gopro hero lcd waterproof made in china

Today GoPro announced its latest action camera, the GoPro HERO+ LCD.  This marks the first time GoPro has done an ‘off-cycle’ release of a new camera product, as the company has historically released new action cams in the September/October timeframe.  It also bookends a rather busy week of announcements for the company.  Last week they announced both their intentions of launching a drone early next year, as well as their crazy 6-camera spherical mount system.  And that’s all before we talk about an apparent upcoming software update to start cloud sync of GoPro files to some sort of still unannounced internet service.  And don’t forget that even more crazy 16-camera virtual reality mount they built for Google.

The new GoPro HERO+ LCD is sorta exactly as the name implies: It’s the 2014 GoPro HERO…plus…an LCD screen.  Well, and connectivity over WiFi and Bluetooth Smart.

You’ll likely remember that the entry level GoPro HERO was $129US, and had a non-removable external case.  That meant that you couldn’t take it out of the case, which in turn meant you couldn’t add in any additional rear-attaching accessories such as the extra battery packs or LCD screen.

They also added in the WiFi and Bluetooth Smart compatibility.  Not for sensors, but rather for connecting to your mobile phone. This connectivity allows you to transfer photos and videos over to your phone, and then up to the interwebs.  Further, the HERO+ LCD includes the remote highlight tagging, which wasn’t available on the lower end model.  This means you can use the remote control to tag highlights so you can find them quicker later on during editing.

Finally, the camera has an internal editing capability, allowing you to slice the clips a bit better before transferring them.  This helps reduce the time to transfer video clips to your phone, making the process a little bit quicker.  This is planned to come to the HERO4 Silver later this summer, and the HERO4 Black as well (if you have bought the additional LCD back touchscreen).

The Hero+ LCD unit includes a few different back doors, so you can use it in wet environments and still touch the screen, as well as using an open door too.

Definitely an interesting market for sure.  For those curious about my recommendations – for 95% of folks it’ll likely shift from the Hero4 Silver to the HERO+ LCD, assuming there are no issues with it.  The reason being that if you’re using it for cycling and such, you can actually use your Garmin Edge device with the GoPro, inside of Garmin’s free VIRB Edit software suite – thus getting all the benefits of data overlays there (I suppose Garmin is probably happy you’re buying their device).  It’s really only if you’re doing direct to camera sensors and don’t already have a GPS device for speed/distance/pace/altitude that I’d recommend looking at the Garmin X/XE lineup.

Note: You can now order the Hero+ LCD via both Amazon and Clever Training.  While both sites help support the site here and all the work I do, by using Clever Training you’re also going to save 10% on your order with DCR Reader Coupon Code DCR10BTF – further, you’ll get free shipping within the US!

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The form factor of the SJ4000 is very similar to the GoPro, as well as the user interface design. There are 4 buttons on this little camera – the power button situated in front, right beside the lens, an OK/trigger button on top, and scrolling (up, down) buttons on one side. The ports for the micro SD, micro USB, and micro HDMI are located on the opposite side of the scroll buttons. The battery can be accessed at the bottom by removing a (very challenging) cover. Even with the battery inserted, the SJ4000 is extremely light to the point of doubting its robustness. However, the waterproof casing seems sturdy enough to protect the camera from fair forces of impact.

The SJ4000, priced at around US$100, comes with a variety of mounts, connector converters, straps, and a waterproof casing. The mounts and converters are made of seemingly reliable plastic with steel nut and bolt connectors. The waterproof casing is designed similarly to the GoPro casing as well, including the sealing mechanism. I tested the reliability of the waterproof casing using a humidity detector placed inside it, and submerging it in water for some time. Unfortunately, the 5% and 10% indicators were triggered as shown below. The 5% and 10% indicators had started to get a pinkish tint to them.

The form factor of the SJ4000 is very similar to the GoPro, as well as the user interface design. There are 4 buttons on this little camera – the power button situated in front, right beside the lens, an OK/trigger button on top, and scrolling (up, down) buttons on one side. The ports for the micro SD, micro USB, and micro HDMI are located on the opposite side of the scroll buttons. The battery can be accessed at the bottom by removing a (very challenging) cover. Even with the battery inserted, the SJ4000 is extremely light to the point of doubting its robustness. However, the waterproof casing seems sturdy enough to protect the camera from fair forces of impact.

The SJ4000, priced at around US$100, comes with a variety of mounts, connector converters, straps, and a waterproof casing. The mounts and converters are made of seemingly reliable plastic with steel nut and bolt connectors. The waterproof casing is designed similarly to the GoPro casing as well, including the sealing mechanism. I tested the reliability of the waterproof casing using a humidity detector placed inside it, and submerging it in water for some time. Unfortunately, the 5% and 10% indicators were triggered as shown below. The 5% and 10% indicators had started to get a pinkish tint to them.

GoPro announced a quadcopter droneand two separate virtual reality camera rigs in the span of less than 24 hours last week. This week? It’s back to action cameras. Today GoPro has announced the Hero+ LCD, a new low-end option in the Hero line of action cameras. The camera goes on sale this Sunday, June 7th, and retails for $299.

The Hero+ LCD isn’t going to wow users with the ability to shoot extreme slow motion or 4K footage, but the specs are slightly better than what’s found on the relative bargain bin $129 Hero. The new camera shoots video up to a resolution of 1080p at 60 frames per second and photos at 8MP, and has an LCD touchscreen on the back — all improvements on the entry-level version. The rest is basically the same: it’s waterproof up to 40m (131’), has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and supports microSD cards up to 64GB.

