[UPDATE: GoPro have released the Hero6 black edition, find out more here.]
Picking the right GoPro for your needs is forever getting a little more challenging. The range is expanding/changing on an annual basis. At the moment GoPro have three slightly different spec’d cameras based on the GoPro Hero 3 and GoPro Hero 3 Plus platform.
At the top of the range is the GoPro Black 3+, closey followed by the Silver 3+ and then finally the White 3 which has been carried over from last years range. There is no GoPro Hero 3 Plus White edition at this moment in time.
GoPro White 3
The GoPro White 3 sits at the bottom of the range. Now don’t let that put you off. It is still a very capable POV camera and shares many of its features/components with the GoPro Hero 2.
1080p/30fps, 1080p/25fps, 960p/30fps, 960p/25fps 720p/60fps
FOV Medium @ 1080p and Ultra Wide @ 960p
5MP stills
3fps burst
Time Lapse 0.5/1/2/5/10/30/60 second intervals
Built in wifi
Image Quality/Optics
Ultra sharp 6 element spherical glass lens
GoPro Silver 3+
The GoPro Hero 3 Plus Silver edition sits just below the Black 3+ in terms of its features but is the next generation of GoPro compared to the White 3. The Silver 3 was my favourite GoPro camera for cost vs features. The Silver 3+ boasts much better low light capability and a glass lens.
1080p/60fps, 1080p/50fps, 1080p/30fps, 1080p/25fps
960p/60fps, 960p/50fps, 960p/30fps, 960p/25fps
720p/120fps, 720p/100fps, 720p/60fps, 720p/50fps, 720p/30fps, 720p/25fps
WVGA/120fps, WVGA/100fps, WVGA/60fps, WVGA/50fps
FOV Ultra Wide/Medium/Narrow @ 1080p/720p, Ultra Wide @ 960p/WVGA
10MP/7MP/5MP stills
Burst – 10 stills per sec, 5 stills per sec, and 3 stills per sec
Time Lapse 0.5/1/2/5/10/30/60 second intervals
Built in wifi
Image Quality/Optics
Improved image sharpness and low-light performance compared to HERO3: Silver Edition
Ultra-sharp 6-element aspherical glass lens
Fixed f/2.8 aperture
Ultra wide angle field of view
GoPro Black 3+
The GoPro Hero 3 Plus Black edition ramps everything up with more choice settings than most can usually deal with. If you can afford the additional cost of the camera and want to further proof yourself for a period of time then the Black 3+ edition may well be the one for you.
You also have the ability to change exposure, metering etc etc. This takes the GoPro into the realm of a fully featured camera that can cope with an array of different lighting/shooting conditions.
The only downside is that it is really good. Having had mine for an absolute age I still haven’t got to grips with all of the different settings.
So which one to choose. If you are simply capturing footage for upload to the net and you want to keep the budget tight go for the White or the Silver 3+. The Silver 3+ would be my choice of the two due to its low cost (you can find it online for just a little more than the white). If budget isn’t a concern and you like to mess around with camera features you can’t go wrong with the Black 3+. I love mine and plan to replace my Black 3 with a 3+ very shortly. Or should I hold out for the GoPro Hero 4 later this year?
No matter what action camera you end up with it is essential that you have a decent set of SD Cards. The 3 series and 3+ series all take Micro SD cards. For my thoughts on the best SD card to choose click here.
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