# GoPro Camera - life expectancy ??



## Johnny (Aug 17, 2014)

fellow shutter bugs - I have been involved in photography in one form or another since 1964.
I have either used or owned myself some very fine film cameras. Now that we are in the 
Digital Age, I am slowing gaining the confidence of these little Point n Shoot models. I have
given all my film cameras to my daughter for her kids to have when they grow up. LOL about
a 30 pound box of misc. lenses, film backs, bodies, etc. all in very good condition.

ok now the issue at hand. I have just destroyed my 3rd Point n Shoot in less than two years
by either dropping it or dunking it in the drink.

I really don't have $300 for a new GoPro but I would really love to have something that will survive
and occasional drop on concrete or a quick dunk in water. I see these "Sports Camera" things
on e-bay from China that are supposedly a GoPro clone for $75.
Does anyone have a particular water/shock-resistant model that they are happy with ??
Not interested in any kind of WiFi capability.
Thanks


----------



## Johnny (Aug 17, 2014)

Something similar to this model is what I am looking for. (sorry, I missed the cut off time for the edit)
Just a simple Point n Shoot model around $75-$85..
Anyone have one they like and would recommend ?
Thanks

SPECIFICATIONS:
16.0 MP Max Resolution
5.0 MP CMOS Sensor
*Fully waterproof to 10 feet* - no case necessary! 
Features 720p HD Video
4x Digital Zoom
2.5” Color LCD Display
6 Scene Modes
Uses SD Memory Cards up to 16GB (not included)
* Uses 2 AAA Batteries* (included)
Includes Hand Strap, Instruction Manual, USB Cable, Image Editing Software CD, and Camera Pouch


----------



## Y_J (Aug 17, 2014)

I've never heard of either one of those brands, but I have seen several different pocket point n' shoot cameras at Big Lots for a rather inexpensive price.
Personally I still don't have a pocket camera YET, but been kind of looking around. My Canon 5D took a nose dive onto the road a few months back and my Canon 20D went to a dark watery grave at the bottom of the Chattahoochee River a few weeks ago when my boat flipped over. Sux big time. 
Since 1964 huh.. wow and I thought I been in there a while  (1971)
I'll keep my eyes open and see what I can find in your range.
Hang in there.. Something will show up...


----------



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Aug 18, 2014)

Keep in mind that GoPro has an extreme wide angle lens.


----------



## SaltyGhost (Aug 18, 2014)

The GoPro is a video camera mainly, not a point-and-shoot camera. It doesn't have a screen on the back and no viewfinder. There are plenty of waterproof point-and-shoot cameras on the market for under $200.  Check out DP Review. They did a waterproof camera shoot-out a while back.


----------



## New River Rat (Aug 18, 2014)

From the pics and vids I've seen from the gopro, I personally wouldn't waste the $$$ on one. But that's just me.


----------



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Aug 19, 2014)

The video from a GoPro is awesome.


----------



## flatboat (Aug 22, 2014)

had several generations of these .... they are tuff NEVER had a failier they have been put thru hell https://www.getolympus.com/us/en/digitalcameras/tg-830-ihs.html


----------



## BigTerp (Oct 6, 2014)

About to pull the trigger on the SJ4000 WIFI. Did a bunch of research and after watching/reading tons of reviews the SJ4000 seems to be comparible to a GOPRO, some say even better. For 1/4th the price of a GOPRO I figure I can't go wrong. Plan on using it during waterfowl hunts, fishing and maybe even as a dash cam. I'll be sure to report back after I've gotten some use out of it.

https://www.amazon.com/Original-SJ4000-Waterproof-Camcorder-Makibes/dp/B00MIT658W/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1412602876&sr=8-1&keywords=sj4000+wifi


----------



## Jim (Oct 6, 2014)

BigTerp, Keep us posted.


----------



## BigTerp (Oct 10, 2014)

Ordered from Amazon earlier in the week. Also got a head strap (for hunting) and 2 extra batteries. Expecting to have it in next week. Unfortunately won't be able to get any hunting footage until the second duck split opens up on November 8th. Been reading up on it all week, and for around $100 it is supposed to be the bees knees!! Here is a pretty in depth review.

