# Which "go pro"?



## PBH

I want to buy a "go pro" camera -- something for taking pictures and videos of our outdoor activities, particularly fishing. There are a lot of different brands and models to choose from.

What do you guys use and recommend? Stick with Go Pro brand (Hero 5?), or is there something else that might be a little cheaper that works equally as well?

good, bad, ugly. Let's hear it.


----------



## Fowlmouth

I picked up a GoPro camera with the intention of using it for hunting/fishing. I used it a few times, and back in the box it went. Everyone I know pretty much did the same thing. We were all excited to get them, used them very little and lost interest quickly.

Good luck in your search!


----------



## TPrawitt91

Haha fowl is right. But I recently decided to bust it out of the box and use it. My problem was I spent the money on the camera and didn't want to keep spending money on accessories. Amazon has a 50 piece accessory kit for 20 bucks I recently purchased. I have had that go pro for 3 years and used it maybe 5 times. Unacceptable!


----------



## DallanC

When you buy GoPro you are paying alot for just the name. I learned about SJCam's from a member here and they were identical to the GoPro's for a helluva lot less money. Actually the one I ordered had more features at the time than the latest gopro. They fit all the gopro attachments and doo-dads.

I've used mine a ton, still going strong. I hook it to the downrigger and video fish hookups / reactions when trolling. My boy took it river rafting a the 'Gorge. Its been very durable. They are probably alot cheaper now with alot more features.

Found a link: $73 https://www.banggood.com/SJcam-SJ40...Novatek-Waterproof-p-939976.html?rmmds=search

-DallanC


----------



## wyogoob

*once-used GoPros for sale*



Fowlmouth said:


> I picked up a GoPro camera with the intention of using it for hunting/fishing. I used it a few times, and back in the box it went. Everyone I know pretty much did the same thing. We were all excited to get them, used them very little and lost interest quickly.
> 
> Good luck in your search!


I'm with you Fowl. I'd rather not have a video record of most of the stuff I do.

.


----------



## DallanC

I learned more about Kokanee fishing from hanging a camera on my ball, than anything I'd ever read or heard about from people or the internet. Its fascinating to see their reactions to different things.

I broke ours out last night to let my boy use this weekend, his scouts are going rappelling in Goblin Valley.


-DallanC


----------



## PBH

wyogoob -- so, have you got a once used GoPro for sale, or what?

It looks like the Akaso is basically a gopro, for considerably less. One thing that is very nice about the Hero5 is that it doesn't need to have the extra waterproof housing.

Jury is still out. Nobody has convinced me of anything at this point.


----------



## derekp1999

I bought an Apeman from Amazon a couple months back and I've used it a couple times. I've been pretty happy with it. It came with a bunch of accessories, all I had to pick up was a silly selfie-stick thingie...
https://www.amazon.com/Waterproof-U...8-2-spons&keywords=apeman+action+camera&psc=1

The wifi feature is pretty cool, I can see what the camera sees on my phone and remotely control the camera, although it does run down the battery on the phone pretty quick so I only use that feature in short bursts.


----------



## Wasatch Wings

I like my GoPro 3 black. Takes good pictures and videos, but you have to be closer than you think to your object. 

I would personally prefer a newer version which has the built in camera viewer on the back while learning to frame your pics and videos. 

Buy a cheap accessory kit and have fun with it! 

The houses you can put them in work well. We throw them off cliffs when swimming. I wear one on my head when bird hunting when I remember.


----------



## gdog

Wasatch Wings said:


> Takes good pictures and videos, but you have to be closer than you think to your object.


^^This^^ You really need to have the action right in front of you. I've worn mine bird hunting and if the birds are not really close...its doesn't turn out very well. I know on the older models "narrow" setting worked better.


----------



## DallanC

The "far away" feeling is due to it having such a wide angle lens. You can get new lenses for some of these cameras that make it seem more normal, but with the downside of a narrower view.


-DallanC


----------



## bow_dude

I had a go pro hero 3+. The picture quality (color, white balance) was terrible. I contacted go pro and was told it was normal. I had to use a picture program to adjust the color to more of my liking. Pictures seemed to be really washed out. I got rid of the go pro and picked up a Sony. Much better quality plus it had a stabilization feature. Go Pro came out with the hero 4+ and they claimed the white balance was better and picture quality improved. The 5 really looks tempting plus it has the stabilization. I have the wrist band with my Sony that allows me to see what I am shooting which is a huge advantage. I can also control the on off and other setting features with the wrist band. I mount my camera to the outside of my truck or side by side and control the on off from my wrist instead of having to reach outside the vehicle to turn it on or off. The back view finder would be good to see what you are shooting but if you mount it on your head or anyplace else, it really can't be viewed to make sure you are taking a picture of what you think you are. If you are going to hold it in your hand so you can see what you are taking a picture of, you might as well go with a full size video camera and use a view finder and have zoom control. 

The size of the subject is greatly diminished in the video due to the wide angle and I really hated the "fish eye" that it produced. Narrow view was my preferred setting which made things a little more close up and got rid of the fish eye effect. You can purchase after market lenses that will zoom in closer. I purchased one for the go pro and it was also interchangeable with my Sony. I kept the lens and put it in my Sony and have been quite happy with it. 

There are a lot of Hero fan boys out there that feel go pro is tops. Really not the case, there are a lot of other brands that do the same thing for much less. To be honest, I prefer the Go Pro size and camera configuration to the Sony, but for the picture results, Sony is much better. I don't use mine too much either. If you want one for action shots then the action camera is the way to go. I like to mount it on my hat. If you are wanting to take movies around the house, they work but are an expensive item and really don't work that well. A full size video camera is the way to go. I mount mine to my hat or head when ice fishing, walking around in the woods, riding my UTV or driving somewhere with the camera mounted to the outside of the vehicle. I even tied mine to my fishing line and dropped it down the hole when ice fishing once. Got some good pictures of under the ice. For most videos, I use my I-phone. The Sony sits in the case a lot.


----------

