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Feature: February 2007 Digital Hero by GoPro |
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Taking pictures from a
kayak when the conditions get rough can be such an overwhelming challenge
that few paddlers are able capture the excitement of paddling in
steep, wind-whipped waves. Pulling a camera from a PFD pocket is
difficult if you’re bracing to keep upright, and if the camera
is expensive, it’s not likely to see much action when there’s
a chance of damaging or losing it.
The Hero is
an inexpensive wrist-mounted digital camera that
might help you document some of your wilder rides.
The camera is housed in a clear plastic case that
is rated watertight to 30 feet. A neoprene-and-Velcro
band attaches it to your wrist. The optical viewfinder has a red
LED that flashes when the camera shoots. The camera is powered
by a AAA battery and has two buttons—the
trigger and the function button—and an LCD screen on the front.
There isn’t a screen to display your shots, so you have to download
the image files from the camera’s internal memory (it doesn’t
use removable media cards) onto your computer in
order to view them. The Hero connects to your computer
via USB and provides easy access to files. |
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 The
Hero will take around 250 stills with a resolution of 640 x 480 pixels.
The image quality is sufficient for 3 x 5 snapshot prints and computer-screen
viewing and emailing. It also has a video mode that shoots at 10
frames per second for 10 to 30 seconds, depending upon the complexity
of the image. Played back, the videos are slightly choppy, but they’ll
convey the action. In video mode, the exposure adjustment won’t
keep up with quick changes of light level, as you’ll get when
trying to take movies of rolling. Aside from that, the Hero seems
to have a wide latitude to its automated exposure.The wristband is comfortable to wear and is quite secure. It makes the Hero handy to use, although it’s hard to hold onto a paddle and shoot at the same time. You could mount the camera to the paddle shaft, but you’ll have to add some padding because the wrist strap won’t cinch down tight without it. The 10-second timer can solve the awkwardness of setting up some shots. It’s a fun camera at a very reasonable price and a great way to bring some of the action ashore. Early in 2007, an update to the Hero will be available for about $140. It will take sharper stills (2,048 x 1,536 pixels) and smoother videos (30 frames per second), record to removable media and yet still fit the same housing. |
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Digital Hero,
$79.95 GoPro 415-738-2480 support@goprocamera.com www.goprocamera.com |
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