Surfing Product Reviews

The Go Pro “Hero” water camera allows you to have a low cost underwater camera that has re-loadable film. The camera retails for about $19.95 at most shops. It has a wrist strap for mounting it to your wrist while paddling and a quick release swivel that can allow you to quickly get it position to snap photos. The viewfinder and shutter button are of low quality, but the waterproof case does inlist an O-Ring and was truely water proof in the small surf we tested it in.

The wrist mount was a good idea, but it ends up hurting after awhile, as the cameras hinge will rub on your hand as you paddle. The quality of the pictures on the overcast day we shot on was sub-par with the included film. Photos were grainy and with no depth of focus it doesn’t do surfing situations justice. If you buy more than 1 or 2 disposable water cameras a year, this might be a good product to buy, but if not, you are not missing much. We may test the camera again with a different speed and quality film then the 400 that is included with the camera and if the results come out better, we’ll update this review.

UPDATE: The inventor of the GoPro Hero emailed us after reading this review and I’ve included his comments for the full story:

I just read your review of the Hero Camera and tought I’d say hi. I invented the Hero Camera and manage GoPro, the company behind it.

I thought your review was pretty fair and I appreciated your willingness to try a second roll of film. I recommend Fuji 100 Reala…the best!! (or any Fuji 100)! We would preload that into the camera…but truth be told the Hero Camera would be way too expensive. The film that is preloaded into the camera is good film, no question… but Fuji is insanely good.

As you know, a TON of factors go into shooting good photos. Light, timing, positioning, and film. I’ve found that there is no photography more difficult, or rewarding, than surf photography.

That said, you can get EPIC photos with the Hero Camera. It would have been most fair if you had included a link to our website and photo gallery in your review. The link is:

http://www.goprocamera.com/Photo_Gallery.htm

I shot most of those photos using the included film, 100 speed Fuji and at times 50 and 100 speed slide film. Those photos, and dozens more that I don’t have time to post, blow doors on any one time use camera or even many expensive cameras (that were left on the beach)!

I really do appreciate your taking the time to do a review of the Hero Camera and I do hope you will give us another shot (figuratively and literally)! As you can see from the photos…the Hero Camera performs very well…just takes practice!

We here at Santa Barbara Surfing are going to try the camera again, with Fuji 100 film on a super sunny morning and after we do we’ll post results here.

You can buy the camera at
Go Pro Camera
Wetsand
Surfline
Or look on Froogle