[youtube]uirzCD-qALE[/youtube]


----------



## WPS (Oct 14, 2014)

I have a GoPro 3+ and really like the camera!... I've had it for 2 years!

I use it to record while hunting... I have a mount that goes on my bow... I also use it to just take pictures and they look nice!

GoPro also has a LCD touch bacpac, but I haven't it bought yet... They have a GoPro App, and I can use my iPhone to see what I'm recording!... I can also start recording by using my phone... The GoPro has WIFI on it.

I have A LOT of mounts!... I have made most of the mounts.. One mount that I like the best is an extension pole.. I made it from a gun shooting stick! :mrgreen: ... I like to use it and stick the GoPro under water when my wife has a big Bass on!... I like the tripod mount too!

I just made a mount that floats!... I made it from 2" PVC pipe.. You can use it as a handle too.. After I made it, we used it in the lake when we was swimming!

One thing I don't like about the GoPro is: The wide angle lens... But if I use it to just take pictures, the pictures look nice and the videos do too!... I have a few videos filmed when I killed some deer with the GoPro.

I have a head-strap and that is a nice mount to use on everything!... I'm thinking about making a mount to work on my fishing rods!... I have a 50'x50' pond in my yard that I dug with my backhoe... The pond has Bass & Bluegills in it... Also have A LOT of baby fish from this year and last year... I take the extension pole with the GoPro and stick it in the water to look at the baby fish.... Then watch the video on my TV... Pretty cool to watch.


----------



## BigTerp (Oct 14, 2014)

Got the SJ4000 in the mail yesterday. So far I'm VERY impressed. Video quality is excellent and everything seems quality built and sturdy. Comes with a ton of mounts, but also works with any GoPro mount. Messed around with the head strap mount last night and it worked great. Nice thing about this camera is it comes with a built in LCD screen and WIFI capabilities. I think GoPro sells an LCD attachement of some sort, but they are not built into the camera, and I'm not sure what/if any GoPro's are WIFI capable? The nice thing about the WIFI is I can adjust the camera while on my head mount to get it set up perfect by using my phone. I can also adjust settings, start/stop The WIFI app is a bit buggy at times (android) but works very well overall. The biggest drawback for me is you have to download the video clip to your phone/tablet before you can view it via WIFI. Quite a nusiance because video files can get pretty large and you'll have to delete them from your phone after viewing. Definitely not a deal breaker, but something to be aware of. I bought a seperate micro HDMI cable which allows me to view the clips on my TV right from the camera, which is really nice. Another drawback is the camera does not come with an SD card. I purchashed a class 10 32gb one from Amazon.

Overall I'd say this is an exceptional camera for the $$. I wouldn't hesitate to purchase another. My brother has a GoPro Hero 3 black edition that he uses to record motorcycle rides. From the little filming I've done with the SJ4000, I'd say the video quality is comparible to his GoPro Hero 3 black. I'm still messing with/figuring out uploading, editing, etc. But I'll try to get a few sample videos up when I get all of that figured out. If we get out fishing this weekend I'll be sure to bring it along.


----------



## BigTerp (Oct 27, 2014)

Edited a few short clips so far, but my desktop at home is so slow, old and crappy the final product doesn't do the camera justice. I'll work on getting a better clip to share. Planning on fishing this weekend, so hopefully I can get some decent footage then. So far the camera is worth every penny I spent on it ($119 on Amazon). When viewing the footage on my TV it is in 1080p and awesome!! Just need to figure out the editing/uploading part to keep the quality.


----------



## BigTerp (Nov 17, 2014)

Finally got a bit of footage to share. Nothing crazy. Just me and my buddy shooting at a duck that, from out of nowhere, swam into our decoys. The second part of the video is some deer that were running around the island we were hunting. Camera does a great job for what I use it for. It seemed to be struggling a bit with the brightness/white balance in the beginning of the clip. I have the white balance set to auto and it was shortly after sunrise. Maybe I should adjust those settings? Be sure to change the video settings to 1080p and watch it full screen to get the best picture.

Hopefully the hunting picks up and I can get some better action to share next time.

