GoPro HD HERO2 reviews. GoPro HD Hero2 camera review Comparative testing in the same conditions

I first got acquainted with this unusual camera when I was snowboarding and I certainly had no intention of writing an article about it. However, over time, the materials shot by this device have accumulated, which means it's time to get acquainted with the miniature 11-megapixel photo-video camera in more detail.

At first, the camera seemed to me to be a simple recorder, only for people. In fact, it is, but the GoPro has more features, and accessories too. In fairness, we note that the price is also of a different order. So, the HD Hero 2 is the newest extreme model in the GoPro lineup, or, as it is also called, an action camera.

You've probably read about extreme compact cameras... In our reviews, we considered models such as and. For the most part, these cameras are very similar. They are housed in durable magnesium alloy housings, and the joints are protected by rubber inserts. Cameras can withstand immersion to a depth of ten meters, do not fail when dropped from a height of up to two meters, and are protected from moisture and dust. Otherwise, they are ordinary cameras, only with a special subject for underwater shooting and a powerful protective glass on the lens.

It might seem that the GoPro must have a lot in common with these cameras. This is not the case, HD Hero 2 is completely different. It has no screen, only a monochrome LCD display, optics is a fisheye lens with a 170-degree viewing angle ... And only two control buttons.

Appearance

A camera is like a miniature brick, much smaller than any consumer camera. The model turned out exactly like this for several reasons. Usually, self-filming when doing extreme sports is very distracting. Even during relaxed snorkeling, you will notice how uncomfortable it is to do it with an underwater camera in one of your hands.

When snowboarding or skiing, shooting is even more difficult - the hands are either busy or are involved in balancing. In each case, working with a compact camera during extreme sports is fraught with a great risk to the health of the owner.

The meaning of GoPro and other action cameras is precisely this: not to bind the owner's movements, not to occupy his hands, and in general not to remind of himself in any way until the moment you get to the computer. And also - turn on easily and quickly, even if from strong excitement your IQ has dropped below the temperature on the thermometer.

The HD Hero 2 camera supports BacPac accessories. This could be an extra battery, a Wi-Fi module, or even a removable LCD screen. The camera came to our review with a removable display. The latter is connected very simply, as a module. The screen resolution is about 230,000 pixels, but the viewing angles are frankly weak, especially for such a small camera, which is supposed to be used wherever possible, but not at eye level.

With the display accessory, the camera can be used like a regular soap dish. The small footprint allows you to shoot discreetly in places where the camera might draw extra attention. With fisheye optics, everything gets into the frame.

However, the BacPac LCD is more than adequate as a tool for quick viewing of materials, working with settings and easy sighting. The screen also has a speaker and volume control.

On the other hand, hands-free shooting of both stills and rollers guarantees powerful shaking. As a result - an unpleasant video (requires processing in the editor) and a large percentage of blurry images. In our practice, the camera did not set the shutter speed for more than 1/4 of a second.

Perhaps one of the most important features of a GoPro system is its flexibility. Thanks to a bunch of accessories, the device can be mounted on all possible surfaces: with a rubber pad-sticker on a flexible surface, on a pipe, on a helmet, on an arm, on a head, on a body, on a ventilated helmet.

The company recently announced a new 3D video shooting kit. Two cameras are synchronized with each other through a special module in a special case, which allows you to achieve a stereo effect.

The built-in battery of the camera allows you to record 2.5-3 hours of video. With the LCD BacPac installed, the camera can shoot for no more than an hour. For long and serious shooting, it is recommended to take another battery - the BacPac accessory.

Perhaps the easiest option is to secure the device and shoot non-stop. Only in this way you will not miss all the interesting moments. back side medals - the video will be sooo much and most of it will go to the basket.

The camera body is made of polycarbonate plastic on a metal frame. Even without protection, the device can withstand heavy loads, withstand drops and uncomfortable conditions such as rain and dust without any problems. However, it makes no sense to subject the camera to such tests without protection. Any HD Hero 2 package includes a special transparent case that protects against aggressive environments. It allows you to dive to a depth of 60 meters, protects against impacts and getting wet. The protective case also has a universal contact for attaching to all accessories.

