GoPro users....Need some experienced opinions.

[Smart]

Well I got a birthday coming up and my wife and my mom are on my *** about giving them gift ideas for it and they want it to be something I'll use for hunting. They know how particular we hunters are and they want me to tell them what I want so I'll use it, instead of it being a surprise and I possibly may not get much use from it. I guess we are at the age of lets make sure we get it right....surprises are for young folks lol.

So..after an incredible "in your face decoying and whipping up on my fake jake" turkey season I am leaning toward telling them I want a GoPro which is easily within their budget they hinted at. I was just wondering for you folks that bought one do you use it as much as you thought would or does it just sit at home on the shelf giving way to your normal video camera. The few folks I have talked to say that it is great camera for up close action with the camera preset, but its not really a camera to set in your blind and film a shot at 15-20 yards due to there being little to no zoom . I just wanted some more opinions/confirmations on that. I like the idea of a preset camera for turkey hunting as I can aim it at my decoys but deer hunting would seem to be a crapshoot. Also has anybody had any experiences with using it on a shot gun? Good bad? I'd love to record all my dove misses..

Or is it just a PITA novelty folks buy and toss to the side or sell?

[BlackHogDown]

I've been on the fence about getting one as well for the exact reasons you mention. There was a thread yesterday about another brand of similar camera setup. This, though, had a wrist strap that allows you to control zoom. All accessories included (like 20 different things) was all for $200. I know, I Know. You get what you pay for. My point is that it may "close the gap" between the go pro and video camera in terms of functionality. The vids I saw from it seemed pretty legit. Comparable to the GP in quality. I'm no expert though. Just basing this off the couple minutes of research after seeing the thread.

EDIT: Don't mind me. Lol just went back to the thread to paste here and saw that you had already seen it. At any rate, in for responses

[Wile E.]

I have used mine mounted to my hat while skeet shooting, you can see the clays but can't really make out a hit too well as they get farther out. You could most likely see doves coming in and falling, that could be cool. Gopros are good mostly because they allow you to see the perspective of what someone sees, but they don't lend themselves to fine details. Just have to keep that in mind when you choose what you use it for. One mounted on a turkey decoy could be really sweet if you caught a tom beating up on it. The wifi feature on some of them is helpful because it lets you connect it to your phone so you can check the frame/view on your phone in real time. I have the Hero Session 5, btw.

[Muygrande]

Timely thread. I'm looking at the Hero 5 mainly for fishing trips and vacations but I don't know anything about them or what kind of editing software I'll need.

[1369]

I have used mine mounted to my hat while skeet shooting, you can see the clays but can't really make out a hit too well as they get farther out. You could most likely see doves coming in and falling, that could be cool. Gopros are good mostly because they allow you to see the perspective of what someone sees, but they don't lend themselves to fine details. Just have to keep that in mind when you choose what you use it for. One mounted on a turkey decoy could be really sweet if you caught a tom beating up on it. The wifi feature on some of them is helpful because it lets you connect it to your phone so you can check the frame/view on your phone in real time. I have the Hero Session 5, btw.

I've found this mount to be really handy. Have the one for my ball cap (hardly even know it's there) as well as the rail mount for AR/pistol.

Sidekick mounts

[Man]

I shot a hog at 40 yards with mine and you can't even make the hog out. Its definitely not a good camera for any sort of distance. I plan to get the chest harness and wear it during fishing going forward though.

[Michael]

GoPro is good for specific purposes, primarily as a secondary camera. I know you have a primary camera that you use in the blind, so it could potentially add a different perspective to your videos. A LOT of people buy action cameras and, as you suggest, never really use them. If you're already creating videos, however, then I think you're more likely to make use of it.

I used mine primarily as reverse angle, but since my OSMO is better suited for that, I like to use it as an over-the-shoulder option from a treestand, or to film the shooter inside a ground blind, although lighting can be tough for obvious reasons.

