Go Pro HD Helmet Camera Review

Developed for the consumer and proven by professionals, GoPro’s
all-new HD HERO cameras are the world’s most advanced line of on-board, full HD 1080p cameras designed to be used during sports.  With amazing clarity, stability, and slow-motion capabilities, these cameras record your sport’s most exciting moments in professional quality HD video and automatically-captured 5 megapixel still photos.  HD HERO products can shoot video or photos from your point-of-view, mounted on your helmet, body, car, motorcycle, surfboard, or other equipment. And GoPro’s 170° wide-angle lens (the industry’s widest) even lets you take shots of yourself during your activity.  All captured hands-free, while you stay focused on your activity.
The HD Motorsports HERO is the HD HERO model developed for motorcyclists, autosports enthusiasts, and other powersports athletes.  This product incorporates not only the HD HERO camera itself, but also the mounting hardware you need to mount the camera securely to virtually any helmet, motorcycle, car, ATV, jet ski, snowmobile, boat, or virtually any other vehicle.  Included are mounts for two helmets and three vehicles, as well as a suction cup for maximum versatility and convenience. The camera’s quick-release mounting design makes it easy to re-position the camera around your vehicle for professional quality HD video from several angles.

Originally designed for the consumer market, GoPro’s wearable cameras have garnered praise from professional athletes as well as film and TV producers who demand convenience and performance from their filming equipment. The HD HERO line produces higher quality HD video than action sports cameras costing ten times as much, and as a result many video segments you see in action sports film and TV today are shot on GoPro cameras. As the #1 maker of wearable sports cameras in the world, GoPro has years of experience in developing cameras and mounting accessories for the most hardcore of sports. As a result, GoPro has won many coveted awards, including Motorcyclist magazine’s prestigious “2009 Product of the Year” award and the “Editors’ Choice Award” from both Popular Mechanics and Backpacker Magazine.

In the end, GoPro’s HD Motorsports HERO adds so much to your enjoyment of your favorite activities that arriving home to watch your footage is almost as much fun as the activity itself. Here are some of the highlights:

Professional 1080p HD Video that Looks Great Even on a 52″ TV
Truly professional quality video that delivers the clarity and excitement you see on TV or in films.  HD quality so good, GoPro’s cameras are used regularly by both professional athletes and film and TV production companies around the world. See the quality for yourself in these sample videos: click here.

Easy to Use
Turn the camera on and press the shutter button. Shooting your own HD action sports video is that simple thanks to the HD Motorsports HERO’s user-friendly default settings.  Upgraded controls such as brighter LED icons and louder status beeps make the camera easier-to-use than ever.

Widest Range of Video & Photo Capabilities
For the more technically-inclined user looking for the latest in technology and options, the HD Motorsports HERO offers a remarkable range of video and photo modes, giving you more creative control:

• 1080p – “True HD” video at 30 frames per second produces maximum clarity and realism. To put it in perspective, 1080p video at 30 frames per second is the equivalent of shooting thirty 2-megapixel photos per second. Incredible realism you’re used to seeing only in the movies. The viewing area becomes a slightly less-wide (127º) at this resolution, wide angle view, making 1080p a slightly less wide-angle view than the other resolutions. Perfect for in-car filming, for example, where you might want to focus more on objects in the distance than up close. It’s like having two lenses in one camera.
• 960p – “Maximum Wide Angle” video at 30 frames per second.  Certain sports like motocross, mountain biking, and skiing require maximum viewing area to capture your speed and technique.  This 960p mode offers 25% more vertical viewing area at the top and bottom of the screen than other resolutions, so you can see more of your bike and handlebars beneath you, your knees and skis while you hammer the moguls, or a more of the trail and horizon ahead. Document more of you and your surroundings with 960p for the most immersive video possible.
• 720p – “Slow-motion Cinema” is possible thanks to the HD Motorsports HERO’s incredibly smooth 60 frames per second 720p video.  720p (1280 x 720p) can record in either standard 30 frames per second or 60 frames per second. While 30 frames per second pleases the eye, 60 frames per second straight blows the mind when played back in liquid smooth slow motion. Everything looks good in slow motion…including you.

• 5 Megapixel HD Motorsports HERO Camera
• 1 Rechargeable 1100 mAh Lithium-Ion Battery
• 1 Waterproof Quick-Release Housing (180′/60 m)
• 3 Flat, 3M Adhesive Mounts for attaching camera to flat surfaces
• 2 Curved, 3M Adhesive Mounts for attaching camera to helmets and curved surfaces
• 2 Quick-Release Buckles
• 1 Vertical Surface “J-Hook” Buckle
• 1 Suction Cup Mount, ideal for attaching camera to windows or other smooth surfaces
• 1 Three-Way Pivoting Side Arm Assembly lets you mount camera on side of helmet
• 1 USB Cable
• 1 Component Video (HDTV) Cable
• 1 Composite Video + Audio Out Cable

Replacement lens kits are also available for $20, so there’s little worry of scratching the tempered glass lens while going for glory. Trash the housing in a massive crash? Replacements are available for $40. It’s a GoPro…go for it.

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