AdamR Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 Hi guys, I've been wondering for a while if there was anything I could offer to the WSCC. My line of work is mountain bikes, but we sell GoPro cameras - then it became obvious! Following a recent website upgrade I can now target very specific items and enable discount codes to be used. Strictly speaking, there is NO discounting allowed on GoPro products (each dealer has to sign an agreement to the effect that their account will be terminated should this happen), but providing this code stays within the forum I don't see a problem. The discount I am able to offer is relatively modest since the retailer margins have been further reduced from the previous models in an attempt to prevent the price-chopping that has been prevalent in the past, but as they say every little helps! All the stock levels on my site are 'live' and not some made up figure, so if we show the product is in stock it will get dispatched within one working day and everything (inside the UK) is sent on a next working day courier (select 'Interlink Express' and pop your mobile number in if you would like a text message with an estimated 1-hour delivery window). We can also ship worldwide with FedEx at good rates - 2-3 days into France is around £12, next to day USA / Canada around £14, etc. I'm also always available for product support if you need it - the GoPro website has a host of info and very good support, but they can take 2-3 days to get back to you, especially immediately following a product update. Obviously I use these cameras myself so tend to try and keep up to date with any developments and am more than happy to share that info. Aside from that, there are a few bits and bobs regarding camera setup that you will learn from trial and error. However, if you required any assistance with that, again I am more than happy to help. I am sure you know what the cameras look like and what they can do, but to break up the wall of text... The GoPro Hero HD3 is the latest model, and is available in Black (seen below), Silver and White editions. All models of HD3 camera are significantly smaller than their predecessors. Without housing, the 'box' measures 59 x 41 x 21mm, then the lens 'tube' is 23mm diameter and 8.5mm tall, and weight 85g with battery - it really is tiny! The Black is the new top of the range model, with the capability of taking higher-than-full-HD video, as well as more frames per second (fps - up to 120! Your TV runs at 24 fps for reference) at higher resolutions than the other models. It also comes with the handy remote control, which has an LCD screen that mirrors what the camera is showing - no more reaching / straining yourself around while strapped into the car attempting to turn the camera on! The built in WiFi capability is also very handy - more on that below. The Silver uses basically the same video processing as the previous HD2 model, and also has built-in WiFi meaning you can download the GoPro app (for both iPhone and Android) allowing you to control your camera using your phone. I find this extremely useful for changing settings (it's just a couple of clicks on your phone, rather than manic pressing of the buttons on the camera to cycle through the menus) and also checking where the camera is pointing - there's a 'live view' that appears on your phone screen (albeit with a second or so 'lag'). The White edition also has WiFi, and is practically the same as the original HD Hero in terms of video capability. It's designed as an entry level wearable camera and does a great job of it! All of them come with fully waterproof housings so you can take them on holiday with you (we do it every year - it's great fun), plus a manual, USB lead (for both charging and getting clips off the memory card) and various mounts. Battery life is around 2 hours (may be less in cold weather) from a 2 hour charge. Spare batteries and expansion packs are available too. Here's my YouTube page - all the videos are taken with my Hero HD2 (approximately the same quality as the HD3 Silver edition). I'll have some videos from the HD3 Black up as soon as I've had to get another trackday in! And an example of a video from last year (don't forget to click the little sprocket icon at the bottom of the video and change the quality to '1080p HD'). Note the overlay at the start of the video is a phone app I used, it's not built into the GoPro! Of course, more example videos can be found on the GoPro YouTube Page. So, the bit you've been waiting for (Sorry about all the waffle.) Everything that's available can be seen here, and the discount code is WSCCGOPRO, which needs to be entered at checkout for your 7% off. If you prefer to do stuff like this over the phone, that's fine too - you can get me on 01772 32 33 33, Option 1, then ask for Adam. I'll let the other chaps know about the code so should