My Weather Observations: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

The Hero 2 from GoPro is not the newest model. However, I was in one of the big box stores and noticed it marked down as a returned/open box special. I could not refuse it.

First impressions:

It has taken me a few hours to get the feel of it. I have a kayak and want to try mounting it on the hull tomorrow. I made some video around the farm just to see what is like. I bought it because I shoot severe weather videos. I got scared into the house by the lightning strikes this week in a storm.

I want to use it to shoot HD video of severe thunderstorms. I am thinking about mounting it on my roof. That is when I have enough advanced warning. I bought the one with Wifi. I can remotely turn it on, and control the mode (movie, still, time lapse or burst) The remote software runs on my iPad and iPhone. Using the iPad as a remote lets you preview the video/still image and then lets me push a screen button on the iPad to take the image or start and stop the video capture.

The software works perfect with iMovie and iPhoto. I can transfer files from the GoPro to my iPad using the SD card/Lightning adaptor. Does it replace the camera on my iPad or iPhone? No. The only thing I do not like is the battery life is not that good. Mine is a Hero 2. I got a great deal on it. It was returned. They did not return the head strap/mount. I can buy one for $15. I still saved $50. It was returned because the person that purchased it could not figure out how to get it to work on his computers.

In humble opinion, the GoPro is not for beginners. The model I purchased came with several mounts. However, I don't think I will be using it in my vehicle. The screen is too hard to see to multitask. Overall: I will not replace my iPhone 5 camera or my Canon HD camcorder. I will use it as a second camera when I want a second angle so in iMovie and can switch point of view when making videos.

My next purchase will be a class 10 SD card. I noticed that GoPro has the 32 GB models on sale for $29.99.