GoPro HERO3 Black Edition Pro Reviews

Nearly all of the issues we had with the GoPro Hero3 were the result of us being complete rookies with the camera. Guilty. Yes, we should have known that we would need additional accessories if we wanted to attach the camera to a bike. We should have been aware that a little camera this powerful would chew through the batteries in minutes and that the high-resolution video files it creates would be huge and unwieldy. But we didn’t put much time into thinking about all this before hand. And we don’t think we’re alone in that. Camera technology has progressed to the point where we’ve all gotten so used to just flipping our phones out and recording HD video that we expect all cameras to function as easily, especially since GoPro’s marketing makes it seem that’s the case. But in the GoPro Hero3’s case, it doesn’t work that way. The Hero3 is a highly specialized camera that is optimized to capture amazingly crisp, vivid, high-resolution images from an almost unbelievably small camera. What it does, it does very well. For people who need to document and share mountain biking, snowboarding, surfing, bungee jumping, auto racing, or motocross, the GoPro Hero3 could be the perfect camera. But don’t confuse this cute little camera with one that can be thrown into a gear bag and forgotten until the next extreme adventure comes around. The Hero3 requires focus. It requires forethought and planning for both shooting and sharing. It demands having the right accessories, paying attention to firmware updates, and having a handful of fully charged batteries. Do all that, and the camera will perform epically. One word of warning: Unless you’re a photo/editing genius, the footage you get won’t look anywhere near as rad as the stuff you’ve seen on the Red Bull YouTube channel. And the Hero3 won’t help you land any cliff drops or make you faster on your mountain bike. But it will help you record what you’re doing and let you share it to the world.

Excellent image quality and great apps make this a superb action camera, but we'd go for one of the cheaper models in the GoPro range

The GoPro Hero3 Black Edition delivers outstanding video quality and features like 4K that you won't find anywhere else.

GoPro's Hero3 Black Edition is, put simply, the most capable action camera on the market today. It delivers unparalleled resolution from a camera of its size and does so without sacrificing frame rate or field of view. Despite its meager battery life and less-than-ergonomic shape, the Hero3 provides imaging performance superior to all of its competitors at a price that won't break the bank.

After trying the GoPro for various activities, including mountain biking and ice skating, we could see why the GoPro name is almost synonymous with the action camera concept. We would like to see a helmet strap in the box as standard, but image quality is good in a variety of conditions, the design is reassuringly rugged, and the WiFi controls make operating a camcorder that may be attached to your clothing or a vehicle very friendly. There are cheaper action cameras out there, but the GoPro HERO3 Black Edition is a true professional tool.

Capable of shooting HD footage where most video cameras fear to tread, the GoPro HERO3 is every adrenaline junkie's dream come true

There's no doubt that the GoPro HD Hero3 Black edition improves upon its predecessor, often by big margins. It's not to do with the 4K gimmickry or even really the built-in Wi-Fi. Nope, it's down to the core capture: the inclusion of 1080p 25/30fps capture at 45mbps and a 720p at 100/120fps are incredibly useful settings, the likes of which are hard to come by. Even harder to come by in such a teeny-tiny package. The Pro Tune settings will also render excellent results for those more professionally inclined editors. Ticks in plenty of boxes, but there are some sizeable crosses to be aware of. We can accept the Hero3's less-than-friendly user interface - it's just like the Hero2's - as you won't need to spend much time in there, and we aren't surprised by the so-so low-light performance - which is slightly better than its predecessor - but the poor battery life per-charge will be a killer for some prospective buyers. Team that up with the built-in Wi-Fi and should the battery-less touchscreen BacPac accessory be attached too then it cuts back yet further on the operating life per charge. For what it does the HD Hero3 is a mini knockout, just like its predecessors were at the time of their respective releases. It's smaller, it's lighter, the optional touchscreen BacPac improves the user experience and the usual waterproof, rugged housing is an essential. All round it's just better. But for an on-the-go product that needs to be versatile when out and about and you'll want to consider a larger budget to ensure that all the necessary back-up batteries and accessories also make it into your bag. With a full kit of accessories and there's no doubt that the HD Hero3 Black edition is stunning and we'll all be seeing a lot of them scattered around at events and gigs or attached to the craziest of places in the not-too-distant future.

The $399.99 flagship GoPro Hero3 Black Edition goes head-to-head and toe-to-toe with the top of line Contour+2, which retails for the same price. Both cameras offer great HD video quality and both cameras ship with waterproof, ruggedized plastic shells to protect your investment. Both feature built-in wireless connectivity with smartphone apps: GoPro uses Wi-Fi; Contour uses Bluetooth. The Contour+2 wins a round with its ability to record and embed GPS elevation and speed data into its videos and the fact that it ships with video editing software, while the GoPro offers neither. I've also noted on many occasions that the Contour is easier for novices to use, with its slide and record control scheme.