GoPro Hero 4 Session

[Schnickelfritz]

GoPro's new camera--the Hero 4 Session--is a cube that shows a striking overall resemblance to the Polaroid Cube, the sjcam M10, and a few others---and it costs only three times as much! (My Polaroid Cube cost $99.)

I'm a long-time GoPro user, and I must say that I am dismayed at GoPro's pricing of their more recent models--$500 for a Hero 4 Black Edition, $300 for the new Session, etc.

Regardless, GoPro cameras are among the top-selling cameras on the market (in the US).

 

[jokiin]

$579.95 in Australia, bit pricey

 

[mollydog]

can’t say about the Gopro, but for the others like the SJ4000 or M10 and others in the SJ price range, for what they deliver for the price, its just amazing value.

I know as time moves on technology becomes cheaper, but to put it in to some form of comparison. my first SLR, my girlfriend of the time bought me for my birthday, the only sophistication it had was a built in light meter, one looked at a needle in the view finder and when the needle was in the centre. one had a reasonable exposed film

cost my girlfriend around £100, in those days, 1977/8, I was serving my apprenticeship , I was earning around £25 a week so if I was buying it, it would of took me a months wage to buy it in cash,

now these SJ4000’s and the likes are around £70/£100. last year I could of bought around 17 SJ400 with one months wage,

and unlike my first SLR, these little cameras produce good images 99% of the time, unlike the time I was in Pompeii taking all these lovely photographs only to discover when I got home, I hadn’t threaded the film lip properly to the take up spool, so the film wasn’t advancing in the camera and all I had was a black film that Boots the chemist charged me (I think) a pound to develop it, now those were the days

 

[jokiin]

I know as time moves on technology becomes cheaper

what the brand names focus on is delivering upspec replacement models so that they can maintain their premium pricing, Apple, Samsung, GoPro etc all play this game, rather than discounting as the tech becomes cheaper just keep evolving the tech to maintain pricing, not suggesting it's wrong as they are also responsible for driving the technology, can't do that for free

 

[mollydog]

yes you’re right Jokiin, I explained it very badly

what I should/meant to say was, (once its mass produced) higher spec technology costing not much more than what was available last year or the year before,

my brother bought a colour TV in 1971/2 very low spec, came with 4 TV channels only nothing else, cost hime just over £300. in those days, when the price where we lived (here in the UK) a three bedroomed semi cost on average £3000,00 so that TV was about 10% of the cost of a three bedroom semi, I still live in the same city and an average price is around £190,000, and Tesco were selling a 32” or 37” flat screen TV for £199.00

now I don’t know if manufacturing in China as a lot to do with this, but this is what I meant by technology costing less,

a bit like I posted on another thread, my first computer in 1987 an Atari 1040, one meg ram no HDD no screen cost me just under £700, now a 21” iMac just under £900,with a far better spec

yesterday I went out and got myself a 2TB portable HDD for my laptop, was a Seagate cost me £70 from Staples, around May last year I got myself a portable Seagate 1TB HDD from PCWorld, around £55, 2 years ago I got myself a Western Digital portable 300GB HDD around £79

not meant to put it that todays technology will cost less next year, as next year there will be even better tech out there than today

I’m sure this time next year I’ll pop into Staples or PCWorld and able to get myself a portable 4TB HDD for around £70 / £80

 

[jokiin]

you do normally get more for your money at any given spend as any technology evolves, some are at the top end driving innovation with better tech at the same price, others are using last season tech to deliver lower prices, both business models have their respective places in the market

 

[kamkar]

Unless we talk "fruit company" smartphones there its my undestanding you pay full prize for last years hardware, or maybe even the year before last hardware.

To me this new camera seem pretty expensive for a camera with non Hero 4 Black hardware inside.

 

[jokiin]

Yeah I'm not sure why the slightly smaller form factor should justify such a premium

 

[dash riposki]

^^^Because they can price it there, and people will buy it.

 

[efoo]

Check out this honest review and comparison of video quality between this Session and its similarly priced Hero 4 Silver. Awful quality. Might as well buy the much cheaper SJCAM M10. Like Jokiin has mentioned the Australian price of $579 is just a joke. GoPro is generally overpriced but this is even more expensive by GoPro standard. I recently bought myself a GoPro - Hero 4 Silver only because there was a sale for A$319, otherwise I would never buy it at retail price.

