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With today’s extreme sports and even the not so extreme sports it seems as though everyone is wanting to film every activity they do and show it to their friends and put videos up on YouTube. A few years back this was hard to do because cameras were too big and too fragile to strap on to your helmet or handlebars. The GoPro came out with its Hero HD camera and changed everything. With this camera you could now mount it on almost anything and take high quality 1080p HD footage of all your favorite activities. Plus with its durable case it can take almost any amount of abuse that you can dish out, including dropping from an airplane in some cases. But of course there is always room for improvement so GoPro soon came out with the HD Hero 2 camera which offered better quality as well as more features. So what is the difference between the two you might ask? Well let’s see if we can clarify that for you. |
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The original HD Hero came in 2 versions, standard and HD Hero 960 which shoots a maximum of 960p video compared to the 1080p maximum of the standard version. The standard version has 4 video modes:
- 1080p (1920x1080) at 30 frames per second (FPS) - 16:9 widescreen
- 960p (1280x960) at 30 FPS - 4:3 aspect ratio
- 720p (1280x720) at 30 FPS and 60 FPS - 16:9 widescreen
- 480p WVGA (848x480) at 60 FPS
Also included is a 5 still megapixel camera with a 3 photo burst and self-timer feature and built in microphone. The GoPro Hero will take up to a 32 GB SD memory card. If you like to film underwater then you can take the camera down to 180 feet (60 meters). As for the battery it comes with a rechargeable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery that you can charge via a USB connection. If you want to connect the camera to your TV you can use the built in composite HDTV out ports.
Then there was the HD Hero 2 camera which came out in October of 2011 and was advertised as "Twice as powerfulin every way" compared to the original HD Hero. The HD Hero 2 has an image processor that is twice as fast as the original Hero and a 2X Sharper Glass Lens as well. Low light filming is also improved. Video modes are the same as the original with the exception of a faster WVGA mode.
- 1080p (1920x1080) at 30 frames per second (FPS) - 16:9 widescreen
- 960p (1280x960) at 30 FPS - 4:3 aspect ratio
- 720p (1280x720) at 30 FPS and 60 FPS - 16:9 widescreen
- 480p WVGA (848x480) at 60 FPS and 120 FPS
Other improved features include the still camera can taking 11 megapixel pictures and being able to do burst photos at 10 pictures per second as well as a picture per half second time lapse photo mode. There is a 3.5mm external stereo microphone input to capture better sound quality as well as an improved LCD screen and easier to use interface. If you film out in the cold then you can take advantage of the integrated battery warmer. The Hero 2 takes has the same 32 GB SD memory card limit.
We were able to test the Hero 1 and Hero 2 on one ride on the same day and can tell the difference between the two. The Hero 2 seems to have better clarity and color and overall has better results. Check out our video showing a comparison between the original GoPro camera and the GoPro HD Hero 2 camera. There are various riding conditions in the video from smooth street riding to faster trail riding in different light conditions. You can tell that the GoPro HD Hero 2 camera has better clarity and a brighter image than the original. We used an external microphone on the HD Hero 2 to avoid the clicking sounds you get when using the handlebar mount. Both cameras were mounted in the skeleton case which is why the original GoPro has a lot of wind noise. We also used the K-Edge Go Big Pro GoPro camera mount which cuts down on the shaking compared to the GoPro brand mount.
Here is another comparison video showing some different scenarios and trails
Coming soon, GoPro HD Hero 3 review.
- Discuss GoPro Cameras in our MTBC Forum