There are several options for completing the device - for those who are fond of cycling, for underwater filming, for winter species sports and so on. By and large, all the differences are in the set of universal mounts.

There is also a suction cup for mounting on the glass, and a rubber band for wearing on the head.

In addition, there are plastic pads that are easy to stick, for example, on a helmet, special ties on the chest.

In the protective case, the camera is fixed with a special screw. The camera can be fully controlled through the box, for this purpose there are metal buttons with a spring mechanism.

The plastic of the HD Hero 2 itself has a light rubber coating, which allows you to lay the device at an angle on different surfaces. Thanks to this dusting, the camera is firmly fixed inside the protective case. The toggle buttons are also rubber coated. As you can see, it will cover. There is a slot for memory cards, there is an HDMI connector.

On the front of the camera there is a monochromatic information screen, lens, indicator lamp and mode switch and navigation key.

The HD Hero 2 is equipped with a fisheye lens with a 170-degree viewing angle. The viewing angle can be less - 127 and 90 degrees. In practice, this is similar to digital zoom, but without loss of quality. The fact is that an 11-megapixel 1 / 2.3 ″ CMOS matrix (the same as in any compact camera) is enough for shooting Full HD video. Reduced angle photos are simply reduced in resolution, for example, up to 5 megapixels at a viewing angle of 90 degrees.

The monochrome screen collects all the service information about the operation of the camera. It shows the battery charge, resolution and number of shots before the memory card is full, information about the current viewing angle of the device.

Camera in operation

The camera records video clips with sound. There is even a special warning about this on the lid: so that the wind noise on high speed did not cut ears, at speeds up to 160 km / h it is recommended to use a rear cover with slots (skeleton cover), over 160 km / h - to place the camera in a completely sealed container.

Microphones are located on the top and bottom of the device. It should be noted that the sound quality is not high. Perhaps, for the most part, this is not required, anyway, during editing, most of the scenes are replaced by cheerful music. However, if sound recording is relevant for you, then you can use the microphone jack. It is located on the right side of the camera body.

There is also a connector for connecting to speakers. Between them there is a connector for connecting a USB cable. The footage is downloaded from the camera via USB, and the device itself is charged.

The protective case has a dense rubber insert between the parts, it snaps into place easily even when wearing gloves.

As we noted, you can change the shooting mode, turn on / off the camera and start shooting even when the HD Hero 2 is in a protective case.

It is convenient to work with the camera, even if it is mounted on your helmet or fixed in an uncomfortable position. Turning on, the device beeps 3 times, turning off - 7 times. All navigation is accompanied by sound signals. During recording, the LED on the front of the case flashes red.

Such minimalism in the governing bodies leaves an ambivalent impression. On the one hand, it is extremely easy to operate the camera - even in extreme conditions, you can quickly start recording without being distracted from the process. On the other hand, working with the settings takes more time: it may take up to 10 keystrokes to change the resolution, and 50-60 keystrokes to set the date.

By the way, forget about the settings. The only thing that can be set from them is the type of metering. Exposure, white balance and shutter speed are determined by the camera itself. In good light, the white balance works adequately, even with a lot of snow in the mountains, the colors are correct. Under artificial moderate lighting, the colors become muted, with artificial good lighting, they become yellowish. When shooting during sunset hours, the HD Hero 2 is prone to under-light, and the white balance shifts to warm tones.

The camera allows you to shoot Full HD video at 30 frames / s, video at 960p at 48 frames / s, HD 720p at 60 frames / s. Also, at a resolution of 848 × 480, you can shoot at a frequency of up to 120 frames / s and, if desired, get 4 times slow-motion dynamic scenes. It is impossible to imagine the camera in question without this function.

There are several modes for taking photos. These are regular single-frame shooting, self-timer shooting up to one minute, interval shooting and high-speed continuous shooting.

The shooting interval can be set from 1/2 to 5 seconds. The quality of photographs is sufficient for editing small timelapse videos, especially if these are bright sunset scenes, some kind of high-altitude shooting or passing a trail in the mountains. Night videos will be very noisy with muted colors.