While the price isn’t necessarily cheap, it fills the one obvious hole in GoPro’s line of products. With the Hero+ LCD, GoPro now sells its Hero4 line of cameras at prices of $129, $299, $399, and $499. Companies like Sony have tried competing with GoPro at the high end to mild success, but the best weapon for the likes of Garmin, Xiaomi, and even HTC, has been price — until now.

Released in June of 2015, the GoPro Hero+ LCD is covered by a grey waterproof casing with the logos under the lens. The GoPro Hero+ has a latch on top of the device that removes the casing, and allows access to the touchscreen. This camera also has a built in mount and three buttons that allow the user to control the camera without opening the casing. The Hero+ LCD edition came with new additions to the GoPro line such as: built in Bluetooth, WiFi, LCD display, and a touchscreen. The Bluetooth allows the user to use one"s phone or tablet as a remote to have full control over the camera"s functions. After capturing the video or photo, WiFi allows the users to upload their work or art to social media. Please be aware that these capabilities can only be used if the GoPro App is downloaded onto a smartphone or tablet.

The HD HERO also offered an expansion port on the camera"s rear panel, branded the HERO Bus. Optional accessories included the LCD Bakpac, which offered a small monitor that displayed and played back video, and the Battery Bakpac, which doubled the battery life of the camera.

The HERO3+ camera models claim dramatically improved low light performance and have a waterproof enclosure which is 20% lighter and 15% smaller than the HERO3"s, according to the GoPro website. The HERO3+ camera housing is 20% smaller than the HERO3. The cameras are claimed to have improved image sharpness (close focus down to 7" vs about 3 ft on the HERO3, at the expense of distant focus which is slightly less sharp

In September 2014, GoPro released an entry level camera named simply "HERO", priced at $130, alongside the HERO4 Black and HERO4 Silver. It is built into a waterproof housing, unlike the HERO4 line.

The GoPro HERO (2014) can capture 5mp still images and has a 5fps burst option. It is able to record 1080P at 30 or 25fps and 720P at 60 or 50fps on to a MicroSD card up to 32GB. It has an LCD non touch display on the front and is waterproof down to 40m.

In June 2015, the company started to sell the GoPro HERO+LCD, which provides video recording at 1080p at 60 fps and 8 megapixel photos. The HERO+LCD is also built into a waterproof housing.

The HERO8 Black largely introduced several new functions into the camera. Physically, the HERO8 Black now incorporates the connecting prongs that are used to connect accessories, directly onto the camera. Originally, the cameras would only be able to access the prongs if the cameras utilised either the frames (for cameras HERO5 to HERO7) or the protective cases for HERO4 and before. Moreover, the GoPro logo moved under the LCD screen to make way for extra microphones. More additions to the camera most notably were part of the software aspects of the camera. These included an option to switch between various settings presets, including standard, activity, cinematic and action shots and adjusting on-screen shortcuts of the user interface. Most notably as part of software, was the introduction of the night-lapse video, which similar to the time-lapse video mode, automatically stitches the frames captured by the camera at set intervals, however with the addition of improved low-light performance.

The HERO8 Black also attempts to address vloggers who may wish to use the GoPro in such a manner. As such, GoPro has also introduced an external accessory known as the "Media Mod" which includes a USB Type-C port for supplying power to external microphones and accessories, a micro-HDMI port and a 3.5mm microphone port. Moreover, the accessory includes a mount to connect either external microphones, LEDs or an LCD screen.

GoPro recently unveiled a new mid-range action camera, the HERO+ LCD, which costs $300. That"s pricier than the entry-level HERO, which launched for $130 last year, but cheaper than the $400 HERO4 Silver and the $500 HERO4 Black.

Does the arrival of the HERO+ LCD indicate that competitive pressure is forcing GoPro to lower its prices? Or does it merely mean that GoPro wants to reach as many customers as possible with a tiered pricing strategy?

How the HERO+ LCD stands outThe HERO+ LCD can shoot 1080p video at 60fps and take 8-megapixel photos at five shots per second. By comparison, the entry-level HERO shoots 1080p video at 30fps and takes 5-megapixel photos at five shots per second. Both devices are waterproof up to 131 feet. Unlike the HERO, the HERO+ LCD has a touch display like the Silver and Black models.

At first glance, the HERO+ LCD seems like a good mid-range device that fills a gap between the entry-level model and the premium models. But when we compare the HERO and HERO+ LCD to other rivals in the market, it"s unclear if it"s the best value.

Is cannibalization a threat?Unlike the HERO, the HERO+ LCD isn"t intended to challenge the entry-level Cube, Re Camera, or PixPro. Instead, it just lets GoPro offer a mid-range unit for new action camera users or HERO users looking for an incremental upgrade.

GoPro clearly knows that not everyone needs to record 4K videos at 30fps with the HERO4 Black. However, the $300 HERO+ LCD might cannibalize sales of the $400 HERO4 Silver. Both devices shoot video at the same max resolution and frame rate on LCD displays. The HERO4 Silver"s main advantage is its ability to shoot 30 12-megapixel burst photos per second. However, it"s unclear how many consumers are willing to pay $100 more for faster and higher resolution burst photos.

The key takeawayIn my opinion, GoPro"s launch of the mid-range HERO+ LCD doesn"t indicate that competitors are weakening its brand. Instead, it"s filling an obvious hole in its product line that will provide low-end users a stepping stone toward its higher-end cameras.