At first glance, the Hero 3’s conspicuous lack of sophistication and James Bond gadgetry could easily make it cannon fodder for a bad product review. It has no on-the-fly video playback, the near TV quality 512 by 384 resolution may cause the keen eye to wander to the next product.

Upon further reflection, however, where the Hero is found wanting has more to do with exactly that : user wants, and not user needs. One can still get good footage without the LCD screen for playback, and video storage capabilities are ample for most users. It may not be as small as a tube of lipstic, but the GoPro Hero still comes in under other “cable-less” helmet camera systems both in size, weight, and cost. So, if your willing to wait until you return home to view your video footage, and you don’t mind changing memory cards when taking more than an hour of Motion JPEG video, then purchasing the GoPro Hero instead of one of the pricier -and albiet more sophisticated- helmet camera systems can instantly put several hundred dollars or more towards making that next footage ladden vacation a reality.

(more…)