10fps continuous shooting captures particularly vivid dynamics in detail. The only limiting factor is the speed of the memory card. The faster it is, the sooner the device will unload the contents of the buffer and the sooner it will be ready for the next shot. GoPro advises using cards no slower than Class 10, we join.

Photos and videos

★★★★★ Rating: 5 out of 5

Advantages: -Quality of shooting. It's gorgeous.
-Excellent withstand non-weak impacts (except for the lens). I hit it a couple of times, and quite seriously, there are not even scratches.
- Cheapness of accessories. If something breaks / falls off / is lost, you can easily buy missing / broken parts. For quite a divine price by the way.
-Convenient mounts.
-Excellent keeps moisture even not in a waterproof case. I got caught in heavy rain and continued to work.
-Wide-angle shooting. Real fish practically.
-Rather cheap memory cards for this camera.
-The size. Fits in the palm of your hand, as big as a matchbox, as thick as two.

Disadvantages: -Low sound quality.
-Working hours. Filmed as 720 60 fps, sat down after 2.5 hours. Well, okay, you can buy an additional battery.
-Be careful, very often (at least for me) the battery was discharged when the camera was turned off. I don’t know what it’s connected with.
- lack of a screen. Although, again, you can buy it for five pieces. Maybe this is for the best, because with the screen, the strength would decrease.
-A huge amount of noise in low light.
-A pretty fragile lens on the box. I scratched it a little, as a result, when shooting, there is a certain "blur" in the place of the scratch. We'll have to change.
-Sometimes it gets warm. But even with strong overheating, it cannot break, because when a certain temperature is reached, it turns off.
-Another weak point in the box rather than in the camera itself is the place where the strap attaches to the platform on which the camera is mounted. Tears at the seam with some effort, there is a very real possibility of losing the camera. However, everything is quite easy to fix if you know how to hold a needle and thread in your hands.

Commentary: One of the best (if not the best) action cameras so far. Only Pentax Optio WG-2 can compete with it. I bought it six months ago, I'm happy as an elephant.
PS: I do not advise taking this model. Hero 3 was announced in October, so you better wait until it comes out and get it. Will be on sale sometime in December.

Ivan Zvyagintsev enjoys GoPro HD HERO2 several months

Is the review helpful? Yes 42No 1

★★★★★ Rating: 5 out of 5

Advantages: Polycarbonate body (shooting in any conditions + underwater shooting)
-Wide angle with the ability to reduce
-Very good shooting in low light conditions. Highly!
-Simplified management. Start shooting at power on function
-Opportunities to increase functionality due to a large number of additional accessories.

Disadvantages: -No screen
-Poor sound quality (although it is possible to connect an external microphone)

Commentary: I haven't found any competitors in terms of image quality yet! I will add that you cannot shoot underwater with a whale box - the image will be blurry, out of focus. For shooting underwater, you need a Dive Housing underwater box, which has a flat lens, then the image quality will be the same as on land)

Dimoon35 has been using GoPro HD HERO2 for several months

Is the review helpful? Yes 27No 4

★★★★★ Rating: 5 out of 5

Pluses: Small. Although larger than the GoPro 3, the significant gains in size and weight are only felt when using the camera with BacPac accessories. Further, for this size, the video quality is excellent. Quite an adequate price if you take it from the USA. Possibility to connect a display / second battery / WiFi unit. Huge variety of mounts and accessories, incl. from third party manufacturers. Box glass lens, scratch resistant during transportation. Enough number of modes, although all work only on cars. Ability to connect an external microphone 3.5 mm.

Disadvantages: Not best material for a clip (snap fastening). The tendril of the clip can easily break without any load, which, however, happened to me. Spherical lens, underwater image out of focus. Fixed by flat lens box, sold separately. The moment of fogging of the camera during the transition from cold to warm is also not taken into account. Corrected by Antifog inserts, purchased separately. There are no lens caps available, but can be purchased from third party manufacturers. Well, the main drawback of ALL GoPro, not only the second, is the software. GoPro has it very raw. Repeatedly read messages about camera failures during flashing. Well, without any reason, you shouldn't do this.