 

[mollydog]

to an extent I think GoPro are targeting their products from the advanced amateur, to people who want/need broadcasting quality/reliability who are happy/prepared to pay for this, maybe they also have a tighter quality control, not saying Gopro don’t fall apart but maybe less so

Now the market they created is getting a bit crowded with action cameras at all price points, but as long as Gopro keep up the quality of their product, I think they will still be the top brand in the action camera segment for some time

edited to add:
seeing the footage from the hero4 session, I would at a guess (knowing what youtube do to movie clips) say my SJ4000 isn’t far off that quality if not a slight bit better at only £54, I know I should be comparing it to the M10, I only have the SJ4000 and a wingmanHD, the wingmanHD is to action cameras as the 027 DVR is to DVR’s

http://s26.postimg.org/jskaa9ey1/Screen_Shot_2015_07_07_at_3_39_23

couldn’t read a large road sign at 20 paces, but at the time for me it was the dog’e dangly bits

[img]http://s26.postimg.org/4xvow35d5/Screen_Shot_2015_07_06_at_4_43_5

Gopro need to up their anti or these low cost action cameras will do to them what digital did to the king of photograph, Kodak, kill it off.

to think in 1975 it was Kodak who produced the worlds first digital camera, recording a B/W image on a cassette

 

[kamkar]

I do like the new form factor, but to be honest i am kinda hoping for even smaller, but i assume its not just taking a smartphone camera and put it in a housing, it allso need to be paired with a SOC which i think on phones are on the main processor, and i am not sure if there is so small stand alone camera SOCs.

Anyways, looking forward to get the X cam which i will put up against my friends gopro 3 silver and my Nikon Dslr in video mode with its cheap default lens.

Dident MEG talk about launching a really small camera ? i would love to see that even if its just mobius standart footage.

 

[kamkar]

Some one put a IMX230 Exmor RS in a dashcam and be done with it, never mind the night performance wont be stellar it wont be that for a good while anyway.
4 K daytime footage sound good to me.
http://www.sony.net/SonyInfo/News/Press/201411/14-112E/

Or maybe a IMX226CQJ

http://www.sony.net/Products/SC-HP/new_pro/february_2014/imx226_e.html

 

[HarmZegt]

No playback screen (no, sorry, i don't carry my Phone in my windsurfing outfit!)
No battery change (whoops, half way the jeepsafari, the battery died on me)
Yes stupid price level (people who can afford it easely, better buy 2 or 3 for usefullness over a day)
i'll buy 4 1/2 sjcam M10 for the price of one session..
let's say: one will last for 2 years.. i'll be 8 years in the future AND 8 times upgraded!

 

[kamkar]

Some ppl argue that broadcast companies use gopros as they have the best footage, but if you think about what you have seen on TV you realize they will use any footage, even the most crappy one if it get them some views.
Only thing that seem to create problems for broadcast companies is the stuff ppl record using ther damm smartphone the wrong way so you get that wierd narrow tall footage ( ppl really are stuipd )
But even that they will send out if it keep ppl glued to the screen.

I am okay with gopro i even had / have one of the first non HD ones, but today i dont have to buy ther brand as what i need can be had elsewhere at a much cheaper price.

 

[jokiin]

Some ppl argue that broadcast companies use gopros as they have the best footage, .

the GoPro's most often used in broadcast work have lenses that cost more than the cameras, they also run custom firmware, yes they are Go Pro but they're not off the shelf GoPro product

 

[kamkar]

Yeah, been looking at those upgrade gopro lenses, and yes one of those will allmost double the price of your gopro 3-4 black

And all other forms of cool mods for gorpros, but the prices it at a point where i cant keep up, not even while working a well paied job.

Just saw a new video on YT shot with the panasonic hx-a1, it look okay in my eyes, but i cant but feel that cool little camera is priced too high for what it can do.

 

[lacibaci]

Price cut now $199. This almost makes it affordable

 

[Juhamies]

I bought one this week. Havent been shooting that much but the size is excellent and picture quality is pretty good, at for my needs. Then again theres always protune, havent tried it out yet tho... Im happy with my purchase

One thing im not happy with is that 1080p60 shoots at same bitrate as the 1080p30, anyone know is there anyway to increase the bitrate?

 

[Rajagra]

The GoPro Hero.
For people who are neither professional nor heroes, but are willing to pay more to be told they are.

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