5 Reasons Why You Should Buy a GoPro (or Similar Action Camera)

Action cameras like the GoPro are pint-sized powerhouses that can capture high-quality still and moving images in a wide variety of conditions. Let’s take a look at some good reasons to invest in a quality action camera.

Your hobbies deserve to be documented

Action cameras are versatile, but it helps if you know what you want to do with one before spending all that money. If you have a hobby you want to capture that suits the “hands-off” nature of shooting with an action camera, you’ll be able to start making use of your purchase right away.

These cameras can be mounted to the handlebars of a mountain bike or taped to the hull of a kayak to capture some of your most memorable outdoor activities. You can mount them to a helmet if you’re skating or climbing, or even get a chest mount for walking and trail running. They allow you to capture both personal memories and group activities, such as outings with family and friends.

You don’t have to be a whitewater rafter or skydiver to use a GoPro or similar and many quiet hobbies go perfectly with these types of cameras. Mount one to your car or motorhome during your next road trip, get a harness for your dog to capture your unique perspective on the world, or just mount your GoPro to something completely ordinary (a tennis racket, shovel, or metal detector ) for fun.

They can take more abuse than other cameras

Most action cameras are designed to take some level of abuse. For example, the GoPro HERO11 Black is waterproof to 33 feet (10 meters) and is built to withstand bumps and drops without the need for an additional case. With the optional waterproof case, you can dive up to 60 meters (196 feet) without worrying about your camera being damaged.

Many cheaper GoPro alternatives are also built to be rugged, with removable parts (like batteries and memory cards) safely stored behind sealed compartments. Action cameras are ideal for taking places where you might not be comfortable carrying more sensitive gear, such as a mirrorless or digital SLR camera. You can hold them firmly in place so they don’t fly off like your smartphone would.

Keep your camera in your camera bag and your smartphone in your pocket and let your action camera deal with dust, sand, rain and salt water. They are built for these conditions, and would cost less to replace if the unthinkable happened. You can save some money by opting for cheaper action cameras, but even a GoPro costs less than a good camera lens or a new iPhone in most cases.

You can give your kids an action camera (or even introduce it as their first camera) and not worry too much about mix-ups. We’ve got all sorts of tips for keeping your smartphone and other tech safe at the beach, but why take any chances? With an action camera, you can dunk in water, drop it on the sand, and rinse it off when it’s time to go home.

Action cameras are the perfect travel companions

Action cameras capture still and moving images. Still images may not hold up well compared to what you’d capture with a dedicated camera, but they’re on par with many modern smartphones. In the case of the GoPro HERO11, you can capture images up to 27 megapixels with support for RAW photos. The GoPro also has dual LCD screens to frame your shot whether you’re in front of or behind the camera.

This makes them versatile travel companions, ideal for capturing videos, photos, and even still images. while video capture. They’re pocketable for easy portability for fast media capture, and they’re much lighter than many camera lenses, let alone a full camera setup. You can mount them to selfie sticks and tripods, or get something that does it all like a GorillaPod.

Unlike your smartphone, action cameras have swappable batteries and memory cards so you’ll never be short if you run out of power or storage space. This removes the requirement to share battery and storage with your smartphone, but many still give you the ability to easily import and share pictures and videos wirelessly using an app. GoPro even cuts video highlights to speed up the sharing process.

Action cameras even work well alongside an existing digital SLR or mirrorless setup. You can mount an action camera to your standard camera (using the hot shoe adapter, for example) and capture high-quality still images and video footage.

Smart features now come as standard

Like smartphones, 4K video is now a standard feature, with higher resolution video also possible (such as 5.3K on the GoPro HERO11 Black) depending on the model. In addition to this, the image stabilization built into many models has become a long way, eliminating the need to use a gimbal to get perfectly stable video. This is ideal for everything from bumpy descents on a mountain bike to camera operators who lack a steady hand.

GoPro arguably leads the way in terms of smart features, but don’t discount the DJI Osmo Action 3 or insta360 ONE RS either. GoPro’s offering features horizon lock, which locks the perspective of the video to that of the horizon, regardless of the angle at which you’re holding the camera app. You can also capture slow-motion video up to 240 fps in 4K resolution on HERO11.

On top of this, there are several night modes for better low-light shots and more creativity, time-lapse features to condense minutes or hours of video into seconds, and scheduled video starts to capture sunrises or sunsets without having to operate the camera. . Loop mode lets you capture video in segmented loops instead of filling up your entire memory card hoping something exciting will happen.

You can also transfer and edit using an app, on your smartphone, just like you would with media you’ve shot on your iPhone or Android device. GoPro offers automatic cloud backup with an optional subscription to keep your footage secure and easily accessible. Use your phone as a remote to control your camera (useful if it’s mounted out of reach), or simply use the voice control features to trigger and end recordings.

On GoPro, you also get access to Protune, which captures higher-quality video at the cost of a larger file size. You’ll get a “flatter” image that you can then adjust in post, just like you would in a photo editor. If you want to color grade your footage for a specific look, Protune is essential and doesn’t necessarily require a lot of expertise to use.

You can get similar results with other cameras, like the Sony RX0. While Sony’s offering isn’t exactly an action camera, it’s about the same size as a GoPro and works in the same context most of the time. It features picture profiles that you’d normally find on Sony’s mirrorless setups, complete with S-Log for video that gives plenty of potential when it comes to color grading.

Endless Accessories for Endless Possibilities

The GoPro ecosystem has grown steadily over the years and now encompasses a wide range of accessories, both first-party and third-party. The GoPro mount is now ubiquitous, coming attached to almost every type of harness, strap, decal, and handle. Many third-party action cameras also use the standard GoPro mount, which means they can take advantage of these products as well.

You’ll find a wide variety of accessories designed to help you mount or hold your camera in place. These include clamps and grips for attaching bikes or racks, mounts for your body including chest straps and helmet accessories, tripod mounts for use with standard photography equipment or flex mounts, adhesive mounts for surfing or skating, and many more. .

Tripods like the GorillaPod (or other iPhone-friendly tripods) are perfect for action cameras, as they accommodate the “place anywhere” nature of a small action camera. They allow you to hang your camera upside down, attach it to trees, and much more. You can also use them as handles or stabilizers to record handheld content.

A word of caution: You can save some money on cheaper accessories, but these can be made of more fragile materials that could put your camera at risk if they were to break. If you’re going to be mounting your GoPro to a dirt bike or surfboard, it might be worth spending a little more money on the mount to protect your investment and any footage you might capture.

video the world

Digital video capture has come this far and there has never been a better time to buy an action camera, especially a more expensive high-end camera like a GoPro. 4K image capture lets you capture high-quality video that will look great for years to come. Steady your footage in-camera and wirelessly transfer it to your smartphone for editing.

There have never been so few barriers to entry for those looking to capture sports and recreation on an action camera. They’re perfect for your next camping trip, just follow a few simple tips to get the most out of your action camera.