Commentary: GoPro 3+ has already been released, but this one still amazes me. There are rumors they say "it sucks in low light, photos in the dark are terrible", etc. My opinion: this is not what it was created for. I didn't buy the display because I don't see the point in it, it's easier to buy a WiFi BacPac (I plan to purchase it), turn on the live broadcast and use a smartphone. I took the camera from the USA, thanks to which I saved a lot. Submerged under water for 10 meters, not a hint of a leak. In this regard, it proved to be excellent. They produce it and accessories in China, but in a fairly high quality, to save money. Don't find fault with the assembly. In general, I am very pleased with the camera as well as with its mounts. I have been using it almost since the beginning of its sales, I reflashed it only twice (if you do everything exactly according to the instructions, or better according to the video instructions, there should be no problems), there were no problems with this. In general, this is one of the most ingenious inventions of mankind, which is worth acquiring. Well, at the time of this writing, you need to purchase GoPro 3+ already.

Oznobikhin Egor has been using GoPro HD HERO2 for over a year

Is the review helpful? Yes 13No 0

★★★★ ☆ Rating: 4 out of 5

You can take this model, but it's better to wait for Hero3

Pluses: The picture quality is simply gorgeous. Day and night. Night shooting, as I understand it, is generally a sore spot for all DVRs, but not in this case! Wide viewing angle. 170 degrees, practically fisheye. A sturdy case, it happened that I dropped it on the asphalt and on concrete - nothing, at least that. A universal mount - you can mount it on the glass in your car, you can mount it on the handlebars of a motorcycle, you can even mount it on a helmet. You just need to stock up on the appropriate accessories. And here is the plus, that they are on sale and at quite divine prices. It is considered officially waterproof, worked quietly several times in heavy rain, and according to the manufacturer, you can dive up to 60 meters with it. Those. you are buying not just a car recorder, but a multifunctional device that can be used not only in a car. The dimensions are almost the size of a matchbox, does not attract unnecessary attention. Management is minimalist, it starts to shoot itself just when you turn on the power. Can be used simply as a camera.

Disadvantages: That disappointed with the sound. With ideal picture quality, the sound is not very well written. Although there is a jack for connecting an external microphone if it is so critical. Since the device is essentially for extreme lovers, there is no screen. On the one hand, there is a disadvantage and inconvenience - you cannot quickly view the footage, on the other hand, you need to understand which device you buy and use for its intended purpose. If you need to quickly study the footage, then another model is more suitable for you. It happens that it gets hot. But this does not matter, since there is a circuit breaker in the event of a really critical overheating.

We say "extreme camcorder" - we mean GoPro. And vice versa. This trademark has long and firmly rooted in the minds of the masses as a synonym for a video camera designed for shooting in conditions where a conventional camera is absolutely useless. Shocks, dust and dirt, watery environments, low or high temperatures are almost guaranteed to kill a standard camcorder. While the heroes of today's review of these conditions simply will not notice. If, of course, they are equipped with special protective devices.

Design, technical characteristics

We have been expecting such an opportunity for a long time to get two of these devices at once. Finally, the wishes came true, and both cameras are in front of us. Let's agree: in all the following photos and in the tables on the left there will always be new model- Hero2.

The camera bodies are made of durable polycarbonate combined with stainless steel to reinforce the structure. A burning question: are there any differences in the design of the devices? Yes, we couldn't do without them. So, Hero2 has two more LEDs that signal the camera's operating mode. The first newbie is located on the top of the case, next to the ShutterSelect button. The material from which the control buttons are made has changed - now they are rubber. The location of the built-in microphone remains the same, it still hides under three holes.

Unfortunately, the manufacturer does not provide sensible information about the used optics or processor, limiting itself to beautiful marketing templates " Lens - Sharp" and " Low Light - Professional". So, it is argued that the Hero2 version uses optics that allow you to get twice as clear a picture as in Hero (remember this), and a twice as powerful processor. It is difficult to judge the actual characteristics by such vague definitions, without knowing the initial values.

The miniature LCD screen in the new camera model looks a little different - indeed, it is different here, and allows you to display more characters. The backlight, unfortunately, did not appear. The size of the recording LED located in the center of the front of the cameras has changed to increase.

