Читать книгу GoPro Cameras For Dummies - Carucci John - Страница 5

The GoPro is a pint-size, consumer-priced camcorder that yields professional results and does lots of cool stuff thanks to its Wi-Fi capability, superior performance, and extreme portability.

The GoPro doesn’t take up much space, so it’s easy to pack, carry, and mount in interesting places. The most feature-rich model, the HERO5 Black is a shade under 3 inches long, so it would take a bagful of these cameras to occupy the same amount of space as a conventional camcorder. The HERO5 Session and HERO Session are even smaller. Regardless, the diminutive stature of GoPro becomes even more important when you mount several cameras in a confined area and that’s a good thing, because these little guys are often used in bunches.

“The bigger they are, the harder they fall” doesn’t apply to the GoPro because it weighs ounces, not pounds. Since the camera is small and lightweight, you can place it almost anywhere with little concern that it will fall because it’s too heavy. Earlier GoPro models captured movie files on an SD card, but because the camera got smaller and lighter with each upgrade, it now uses a petite microSD card (see Figure 1-1) that holds up to 128 GB of pictures and movies.

FIGURE 1-1: SD (left) and microSD (right) cards.

Wishing for the existence of such a camera just a mere generation ago was quite a stretch, like wanting a Pegasus in your barn. Fret no more. Your sanity is safe – at least when it comes to the existence of a durable, inexpensive camera that goes anywhere while capturing high definition video and even 3D video. All it takes to accurately capture whatever situation you have in mind is an optional, inexpensive mount.

Use it anywhere

Just a few years ago, ambitious users who attempted to put an expensive camcorder in a place where it didn’t belong usually didn’t get a compelling piece of work; rather, they often had to pick up the pieces of their smashed cameras. That’s less a worry these days, thanks to the design and durability of the GoPro.

Beyond being small and well designed, a GoPro can go anyplace you go and mount almost anywhere. Moviemaking has always had the dubious distinction of being a cumbersome endeavor, usually because of the size and weight of the equipment. It’s quite refreshing to have a high-quality camera with ultra-wide optics that fits in the palm of your hand and that has a mount for almost every situation.

Capturing footage in nonconventional places is the GoPro’s job description. The tougher the situation, the more impressive the results. The GoPro is shock-resistant and waterproof, which are good qualities for a camera that can mount on almost anything, moving or otherwise. The next time you’re inspired to mount the camera on Fido for a dog’s-eye view, feel free. Shock your friends and neighbors when you decide to take the camera into the pool to shoot an underwater sequence (see Figure 1-2).

Photo courtesy of GoPro, Inc.

FIGURE 1-2: The GoPro HERO5 Black can do a lot in, out, and under the water.

Forget conventional camcorders

The GoPro doesn’t resemble a conventional camcorder, nor does it behave like one. It looks more like a small square box with a protruding lens than a sleekly designed camcorder. Although you can hold it like a traditional camera, it is equally effective (if not more so) when it’s attached to something.

Here are some of the qualities that differentiate a GoPro from standard camcorders:

❯❯ Size: The current GoPros are quite small compared with most camcorders and significantly smaller than their predecessors.

❯❯ Most models don’t have a viewfinder: Though the viewfinder is one of the main parts of a camcorder, only one current GoPro includes a viewing screen. That’s okay because you wouldn’t look through a viewfinder for most situations. The lack of a viewfinder doesn’t mean you have to imagine where the action will take place. Simply use Capture (discussed later in this chapter), which transforms your smartphone or tablet into a monitor.

❯❯ Wide-angle view: The GoPro captures an angle of view up to 170-degrees that provides an ultra-wide view unavailable on any camcorder.

Better than a camcorder

Just a few years ago, merely having a moderate wide-angle view on a camcorder was a minor coup. Going reasonably wider often meant using one of those poor quality wide-angle adapters that screwed on the filter or clamped over the lens. Adapters produced exaggerated distortion, especially on the edges, creating a foggy appearance. The GoPro provides a wider perspective than those old accessory lenses, as shown in Figure 1-3, and does it with impressive optical quality.

In a way, the GoPro represents the elusive go-anywhere camera that’s everything the camcorder never was: durable, mountable, and affordable.

FIGURE 1-3: An expansive view from the GoPro’s wide-angle lens taken relatively close to the subject.

Here’s why:

❯❯ Waterproof housing: Thanks to its polycarbonate body on the HERO5, (and Session) and plastic housing on other HERO models, you can use your GoPro in, around, and under water.

❯❯ Wearability: Although it’s not the kind of accessory that fashionistas clamor for on the catwalk during Milan Fashion Week, the GoPro is still quite fashionable. You can not only wear it, but also capture some pretty impressive video with it.

Here are a few ways to wear it (More will be discussed in Chapter 2):

❯❯ Chesty: The Chesty harness allows you to transform yourself into a living dolly. Instead of moving the camera through the scene and capturing choppy footage, be one with the camera and move through the scene in Zen-like splendor.

❯❯ Head Strap: The headband attaches to your head so you can get that walk-through look in your video (see Figure 1-4).

❯❯ Hand and Wrist Strap: Allows you to wear the camera on your arm or wrist. Capture timely footage simply by twisting your wrist or moving your arm.

❯❯ Bicycle helmet: Wear the camera mounted on your helmet to get the unique perspective of a cyclist.

❯❯ Seeker: Include mounting options of Seeker backpack.

FIGURE 1-4: Mounting your GoPro on the Head Strap lets you establish a subjective perspective simply by moving through the scene.