GoPro HERO3+: Black Edition

CUSTOMER REVIEW



This review is about GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition which I have bought but there are some comments about other editions, casing and microSD card also which you may find useful for a comparison.



When GoPro released HERO3, the whole internet was flooded with customers complaining about several issues which GoPro kept fixing with new firmware updates. I owned a HERO3 Black Edition and luckily encountered no issues as I always kept it up-to-date with the latest firmware. I also bought a recommended microSD card supporting full bitrate (more on this at the end of review).



GoPro HERO3+ is exactly what the name says..an upgraded and more polished HERO3 but with a new lens and several new useful features, GoPro would have just changed the shape and easily called it HERO4.



- Smaller and lighter

The waterproof case that comes with the package is now smaller and lighter but the actual camera is still the same size and weight. Smaller also means that unlike the previous waterproof case which supported maximum depth of 60m, the new smaller case now supports only 40m. Mounting base is same so it is still compatible with older accessories using the same mount. Smaller case is an improvement but what I found more interesting is that now the case buttons feel better and easier to use. The case locking mechanism has improved also which is another improvement.



- 2x faster pocessor

This only applies to HERO+ Silver Edition as the processor in HERO3+ Black Edition is exactly the same as HERO3 Black Edition.



- Improved lens

The new lens is one of the biggest improvements of the camera. Colors look sharper and you don't get a white washed look when shooting in low light conditions. GoPro claims 33% increase in image sharpness and and 2x reduction in imaging artifacts. If you look at two videos or pictures shot using HERO3+ BE and HERO3 BE then you can immediately tell without knowing which one is shot by the new lens. Yes, the difference is easily noticeable and the result nods to the GoPro claim of sharper image and less artifacts.



- Auto Low Light mode

This is a feature which adjusts frame rate based on lightening conditions. The output is a brighter video which using the new lens saves more details and better quality videos without adding that white washed effect. In some low light conditions, the HERO3 BE completely missed some areas of the frame which were picked brighter by the HERO3 BE. I will be using this a lot while mounting it inside the car during midnight racing.



- SuperView

Another great feature for people who want to shoot wide angel shots or want more of themselves in the videos. I have read the technical details of how GoPro has achieved this and I had a feeling that the result would be distorted but to my surprise it turned out really good and covered a whole lot bigger area in good quality.



- 30% longer battery life

GoPro has achieved better battery life by adding a slightly bigger battery and tweaking the software for better battery management. The new battery is 1180mAH compared to older 1050mAh battery. If you have the old HERO3 batteries then they are still compatible with the new camera and thanks to the new battery management, the older batteries will give you more shooting time compared to the older HERO3 cameras. This is a huge improvement as battery life was significantly reduced from HERO2 to HERO3 cameras. Now you can record without the fear of battery dying in the middle of action.



- 4x faster Wi-Fi

The new Wi-Fi chip speeds up the Wi-Fi 4x for transferring and sharing media off the camera. It also speeds up controlling the camera from the remote or mobile app.



After using the new features, I am extremely satisfied and do not regret upgrading from HERO3 BE to HERO3+ BE and would recommend the upgrade to others who want an improved experience and better video results. The new lens, better battery, new auto low light mode, superview and faster Wi-Fi are all features that end users would benefit regularly. If you have a HERO3 and shoot a lot of low light footage, miss out details or focus in direct sun light or want even more clear and detailed captures with sharper colors then HERO3+ BE won't disappoint you.



I know a lot of people are unhappy that GoPro launched an upgrade sooner but considering how the industry is moving very fast with new technology coming up every few months, GoPro have to be on top of their game with new and improved cameras and HERO3+ Black Edition is the new name of the game. The HERO3 BE was the best action cam and now with the launch of the new camera, GoPro HERO3+ Black Edition has now taken the crown.



Note on LCD/Battery bacpac, backdoors and casings

Older LCD and battery bacpac are compatible with HERO3 but the backdoors are not compatible with the new case. If you have the older waterproof, skeleton or frame case then you can still use them with the HERO3+. Currently the LCD and battery bacpac are not in stock on GoPro website and I assume that with the new 1180mAH battery, GoPro would soon launch a new bacpac so hold a little if you want to get the new product. GoPro would soon launch backdoors for new casing so meanwhile you can use older casing with the LCD and battery bacpac.



Note on microSD card compatibility

A lot of HERO3 issues were related to unsupported/slower microSD cards and even though now you can find a list of supported cards on GoPro website, not all of them can take full advantage of the Black Edition. If the GoPro HERO3 BE or HERO3+ Black Edition detects an unsupported or slower card, then it automatically reduces the recording bitrate from 45Mb/sec to 35Mb/sec while shooting in 4K, 2.7K and Protune video modes. SanDisk Extreme cards are on the compatibility list but are throttled to 35Mb/sec only. I would recommend the Samsung Electronics 64GB Pro microSDXC Extreme Speed (UHS-1) Class 10 Memory Card (MB-MGCGB/AM) card which is on the compatibility list and also records at the max 45Mb/s speed. To find out the video bitrate, record a video in 4K, 2.7K or Protune mode, transfer the file on PC and look at the properties which will tell you about the recorded bitrate.



via Amazon Best Seller V2 copy copy http://www.amazon.com/GoPro-CHDHX-302-HERO3-Black-Edition/dp/B00F3F0GLU/ref=pd_zg_rss_ts_p_photo_1