GoPro releases new HD HERO2 camera system

John_Cline wrote on 10/24/2011, 3:40 AM
1920x1080p | 960x540p | 1280x720p | 848x480p
120 | 60 | 48 | 30 FPS
10 Photos/sec 11MP
170° | 127° | 90° FOV

Mini-HDMI port, Composite port, USB, SD, HERO port,
3.5mm External Stereo Mic port

Wi-Fi Remote Control
Wi-Fi video preview + playback
Wi-Fi streaming to web
Camera control via smartphone, tablet and computer app

http://gopro.com/hd-hero2-cameras/

Comments

farss wrote on 10/24/2011, 5:12 AM
No 25fps?
Still no viewfinder?
At least the price for the package seems more reasonable.
They had to do something with so much competition out there.

Bob.
im.away wrote on 10/24/2011, 6:20 AM
Looks like some nice new features in a camera that has quite acceptable quality. That said, I purchased my GoPro Hero HD with all the best intentions of using it for a million and one things but have generally just faffed around with it and, in reality, have sold just 62 seconds of vision taken by it in two years of ownership.

@ Bob (farss) Sure, no viewfinder, but I did purchase the piggyback LCD display for mine and that has help a lot with framing shots....especially when the camera is mounted low and I don't particularly want to get down on my belly to frame the shot. The LCD gives me a passing chance at a good shot, while still staying on my feet (or at worst, my knees.)

I can't see myself upgrading for a while yet....at least until the one I have now has paid for itself.

Russ
goshep wrote on 10/24/2011, 7:12 AM
WVGA: 848×480, 120FPS + 60FPS

I was prepared for a resolution hit at 120fps but was thinking along the lines of 1280x720.

Call me a curmudgeon but I'm still irked that they haven't offered an affordable solution for the blurry underwater video. They ought to at least offer something cheaper than the current third-party solutions.

Regardless, it's a snazzy bit of kit for the price.
Steve Mann wrote on 10/24/2011, 9:28 AM
Why would I want to pay for a viewfinder and the added weight on a camera that is mostly unmanned?

The fact that the viewfinder is an option, which I bought, is a major plus for this camera.
John_Cline wrote on 10/24/2011, 2:57 PM
Apparently, you can use a smartphone, tablet or computer via Wi-Fi as a live viewfinder. You can also control it via Wi-Fi, too. I could think of a lot of uses for both these features.
farss wrote on 10/24/2011, 4:03 PM
"Apparently, you can use a smartphone, tablet or computer via Wi-Fi as a live viewfinder. You can also control it via Wi-Fi, too. I could think of a lot of uses for both these features"

Agree, that could be VERY handy.
As I think I've mentioned before the LCD on the back of the Crocolis is great but mostly when you want to use it for framing you cannot see it. Even plugging in an external monitor via HDMI would have been impossible in one way I was using it and a PIA in another. Being able to check framing via some wireless connection is definately a considerable step forward although I hope turning on WiFi isn't going to reduce battery life.

Bob.
alltheseworlds wrote on 10/25/2011, 3:03 AM
Looking at the gallery of stills is also pretty impressive. It seems to handle backlight very well - somehow. I'm very close to pushing the button and getting one of these. The mic-in (albeit with AGC) is a plus and the upcoming smartphone looks good too.

I like how they've gone for a completely different suite of features than the usual dedicated prosumer videocam or video-enabled DSLR/4-3. It feels that this is at least a true alternative rather than a slightly different flavor of the standard issue kit.