Unless you have the computing horsepower to edit 4k, I wouldn't put too much priority on a 4k camera. More important is the frame rate (some of the cheaper cams record at 15 fps (frames per second) which can make for "choppy" video. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the footage will be, especially for slow-mo. I typically have my action cams set to 60 fps (with good lighting) to take advantage of slow mo.

Another important consideration is battery power. I normally use my Hero3+ more than my Hero 4 black because I purchased a 12 hour battery pack (Brunton) that will essentially let it run all day. If you're setting it up as a remote cam, you obviously want to be able to power it for an extended period, and you'll want to be able to link to it remotely (via app or remote control).

I've never really had usable footage when mounted to bow or gun, but I've seen some decent footage. There's typically a lot of shake at the shot. It doesn't have the reach to really see game at anything other than short distances, however.

[panhandlehunter]

I've got two, one I bought and one was a gift. I wanted them for duck hunting and fishing but it doesn't work out too well for me. Gets in the way or I forget to turn it on or charge the batteries. Even on a goose that is close it's hard to see the shot. Some people love them but they're an extra hassle for me.

[88 Bound]

I have a hero 3 and it has sat in a closet until recently. Now I use it every time I go out. I really like personal “in the blind” angle and close by for different angles for bow hunts or turkey hunts. I like mine because I can control it from my phone through the app. Hope this helps.

[ofishil]

As you said, its not good for distance shooting. I have put it in a small tripod and used the remote with it. I try and place it where i think deer will be. It hasnt spooked any deer when i turn it on.

One thing i did learn was that i needed a new computer to edit the videos.

[KactusKiller]

I got a hero 6 black for christmas, still havent been able to figure it out but I'm not a big tech guy.

[frios]

I really like my gopro
here are some vidz
costa rica ATV

https://youtu.be/UNVDjB2vqpM

Fishing with gopro chesty

https://youtu.be/wOOGkc2ExKc

[Smart]

Unless you have the computing horsepower to edit 4k, I wouldn't put too much priority on a 4k camera. More important is the frame rate (some of the cheaper cams record at 15 fps (frames per second) which can make for "choppy" video. The higher the frame rate, the smoother the footage will be, especially for slow-mo. I typically have my action cams set to 60 fps (with good lighting) to take advantage of slow mo.

Another important consideration is battery power. I normally use my Hero3+ more than my Hero 4 black because I purchased a 12 hour battery pack (Brunton) that will essentially let it run all day. If you're setting it up as a remote cam, you obviously want to be able to power it for an extended period, and you'll want to be able to link to it remotely (via app or remote control).

I've never really had usable footage when mounted to bow or gun, but I've seen some decent footage. There's typically a lot of shake at the shot. It doesn't have the reach to really see game at anything other than short distances, however.

As you said, its not good for distance shooting. I have put it in a small tripod and used the remote with it. I try and place it where i think deer will be. It hasnt spooked any deer when i turn it on.

One thing i did learn was that i needed a new computer to edit the videos.

Yeah I don't have the ability to use 4K. I'm just interested in the 720 and 1080 so I can use my current equipment. Can the Hero5 or 6 be used at a lesser quality setting or do I need go looking for a 3 or 4?

[DRettele]

I got a GoPro clone (EKEN) that works well. As others have said it isn't great for distance and even at 25yds it seems MUCH further away. No zoom capability and the battery life sucks. It does take great quality video and mine did come with a remote to start and stop video or take still photos. I plan on using it more as soon as I find a better battery option.

Here's a video I shot with it at ~25yds on Halloween last fall - https://youtu.be/HgdSYJfDgaE

[Jason Slocum]

It was fun and novel idea for me, but taking time to edit and piece together the footage was a deal breaker for me. Yeah the idea seems good and its all fun getting the footage but there is a lot of editing between raw footage and having a video worth sharing. I stopped using mine and recording after I had so many videos and not enough time to edit and post them for other people to possibly watch. I have a great respect for the people that post up videos and cant imagine the time and effort put into making and posting their videos.

Jason Slocum