Revew of GoPro

Which GoPro should you buy? We tackle every GoPro model and the best accessories

Picking the right GoPro for you needn't be tricky, we rundown the best GoPro cameras and accessories available now

GoPro and the action camera has changed the way we chronicle our lives. Without the advent of the GoPro or various other action cams on the market, we’d never be able to show the rest of the world just how much of an extreme-sports nut we really are.

Whether it’s high-octane, adrenaline-fuelled skydiving videos, chaotic white-water-rafting snaps or bone-chilling basejumping shorts, the action cam has made filming them possible. Thanks to their ruggedised shells and waterproof cases, action cams bring the ability to film extreme sports and situations to amateur filmmakers everywhere.

Nobody will argue that GoPro is the undisputed leader of the pack when it comes to action cams. Essentially taking the medium to the mainstream, GoPro has become the go-to choice of professional athletes and videographers, even being used in film and television – including such blockbuster projects asthe last The Hobbit film. If you want to see what kind of footage you can capture (granted with the right know-how and editing ability), GoPro’s own YouTube channel is a good place to start.

Which GoPro to buy

1. GoPro Hero: The everyman’s action cam

The GoPro Hero range is the now discontinued entry-level series from GoPro. Starting at around £95, this basic set of cameras gives you all the functionality you’ll need when getting started. It’s worth noting that every Hero camera comes fixed inside a waterproof case resistant to 40m, and doesn’t come with a swappable battery as in GoPro’s Hero4 range.

GoPro Hero

The Hero’s sub-£100 price reflects its standing as the most basic model in GoPro’s catalogue. Capable of 1080p at 30fps, or 60fps if you drop the resolution to 720p, the Hero’s video capabilities are really the bare essentials. With bit-rate capture at only 15Mbits/sec, along with a fixed Ultra Wide field of view, this isn’t the best option if you’re looking to record hectic extreme sports or capture slow-motion footage.

The Hero can also capture 5-megapixel photos – the lowest resolution of all GoPro’s current cameras – and is limited to intervals of just 0.5-seconds on time-lapse photos. Unfortunately, you won’t be able to easily see, edit and share your images and videos thanks to a lack of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity.

GoPro HERO Camera - English-French

£109.99Buy now

GoPro Hero+ / GoPro Hero+ LCD

Because the Hero+ and Hero+ LCD are exactly the same – aside from the addition of an LCD screen – it makes sense to lump them together. Currently both models are available on Amazon for a similar price, so there’s really no reason not to go for the LCD model if the Hero+ sounds appealing.

Compared to the Hero, both models are capable of capturing 1080p at 60fps and record all footage at up to 25Mbits/sec. Photos can be taken with an 8-megapixel resolution, and time-lapse photos now have the option for intervals from half-a-second up to 60-second intervals. Both models have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity for easy uploading and sharing of content. As with the Hero, both modes can only shoot in an Ultra Wide field of view and aren’t suitable for slow-motion video.

The touchscreen also brings added extras, including a more intuitive camera settings menu and the ability to edit clips into 15- and 30-second videos to upload directly onto Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.