GoPro info please?

[sallysue66]

DS 24 wants a GoPro for Christmas so I am starting my research now. It looks like they run from $200-$400. He is a no-frills kinda person so I'm sure he would rather have the least expensive that will suit his needs so there would be a little $$ left in his stocking. He will use it mainly for skurfing (riding a surfboard pulled by a boat). Can anyone give me run down on the different models and how much accessories are? Thanks.

 

[bdoyledimou]

DS 24 wants a GoPro for Christmas so I am starting my research now. It looks like they run from $200-$400. He is a no-frills kinda person so I'm sure he would rather have the least expensive that will suit his needs so there would be a little $$ left in his stocking. He will use it mainly for skurfing (riding a surfboard pulled by a boat). Can anyone give me run down on the different models and how much accessories are? Thanks.

so he will want the Hero3+ Black with the waterproof enclosure, the floaty backpack and the curved surface clamp by the sounds of it.

Also needs a high speed micro SD card (32 gb is about $70) otherwise its just an expensive box.


We love our gopro -- we ended up spending about $1000 on accessories for it too though.

 

[sallysue66]

so he will want the Hero3+ Black with the waterproof enclosure, the floaty backpack and the curved surface clamp by the sounds of it.

Also needs a high speed micro SD card (32 gb is about $70) otherwise its just an expensive box.


We love our gopro -- we ended up spending about $1000 on accessories for it too though.

Wow. $1000 is a budget buster for sure. But I guess he can add accessories a little at a time.

 

[CantSwim63]

Will probably want a Chesty too. Maybe the extend pole if he can figure out how to mount it on the surfboard for a different angle than from the foot of the board.

Regarding cost. The silver is about $100 less, but isn't as good in low light or speed shots. And Best Buy (Canada) had a Father's Day special for a little over $500 that included the Hero3+ Black, spare battery, 32 GB micro SD, Chesty and helmet mounts. And the Hero3+ Black (at least for this sale) comes with the water proof casing and remote control. My sons also negotiated for a small bag of clamps and mounts that they had in the back. I am going to guess your Black Friday sales (did I get that right? the sale after American Thanksgiving?) will easily beat that deal. And probably wouldn't have to go to the store but snipe it online.

Bear with me as these are going to be Canadian prices, but should give you an idea:
Floaty (for the back of the housing which he definitely should get because of skurfing) - 30
Battery and charger - 15 - 40
Chesty - 50
Head strap and quick clip - 30
Helmet strap - 20
Side or front mounts - 25 or so
Wrist housing - 60
Go pole - 30
Monopole - 80
Viewer - 80
And there is a ton more stuff ranging from 10 - 60

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

 

[bdoyledimou]

That's the same deal we got ours with (also Canadian) -- and then we added all the extras but its such a fun little gadget!!

 

[sallysue66]

Will probably want a Chesty too. Maybe the extend pole if he can figure out how to mount it on the surfboard for a different angle than from the foot of the board.

Regarding cost. The silver is about $100 less, but isn't as good in low light or speed shots. And Best Buy (Canada) had a Father's Day special for a little over $500 that included the Hero3+ Black, spare battery, 32 GB micro SD, Chesty and helmet mounts. And the Hero3+ Black (at least for this sale) comes with the water proof casing and remote control. My sons also negotiated for a small bag of clamps and mounts that they had in the back. I am going to guess your Black Friday sales (did I get that right? the sale after American Thanksgiving?) will easily beat that deal. And probably wouldn't have to go to the store but snipe it online.

Bear with me as these are going to be Canadian prices, but should give you an idea:
Floaty (for the back of the housing which he definitely should get because of skurfing) - 30
Battery and charger - 15 - 40
Chesty - 50
Head strap and quick clip - 30
Helmet strap - 20
Side or front mounts - 25 or so
Wrist housing - 60
Go pole - 30
Monopole - 80
Viewer - 80
And there is a ton more stuff ranging from 10 - 60

Hope this helps.

Cheers!

Thanks. That does help. I wondered what the difference between the silver and black was. He has a friend with a GoPro so they already know how to mount it to the board but I don't know what they used.

 

[CantSwim63]

Thanks. That does help. I wondered what the difference between the silver and black was. He has a friend with a GoPro so they already know how to mount it to the board but I don't know what they used.