[youtube]Js0k8DHtZH4[/youtube]


----------



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Nov 17, 2014)

Photo from GoPro Hero 3 from this weekend. I use the app on my phone to control the camera. App works pretty good.


----------



## BigTerp (Nov 17, 2014)

RiverBottomOutdoors said:


> Photo from GoPro Hero 3 from this weekend. I use the app on my phone to control the camera. App works pretty good.



Any luck?

What do you do for contrast, white balance, etc. settings? Especially for low light conditions like early morning or late evening hunting? You can see in my video my camera trying to adjust. I have my white balance set to auto. It also has daylight and cloudy settings. ISO (whatever that is) is also set to auto. Everything else is set to the defaults. Just curios if there is some optimal settings I should be using.


----------



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Nov 17, 2014)

BigTerp said:


> RiverBottomOutdoors said:
> 
> 
> > Photo from GoPro Hero 3 from this weekend. I use the app on my phone to control the camera. App works pretty good.
> ...



I usually touch up in post production with Adobe products. Need good light for the GoPro. Probably same for any cam with a small lens. Smalls lens = less light gathered.


----------



## BigTerp (Dec 31, 2014)

Here is a little clip I put together with my SJ4000 from a float hunt my cousin and I did last week. Make sure to change the YouTube settings to 1080P and watch it full screen. If any of you are interested they are coming out with an SJ5000+. Uses the same chip as the GoPro Hero 3 black edition. Looks to be at around a $160 price point. I'll probably end up picking one up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdOcturAlkY&list=UUlN9cR_5iQUEobTWPLR6ysg


----------



## Jim (Jan 1, 2015)

Very cool video! Good quality too!


----------



## crazymanme2 (Jan 1, 2015)

I see they are having a presale for the SJ5000 for $90.


----------



## fender66 (Jan 1, 2015)

Nice.


----------



## BigTerp (Jan 5, 2015)

Jim said:


> Very cool video! Good quality too!



Thanks. They are a lot of fun to play with!!


----------



## BigTerp (Jan 5, 2015)

crazymanme2 said:


> I see they are having a presale for the SJ5000 for $90.



That one is most likely a fake. SJcam is the namebrand that is trademarked for these cameras. There have been alot of "fake" SJ4000 and SJ5000. Since that is not trademarked I guess it's perfectly legal to put SJ4000 or SJ5000 on an action camera and sell it. They are even on Amazon. But all you have to do is make sureit is the SJCAM brand and all is good.


----------



## KMixson (Jan 6, 2015)

BigTerp said:


> crazymanme2 said:
> 
> 
> > I see they are having a presale for the SJ5000 for $90.
> ...



That is not the only fake camera on Amazon or E-bay. I bought a dash camera for my truck about 2 years ago for about $100.00. It works perfect. I have recently seen some on the sites going for less than $15.00 and figured I would buy another one since the price has dropped so dramatically. It looks almost identical to my first one BUT the video makes it look like you have tunnel vision. Stopped at a traffic light you can not see the traffic light to tell whether it is red or green. You can not read the license plate on the vehicle in front of you. I guess the saying is true, "You get what you pay for".


----------



## BigTerp (Jan 7, 2015)

KMixson said:
 

> BigTerp said:
> 
> 
> > crazymanme2 said:
> ...



Yeah, it's crazy what you can legally get away with with this sort of stuff.

Oh, and FWIW I have a mount in my truck to use my SJ4000 as a dash cam. Works great. Have it running everytime I'm in my truck. Nothing interesting so far though.


----------



## BigTerp (Jan 12, 2015)

Here are some DIY mounts I've made. Pretty easy stuff to do. All you need is a 1/4"-20 nut and bolt.

From left to right....large clip mount, small clip mount, magnetic mount, kitchen timer time lapse mount and suction cup mount. Tripod in the back is obviously not DIY but really handy. Just a few bucks from Amazon.


----------



## BigTerp (Mar 11, 2015)

Forgot about this video I put together. It's from a float hunt hunt I took my cousin on the day after Christmas. Watch full screen and 1080p for best quality.

[youtube]YdOcturAlkY[/youtube]


----------



## Jim (Mar 12, 2015)

great video!


