 Poster: A snowHead
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for those that have them and weren't already aware there are new firmware versions for the...
HD3 Black
HD2
HD2 Wifi Back Pack
HD2/HD3 remote control.
All availabile via the gopro website.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ansta1, Great, thanks, hope it sorts out the little bugs, they are not terrible, but can be a pain sometimes!
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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its sorted out some issues with the hd3s. fixed some stability issues and some minor functional problems. I havent tested the remote firmware to see if it has sorted ne of the charging niggles. The hd2 has been pretty stable operation wise for a while but it has improved the wifi functionality slightly and on testing the battery on the hd3 last about 5-7% longer so far.
It has also speeded up the menu system on the hd3 which is good.
also as a side info, despite gopro officially supporting the sandisk ultra micro cards for the hd3 series initially there are now well documented issues, both announced on gopro and sandisk sites.
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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Thats good to know, it is a great piece of kit, just a few issues,
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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The last time I did a firmware update on my HD2 it kept freezing so I had to revert to a previous version. Hopefully this will sort it out.
On a separate note, I've found the battery life to be woeful. I leave it on standby and take short videos but it's only lasting 3 hours max, is this normal?
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Yup for one battery three hours is good. Just turn the camera off when you're not recording and it'll last all day.
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I'm guessing that you are maybe helmet cam users?  Is there a knack to using a helmet cam and getting good footage of say another skier in front of you please? For example, is there an optimum sort of distance that it all looks good at? How do you know when your subjects are in shot and when they aren't> Those sorts of things?
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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justatheory,
There are things you can do to extend the life of the battey (putting a neoprene cover on it in cold weather) turning it off if not actually recording, but ultimately the battery life is what it is.
Megamum, There are a few things you can do.
1st off practice so you know what field of view your camera has, with the gopro's on their wide setting, it doesn't take much distance between the camera and the subject for it to seem like they are going off into the distance.
Helmet mounts can be really good, but it's sometimes easy to forget you are recording and start turning you head, if you are doing those little lifesaver checks left and right that's going to make your footage a little jerky.
You could always try hand holding the camera.
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ansta1, Cheers, I'll try turning it off in between recording or maybe I'll just get a spare battery. Does anyone know if those anti-fog inserts work? Half my footage from Scotland was obscured by fog on the inside of the case.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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justatheory, Yes they do work, but you can still experience fogging. It obviously helps if you don't take the camera from hot to cold or cold to hot areas (difficult I know when skiing). Also it helps if you open the case as little as possible when outside to stop moisture getting in. The old trick of a little bit of 'spit' or washing up liquid also helps to reduce any fogging.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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Megamum/justatheory, I have some Wasabi batteries for my GoPro HD and am contemplating buying the same for the Hero 3 which I have just been given... No issues with these generic batteries and in fact last longer than the normal GoPro battery.
Yes it is tough"ish" to hear the beeps of the camera as to if you are turning on/off the camera, however you can get someone to check for you if the red light is flashing or not and then just edit the film clip after. Also you can create a nice montage of "peoples faces" checking the camera for you... 
I would agree with ansta1, that you have to trial as much as you can at home to check the angle of the camera for your helmet if you have it mounted on the top (front or back). If you mount on the side then not too much of an issue, as you just have to align with eye alignment.
As for distance, you have to be rather close to ensure that the skiier in front is not a small speck. I would recommend an average of 5m distance, but yet again trial at home with different settings...
When I get home I will let you know the settings I am using for the GoPro HD. I am working out my Hero 3 settings, which is not easy given the myriad of additional settings...
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michaelminhatkinson, The wasabi batteries on the hd3 do last slightly longer, but not a lot. The new firmware V03.02.27 seems to give a little extra also, but remember the HD3 have a sleep mode. If nothing has been recorded for I think 5 minutes, then they shut everything down internally that they can. The display is still on but you will notice a couple of seconds extra delay when you hit a button as the camera is essentially starting up again.
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You know it makes sense.
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as a quick update, following some extensive non official testing and despite initial 'offical recommendation' from gopro those using the Sandisk Ultra 32gb Micro SD cards in their HD3's are suggested not use them. Current train of thought is to use the Sandisk Pro 16gb Micro SD cards. In short despite officially being a class 10 the Ultra Micro SD can't cope well with the sustained write speeds required (particularly by the Black HD3 and expecially if using higher image quality or Protune settings).
If you have a card and want to test it's speed the suggested method from those in the know is to use the following software to test your cards read/write speed.
http://www.softpedia.com/dyn-search.php?search_term=HD+speed&x=-395&y=-46
The card needs to be consistenly writing at 5mb/sec if you want to stop those annoying hangs that the black is prone to and 6mb/sec if you are using 1.7 or 4k or have protune on, there are some of the other class 10 cards thats seem to be up to the job but the guys are testing loads of makes at the moment. Those that appear to be okay as well as the Sandisk Pro 16gb are :-
Apacer class 10 32gb Micro SD
V-Gen class 10 32gb Micro SD
Transcend class 10 32gb Micro SD
Thats not to say the ultra's won't work, but it seems they are a little temperamental.
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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How minutes does the hd3 black edition last, approx on record only
Secondly, has anyone shopped around for best prices
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Poster: A snowHead
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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ansta1 Is there a significant difference between 3 and 3+. ??
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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The Hero 3 will last about an hour on average but does depend on what setting you have it on. The 3+ is much better, the internals are less power hungry and it comes with a slightly higher capacity battery as standard.
That's a ridiculous cheap price from Argos! We couldn't even get close to that for a Hero 3 Black. Almost cost price!
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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| Hobby Mounts wrote: |
| The Hero 3 will last about an hour on average but does depend on what setting you have it on. The 3+ is much better, the internals are less power hungry and it comes with a slightly higher capacity battery as standard. |
Seriously? I had no idea it was so short! Or do you mean continuous recording time?
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Yes, continuous shooting. Obviously if you turn it off it will last longer but the more on/off you use, the less recording time overall you get. The 3+ is much better, probably 25% better on average.
For this reason alone I think it's enough (for me anyway) to recommend the 3+
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FAQ
