Go Pro Question

[tdg1128]

Hey all,

My wife and I will be sailing on our third Disney Cruise in late September. I've always thought about buying a GoPro for our trip and wanted to know, do you think it's worth it?

I'm currently looking at the $150 GoPro Hero Session. I have an IPhone 7 Plus which takes incredible pics/video. So I guess my question is, do you think the GoPro would allow for better or more adventurous videos or should I stick with my iPhone and save the money.

Thanks!

 

[PrincessShmoo]

Hey all,

My wife and I will be sailing on our third Disney Cruise in late September. I've always thought about buying a GoPro for our trip and wanted to know, do you think it's worth it?

I'm currently looking at the $150 GoPro Hero Session. I have an IPhone 7 Plus which takes incredible pics/video. So I guess my question is, do you think the GoPro would allow for better or more adventurous videos or should I stick with my iPhone and save the money.

Thanks!

We have a photography board that might garner you the best answers/discussion for your question: https://www.disboards.com/forums/photography-board.97/

 

[3monkeys4me]

We have a GoPro Hero Black (i think) and we are getting ready to purchase a second one. We personally love it. It is small and easy to tuck into a pocket (especially without the case on it). Generally we use it with one of the protective cases on it, since we use it underwater a lot. My husband and 2 of my kids are Dive certified and we live on an Island so we do use it a lot as an underwater camera. We also use it in the swimming pool a lot, the kids like to video themselves and each other jumping in. When we do ski trips everyone takes turns using it as well as bike rides and hikes. The kids also like to get video of themselves playing various sports with friends (like when they are playing soccer in the backyard, etc..) The other most common use in our house it using it on the dog harness, we love to see things from the perspective of our four legged child.

So, it can be worth it. Really you just need to think about what activities you would use it for and then decide if it is worth it to you. We happen to find it a lot of fun and we are very pleased with the quality of photos and videos it provides.

 

[Disnut4925]

We love our GoPro! Underwater shots are great, and good quality. And they're sturdy! At least so far.

 

[Luvzmy3boys]

DH has the 7plus and I agree the photo quality is amazing! We also have had a Hero 4 for a couple of years and the only time we have used it really is our Disney cruises. It is pretty sturdy and good for underwater photos and video. In good outdoor lighting the photos are pretty good, especially for selfies because of the wide angle lens. Cons are the lack of zoom and flash as well as editing the photos and videos is quite tedious-- this is the reason why I have not used it much. I am only now getting around to editing from 2 summers ago! Kids do enjoy playing with it but their videos are pretty silly. So it depends on how much use you think you will get out of it and if the price seems right for you.

 

[JP350Z]

GoPro's are great and get you footage phones never will. I would vote against the session though. Without a view finder/screen on the back you don't know exactly what you are shooting. You need a GoPro4 or 5 with screen or don't bother for family vacation use. Editing isn't that hard it's just the files are big shooting 1080p or higher at 60fps. I just use microsoft movie maker.

 

[ladyofthetramp]

We love ours. It is a Hero Silver Black. Not too fancy. In fact we got it for free when I discovered a credit card we had accumulated a bunch of points through a reward program. We use it alot. Kayaking, fire works, snorkeling. Took it out to the sand bar excursion on Castaway this past summer. As my kids say- Go Pro or don't go...

 

[barbarossa_hoosier]

(If OP doesn't mind) I have a related question: I do plan on taking our GoPro. In what locations/activities/circumstances should I anticipate NOT being able to record? I know that I can't record going through security; when/where else?

 

[ILoveMyKellen]

We have both the Hero Session and the Hero Black. The good thing about these two is that they are waterproof and don’t need the underwater housing that can sometimes muffle the sound and you’re not switching between multiple housing units. Both take great videos but as a previous poster mentioned, the Session doesn’t have the view finder on the back.

I will say that the video we have taken on both were great.

 

[iamporch]

We just bought the session for our cruise next week. We also didn't want to spend a lot of money as it will probably only get used a few times during the year. I mainly wanted it for vacations. It does not have the screen to know what you are shooting however you can use the app on your phone and that will show you what you are recording. Not the most convenient but didn't want to spend double the price. And I figured that if we record a few hours a day of footage we can get enough good shots/video to put together a 30 min video. And really once you start using it you should get an idea of how to hold/angle it to get the right view.

Also if we didn't get the session i would have wanted an underwater camera which cost about the same as the session.

I am worried though that just like pictures the videos will sit and never get edited!

 

[barbarossa_hoosier]

We just bought the session for our cruise next week. We also didn't want to spend a lot of money as it will probably only get used a few times during the year. I mainly wanted it for vacations. It does not have the screen to know what you are shooting however you can use the app on your phone and that will show you what you are recording. Not the most convenient but didn't want to spend double the price. And I figured that if we record a few hours a day of footage we can get enough good shots/video to put together a 30 min video. And really once you start using it you should get an idea of how to hold/angle it to get the right view.

Also if we didn't get the session i would have wanted an underwater camera which cost about the same as the session.

I am worried though that just like pictures the videos will sit and never get edited!

I was going to suggest the same thing. In my experience, using the app can be even more convenient - especially when the GoPro is mounted on your head or chest.

 

[JP350Z]

Having to carry both your phone (to use app) and action camera around on the beach or ship deck is a real drag. To just grab a float handle with the Gopro on it is much more convenient. The view finder allows you to leave a camera at home, phone in the safe and you can easily see your footage and delete unwanted video to save time editing later. Also I need to recommend you pick up a pack of anti humidity discs that go into the camera case. Stops the lens from steaming in/out of water and humidity. For those on a budget don't get hung up on the GoPro brand. I've heard some good things about some of the "knock off" brands like Yi you can find on Amazon that still shoots 1080p or higher. Personally I'm switching to a Garmin Virb 30 action camera now because it has a GPS in it that tracks speed and g forces for my kart racing too.

 

[Rabb it]

I'm gonna be getting one for the next cruise, I missed out on too many water activity shots because I can't get my iphone near the water!

 

[oakleycat]

We bought a Session before our Aulani trip a few months ago and the kids loved it. We have some great underwater videos and videos narrated by the kids as they walked/swam around. Definitely worth it for us!

 

[Msmit002]

I just bought a new Hero Session 5 to replace my original Hero Session. I absolutely LOVE the small form factor and the fact that it is waterproof right form the box, no housing required. I tend to use my GoPro in and around the water a lot so I am willing to sacrifice the LCD for that kind of durability (though both are built like tanks.) My experience has been that if you shoot in the default wide-angle mode, as long as you point the GoPro in the direction you are capturing, you are fine. I have since handed over my old Session to my pre-teen son, who had sort of commandeered it anyway, because the better technology is something I really wanted - especially since I do a bit of post-production on my footage - but my old Session is perfectly fine for most folks and is fabulous for getting stuff onto YouTube, etc. - which is exactly what my son does.

Anyway, looking forward to getting more great footage on my upcoming EBPC in October.