I’ve been looking at the range of GoPro accessories I currently have to assess whether or not I would buy them again. Here is a very quick run down of the “Keepers” and the “Binned”. There has been fair bit of trial and error over the last few years but I think that I have narrowed things down to kit that works and is actually worth getting.
Most accessories will work with the entire GoPro range.
Keepers:
GoPro dual battery charger. Charge two batteries at once with this neat little bit of kit from GoPro. Super useful when creating the next big “edit”.
MYOG custom grip. Super easy to make if you have the kit hanging around. Mine has lasted a couple of years before breaking when someone backed the car over it. Thankfully a camera wasn’t attached. GoPole have the hand grenade grip and GoPro themselves have brought out their own version – The Handler. The Handler is GoPro’s new handheld mount. It floats, it’s light weight and great to use.The Handler will also float with a GoPro attached.
DIY Leash system – I never use a GoPro without a leash, even when on my bike. I use 2mm – 3mm dyneema cord and a small s-biner.
Wifi Remote – a great way to control one or multiple cameras.
GoPro Anti-Fog Inserts – great when using the GoPro in or on the water or where temperature fluctuations occur. The GoPro ones are still the most effective.
GoPro Clamp – A very usual and lightweight bit of kit that is only limited in its use by your imagination.
Gorillapod – combine a Gorillapod with a Mount Star mount and you get a really versatile setup. Joby have recently released a range of Action products designed to be used with a range of cameras including the GoPro. I have one of the new tripods in and it is a really nice bit of kit. A little more bulky than the original but super stable.
A GoPro chest harness is not something I rushed out to buy. In fact I had a camera for a couple of years before getting one. It has been a great decision to finally get one. It offers a few other possibilities for mount the camera and getting different shots.
A few really good SD cards are a must – see my thoughts on suitable cards here.
Suction cup mount – this mount, although not essential allows you to mount your GoPro in places that you wouldn’t really want to use an adhesive mount.
GoPro Grab Bag of Mounts – a few spares are always useful.
GoPro Handlebar Seatpost Mount – the OEM GoPro mount can be found for around £20. I use one for attaching my GoPro to more than just handlebars.
Peli SD Card case. Not strictly for just GoPro use, but a super useful bit of kit for keeping SD cards (inc Micro SD Cards) organised and safe.
Binned:
These GoPro accessories have mostly been purchased via an online auction site. They were cheap but simply didn’t work as well as they should have.
I bought some cheap anti-fog strips from an eBay seller in the UK. They simply didn’t work as well as GoPro’s own.
Aluminium Tripod adapter from Hong Kong. It works, but to utilise it fully you need to swap out the GoPro QR mount. You also need a small spanner to hold the nut in place while you do it up nice and tight.
Aluminium QR mount from the US of A for use with straps. Nice idea but didn’t actually fit the QR correctly. Tolerances not good enough. The Mount Star is a far superior bit of kit that actually works. I have also notice a number of Chinese copies of the Mount Star have begun to appear online.
Aluminium QR from the US for use with a tripod. Another great idea but doesn’t fit the GoPro system.
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