GoPro HERO4 SILVER

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I just purchased the Hero 3+ Black Edition one month ago. When the Hero 4 came out I had to try it and I ended up returning my Hero 3+. Why did I get the Hero 4 Silver over the Hero 4 Black and the Hero 3+ Black?



Three Reasons:



1. The Hero 4 Black is $499 and does not come with an LCD (because of heat issues from 4K they could not put on an LCD).

So really if you bought an LCD BacPac for the Black edition, it would cost you a total of $579 compared to the $399 of the Silver. This is a $180 difference!



2. The two models BOTH have improved sharpness compared to the Hero 3+ Black.

Watch this video to compare the Hero 4 Black to the Hero 3+ Black: http://ift.tt/1qmKBn7

Then watch this video to compare the Hero 4 Black to the Hero 4 Silver: http://ift.tt/1ptz6Lb



As you can see the sharpness between the Hero 4 Black and the Silver is the SAME. They both have the same lens and it's definitely improved over the 3+ Black. Yes, the 4 Black can do 4K at 30 FPS while the 4 Silver can only do 2.7k at 30 FPS (it can do 4K 15 FPS but that is not really usable for most purposes). But to be honest, that is the only improvement and it is a $180 difference! At this moment I cannot justify 4K for that much of an additional increase. I am happy with what the 4 Silver offers AND I get an LCD which is extremely convenient.



3. Compare the battery life of the Hero 4 Black vs the Hero 4 Silver here: http://ift.tt/1CdpBpz

At 2.7k 30 FPS, the Black only lasts 1 hour and 10 minutes while the Silver lasts 1 hour and 50 minutes!! This is the SAME resolution. Why? Because the Black has a more powerful processor to handle the 4K, and this causes it to eat up more battery regardless of the frame rate.



Given these three reasons, I do not believe the Hero 4 Black is worth the cost. But the Hero 4 Silver is definitely a bargain and worthy of an upgrade from the 3+ Black edition. Don't forget in addition to the cost, the Hero 4 Silver has identical specs as the Hero 4 Black (except for 4K). This means you will also get (compared to the 3+ Black):



- 2x the WiFi Speed

- 2x the Dynamic Range for Audio Quality

- Bluetooth Capability

- Night Photo Mode

- Night Time Lapse Mode

- Quick Capture Mode

- Protune for Photos

- Simultaneous Video and Photo



All of these are the same upgrades on the Hero 4, so really you're trading $180 and the LCD screen on the Silver for 4K 30 FPS and decreased battery life on the Black edition. Each person may have their own opinion but I think this is a big problem for most users because the cost does not justify the upgrade.



I haven't had too much of a chance to test it out, but quick photos and videos showed it truly is sharper than the Hero 3+ Black edition. And given the video links I posted above, it is the same sharpness as the Hero 4 Black (unless you shoot in 4K of course). The touch screen is a GREAT addition and very responsive. It works like I would want it to so I am happy with that.



There are two minor bugs to mention but they will probably be fixed in an update coming very soon to the firmware.



1. The WiFi connectivity to the app is problematic. Some people have reports of not being able to hold a connection to the app for longer than 3 minutes. I myself could not even get the GoPro to connect at all. This is mostly a software issue so hopefully it is quickly addressed.



2. The Night Photo mode should allow control of the shutter speed, but currently a lot of users including myself can only access the shutter speed mode when we turn on Protune. The problem is you should be able to access it outside of Protune since not everyone wants Protune for Night Photo. Hopefully this is fixed quickly with a firmware update but it seems to only be affecting some cameras and not all.



I also recently tested out the battery life with the LCD screen always on. The Hero 4 Silver comes with an auto-off of 1 minute and can be set at either 1 minute, 2 minutes, 3 minutes, or always on. The LCD brightness can also be set at high, medium, and low.



For scuba diving, you will need the screen always on as you cannot activate it again once it turns off under water (unless you stop recording and record again but that can be annoying). My first test was with the LCD always on, brightness set to high, recording 2.7k 30 FPS. I was able to get 1 hour and 26 minutes out of the battery! That is pretty amazing as I did not expect that with the high brightness setting. I did the test again at 2.7k 30 FPS with brightness set to low and got 1 hour and 32 minutes. So it's up to you how important those 6 minutes are, but for me I'd rather have the full brightness.



Interestingly, I did the test with the LCD off with the same frame rate and got 1 hour and 35 minutes (I did this 3 times with the same result). This means the LCD draws very little power (which is good) but I feel 1 hour and 35 minutes is on the low side of what I should be getting without the LCD given that GoPro claims 1 hour and 50 minutes.