I not be available, they can still take an order if needed. I understand that there will probably be other places advertising the cameras and accessories cheaper, that's fine, I am just trying to propose them at a slightly reduced price as a favour (and also hopefully make WSCC membership more worthwhile!) while also offering a direct contact for support should you need it. Other info: To get any of the Hero HD3 cameras up and running you will also need a mirco SD card. It needs to be a pretty high 'class' (high data transfer capacity) to keep up with the GoPro, and preferably a 'good' brand. Brands to look for are SanDisk, Transcend and Kingston, and you will need a Class 10 or above. A 16Gb card will be enough for 2 hours of footage at 1080p (full HD), but I got myself a 32Gb to make sure I always had enough space. 16Gb cards are are about £12, and 32Gb £20 maximum. The cameras come with only basic mounts, but you can home-make a very solid mount for not a lot of cash, like this. Alternatively GoPro offer roll bar clamps (can also be seen in the thread), and a company called Manfrotto do a very high quality, universal clamp which I haven't used personally, but has plenty of good feedback. So, I think that's everything - any questions just shout. Cheers! Adam 1 Quote
Captain Colonial Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 May I take this opportunity to thank Adam and welcome him on board as our newest WSCC Trader, and to wish him every success! 1 Quote
XTR2Turbo Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 Well done Adam I think this shows the benefit of the trader status. It allows members with a business to offer something to the club that hopefullly everyone gains a little bit from. Quote
KugaWestie Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 Do I get additional discount for playing a part in this?? Quote
GuitarmanUK Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 This is a great offer Adam, thank you for putting it together. Will be making my purchase very soon. Now .... which one should I go for? Quote
AdamR Posted January 18, 2013 Author Posted January 18, 2013 May I take this opportunity to thank Adam and welcome him on board as our newest WSCC Trader, and to wish him every success! Thanks Scott - and for your help in getting me set up Well done Adam I think this shows the benefit of the trader status. It allows members with a business to offer something to the club that hopefullly everyone gains a little bit from. Thanks David. Yes, I think there are probably quite a few people in a similar position. Be interesting to see if others follow suit Do I get additional discount for playing a part in this?? I don't see why not - if you want any spares or accessories give me a shout! This is a great offer Adam, thank you for putting it together. Will be making my purchase very soon. Now .... which one should I go for? No problem at all. If you'd like any help deciding, please give me a shout Quote
AdamR Posted January 18, 2013 Author Posted January 18, 2013 Great stuff - thank you! If you need any help with it at any point, don't hesitate to give me a shout Quote
KugaWestie Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 Thanks for the offer Adam I will shout if I need help. Just had an email to say it has been dispatched - top service Quote
AdamR Posted January 18, 2013 Author Posted January 18, 2013 No probs - I'm sure you will be fine having owned a previous model Good stuff, it should get to you Monday providing the snow doesn't scupper the couriers too much! Quote
KugaWestie Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 I will have to hope the wife is in when they come, I am back at work monday starting the new job after my months sabbatical! Quote
GuitarmanUK Posted January 18, 2013 Posted January 18, 2013 No problem at all. If you'd like any help deciding, please give me a shout Cheers Adam. My good side says the White will be the sensible option and will be sufficient for my needs but my bad side tells me to live off value beans and horse burgers and get the Black!! Waiting for the White to come back in stock will give me chance to think it all through. David Quote
Rab (bombero) Reid Posted January 19, 2013 Posted January 19, 2013 @AdamR, I'm unsure as to which edition I should go for, so is there any chance of a side-by-side comparison table..? I can see from the main website 'some' info but I'm still confused if the Black Edition is smaller and lighter.. Quote
BLiNK Motorsport Posted January 19, 2013 Posted January 19, 2013 Adam, will give you a call over the next couple of days regarding this. Quote
