Some good news and bad: Cell Phone Camera vs GoPro: if you use GoPro why?

gorfias

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I'm an empty nester today! Till kids boomerang potentially with spouses and grand kids.
My daughter wanted to get rid of excess stuff that ended up with me! Score! So, in 2017 I bought her a GoPro Hero 5 Black she barely used and today, she gave it back. Looks kinda cool. But she is just used to getting most video and pics with her Iphone camera.

To anyone using a GoPro, why? When today's cell phone cameras do so much? I'm hoping to make more use of it than she did, even with a semester abroad she enjoyed that year!
 

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lil devils x

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I'm an empty nester today! Till kids boomerang potentially with spouses and grand kids.
My daughter wanted to get rid of excess stuff that ended up with me! Score! So, in 2017 I bought her a GoPro Hero 5 Black she barely used and today, she gave it back. Looks kinda cool. But she is just used to getting most video and pics with her Iphone camera.

To anyone using a GoPro, why? When today's cell phone cameras do so much? I'm hoping to make more use of it than she did, even with a semester abroad she enjoyed that year!
Cellphones are fragile. Gopro , even the cheaper knock offs are still so much more durable. Whether it is skateboarding or river rafting, or wanting to know what your cat is going at night, cellphones are really just not up for that. Not to mention losing your phone after strapping it to a dog is a pain in the arse.
 
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Chimpzy

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A GoPro is an action camera. It's meant to be used to film action (duh) i.e. on a helmet or harness while you're snowboarding down a slope, or skydiving, or surfing, or perhaps fixed to a vehicle like a bike or a drone. It is small and inconspicuous for easy mounting and there's tons of optional accessories to stick it to pretty much anything you can imagine. But most importantly, they're more durable. A GoPro can survive stuff that would wreck a smartphone. Also, they can film at angles up to 150Ā° as opposed the the usual-out-of-the box max of 75Ā°. A wide angle can make for some very dramatic footage, especially for close-ups.

You could use a smartphone for action, but unless you get a rugged protective case, you're one drop away from a cracked screen, or worse.

In short, a GoPro is a dedicated camera. It's really good at action. A smartphone is an all-purpose device, so it's ok at everything, but also not really good at anything.
 
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gorfias

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Cellphones are fragile. Gopro , even the cheaper knock offs are still so much more durable. Whether it is skateboarding or river rafting, or wanting to know what your cat is going at night, cellphones are really just not up for that. Not to mention losing your phone after strapping it to a dog is a pain in the arse.
A GoPro is an action camera. It's meant to be used to film action (duh) i.e. on a helmet or harness while you're snowboarding down a slope, or skydiving, or surfing, or perhaps fixed to a vehicle like a bike or a drone. It is small and inconspicuous for easy mounting and there's tons of optional accessories to stick it to pretty much anything you can imagine. But most importantly, they're more durable. A GoPro can survive stuff that would wreck a smartphone. Also, they can film at angles up to 150Ā° as opposed the the usual-out-of-the box max of 75Ā°. A wide angle can make for some very dramatic footage, especially for close-ups.

You could use a smartphone for action, but unless you get a rugged protective case, you're one drop away from a cracked screen, or worse.

In short, a GoPro is a dedicated camera. It's really good at action. A smartphone is an all-purpose device, so it's ok at everything, but also not really good at anything.
For an old guy, I'm not very active but this thing is cool. Maybe strap it on when I use my rider mower :) Honest, I am thinking of getting a bike for some trails we have around here. I have a bud with an even smaller Gopro that he wears throughout rides in tourist areas.

For now, I have a knockoff as lil devils x mentions. Going to be some fun to compare/contrast video quality. (Gave another knockoff to the boy that 3 years later is still in its wrapper! And he has a four wheeler and a motor cycle. Gonna have to try to inspire him to use it.
 

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Saint of M

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It can be more versetile. I know there was video of a Brad Praisly consort where he spotted a guy in the audiance using one, had the guy hand it to him and gave him the best suveneire! Brad used the GoPro as a pick, and while it did leave some scratches on the camera, it also gave the fan some unique concort footage.

I'm thinking of getting one simply for when I paint my next group of minitures as you need both hands to paint the mini, and I lack a third to hold the camera.