GoPro Vote: Hero black 3 or 3+!
- Thread starter EMCSQUAR
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There is a bit if misinformation about that. My money will be going on a 3+. I've seen no footage that makes me believe they won't focus beyond four feet. Imagine taking it skiing or sky diving attached to a helmet. You would have heaps of unusable footage.
Ok I've read your link and it confirms what I said. It will focus more sharply on near objects compared to the three. But It by
No means says will blur everything beyond 4 feet. Now who looks foolish. Go troll somewhere else.
No means says will blur everything beyond 4 feet. Now who looks foolish. Go troll somewhere else.
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No insults or insinuations intended here, but from my reading, and to address this in practical terms and personal experiences (very subjective criteria I know) I feel this is more a professional versus amateur issue.
If you are a pro, or wish to become a professional, then this is a very important issue to consider.
If you are an amateur, and only attempting to create media for fun and such, then it shouldn't matter.
...and by pro I mean you are getting paid.
...and that isn't to say that someone's personal desires as an amateur to have impeccable pics and video is not important, but real world applications for the camera need to be honestly considered.
With all of that said, I am more pissed that gopro has discontinued the standard black 3, as I would like to have one of each, and the prices on whatever inventory that is left out there puts them at a higher cost than the 3+ ... and that is ********. Obviously the demand is there, so why is the company not addressing it as they already admit to the differences. That is the rub.
Anybody want to sell their old Hero Black 3? :mrgreen:
If you are a pro, or wish to become a professional, then this is a very important issue to consider.
If you are an amateur, and only attempting to create media for fun and such, then it shouldn't matter.
...and by pro I mean you are getting paid.
...and that isn't to say that someone's personal desires as an amateur to have impeccable pics and video is not important, but real world applications for the camera need to be honestly considered.
With all of that said, I am more pissed that gopro has discontinued the standard black 3, as I would like to have one of each, and the prices on whatever inventory that is left out there puts them at a higher cost than the 3+ ... and that is ********. Obviously the demand is there, so why is the company not addressing it as they already admit to the differences. That is the rub.
Anybody want to sell their old Hero Black 3? :mrgreen:
Definitely the 3+
There are several improvements over the 3 including battery life and color balance. The focus issue seems to have been fixed. If you get one that does not focus at a distance, you can return it for a replacement of easily fix it yourself. I ordered one as soon as they were released. Mine had a problem with being out of focus on one edge. This indicates a tilted sensor or decentered lens which is something I could not fix. I returned it. The replacement which was manufactured a month later was perfect.
One other advantage with 3+ is that the case is lighter. If you are flying over water and need the housing installed then this will give you more time in the air over the original case. Also if you plan to mount the GoPro and case on a gimbal, the lighter weight is a big help.
There are several improvements over the 3 including battery life and color balance. The focus issue seems to have been fixed. If you get one that does not focus at a distance, you can return it for a replacement of easily fix it yourself. I ordered one as soon as they were released. Mine had a problem with being out of focus on one edge. This indicates a tilted sensor or decentered lens which is something I could not fix. I returned it. The replacement which was manufactured a month later was perfect.
One other advantage with 3+ is that the case is lighter. If you are flying over water and need the housing installed then this will give you more time in the air over the original case. Also if you plan to mount the GoPro and case on a gimbal, the lighter weight is a big help.
Hiway said:
http://store.58cycle.com/GoPro_HD_HERO3 ... k-plus.htm
Moreover, I think there's a $5 or $10 off coupon if you go to their Facebook page and 'Likes' it.
The battery will fit the 3 and so will the new case, the cameras are the same size but some folks think the 3+ camera is smaller just the way gopro advertise it .Any sensible folks would save themselves a load of cash and buy a 3 at big discounted prices and spend the spare cash on the copter.
I read somewhere that the 4 is expected sometime around mid year. If it's true and you can wait both blacks should go down in price
The "internet rumor mill" has the Go Pro 4 coming out Summer of 2014. So far, none exist anywhere on the planet-so no word on specs, other than pure speculation and rumors.Ozzyguy said:I read somewhere that the 4 is expected sometime around mid year. If it's true and you can wait both blacks should go down in price
My Vote is for the Black 3....not the plus. I've seen video from both, and the 3+ is just lacking in distant focusing.
Also, the weight of the 3+ is only 2/10ths of a gram lighter then the 3(w/o case).
As for battery usage; who cares. You're going to be using it on a Zen gimbal anyways-and it supplies power via the main aircraft battery.
Black 3's are extremely hard to find-and most, if they're smart, are gobbling them up for spares.
I value real world experience. So the person above who said the black3 is better for aerials then I'm going with that. Just on the focus issue I will refer you to this review
http://m.cnet.com.au/gopro-hero3-black- ... tm?redir=1
Until I've tried both for myself I'll reserve judgement.
http://m.cnet.com.au/gopro-hero3-black- ... tm?redir=1
Until I've tried both for myself I'll reserve judgement.
The reason why it seems less of a problem in video mode is due to how the GoPro reads the sensor then bins the pixels together to create the lower resolution video image. Anytime you down-rez an image the sharpness of the resultant image is higher than an imager sampled at that target resolution. This is the case for any single imager systems using a bayer sensor (like the GoPro). Too much sharpness in the source image can lead to aliasing. The sweet spot is to have just a touch of softness in the image read off the sensor so that when its converted to the lower rez final image it looks nice and sharp without too much aliasing.
If you do have a GoPro3+ Black with the infinity focus issue you can correct it yourself. It requires a bit a nerve to grab the lens with pliers though. If you can't bring yourself to do that then return it for a current stock camera. There will not be a firmware that truly fixes the problem since the issue is physical. My understanding is the current production cameras have been set to a deeper focus point. I've not personally verified that yet.
If you do have a GoPro3+ Black with the infinity focus issue you can correct it yourself. It requires a bit a nerve to grab the lens with pliers though. If you can't bring yourself to do that then return it for a current stock camera. There will not be a firmware that truly fixes the problem since the issue is physical. My understanding is the current production cameras have been set to a deeper focus point. I've not personally verified that yet.
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LeoS said:Hiway said:
http://store.58cycle.com/GoPro_HD_HERO3 ... k-plus.htm
Moreover, I think there's a $5 or $10 off coupon if you go to their Facebook page and 'Likes' it.
I missed the "+" in your original post... there's the rub- I do not want the plus.
To everyone else who chimed in with sources for the 3- obliged- I have a BB $50 gift card... if I can find it there, then that is the best deal for me.
Bought mine brand new at Best Buy during the Holiday's for $235, free shippingMav456 said:
They sold out of them very quickly-that was for the Hero 3 Black Edition-so it gives you an idea of what they were going for.
Now, I think the price used will only rise.....
I think Go Pro specifically intended for the Plus version to have a focal distance of 4 to 8? feet.....it was something that was missing in the 3. So, if you're doing "proximity" aerials, and you want the "product" to stand out-and have the background slightly blurred, grab a 3+.
But, for everything else, use the 3 Black, and shoot in Protune/RAW. It is very usable footage, and you may have already seen a bunch of it on TV
I know I've seen a few Phantom Shadows on TV.
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