Possibly looking at getting a gopro for xmas. I haven’t followed their progression.

Is the Gopro hero 3+ black edition the daddy? Is it worth getting over the hero 3 black? Also what is the difference with the silver or white version? Is the black the only one with remote control?

Which version had problems and needed firmware upgrades etc?

Cheapest place for hero 3+ black?

Many thanks for any help.

[video]http://vimeo.com/60130241[/video]
Comparison Vids
3 vs 3+ http://nofilmschool.com/2013/10/comparison-of-gopro-hero3-gopro-hero3/
tech comparison
http://gopro.com/product-comparison-hero3-cameras

So, you can use the remote control with the silver, but you’d have to buy it separately (which would effectively cancel out the price difference anyway).

They all have wifi, so the remote is compatible and there’s an iPhone app to control the camera as well. The phone app does everything that the remote does, but I imagine the remote is much easier for starting/stopping. A minor annoyance if you don’t have the remote.

Having wifi on (I.e. to allow you to use remote control) does kill the battery a bit. If the camera is on my person I’d prefer to use the physical buttons, and turn wifi off to preserve battery.

The Hero3 Black had big problems with the battery life. Some people found it only lasted for about 20-25minutes of recording (especially at the higher qualities that you’re paying the extra for). I have no idea whether they fixed that.

The 3 and 3+ are very similar, but with a few more recording modes on the 3+, and a smaller case.

The Silver has fewer recording modes and won’t do the highest quality modes but it still does 720p at 60fps which is what you probably want so unless you’re into super slo-mo or 4k images then the black doesn’t offer a lot more. The new 3+ silver also does 1080p at 60fps and for general riding videos I don’t know why you’d need better than that (the old silver maxed out at 720 at 60fps or 1080 at 30fps).

IMO all in all, if it’s something that you’re likely to use a lot, take hours of footage and then edit it later before uploading to Vimeo etc, then the black is probably worthwhile. If you just want to take videos of you and your mates then I’m sure the silver will be perfectly adequate. I’ve got a Hero3 Silver and it’s great, some of the videos are immense quality.

Thanks for replies. Oh god, decisions…. Prob only get used for the odd vid of me and mates. So the only difference between new 3+ silver and 3+ black is the remote? I like the idea of smaller so prob looking at a + version. Also ride mostly at night so the better low light performance sounds good.

Not fussed much about the remote. Would probably have it strapped to me somewhere most of the time.

So the only difference between new 3+ silver and 3+ black is the remote?

No, the Black has extra (higher resolution / more fps) recording than the Silver as well.

Ah yes, 10meg stills for silver, 12 for black and 4k video on the black although at 12-15 fps.

Still, wont be taking many stills and 1080p is fine for me so maybe the silver….

My son’s got a silver and it’s great. Not yet into fancy editing so maybe we’ll be limited in the future but for a general use it’s fine.
Price was an issue for us as he was paying (he’s 14). It was a balance between function and cost with some money over for extra mounts which you’ll need if you want to make the most of it.

I’m guessing the GoPro 4 will be out early next year. The 3 came out in 2012, and the 3+ is just a fixed 3 in my eyes.

The wikipedia page details a the main differences in models:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GoPro#Products

If it was my money I’d get the black 3+, but I have a hero 2 and I’m probably going to wait until the 4 to upgrade.

Looking at getting a 3+ myself, not many deals about atm in run up to Christmas, found a few shops giving 10% off the £359.99 price, also couple on ebay at the £315 mark if you want to chance it. I’m going to hang fire and see what the new year sales bring.

The first Aug and Sept batches of the 3+ had focus issues – anything beyond 8ft was in soft focus!!
People were correcting it themselves by turning the lens clockwise 2mm, but this involved taking the thing apart and ‘cracking’ the glue holding the lens in. GoPro aren’t ‘officially’ recalling the two batches with the problem, but are repairing / changing those that are sent back under warranty and replacing shop stock with the 0813 and 0913 batch numbers.
One big UK supplier has said all stock arriving from mid Nov is ok.

The 3 and 3+ cameras are the same size so you can use the 3+ batteries in the 3 to get a bit extra life, but not as much as the 3+ which has better electonics too.

The 3 will also fit in the new 3+ smaller housing.

Just found these for under £300??
http://www.valuebasket.com/en_GB/GoPro-HERO3+-Black-Edition-Camera/mainproduct/view/14161-AA-NA?AF=GOOGB&gclid=CJD484KOirsCFUmWtAodTVQAzg
http://www.simplyelectronics.net/mainproduct.php?pid=23191&sd=cont

Edit…Both from HK, so will be giving that a miss!

As above, be careful on the focus issue. I’ve just had a 3+ replaced under warranty for the soft focus issue so I’d recommend buying from somewhere you can get support. GoPro RMA process asks for a receipt and involves sending to the Netherlands for replacement. I went through the shop.

Just gone from a HD2 to the 3+ black and it’s a reasonable improvement in terms of the features I was using so am happy. I’d expect the 4 to be more than a couple of months away but we’ll see!

GoPro had a great side by side comparison on their site but seem to have broken it:
http://gopro.com/product-comparison-hero3-cameras

If anyone is interested I have a great condition HD2 with spare lens, battery back pack (includes battery) and 2 16GB Class 10 SD cards. Also got an unused WiFi remote for sale that would work with a Silver 3 or 3+ or HD2 with WiFi backpack.

The remote is really good if you want to do sequences, action ‘selfies’ (stick it on the bars) or have something more rugged than a phone to turn the camera on and off with. I didn’t think I’d use mine but I do, quite a lot.

Yep I read about the focus problem and will have to check serial numbers etc, so im looking for 0813 and 0913 batch numbers? Is one for the black and one for the silver?
Probably going to buy after xmas unless some better deals start popping up.

The rumour is product has been returned and fixed so it’s not down to serial numbers any more.

My “09” (Sept) had the problem but my replacement “08” (Aug) seems good and also now has the later firmware on it. Looking at the packaging I’d also say it was reworked, but hopefully the issue is worked out now.

hero 3 black was on amazon this morning for £230 delivered