Quick Product Review: GoPro HERO4 BLACK 4K Action Camera

Very Quick

"If your problem is you don't want to (or can't because of what your filming) switch out batteries like that, then just get the GoPro Battery BacPac (the new, 15% more capacity one) and you will basically double your battery life."

"Now here is the deal, I was VERY careful about this, I purchased over $700 of GoPro brand products, because I did not want to have any problems."

"), but I was disappointed with the quality and wished that I had researched it more before buying and did not just blindly trust beautiful pictures online."

"At this point I decided it was a better use of everyone's time and resources to exchange for another unit that may work properly."

"If you have a once in a lifetime trip approaching, and you have deep pockets, you might also consider the Black - but, for a lot of people, there are more meaningful things you can do with that extra money :) ==THREE== Especially if you're filming in 4K protune, you're gonna want the fastest card you can get your hands on."

"In fact, for those that are having freezing issues or any kind of problems with the camera right out of the box, make sure you have updated the camera, there'a good chance that this is what is causing the camera to not function properly."

Quick

"Because I needed this to work well, I made the decision to ONLY purchase GoPro branded accessories for things like Batteries and to ONLY purchase the the GoPro recommended SD Card... Now here is the deal, I was VERY careful about this, I purchased over $700 of GoPro brand products, because I did not want to have any problems... I even watched a video about how to unbox it properly, because I really wanted to take care of this expensive equipment."

"I am very disappointed with this purchase here are the reasons why: - the quality of photo and video is lower than on iPhone6... I fully charged the battery for the first time and took 3 pictures and 2 videos that were less than 10 minutes long all together... ), but I was disappointed with the quality and wished that I had researched it more before buying and did not just blindly trust beautiful pictures online."

"No issues with wifi or getting the iPhone app to work with it initially, but then the Hero 4 Black would stop responding completely... At this point I decided it was a better use of everyone's time and resources to exchange for another unit that may work properly... Hope this helps someone out there, but this was my experience with the hero 4 Black on the 2014 Christmas Holidays."

"but here's how I think about it: If you're using the GoPro to just capture memories, save your money for the memories and get the HERO... Note that the 4 Silver has a touchscreen back to help you frame your shots - that alone is worth the $100 if you can afford it... If you have a once in a lifetime trip approaching, and you have deep pockets, you might also consider the Black - but, for a lot of people, there are more meaningful things you can do with that extra money :) ==THREE== Especially if you're filming in 4K protune, you're gonna want the fastest card you can get your hands on."

"I can't stress this enough, if you want higher quality but are debating on the silver for the fact that it has the screen, stop debating, get this one and you won't regret it... In fact, for those that are having freezing issues or any kind of problems with the camera right out of the box, make sure you have updated the camera, there'a good chance that this is what is causing the camera to not function properly... As i mentioned earlier, I had to also contact them on the issue of the clips with no audio and some lag and they spent their time with me on trying to get the issue ironed out."

"So many options when it comes to resolution and frame rates, as well as ProTune mode which allows greater control in shooting from setting a max ISO to a flat profile with higher bitrates for greater post-production/color grading flexibility... The timelapse and other picture modes work well, and produce decent pictures for a videocamera focused device. Lastly, the wi-fi mode allows you to use your smartphone as a viewfinder to line up the camera, and to switch shooting modes much easier than on the camera."

Less Quick

"Sandisk makes a very good one (Extreme Pro), and although it's more expensive, I believe it's what is truly needed for 4K, and it's 100% worth it to not have any issues at all, and to get flawless performance out of your Hero 4 Black at all times... If your problem is you don't want to (or can't because of what your filming) switch out batteries like that, then just get the GoPro Battery BacPac (the new, 15% more capacity one) and you will basically double your battery life... I don't know what the exact temperature level is that it shuts down at, but it must be real high, because i've gotten mine really hot filming outside in the summer sun and it still performed flawlessly and didn't shut down... There's a bug GoPro hasn't patched yet that can possibly turn your camera on by itself if the wi-fi is left on, but I have only found this happen once... - The Hero 4 Black also has another built-in feature that enables it to be used with a greater range of professional microphones than it's predecessors... You're gonna want to know something about manual settings for cameras and what they do when you manipulate them. This camera exceeded my expectations and more, and I would recommend it to anybody and everybody, especially those who are looking for a high quality camera with tons of capabilities."