The left side of the case looks the same, but this is a misconception. The assignment of the I / O ports has changed here, and significantly. Except, perhaps, the USB port - it still supports version 2.0, but it is flipped 180 °. The rest of the differences can be seen in the table below.

The back of the cases is almost identical, with the exception of one more, already the third in a row, LED recording indicator, which was added to Hero2. This indicator is located above the proprietary Hero Bus port. Thus, the new Hero2 with its three bulbs looks like a Christmas tree.

The next most important difference is the HDMI port, which is built into the Hero2. It is located next to the memory card slot. For this reason, Hero2 had to move a miniature beeper (sound alarm) to the bottom of the camera body.

The bottom of the Hero2 is significantly different from its predecessor camera; here we see the fourth (!) LED indicator and three holes, under which the same beeper is hidden, which beep-beep when the buttons are pressed.

The design of the battery compartment cover has not changed, nor has the lithium-ion battery used by the camera: 3.7 V 100 mAh 4.07 Wh.

It might make sense to talk about the many accessories recommended for use with the cameras under study. However, to do this within the framework of this article, to put it mildly, is difficult, since there are simply a terrible number of such accessories - any promoted brand would be envious. By the way, the cost of the gadgets suggests that the GoPro brand does not make a profit at all due to the sale of the actual video cameras. So, only one underwater box for GoPro is estimated by the seller at 2,000 rubles. Perceptible? Undoubtedly. We can only be glad that the company that develops cameras and accessories for them has not yet thought of changing the form factor of the devices to such an extent that their new versions will become incompatible with accessories designed for the previous versions of the GoPro HD Hero. At the same time, we hope that the representatives brand will not read the previous sentence, otherwise - who knows! - they will take it and embody it.

The main technical characteristics of video cameras are given in the table, if the parameters coincide, the data are recorded in one common cell. Video modes are shown in PAL configuration.

Video / photography

First of all, I would like to take advantage of the presence of two almost identical cameras, combining them into a pair for shooting stereoscopic video (now it is fashionable to call this - 3D video). But to do this is not as easy as it might seem to the ignorant - it is absolutely not enough to place two cameras on the bar, each with masking tape. The fact is that in stereoscopic photography there is such a concept as a point of convergence: stereo lenses, like human eyes, must be directed to this point. Quite complex and fine tuning is obtained, requiring long and serious preparation. A video filmed without such preparations is unlikely to delight anyone. So, something with a hint of pseudo-volume.

Apparently, we were not the first with our tramp trick - the developer of GoPro cameras has already announced his new development, another accessory -. Indeed, with the help of such a "holder" the user will be able to securely fix the cameras at a "competent" angle, which in the end may well give a "correct" stereo video.

The next question that will certainly interest a potential camera owner is the angle of view. Yes, the previous version of the camera - Hero - has fixed viewing angles equal to 127 ° when shooting in 1920 × 1080 mode and 170 ° when shooting in all other modes; they cannot be changed, they are rigidly tied to the video resolution. Unlike its predecessor, the new implementation of the camera - Hero2 - is equipped with the ability to change the viewing angle, here you can choose from two more options: 170 ° and 90 °. However, changing angles is not available in all recording modes:

Due to the absence of any mechanics moving the lens in the optical system of the camera, the angle is changed by software: for shooting at 170 °, all 11 megapixels of the matrix are used, at 127 °, 8 megapixels are used, and at 90 °, 5 megapixels are used. Let's see how the character of the image changes when shooting with the Hero2 camera with different viewing angles:

By all appearances, we actually have a kind of electronic zoom. However, unlike electronic zoom in cameras with small matrices, the image resolution does not suffer here, since the number of pixels is excessive even when shooting with a 90 ° angle. But excuse me, after all, to record video even at its maximum resolution of 1920 × 1080, only two and a few megapixels are required. Why more?