I also tested the Hero 3+ Black in 2.7k 30 and got 1 hour and 38 minutes so the battery life between the two cameras really is the same even though the Hero 4 is 20 mAH less (1180 mAH in the Hero 3+ while 1160 in the Hero 4).



For those curious I also tested the new Battery BacPac (claims 15% increased battery life) and compared it to the older Hero 3+ Battery BacPac. I used the Hero 4 Silver and recorded at 2.7k 30 FPS with LCD off. I got 2 hours and 57 minutes with new Battery BacPac compared with 2 hours and 27 minutes with the older Battery BacPac! So improvement of about 30 minutes is not bad at all! This is more than 15% (it was 35% with my test)! GoPro claims the Hero 4 Silver should get 3 hours with the Battery BacPac with 2.7k 30 FPS so I definitely would consider that result accurate.



Overall a great improvement and hopefully the minor bugs get fixed quickly, but I would highly recommend getting this especially if you are upgrading from an older model like the Hero 2 and Hero 3. If you have the money it is worth the upgrade from the Hero 3+ especially for the LCD, the improved sharpness, night time lapse modes, and audio improvements. I think the double wifi speed and bluetooth connectivity are bonuses but I wouldn't upgrade just for those reasons alone but if you combine all the other benefits it's definitely worth the upgrade!



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GoPro Hero3: White Edition - (131'/ 40m Waterproof Housing)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Be aware when purchasing that there are some aspects to the new "improved" lens that may not be for everyone. This week it has been fairly well documented (and confirmed by GoPro) that while the new lens produces much sharper images under 4', they are blurrier at distances greater than 4'. It does NOT focus at infinity. For reasons not fully explained, they moved the focal point of the lens in close and sacrificed distance clarity.



Update at bottom.



You will get great shots under 4' and soft focus beyond that. Depending on what you want it for, this camera may not be for you and the regular H3 might be a better bet. Since this is an effect of the lens it applies to both stills and video. On the other hand, it's still a decent small action camera, and if you take a lot of video in motion you may not notice this at all. For YouTube uploads and streaming it may not matter, I haven't tested this myself. If you want better clarity in your images the 3B is a good choice. I personally will play with it this week before deciding if I should return it. (Update: it's going back.)



It boggles the mind that they have produced a camera that claims to have a better lens and ignored the fact that it is in fact worse for 90% of what you'll be filming. Great clarity on your handlebars but not so good on the scenery.



Edit: other pluses- the color is much better with the 3+ than the 3. Low light shooting is also better, although sometimes lens flare from lights is a little worse, sometimes better. No more chromatic aberration (yellow/purple fringing). Just do some reading before buying this, they made some trade-offs in the new lens.



Updated 10/17:



Well after comparing the two (3+B and 3B) this week, there are some more problems that have had me downgrade this to a 3 star. For one, the right and left sides of the images on the 3+ are smeared. I mean really distorted, and I'm not using SuperView. Additionally the contrast seems to be set too high, causing some loss of detail in the shadows and blowing out whites a bit. This at least is changeable with a firmware update if they choose to do so. The blurry edges put me over the edge and I'm returning it. It's too bad, it's almost a great camera, with some nice improvements, but the lens is a definite problem, and not necessarily an improvement... certainly not 33% sharper.



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Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi Wireless Video Monitoring Camera

CUSTOMER REVIEW



Ill try and be as simple as possible to help you make a informed decision when you consider buying the Dropcam Pro.

Pros:

(Quality) Its very modern, sleek, the materials its made out of are premium.

(Setup) Very Simple - Just plug it into your computer then into a outlet and connect to WiFi and thats it.

(Video) Very clear video both on your computer and iOS app in normal zoom mode

(iOS 7 App) Great App. I get notifications all the time that the camera picks up (dogs barking) it even picks up birds outside.

(Audio Feature) The audio talk back feature only works when NOT in the night vision mode. I have been in touch with tech support to the point they replaced the camera and the new one has the same issue. Talk-back works great in daylight.



Cons:

(Streaming) I have Verizon FiOS 50Mpbs/30Mbps Wireless and there is a slight streaming delay with both video and talk back feature on LTE and WiFi.

