GoPro HD , An Amazing Little Camera

I love mountain biking. I love the challenge of the climbs and the thrill of a fast downhill. I have a mountain bike for every occasion. And I have a spin bike in front of the TV and I watch MTB videos while I spin to stay motivated. I really enjoy watching mountain bike videos, especially those produced by guys like me. I can get a feel for new trails and relish in watching a trail I have done many times. So I decided to buy my own camera and record a few videos for myself.
The GoPro HD was a pleasant surprise. The quality of image from this little camera is astonishing. It has a variety of modes, from single stills, to video bursts, to HD movies at 60fps for detailed slow motion. The audio is outstanding. With the vented back attachment and the little orange rubber thingy installed, wind noise, trail noises and conversations are perfect. Now, after a ride, I can't wait to get home and watch the sweetness. So far I have 15 videos up on YouTube (LopakaW), and will add videos after every ride. I regularly do some very epic trails and as the snow melts, those trails will become open.
Now the issues. Mounts provided are a slim beginning. For mountain biking, you want a helmet mount, a handle bar mount, and a chest mount. The kit comes with a helmet mount. This will get you started, but with a price of $40.00 for a chest mount, and $15.00 for a handlebar mount, it would have been nice to have it in a kit tailored for mountain bike riders, leaving some of the other useless stuff out.
You will have no idea about framing your video until you get it home and view it. Trial and error will be your guide here. This is a tradeoff I am very willing to accept for light weight and quality otherwise. There is also no way to tell if the camera is running unless you look carefully at the flashing red light on the front of the camera, so you will have lots of faces looking into the lens at the beginning and end of every clip. (Thank heaven for the editor)
Watching your videos and editing are additional challenges. I can watch the videos on my HDTV directly off the camera by using the supplied AV cables. But, I found a much better way. I download the videos directly on to the hard drive of my PS3 with the USB cable. Then I watch the videos on my HD TV over the HDMI cable. Awesome!!!
Downloading video files to the computer is easy and straight forward, but you need a computer and monitor capable of displaying all the glory. I have an older powerhouse of a desktop but the videos look better on my wife’s simple but newer laptop. Editing is another challenge. Windows 7, and Vista and Mac users have an advantage here with few obstacles. XP versions of Window's Moviemaker will not work. I upgraded to the Apple QuickTime Pro, which has a simple editor that is up to the task for the H.264 format that GoPro HD uses. This format is seamless with the new YouTube HD formats. You can edit in QuickTime, save the new movie and upload to YouTube in just a few minutes.

Sweet camera for wet sports

After doing sport photography for over 15 years, I have gone through my share of clunky monster cameras. The GoPro HD Hero is the camera I've dreamed of all this time. It's tiny (1.5"x2"x1"), records in HD, and takes 5mp stills.
The surf package comes with everything you need to attach the camera in its waterproof case onto your board.
A couple drawbacks are:
camera can't zoom
there's no way to check your shots without a computer

Other than the minor drawbacks, there isn't much this camera can't do in regard to wet sport POV photography.

Great camera - but watch out for fog in the housing

This model, unlike the older non-HD one, gets hotter when in use, which results in fog in the housing, thus rendering the image completely unusable. GoPro sells anti-fog inserts separately. Be sure to get those if you want to shoot more than a few minutes in a session.

The best in the water

I had the first model but now Gopro HD has improved with the high definition standard. Perfect for water sports!

Small camera with a lot of power!! 60FPS!!!

The coolest little camera I will ever own!!! So small and sleek, versatile for any application. 60 FPS at 720p is my favorite setting but many different formats to choose from. Many upgrade options and cheap parts available for repairs, you cant go wrong for the price, GO PRO!!!!!