Here we are faced with a well-known trick used in absolutely all cameras and some video cameras: line thinning, or the colander effect. Take a look at your surroundings through its holes, and mentally bring all these holes into one frame - you will get the desired picture. It is in this way that the information taken from the matrix is ​​recorded: we take one line, throw out two. Etc. As a result of such thinning, the well-known "steps" are observed in the frame on inclined objects (steps appear especially brightly on the wires). By the way, in the previous version of the camera - Hero - there are almost no such steps:

In theory, this thinning also increases the effect named rolling shutter, which is inevitable in MOS matrices - the more pixels on the matrix, the stronger it is.

Another point of your attention: let's try to compare the video taken by our cameras with the same viewing angle (127 °) in 1920 × 1080 mode. Are they the same, these angles?

More and more interesting and curious. The reader must have felt agony due to vague doubts. Well, it doesn't seem that in both cases the cameras are filmed with the same viewing angle. Take a look at the edges of the frames - Hero2 shoots clearly from a lower angle. Okay, so if we set up the Hero2 to shoot at 170 ° and compare it to the Hero at its default 127 °, what do we see?

Some kind of nonsense ... 170 ° in the representation of Hero2 a little more than 127 ° in the performance of Hero? Of course, during the test shooting, the cameras were not directed to one point - this cannot be done, because the devices do not have screens. Also, spherical distortions that Hero2 suffers from make their correction to the incorrect representation of angles. See how much closer these twins are in shooting Hero2. road signs... But the shooting was carried out from one point, the cameras actually touched each other on their sides.

Perhaps the most accurate measurements should be taken. True, we do not have at our disposal a large empty hall, the walls of which we could disfigure by graduation, turning it into a giant protractor. Therefore, we will use the photo from the window, superimposing it on the satellite image, courtesy of the Google mapping service. Simple work in a graphics editor - and here it is, the result. The yellow circle shows the shooting point, red lines - the "firing sector", the angle obtained when shooting. Inside this sector there is a number indicating the exact degree of the resulting view.

As you can see in the picture, instead of the declared 127 °, the GoPro HD Hero is gaining no more than 105 °. What does the GoPro HD Hero2 tell us about this? Let's take a look.

Comment? Perhaps we can draw the following conclusion: each developer of any technique has its own method of testing the resulting products. One thing is certain - our method of determining the viewing angle is fundamentally different from the method used by GoPro engineers.

Here we should thank our experienced colleagues who explained these conflicts. The fact is that the angle of view of the lens, stated in the specifications, should not be understood directly, but ... slightly at an angle. There is an ancient standard that the angle of view of a lens in technical characteristics ah is indicated for the diagonal of the frame. Thus, a fisheye lens with a projection close to equidistant at a horizontal angle of 105 ° gives exactly 128 ° for the diagonal!

However, one should not forget about one important parameter that prevents an absolutely accurate comparative measurement: in Hero2, the effect fish eye is much more pronounced in comparison with Hero. It is enough to trace the apparent distance to road signs, or trace the curvature of electrical wires to understand: in the previous version of the camera, the lens straightens the image well (the closer to the edge of the frame, the more the image tries to straighten), while Hero2 carelessly continues to twist the picture in sphere.

Below are stills and original videos captured by both cameras in some of the more distinctive modes. Thumbnails are 100% crop taken from stills. Clicking on a thumbnail will open the full frame.

GoPro HD Hero2
1920 × 1080 25p, movie	1280 × 720 25p, movie	1280 × 720 50p, movie
1280 × 960 25p, movie	1280 × 960 50p, movie	848 × 480 100p, movie
1920 × 1080 25p 90 °, movie	1920 × 1080 25p 127 °, movie	1920 × 1080 25p 170 °, movie

GoPro HD Hero

Hero2's video is harsh, aggressive. In contrast, the Hero looks smoother due to the use of lenses with less contrast than the Hero2. The following video will show the objective difference between these two shots:

As for the details, it is too early to draw conclusions yet. They will definitely be, but at the end of the article.

Enough about the corners and quality. Let's take a look at what shots can be obtained from different angles using different ways mount cameras. On the left side of the video, the camera is shot from the camera, fixed on the operator's chest, on the right side, the camera is fixed on the head.

Here it may seem more preferable option when the camera is fixed on the operator's chest, and not on the head. The dangling head introduces a little more chaotic movement, while the torso acts as a kind of steadicam.

