GoPro Digital Hero 3 Camera - 2007

I have to say I was skeptical when I received the camera the day before we were to leave for Belize. It is so small that I thought it couldn't possibly take decent pictures. We used it snorkeling, diving and just as a regular camera on boat trips. It is so easy to use and the pictures/videos came out fantastic! Everyone that was on the trip with us commented on how cool it was and once they saw the pictures they were even more amazed. I loved the fact that I didn't have to worry about losing it when I was diving.

I was very pleased with the quality of the pictures and ease of use but the hinge on the case cracked after about 12 battery changes. I found that I got about 50 pictures per set of batteries 2 AAA. The video feature works great and I took some great action video while rafting in the Grand Canyon. The down side to the video is it is TV quality and I haven't been able to get it to download to a cd or dvd to be able to share it with others on the trip. I'll keep trying. It is an AVI file. For the size and quality of pics it was great but the case cracking kept me from using it the last 3-4 days of the trip and I missed some great shots.

The 3 megapixel camera takes surprisingly great pictures but the camcorder is the really cool feature. Definitely use rechargeable batteries since regular lithium’s just won't cut it and will be dead in about 15 minutes. Rechargeables seem to last right about the max recording time of 54 minutes with a 2gb card. Video quality is fantastic, especially for just over a hundred bucks! It works great on the handlebar of my mountain bike, on my wrist or on the front of my pfd. From kayak to surf to bike to filming random stuff, this thing rules.

Pros: The still shots are pretty good for how small it is. Compact and water proof.
Cons: It only records 1 MB of video at a time, so you have to keep pressing record every 15-20 seconds. The attachment system needs to be redesigned. The top strap tends to come off leaving the camera flapping on my wrist.
Bottom Line: If you want a waterproof still camera, its ok. If you need it for action video/helmet cam, steer clear. You won't get very far down the trail before it shuts off.