(Night Vision) Video Streams good when in night vision mode on both my computer and iOS app and the video is very clear. However the talk back feature while in night vision mode on the computer and iOS app does not work period. I could open the iOS app and say something and it would come across the camera so distorted you can't even understand it, and it will continue to come through the camera in bits and pieces even after i close the app, then the camera usually disconnects from the WiFi connection so I don't use that feature anymore ( i have worked with tech support for days and they did replace the camera but the new one is having the same issue).

(Zoom) the zoom feature for me isn't useful. I zoom and the image is blurry to me, but when its not in zoom its very clear

(Storage) You can't save video on your phone or computer its only saved "in the cloud" on Dropcams web database and you have to pay for it.



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GoPro HERO

CUSTOMER REVIEW



My buddy works for these guys and i got to see this one weekend. This changes the whole "action" based camera scene. At a measly $129, you really can capture a lot of great video at great specs. Obvious draw backs, Internal battery (cannot remove so you will have to do with about 1.5hrs of video at a time before plugging in), no remote capabilities even though the go pro remote is grossly overpriced, around $80. I originally found it annoying not having a remote to trigger the camera. but with the different shutter speeds you really don't mind.



But if you want the interchangeable batteries for longer usage while out, and having a remote. Get the go pro 3 silver or white edition. white edition is only $199, so for $70 more you can start to alleviate some of these pains.



I think this camera is great for back ups for professionals or for concert go-ers on a budget looking to capture great video and pictures at a low price from a renowned company. Or hey, were going on vacation and want a cool camera to take under water or on a hike. here you go. I have a dog so i wouldn't mind getting one to put on him, and this fits the bill.



With this new line up, go-pro will own the market indefinitely.



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Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera (Blue)

CUSTOMER REVIEW



I looked for a reliable, classy-looking Polaroid camera as a wedding reception guest book. After thorough research, I determined Instax was cheaper and just as reliable, if not more, than the new Polaroid instant cameras. Both cameras function similarly and use the same film; yet Instax has better reviews and is cheaper. The 8S has a few extra bells and whistles: a clip-on lens for close-up pictures, light/dark and indoor/outdoor settings, the mirror on the front of the camera, and two shutter buttons for either landscape or portrait photographs. Also, the lithium batteries are not hard to find for sale online; I haven't had to replace ours yet, but we know that availability and price would afford on inconvenience.

I have loved it; it was perfect for the party and I still use it frequently. The film is fairly inexpensive, so we continue to use it. The pictures are the size of a credit card with white borders, and the camera comfortably fits in a small purse. On our honeymoon, the good quality allowed us to take pictures of us in front of landmarks and beautiful areas. Also, a little mirror resides on the front of the camera to facilitate quick self-portraits, which can be taped later into journals as keepsakes. Learning which lighting settings work best in certain conditions took some trial and error, but every picture turned out vintage-y and fun, so no film was wasted.

One last word on durability: I didn't have the wrist strap around my arm and accidentally dropped the camera on a ceramic-tiled floor. The film flew out of the back of the camera, but nothing broke off or dented. The camera still looks great and functions optimally, and I only lost the top film, the rest of the cartridge still printed great pictures. That was a while ago, and I haven't had any problems at all!



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GoPro HERO

CUSTOMER REVIEW



My buddy works for these guys and i got to see this one weekend. This changes the whole "action" based camera scene. At a measly $129, you really can capture a lot of great video at great specs. Obvious draw backs, Internal battery (cannot remove so you will have to do with about 1.5hrs of video at a time before plugging in), no remote capabilities even though the go pro remote is grossly overpriced, around $80. I originally found it annoying not having a remote to trigger the camera. but with the different shutter speeds you really don't mind.



But if you want the interchangeable batteries for longer usage while out, and having a remote. Get the go pro 3 silver or white edition. white edition is only $199, so for $70 more you can start to alleviate some of these pains.



I think this camera is great for back ups for professionals or for concert go-ers on a budget looking to capture great video and pictures at a low price from a renowned company. Or hey, were going on vacation and want a cool camera to take under water or on a hike. here you go. I have a dog so i wouldn't mind getting one to put on him, and this fits the bill.



With this new line up, go-pro will own the market indefinitely.



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Bell+Howell 9434 Clever Grip Air Vent Portable easy phone mount good for all smart phones

CUSTOMER REVIEW



A little disappointed in it. Turns out the vents in my truck are a bit too far away for it to be practical. If I want to make a call, or check an email (at a stop light), I need to remove the phone from the brace or take it off the vent. Either way, kind of defeats the purpose. And if you do remove it from the vent, don't try to put it back on while driving...definitely takes 2 hands.



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