Separately, I would like to consider the ability of the GoPro HD Hero2 camera to shoot at a rate of 100 frames per second. Unfortunately, when shooting at this frequency, the frame resolution is limited to an indistinct 848 × 480. Nevertheless, such a video can be painlessly slowed down four times!

To prove that cameras need light, light, and more light, here's a video filmed in a gym, illuminated by dim fluorescent lamps.

Colored noise is annoying, disfiguring the picture. Such a video clearly needs a thorough cleaning up. By the way, at first this shooting was carried out in the NTSC standard, as a result, the owner of the cameras was perplexed about the flicker that had come from nowhere. But the box just opened: for shooting in Russia and Europe, the cameras need to be converted to the PAL standard, and any flickering will disappear.

During testing, we managed to take pictures under water, albeit again in low light conditions. The cameras were located in underwater boxes, which were attached to the diving head. In this video, the difference in sensitivity of the Hero and Hero2 cameras is clearly visible.

Finally, consider the photographic capabilities of cameras. The table of technical characteristics of the devices provides a list of modes in which the devices are capable of shooting. In the Hero2 camera, this list is slightly wider; in particular, a new frequency has been added to the interval shooting mode - 0.5 sec. The batch photography mode has also been expanded: the new camera is able to take 10 shots in one second, while its predecessor will only master three shots. The following video shows the result of time-lapse photography, and sample shots can be downloaded below.

Comparative testing under the same conditions

This testing is carried out according to the published methodology in order to establish the sensitivity of the video camera under unchanged conditions, as well as to determine the relative clarity of the displayed picture; the results of these tests are accumulated on

The GoPro HD Hero2 is an extreme camera with a durable body that mounts almost anywhere: on the head; in the chest area; on a surfboard; by car; and even in a hot air balloon.

The camera itself is a simple gray box stuffed with technological "niceties" for fast video processing. 1 / 2.3-inch 11MP sensor is capable of capturing video in resolutions from 720p in HD quality (1280x720 pixels) at 30 or 60 frames per second up to 1080p (1920 x 1089) at 30 frames per second in NTSC quality ... The camera also records in PAL format from 25 to 100 frames per second.

If you reduce the resolution to WVGA format (848 × 480 pixels), you can record up to 120 fps (it is most suitable for slow motion the highest quality). Convex f / 2.8 lens with 170-degree field of view for extreme shooting in all conditions.

Navigating the camera is very easy thanks to the buttons on the body, which are spring-loaded, eliminating actions such as accidentally turning off the camera, thanks to human factor... The front panel has a button for navigating through the settings and switching shooting modes. And on top there is a button for, directly, the main function - shooting.

While the GoPro HD Hero2: Outdoor Edition does not have manual controls for adjusting exposure, the camera easily adapts to any lighting conditions thanks to the ability to enable spot metering (for example, when you are filming the outside world from inside a dark car).

Thanks to this feature, you can attach the camera to your bike and choose the route to follow through the tunnel in sunny weather. When you view the finished video material, you will undoubtedly be pleasantly surprised. Despite extreme conditions, the video will contain a minimum amount of noise with a very high quality picture.

Waterproof box allows you to surf with this camera. The only negative: sea drops, which, willy-nilly, fell on the lens.

However, without a special waterproof box (for a fee) called Dive Housing, you will not be able to produce quality underwater photography. This is due to the fact that the box is equipped with a special lens protector, without which the camera can only shoot over waves.

Camera weight: 222g including special helmet mount (2 eggs). Agree - this is normal. Although from the outside you will look a little strange)

If you think that you absolutely do not need a LCD display (and it comes as an additional component), then you can save money and weight of the camera itself.

The LCD screen connects to the back of the camera, which is also used if you want to connect another GoPro HD Hero2 for 3D shooting. Other connections are located on the side of the camera, notably the USB port, HDMI mini port, composite video port, and stereo microphone input.

The camera has four LED indicators, one on each side of the perimeter.

Verdict

If you like to take risks, you should seriously consider purchasing action camera GoPro HD Hero2: Outdoor Edition. Rest assured, it won't let you down when it comes to high-quality HD video footage!