GoPro HD Hero arrived

Yesterday I picked up my GoPro HD Hero from my local REI store, I know it might seem like a weird place for an RC enthusiast to pick up a camera. But Since everyone is selling this for $299.99 the smartest thing for me was the free in store pickup shipping option and the 10% dividend :)

I already have the GoPro Hero Wide and the first thing I noticed when getting the HD version was that it was heavier. I quick check on my cheap spring loaded kitchen scale confirmed this. Fully loaded the HD camera weighs ~185g/6.5oz and the wide weighs ~150g/5.25oz. About half of that weight gain comes from the camera itself the other half is the difference between the new battery and a couple of AAA lithium batteries. Adding more weight up high on an RC car is not good news, but this camera more than makes up for that with it’s phenomenal quality.

The HD version is also slightly bigger than the Wide version, but not by much. See pictures below.

From left to right the (crappy) epic stealthcam, gopro hero wide and gopro HD hero.

The HD hero comes with two rear plates, the one that comes mounted is waterproof and the optional one is not waterproof but is great for anything moving less than 100mph (according to the manual). I instantly switched the plates and the sound quality is much improved.

The HD version still takes SD card slots, but supports higher capacity SDHC cards. I picked up a 8GB Sandisk Ultra II card.

I did a couple of very quick runs outside my house with the two settings I’ll use the most.

1920x1080p @ 30fps (Angle of View: 127º)

1280x720p @ 60 fps (Angle of View: 170º)

The results are just AMAZING, what a great camera! I’m really really impressed by this and can’t wait to take it to the Tamiya track in Aliso Viejo, CA. Another great thing about this camera is that it now records MP4 files that you can just pop right into your PS3 and play (the hero wide had a less common avi codec).

Full specs for the HD Helmet Hero

Full specs for the Motorsports Hero Wide

If there’s one thing I would improve upon it would be to offer a cheaper version of this camera without TV out capability. I can honestly say I will always play the videos/pictures from SD card and never ever connect the video cables that come with the kit. Other than that, another great product from GoPro!