----------



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Mar 12, 2015)

This was shot with a Hero 3. 

https://vimeo.com/120437400

https://vimeo.com/121620430

https://vimeo.com/120304377

https://vimeo.com/120258093


----------



## Jim (Mar 14, 2015)

keep posting the videos guys! Awesome!


----------



## Milehisnk (Mar 30, 2015)

For what it's worth, GoPro now has their "economy" model simply called the Hero for $129.99 now, but it doesn't have wifi like the SJ4000 does for what, $99? I personally have 2 Hero 3 blacks and they are great. I will eventually add to my collection of GoPro products, probably with either a 3+ Silver or the new 4 silver. I've used one of them for everything from action shots while fishing to mounting it to an RC car and even snow tubing with my kids. So far I haven't broken one, but the GoPro brand batteries leave a bit to be desired.


----------



## Jim (Apr 1, 2015)

my son wants a gopro Black. Anywhere to score one with a discount somewhere?


----------



## BigTerp (Apr 1, 2015)

Jim,

The SJ5000+ is now available from Amazon. It uses the same chip/processor as the GoPro 3 Black.

https://www.amazon.com/Original-Sj5000-Sports-Resistant-Camcorder/dp/B00SF8YDRU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1427890749&sr=8-1&keywords=sjcam+sj5000+plus

I still think overall a GoPro is a nicer camera than the SJCam, at least nicer than my SJ4000. I haven't had hands on with the SJ5000+ yet though. But for the price and an action camera that I know I'll be hard on, I can't complain one bit about my SJ4000. I plan to pick up a 5000+ at some point, just have too many other hobbies that lighten my wallet right now!!!


----------



## Jim (Apr 1, 2015)

BigTerp said:


> Jim,
> 
> The SJ5000+ is now available from Amazon. It uses the same chip/processor as the GoPro 3 Black.
> 
> ...



I sent him the link, I am hoping to convince him to go this route. :lol:


----------



## BigTerp (Apr 1, 2015)

Jim said:


> BigTerp said:
> 
> 
> > Jim,
> ...



HA!!!


----------



## MrSimon (Jun 3, 2015)

I love filming with my GoPro.

Best thing I ever did was buy a skeleton case and a battery eliminator (see link for eliminator).

https://www.amazon.com/Switronix-DV...2938&sr=8-1&keywords=gopro+battery+eliminator

It allows me to use an auxiliary battery pack. I can get about 12 hours of run time out of a $15 rechargeable battery pack, or unlimited time if you plug it into a wall, car outlet, etc. I actually installed a USB port in my boat that connects to my batteries so I can just plug the camera in and record all day. It's sooooo nice not to worry about changing batteries and all that crap. 

When I go fishing, I turn the camera on, set it to a 5 minute loop and let it run all day. If something exciting happens, I hit the button to lock in only the last 5 minutes and the loop starts over. The camera can run all day and not fill up the card, capturing only the exciting stuff like catching a fish.

I also got the flexible clamp mount, which is worth its weight in gold.


----------



## fender66 (Jun 3, 2015)

MrSimon said:


> I love filming with my GoPro.
> 
> Best thing I ever did was buy a skeleton case and a battery eliminator (see link for eliminator).
> 
> ...



GREAT ideas. Thanks for sharing.


----------



## BigTerp (Aug 14, 2015)

Jim said:


> BigTerp said:
> 
> 
> > Jim,
> ...



Did you ever get anything for him? Hunting season is fast approaching and I'm considering getting a second camera.


----------



## Jim (Aug 15, 2015)

Still going back and forth! Does the Sj5000 have the looping feature the GoPros have?


----------



## RiverBottomOutdoors (Aug 16, 2015)

Pro Tip: Always store your GoPro Black in waterproof case.


----------



## BigTerp (Aug 17, 2015)

Jim said:


> Still going back and forth! Does the Sj5000 have the looping feature the GoPros have?



Are you referring to the ability to continually record and overwrite the sd card as it fills? Not sure about the 5000 but my SJ4000 WIFI does cyclic recording in 1, 5 or 10 minute loops. Once the card is full it overwrites the oldest loop as it continues to record. I wish it had the ability to "lock in" a recording with the push of a button like the Go Pro does to keep whatever loop you want from being deleted. But it doesn't.