"Because I needed this to work well, I made the decision to ONLY purchase GoPro branded accessories for things like Batteries and to ONLY purchase the the GoPro recommended SD Card... Usually, this works well for me and I seldom have problems with anything that I own, unless is was defective from the factory. I had purchased this for use at my son's final band concert as a senior in High School, and was excited to take advantage of the image and audio quality to capture everything as a memento of his senior year... Now here is the deal, I was VERY careful about this, I purchased over $700 of GoPro brand products, because I did not want to have any problems... I even watched a video about how to unbox it properly, because I really wanted to take care of this expensive equipment... I will keep this live to update everyone on how my experience with support goes, but I am currently waiting for word back and am hearing NOTHING... I want my wasted days back, but I am not sure how you can make that right."

"I am very disappointed with this purchase here are the reasons why: - the quality of photo and video is lower than on iPhone6... I did not expect a great quality from an action camera to begin with, but I was surprised to know that it does not even match my smartphone... I fully charged the battery for the first time and took 3 pictures and 2 videos that were less than 10 minutes long all together... But you can't use it withought it, as you have no way of knowing if you framed your photo or video correctly, or if you recorded it at all... ), but I was disappointed with the quality and wished that I had researched it more before buying and did not just blindly trust beautiful pictures online... It took me a long time to decide if I was going to exchange or return the gopro, as there were good things about it too. I eventually decided to give a try to the next model that will come out and give up on gopro hero4 black."

"Giving it 4 stars instead of 5 due to the issues experienced below and also because it does not support a true RAW shooting mode for stills... After powering back on I was able to set up the iPhone app that I used with my Hero 3 Black... No issues with wifi or getting the iPhone app to work with it initially, but then the Hero 4 Black would stop responding completely. Again hard powered off and took the SD card out, tried simply navigating the menu system of the GoPro 4 and it would freeze after attempting to change mode/navigate to the next menu option... A few times I had to completely remove the battery as the power button would not respond... At this point I decided it was a better use of everyone's time and resources to exchange for another unit that may work properly... Hope this helps someone out there, but this was my experience with the hero 4 Black on the 2014 Christmas Holidays."

"Long: probably also some extra batteries ==ONE== On upgrading - I used to own the 3+ Black... save your money for adventures :) ==TWO== If you do decide to upgrade (or this is your first GoPro), you have three good options BESIDES the Black: The $130 barebones HERO: http://www... but here's how I think about it: If you're using the GoPro to just capture memories, save your money for the memories and get the HERO. If you /think/ you're interested in using your GoPro to make more serious footage (but don't have any experience yet), pick the version of the Silver that best suites your budget. Note that the 4 Silver has a touchscreen back to help you frame your shots - that alone is worth the $100 if you can afford it... If you have a once in a lifetime trip approaching, and you have deep pockets, you might also consider the Black - but, for a lot of people, there are more meaningful things you can do with that extra money :) ==THREE== Especially if you're filming in 4K protune, you're gonna want the fastest card you can get your hands on... I seem to get about an hour of battery life, and that's only filming about half the time."

"Most of the time you'll be recording in wide angle POV, you just have to point the camera in the general vicinity and chances are you will get what you're aiming for on film... I can't stress this enough, if you want higher quality but are debating on the silver for the fact that it has the screen, stop debating, get this one and you won't regret it. Keep in mind you can always use the app (wifi), Ive seen people complain about wifi connectivity issues... In fact, for those that are having freezing issues or any kind of problems with the camera right out of the box, make sure you have updated the camera, there'a good chance that this is what is causing the camera to not function properly... I first called them during my trip to San Francisco since I had just gotten the camera and didn't know how to use it... As i mentioned earlier, I had to also contact them on the issue of the clips with no audio and some lag and they spent their time with me on trying to get the issue ironed out. Overall I'm very happy with the purchase and would highly recommend it if you're looking for this type of camera."

"So many options when it comes to resolution and frame rates, as well as ProTune mode which allows greater control in shooting from setting a max ISO to a flat profile with higher bitrates for greater post-production/color grading flexibility. The mounting options are numerous and allow for really creative shots. The timelapse and other picture modes work well, and produce decent pictures for a videocamera focused device. Lastly, the wi-fi mode allows you to use your smartphone as a viewfinder to line up the camera, and to switch shooting modes much easier than on the camera. Cons: Battery life is pretty abysmal when shooting high resolution/high frame rate footage. Buy lots of extra batteries. Luckily they take all of two seconds to swap out, but still isn't ideal if you're trying to film longer shots."