GoPro Hero4

[MetroMan]

So the new GoPro Hero4 is being released tomorrow. Anybody thinking about buying one? I am. I currently use two Contour (+2) cameras. I'm thinking about switching over and upgrading.

[scorpioreno]

I thought long and hard about it. I must have stared at the Buy screen with my hand quivering over the purchase button. I ended up going with the New Hero 3+. It has a Filming looping feature and you can select at least four different looping cycles. I am going to wait for the gopro4 to get tested out in the field and will buy one in about 6 months.

[MetroMan]

I put my Contours up on eBay this afternoon to offset the cost of a new camera.

[Pat Smith]

honestly if they haven't done anything about the battery duration... you will end up with another camera that will record just long enough to run out right before that perfect shot. until they get the battery up to the 3-4 hour range the small camera is just an expensive novelty. I get 45 minutes out of my camera, an hour TOPS. With the extended battery I would get 1.5 to 2 hours.. forkayak fishing that just about guarantees that you will get every second of the action right up until you catch a fish, then it will run out.

Same thing when I use my gopro for off-roading in my jeep.. I get a lot of shots of me getting out the the awesome hill/rock/obstacle.. but by the time I actually do something cool, the battery is out.

I am looking into the battery delete option, which will help with off-roading.. and maybe kayaking.. but I need to find a better power souce option.

This far the GoPro has been one of the biggest disappointments tech wise I have ever purchased.

[JAR]

honestly if they haven't done anything about the battery duration... you will end up with another camera that will record just long enough to run out right before that perfect shot. until they get the battery up to the 3-4 hour range the small camera is just an expensive novelty. I get 45 minutes out of my camera, an hour TOPS. With the extended battery I would get 1.5 to 2 hours.. forkayak fishing that just about guarantees that you will get every second of the action right up until you catch a fish, then it will run out.

Same thing when I use my gopro for off-roading in my jeep.. I get a lot of shots of me getting out the the awesome hill/rock/obstacle.. but by the time I actually do something cool, the battery is out.

I am looking into the battery delete option, which will help with off-roading.. and maybe kayaking.. but I need to find a better power souce option.

This far the GoPro has been one of the biggest disappointments tech wise I have ever purchased.

Which model are you using? I get over 2 hours record time on the original battery of my Hero3 black edition. Earlier models not so much. Also adjust your settings for optimal battery life.

[Pat Smith]

I have a hero3... recording at 1080p 30/fps
I will try 720p 30/fps next time to see if I get any better results.

[MetroMan]

I heard about the dismal battery life of the Hero 3. I've also read that they've make marked improvement in the subsequent versions.

[JAR]

I record with the same settings. Make sure your WiFi is turned off. Also upgrade to the latest software version.

[scorpioreno]

I have had three versions of the Gopro3 black. I have filled up the card before the battery running out. This camera is not meant to be a full length run camera. As mentioned above, there are things you can do to extend your Battery life. Purchasing the Gopro Bac-pac will double you battery life Roughly 3.5 hours. But there is an after market battery called the "WASABI Battery" it is 2780mAh in comparison to the 1180AMh Gopro Battery. They ran a comparison test and the WASBI ran 4.5 hours at 1080p 30fps. This will better the odds for that HERO shot of the Strike. Here is the link to the vid. It is 10 mins long, but very informative.
http://youtu.be/nn9HiwvVKJo

[MetroMan]

I've used Wasabi brand batteries as replacements for the contour as well. Glad to know there are options.

[smb]

Gopro 3 black original, I use standard OEM and wasabi and get 2 hours or so on continuous and more than 6 hours (never been out longer) on Wi-Fi standby.

If you don't know, you can have WiFi ON, but cam OFF in standby and controlled by remote. So when you want to get a shot, press remote power and record within seconds. There is also a auto record at startup if seconds matter. When i don't catch much (usually) and the cam is in Wi-Fi standby, it easily outlasts the remote battery.

I use narrow/720 only because my pc is too old.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=ueLcy2eeruI

This video has a good demo showing 12+ hours this way.

Hope this helps.

[DOGFISH]

What is really bad about the Hero 4 is that they changed where the battery mounts. Check it out on their web site. This makes the present Longshot obsolete for the new Hero 4. So, I am going with my old Hero 3. I get 6 hours out of the Longshot. The 64GB Micro SD card fills with video, without any battery problem. I have used the Wasabi batteries, no better. I also only get about 45 minutes out of my batteries.

The Garmin Vrbe is said to go for three hours on its 2000 mAH battery. It also has automatic distortion correction.

Do your research. 45 minutes is a real limitation for $499. After using the Longshot, I just can't go back to all of that battery changing.

[JAR]

smb - How long does the battery life average on your remote? I usually get an hour out of it before it dies.

[Pat Smith]

My remote lasts about 1 hour or so.

[smb]

If I turn the remote on/off only during shooting then it can last an entire 6 hour session, infrequent usage. If I use it more then probably 3? If it is continuously on about an hour. I don't ever time it, but these are estimates based on how long I'm out.

I also only shoot the action shots or photos or burst photos so I'm not recording for more than a few minutes, 5 max or so. So when I get that bite, hit power/record, then reel in.