Based on the reviews I've been reading, I'd stay away from the SJ5000 for now. It seems to have some bugs they need to get worked out. I think they kind of rushed it to market with it still having some issues. But apparently there have been some firmware updates that are starting to fix them.

I'm still happy with my SJ4000 wifi. No issues to complain of. I did fry it with a bad 12V car charger. I think it sent to much juice to the camera and destroyed it. It would turn on but no screen. And get really hot in about 2 minutes. I contacted the company and they sent me a brand new one. This was after having it for about 9 months. Surprised they replaced it free of charge.


----------



## BigTerp (Aug 17, 2015)

RiverBottomOutdoors said:


> Pro Tip: Always store your GoPro Black in waterproof case.



DOH!!!!!


----------



## Jim (Aug 17, 2015)

Thanks Big Terp!


----------



## Jim (Nov 14, 2015)

I took the plunge and ordered an adventure cam10 for a super deal. Stay tuned for a solid review from my son and Me.


----------



## Bigwrench (Nov 14, 2015)

So far my GoPro Hero3 white edition has held up , I think this is my 3rd Christmas with it. 










I like the wifi capabilities , since it's a white edition it's no where near the definition the newer ones are but its waterproof and works for me. Biggest problem I have is in the waterproof case the sound quality is terrible. I'm working on an external microphone option while still keeping the waterproof quality of the case. Was $169 on a Black Friday sale after a store card instant savings


----------



## fender66 (Nov 15, 2015)

Jim said:


> I took the plunge and ordered an adventure cam10 for a super deal. Stay tuned for a solid review from my son and Me.



Looking forward to this review!


----------



## BigTerp (Nov 16, 2015)

Jim said:


> I took the plunge and ordered an adventure cam10 for a super deal. Stay tuned for a solid review from my son and Me.



\/


----------



## Wyatt (Jun 12, 2016)

Jim said:


> I took the plunge and ordered an adventure cam10 for a super deal. Stay tuned for a solid review from my son and Me.


Did you ever do a review on this or have I completely looked over it?


----------



## Jim (Jun 14, 2016)

Not yet, working on it. We just started taking footage with it in the pool. Stay tuned!


----------



## BigTerp (Jun 15, 2016)

Here are some photos from my SJ4000. Haven't gotten any videos cool enough to upload lately. I made a mount out of 1" aluminum angle riveted to the knee brace of my transom. The camera is mounted to the angle with one of the 3M sticky GoPro mounts. When fishing by myself it gets great video and photos of the action. If I catch something photo worthy, I just hold it up to the camera for a few seconds and capture a photo of it later at home on my laptop.


----------



## wmk0002 (Oct 11, 2016)

I just bought a Lightdow LD6000 action camera from Amazon. It was about $50. Had to buy memory so got a 32GB SD card for an additional $10 and an accessory pack for another $20. It doesn't seem as nice as the ones used to the previous videos linked in this thread but it will do. I mainly wanted it to use as an on the water camera so I didn't dunk my new iPhone 7 and to shoot some river run videos in my boat.


----------



## BigTerp (Oct 12, 2016)

Here's a little video with my SJ4000 from a few weekends ago. As always, full screen and 1080p are the best settings to view.

[youtube]Vik5q9MrGIE[/youtube]


----------



## Fire1386 (Oct 12, 2016)

That's a nice video Big Terp. I chuckled at the 2 mishaps in it, thought I was the only one that did things like that....lol. Can that camera record non-stop or is there a time limit? I google sj4000 and it came up with several different versions. One could accept an micro SD card up to 32 gb's. Do you just turn it on when you start fishing and let it run continuously? I would like to invest in something along these lines but have no idea what they are really capable of doing yet. The GoPro's are just so expensive, and this camera looks to take some very nice quality videos.


