? Or have I missed something?

Or maybe GoPro 3 Silver for £280 which is a bit better spec than White, but not a lot
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Anyone got an answer to this, rather than whether they do/don't get used for 25% or more or less of the time by the BBC? :LOL:
 
I have just bought Hero 3 Black with tripod mount and Handlebar Mount.
use the link form my previous post for 20.12% discount, only until midnight!
 
Top Gear use a tremendous amount of GoPro acquired video. They are ideal because they can be mounted in places that other cameras simply cannot, for example behind the grill vents of a car. If you saw the special episode a while ago with the Toyota Hilux driving on that Icelandic volcano, you can clearly see one attached to the roof. I also seem to remember seeing one mounted in an airdam on a BMW M5 recently. They are cleverly edited so that you never see the laps where the cameras are attached to the exterior of the car.

To the trained eye, GoPro footage is very easy to spot, because of the amount of rolling shutter, the field of view being so large, and where the camera is positioned. In contrast, most in-car footage is shot either by a camera man in the passenger seat or a Silicon Imaging SI-2K with remote head mounted in the back (you can tell this apart from the GoPro's because it has a CCD sensor and suffers from no rolling shutter).

Discovery Channel and History Channel both bought loads of them, and use them extensively on shows like Deadliest Catch and Ice Road Truckers.
 
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I'm tempted with a Go Pro. Spent a lot of time with a steadycam rig attached to my D7000 and still can't master it :(
 
I'm also trying to decide between a hero 2 and a white hero 3. Thinking the hero 3 although I'd have to buy a head strap ad tripod mount extra ;( but this a much new camera, plus being able to use my iPhone to frame would be really useful
 
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