GoPro is setting the tone for wearable video cameras with the launch of its HD option featuring 1080p resolution. Not only does the video camera shoot 1920×1080 video, it shoots 1280×960 and 1280×720. That means its lowest video resolution is as high as the best video shot by other brands on the market. Plus, its lowest resolution video can be captured in 60 frames per second (twice the standard) letting users play back quality video in slow motion.
Besides the same great GoPro features that made previous version popular — waterproof housing, small size, numerous attachments, 5 megapixel still photo capability — the company upgraded to a rechargeable lithium-ion battery and an internal heating system to keep the power source warm, which will be great for winter use. It also has more prominent cues to let you know its operational status. The new cam can accommodate up to a 32 GB cards to store more than eight hours of video.
Additional upgrades: There’s now a wireless microphone option, and the GoPro can even accommodate an LCD add-on (though the camera doesn’t have a viewfinder like other models). All this — the entire camera and all its capabilities — is barely bigger than GoPro’s previous versions: It’s just 1.6 × 2.4 × 1.2 inches, and it weighs a scant 6.3 ounces with the battery and waterproof housing. The camera, set to hit shelves in October, will retail for $299. www.goprocamera.com
—Ryan Dionne
