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Hands-on with GoPro Lineup in the field (plus Mission 1 Pro)

Jeff Foster

There’s been a lot of updates and new product releases from GoPro that’ I’ve finally had an opportunity to get some hands-on shoots compiled and share some of the results. I’m including some GoPro products that might have slipped under the radar a bit, and I know what everyone is REALLY wanting to see is the Mission 1 Pro. (I just got my hands on one a couple days ago, so you’re going to have to wait for a more thorough hands-on review, but I do have some things to share that I was able to shoot yesterday and make it into this GoPro general updates review at the end.)

There’s a lot to unpack here so this is going to be more about the experience using these cameras and tools than it is about deep-diving features and specs. And of course, as usual, I try to maximize my experiences using as many tools at a time that I can. So I was able to go to a local park here in North Carolina and and drag everything I had with me to do an afternoon of shooting with 3 GoPros, the Fluid Pro stabilizer and the ProArt GoPro Edition laptop to see what I could capture.

First, I’ll provide a quick product rundown as to my complete kit.

GoPro Product Rundown Project

What I tested:

I first mounted the 3 GoPros to my Axial SCX10 iii CJ7 test vehicle (Driven by my old friend Willy Nelson, of course).

The HERO13 Black mounted behind the front seats captured the interior view. The top bar mounted MAX2 captures a 360 view around the vehicle and the HERO was clamped on the back tubes positioned right above the rear tire. 

This captured several angles from the same runs and can be easily edited together as you’ll see in the demo video later in this article.

All of the GoPros were set to 4K/29.97 and had horizon leveling and stabilization turned on. The MAX2 footage was processed on the ProArt laptop in the GoPro desktop Player app that comes pre-installed and is launched by the hotkey F8.

Here’s a series of preview screens from inside the GoPro Quik app on the iPhone, where I could control the settings and preview each shot before my run.

I then downloaded all the footage directly into the ProArt GoPro Edition laptop on site to verify I captured everything before the next setup. Since I didn’t have reliable internet (no WiFi and my cell service was limited) I had to pull the cards and import them directly in the Micro SD slot on the laptop. No adapters needed (and this laptop is rugged as you’ll notice the sand that blew around it.)

GoPro Gear Used in Project:

The GoPro HERO is a streamlined little action cam that is low on features but big on delivering a great POV image! Even though it’s limited on menu choices, you still get a full touchscreen back and the stabilization and optics with 4K/60 it’s easy to match all your other footage in editing. It’s also compact and stable attached to just about anything!

Follow link to the Filmtools store here.

 

The most recent in the GoPro HERO lineup is their flagship model – the HERO13 Black. This is my go-to for all around recording where I need an action cam. In this project, it literally took a back seat to Willy, but gave us a fun POV out the windshield.

Follow link to the Filmtools store here.

This probably wasn’t the best use scenario for this 360 cam as it’s mounted high on top of the roll cage and it was a really bouncy ride at higher speeds across the sand, but I think it still performed quite well at the crawler speeds in the woods.

Follow link to the Filmtools store here.

 

I love this stabilizer! I’ve had and reviewed a lot of handheld stabilizers over the years, but the flexibility and consistency of this one – whether using a smartphone or a GoPro – has me excited about shooting again. The tracking works great with larger objects like people and cars, etc. as you would expect. But tracking a 1:10 scale RC car beyond 30-40ft and keeping up with it really blew me away! It was nice to focus on my RC controller and have the Fluid Pro track the iPhone shots.

Follow link to the Filmtools store here.

 

I’m just getting started using this laptop and getting used to the desktop GoPro Player editor. I’m looking forward to seeing what other features and capabilities I can discover and streamline a production process with the GoPro Cloud and all my devices.

I really like the intuitive controls in 360 space using the touchscreen to position the MAX2 footage in frame:

Learn more about the Asus ProArt GoPro Edition (PX13) laptop here.

 

The Project Video

Here’s the edited video showcasing all the different GoPro products in use for this project. Each product featured is highlighted in this project video.

Willy approves!

First Look: GoPro Mission 1 Pro

I’ve really only had this camera for just a day so I’ve had little time to really go over it. But I’ve been waiting to release this article until I could at least shoot SOMETHING on it first and include this sneak peek now – before I can give it a proper hands-on review. It’s actually not as big as I expected it to be, judging what others have stated. 

Here are a few side-by-side comparisons with HERO13 Black:

GoPro Mission 1 Pro Compact Cinema Grip Edition

The Grip definitely makes the Mission 1 Pro fit your hand more like a small mirrorless or digital point and shoot camera. The Lever doesn’t have a tactical feel to it so you tend to want to mash down on it hoping it triggers, but I’m sure you can get used to it. I’ll play with it more and add mods as they’re available to provide updates.

I took a minute to mount it on the Fluid Pro stabilizer to see how it balanced as well.

Here’s the Mission 1 Pro mounted to the top bars of the CJ7 with a clip mount. I was surprised at how secure it was – a perfect fit and no movement!

Some quick edits from the nighttime trial test run in the back yard. 

GoPro Mission 1 Pro (4K/60 unprocessed/uncorrected) with available light on the Axial SCX10iii CJ7 with light mods added by MyTrickRC.com.

*NOTE:  I’ll have more hands-on review updates with the Mission 1 Pro later next month after I’ve had a chance to put it through its paces.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro available at the Filmtools store here.

See the GoPro Mission 1 Pro Compact Cinema Grip Edition at the Filmtools store here.

 

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