----------



## BigTerp (Oct 13, 2016)

Fire1386 said:


> That's a nice video Big Terp. I chuckled at the 2 mishaps in it, thought I was the only one that did things like that....lol. Can that camera record non-stop or is there a time limit? I google sj4000 and it came up with several different versions. One could accept an micro SD card up to 32 gb's. Do you just turn it on when you start fishing and let it run continuously? I would like to invest in something along these lines but have no idea what they are really capable of doing yet. The GoPro's are just so expensive, and this camera looks to take some very nice quality videos.



HA!! Good thing I don't save all of my screw ups!!

It records non-stop. There is a setting on it for "cyclic" recording which saves the videos in 5, 10 or 15 minute lengths. I have it set to record in 5 minute lengths. This doesn't stop the video or anything, but just creates video files that are 5 minutes long. Makes it easier to go through and edit a 5 minute video file than it does a 15 minute long file. You can not use this setting, but then it just creates one big file of how ever long you were recording, which becomes a pain in the butt to save, download, edit, etc. The batteries last about an hour and a half or so. I bought extra batteries and have a total of 4. So I can get 4+ hours of battery life. I change the batteries out every hour or so just to keep it from going dead and missing something. The 32gb memory card is good for 4+ hours of 1080P video. I have the Original SJ4000 WIFI. You can connect it to your phone to view your recordings and start/stop recording. But honestly I don't use this feature. Seems to drain the battery quicker and I find I don't need it anyway. It also uses the same mounts as a GoPro, so finding mounts is easy and cheap. I've made a lot of mounts as well. It just takes a 1/4-20 threaded bolt to make a mount.

Here is the one I have. There is a SJ5000 which uses the same chip as the GoPro Hero's (I believe), but it hasn't gotten good reviews at all. I was planning on getting one, but have held off due to the bad reviews. If I ever feel the need for a second camera, I'll definitely get another SJ4000 WIFI. If you do pick one up, just make sure it is a true SJCam SJ4000. There were a lot of fake SJCams around for awhile and they were pretty much junk from what I understand.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MIT658W/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

PM me if you have any other questions. I can also show you some other videos I've done with it so you can see the quality of them.


----------



## wmk0002 (Oct 13, 2016)

BigTerp said:


> Fire1386 said:
> 
> 
> > That's a nice video Big Terp. I chuckled at the 2 mishaps in it, thought I was the only one that did things like that....lol. Can that camera record non-stop or is there a time limit? I google sj4000 and it came up with several different versions. One could accept an micro SD card up to 32 gb's. Do you just turn it on when you start fishing and let it run continuously? I would like to invest in something along these lines but have no idea what they are really capable of doing yet. The GoPro's are just so expensive, and this camera looks to take some very nice quality videos.
> ...



Do you film with the camera in the waterproof case? My initial tests with the Lightdow were that the sound was bad in the case, as expected, however, it also has a constant droning sound. I'd like a skeleton case where the mic and other ports are open but will still protect it from drops. Maybe I can upload a test video and link it here sometime soon.


----------



## BigTerp (Oct 13, 2016)

wmk0002 said:


> Do you film with the camera in the waterproof case? My initial tests with the Lightdow were that the sound was bad in the case, as expected, however, it also has a constant droning sound. I'd like a skeleton case where the mic and other ports are open but will still protect it from drops. Maybe I can upload a test video and link it here sometime soon.



When I'm fishing I do use the waterproof case. Just in case it gets dropped in the water. So hardly any audio gets picked up. The waterproof case does have a different back with slits in the side that picks up audio a lot better, but still not as good as with the camera out of the case. When I use it for waterfowl hunting it's not in a waterproof case and it gets audio good enough that you can hear conversations from us in the blinds.


----------



## gnappi (Jun 2, 2017)

Johnny said:


> fellow shutter bugs - I have been involved in photography in one form or another since 1964.
> I have either used or owned myself some very fine film cameras.
> >>SNIP<<



Like you I'm a long time film camera buff and having been a semi pro photog, I went digital several years ago with a full size Nikon "D" series. I'm a critic, and I do not mean to step on the toes of folks who LOVE the stuff posted on youtube. 

Seeing the terrible "images" posted all over the net has convinced me that the vast majority of digital camera owners have lowered their expectations of image quality (if they ever had them) in favor of portability. It seems that the mindset "the best camera in the World is the one you have on you when you need it"

That said, no smart camera can compensate for lack of fundamental understanding of composition, light and motion by the user, and I see too many hundreds of horribly backlit, blurry, poorly framed images that people adore.