If his friend has a black, then he should consider getting one too. Reason being the remote can handle both (and more) GoPros but I don't know if it would work for silver and black. Then having two cameras going on the same ride should make for some interesting videos because of the different angles from the same ride. And if they go in on it, there is also a dual waterproof housing which is supposed to allow you to do 3D by having both GoPros synced together, but I have read different reviews on how hard or easy it is to produce 3D effects, but if they could get that to work their skurfing videos will be wild.

Cheers!

 

[Fishteacher]

We Love(ed) our GoPro! My husband is a professional fisherman and had tons of awesome footage from under the ocean to up on the boat! We decided to take the camera zip lining with us in St. Marten using the head strap. Unfortunately, he began to spin on the zipline and while trying to straighten himself with his arm, he knocked the camera right off of his head. There was complete silence among the entire group It is a great camera, just be sure that he really researches the correct mount for the type of activity he is doing!

 

[mousecrazy]

The GoPro Hero3+ Black is where you want to start him. The retail price is $399, and is rarely discounted. I found one for $359 at Masseysoutfitters.com and Costco recently had them for $329 (I think). The accessories are reasonably priced and slightly addicting...something your son can certainly handle.

I agree with the other posters...the GoPro is very fun (and I'm no "adventurer") and I'm sure he will find a wide variety of uses for it!

 

[CantSwim63]

Hi OP (and other GoPro afficianados lol),

I don't know if you want to start buying accessories now, but Best Buy has some sale prices for a lot of the fun accessories (and check if memory cards are on major discount as well, I think Lexar is having a big selloff). And for us Canucks, Best Buy Canada has a one day sale today with what looks like at least $5 off to $10 off almost all of the accessories.

Cheers!

 

[Nennie]

I love my Go Pro!!!! I got a black Friday cyber deal on it last year!

Check out the "hot deals" board on Slick Deals, and when there is a great deal, it will be posted there!!! That's how I got my deal last year!

 

[sookie]

The GoPro Hero 3 - Black is not usually discounted. The other two (Silver and White) are often discounted and in bundles. Watch Best Buy ads.

 

[wenrob]

The black is the only one that can take still shots at intervals while recording video at the same time. That's one of the biggest draws of the GoPro so it's something you might want to ask your son about. Here is the comparison chart: http://gopro.com/product-comparison-hero3-cameras
I'm pretty sure they sell a surfer bundle with accessories.

 

[tcufrog]

We're considering buying a GoPro for our Dream cruise in September (14th) mainly to get good snorkling shots. We currently have a video camera and DSLR. Is it worth springing for? If so which one and what accessories? I looked at the GoPro website and my head started spinning.

If we get one should we still take our DSLR and/or video camera on the cruise?

 

[CantSwim63]

We're considering buying a GoPro for our Dream cruise in September (14th) mainly to get good snorkling shots. We currently have a video camera and DSLR. Is it worth springing for? If so which one and what accessories? I looked at the GoPro website and my head started spinning.

If we get one should we still take our DSLR and/or video camera on the cruise?

On tablet so point form, can add comments if asked: ( assumption for snorkeling as #1 reason)
- Hero3+ Black if price not a problem
- backing float
- grenade grip/pole
- maybe wrist mount if you can afford

If you are bringing your own mask:
- helmet clip/clamp or helmet strap pre tested to fit with mask
- Canadian version of universal clamp, duct tape

A maybe if you want some underwater selfies:
- Go pole or extender
- golf ball retriever and duct tape or adapted bike clamps

I would bring your other gear because it takes some practice to use without a viewfinder. Oops, or you can buy the viewfinder accessory. LOL.

Cheers!

 

[sallysue66]

Thanks for the help everyone. The Black edition is definitely the one he needs. Now I have until Christmas to find the best deal.

 

[megsoro]

Check mom and pop retailers too! I had a small local chain (half moon outfitters) offer $150 off a go pro black last year with a purchase of a surf kit (for me it was a sup, paddle and the surfboard go pro mount)

 

[ktgg828]

Fyi- the gopro 4 will be released in October. So the three will go down in price then. Definitely wait to purchase! That's what I'm doing!