AdamR Posted January 19, 2013 Author Posted January 19, 2013 Cheers Adam. My good side says the White will be the sensible option and will be sufficient for my needs but my bad side tells me to live off value beans and horse burgers and get the Black!! Waiting for the White to come back in stock will give me chance to think it all through. David David, Haha, yes, that was exactly my train of thought when the cameras first came out. I ended up with the Black, but I am not sure I will use all of it's capability. If I was to choose again, I think I would go with the Silver - I know that sounds strange when I am trying to sell these things, but I'll cover it in my reply to bombero below! @AdamR, I'm unsure as to which edition I should go for, so is there any chance of a side-by-side comparison table..? I can see from the main website 'some' info but I'm still confused if the Black Edition is smaller and lighter.. There is a pretty decent comparison table here: http://gopro.com/hd-hero3-cameras - I understand that's not everything and I shall try and come up with something a little more easily digestible, but definitely outlines the key features. Having read my initial post back I will edit it - all of the HD3 cameras are smaller and lighter than the HD2. Sorry for the confusion there. For reference, all models of HD3 camera (without housing) measure 59 x 41 x 21mm, then the lens 'tube' is 23mm diameter and 8.5mm tall, and weight 85g with battery - it really is tiny! Now, I said above I would probably go for the Silver if I were to buy again, here's my thinking: The Black does have a very powerful processor, allowing it to shoot up to 4k. This means the video it takes is around 4 times the 'size' (and therefore resolution) as Full HD (1080p). The image below helps to explain... This is pretty amazing if you have a home cinema, but for me the vids are just going on YouTube where 1080 is more than adequate in my opinion. The other 'issue' is that the 4k mode on the Black is only 15 fps, so that makes the footage look very 'choppy'. I think the realistic use for this mode is taking stills out of the video you've shot, so it ensures you're constantly taking 15 photos per second and therefore don't miss the correct point in the action. That's not particularly useful where the intended use (a car) is all about movement / speed IMO! The Black does, however, have the capability of shooting 2.7k at 30fps. This is a high enough frame rate not to look choppy (normal TV is 24fps), and still a good jump in resolution from 1080p. I can see this being useful in the future, when TVs and the internet catches up, but by then I have a feeling GoPro will have a new model out... Video resolution aside, the Black does have better low light performance than the Silver and White. It's actually very very impressive even compared with my DSLR - but most (all?) of the videos I will shoot will be in daylight. All three of the cameras can easily cope with an overcast day, it's when you use the camera inside or shoot in the dark it makes a difference. The Black also comes with the WiFi remote (which is £79 separately) - this is a really handy piece of kit, but most people who buy a GoPro will have a smartphone, so you can download the free app and do the same (and more) with that as you can the remote. Obviously for surfing or canoeing the remote is perfect (it's waterproof and can be strapped to your wrist), but in a car you don't really need it, it's just one more thing to remember to charge up! One point I just thought of however, is that you could buy the Black and then sell the remote, since it's compatible with the HD2 (with expansion pack), HD3 White and HD3 Silver... So, the Silver - it can shoot 1080p at 30fps (full HD), 720p at 60fps (good if you want to do 50% slow motion), has the built in WiFi (so you can use the app), good low light performance, and is £80 cheaper than the Black. On a similar note, the HD2s I have on offer at the moment are also very good value - they take the same quality video as the HD3 Silver, and if you aren't fussed about using the phone app to control it, offer a significant saving. The memory cards (SD rather than Micro SD) are a bit cheaper too. So, to sum up - if you want something that will do everything you need, the White is a great camera and is really easy to use, especially with the phone app. The Silver offers a useful jump in video and photo quality (despite the size of the video being the same, the sensor and processor are better so give a finer picture) and better performance than the White in lower light. If you want an all bells and whistles will-do-more-than-you're-likely-to-ever-use-as-an-'enthusiast' version, the Black is an amazing bit of kit. All of the above refers to my personal use and experience of the cameras, and how I feel they would suit someone who'd mainly use the camera in a car for 'fun' duties (rather than in a professional manner), but everyone is different of course! Adam, will give you a call over the next couple of days regarding this. Sure, no worries at all Quote
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