For users that must have a camera on a helmet, handlebar or other some such they are the worst sort of pics and movies, talk about blurry? Image stabilization? While skydiving, surfing, running rapids, being chased by a bear? Seriously??? Those pix are best left to memories not the waste basket full of puke from watching that junk  

Wait a sec, that is unless it ends in the skydiver hitting the ground with a thud, the surfer getting attacked by a shark, the woodman being mauled by a bear, rapids cracking the Kayak wide open like an egg, THEN it's interesting 

Anyway... A $300 camera point and shoot camera with an .85 cent lens, no zoom function or control of aperture or shutter speed selection in a camera that interprets motion, and depth of field does not deliver pix much better (IMO) than the average $80-$100 Samsung 7 or up series telephone which I have on me at all times and I can replace without any penalties (No AT&T here) from "contract" commitments. YMMV.



























Don't get me wrong, I like digital photography but it's not film, never will be. Point and shoot?


----------



## Stumpalump (Jun 2, 2017)

They used the new Garmin camera as a helmet cam during the last national motocross race. I've seen a few other clips with it. It looked really weird like a bad fish eye attempt. IDK. It was clear in the center then it went cockeyed or somthing. Anybody seen one?


----------



## Darryle (Jun 2, 2017)

I have the Spypoint XCEL HD2 Hunting Edition camera and really like it. Audio is not muffled very much with the waterproof case and the video is excellent. The only thing I don't like is not knowing what I am filming exactly. It has no Bluetooth option to set up the camera. But once you have played with it a few times, it's actually fairly easy to get it close. 

I want a GoPro if I can find a deal on one. 

1244 Atchafalaya Outdoor Designs W/ 12hp Copperhead


----------



## LDUBS (Oct 29, 2017)

Wife surprised me with a GoPro Hero 5. I have a lot to learn but what I know for now is I can use my iPhone as a remote. Also has voice commands. Says it is waterproof down to 33' without a special case. If I want to go deeper, then I need to get the waterproof case. If I ever do any under water photography, I can't imagine going that deep. Right now, besides learning how to use the thing, I need to get something to mount it on the boat. Then all I need to do is catch some fish so I have something to video tape.


----------



## fender66 (Oct 30, 2017)

Go to Amazon and buy an accessory kit. They are VERY cheap. I bought 2 for under $15 each.


----------



## -CN- (Oct 31, 2017)

Action cameras of some sort are very popular and well utilized in my other (former) hobby of racing motorcycles. 90% of riders with cameras use GoPros. Any of the other cameras seem to have flaws that become evident when they are abused. You have any idea the vibration you get from a motorcycle running at redline? Or the impact they take when a motorcycle crashes? The GoPros generally keep running with a clear picture and captures the action. I don't use mine much anymore, though I've had it for about 8 years. I just have a Hero2 with none of the fancy features. I use it more often in the boat in its waterproof case mounted to my landing net. I may start using it on ATV trips. If I was really into making videos like I used to be in my racing days, I would certainly get one of the newer GoPros. They actually do have a built-in screen on them now to make them simpler to operate, and are waterproof without a case. If you can afford one, get one of the newer GoPros. I bet those "cheaper" cameras that are being talked about are somewhat equal to the older GoPros, but I'm not familiar with any of them being up to par with the latest that GoPro has to offer. This just goes to show though too that while they will last a long time, they become outdated rather quickly. So maybe a top-of-the-line one is not a good investment over the inexpensive ones.


----------



## LDUBS (Oct 31, 2017)

fender66 said:


> Go to Amazon and buy an accessory kit. They are VERY cheap. I bought 2 for under $15 each.



This turned out to be a very good recommendation. Thanks for pointing this out.


----------



## fender66 (Oct 31, 2017)

LDUBS said:


> fender66 said:
> 
> 
> > Go to Amazon and buy an accessory kit. They are VERY cheap. I bought 2 for under $15 each.
> ...



You bet. We here at TinBoats, Aim to Please! :LOL2:


----------

