GoPro 170 Wide Surf Hero

Features

170 degree field of view. I don't know of any other camera offering this, its absolutely amazing. Check out the videos and see for yourself.

Your GoPro Surf Hero Wide also works as a 5 megapixel camera. Best of all you can select auto mode and the GoPro will capture still photo's every 2 or 5 seconds automatically or you can select the 3x sequence burst.

Waterproof to 30 meters, the GoPro Surf is the camera you need if your ready to capture your own surf movies capable of handeling the biggest wipeouts. You'd be hard pressed to find a waterproof camera with these features, Now you've got a board mounted/helmet camera and a waterproof camera all in one. .

Capture 2 hours of high resolution 512 x 384 video with sound at 30 frames per second when using a 4 GB SD card (not included)

Easily set up with comprehensive mounting kit included. You can simply use the stick on base plate supplied allowing you to mount the camera with no modification to your board. For a totally bomber mount the GoPro comes with a FCS compatible plug mounting system that allows you to mount the camera to the deck of your board using an allen head screw, requires you to a have a FCS centre fin plug installed into the deck of your board. Easily done by a ding repairer or shaper.

Your GoPro Wide also has the amazing upside down/video flip feature, so if for some reason you need to mount your camera upside down to get the perfect photo or video angle, you can program the camera to save the photo or video upside down so that it appears right side up when you review it on your computer or tv.

No expensive software needed to edit and playback your footage. Your GoPro comes with the USB/RCA cord so you can play back on your PC or on the TV. The GoPro produces AVI files allowing you to use Windows Movie Maker to edit, add effects and lay music over your footage for free. As a bonus you'll recieve access to download my half hour video on how to edit using windows movie maker. I guarantee you'll be making high quality DVD's in no time.

GoPro is compatible with both PAL and NTSC TV formats, ideal for those that like to travel or wish to send footage overseas.

Worlds smallest, wireless on board video camera. Weighs only 139 grams and measures 4.45cm x 5.84cm x 3.18cm (H x W x D)

GoPro cameras are compatible with WIN Me/2000/Vista /Xp and MacOS 9.1/102 or greater. Requires 2 x AAA batteries (not included).

Specifications

Resolution: 5 megapixel (2592x1944) photo, 512x384 video
Sensor: CMOS
Video Format: MJPEG, 30 fps, saved as .AVI file
Optics: glass lens, f/2.8 aperture, with ultra-wide 170º angle of view
Modes: video, standard photo, photo every 2 or 5 secs, 3x photo burst sequence, self timer, upside down photo/video flip
Exposure Control: auto
White Balance: auto
Self Timer: 10 seconds
Microphone: built-in with adjustable recording/input level
Audio Format: 8kHz, mono
Memory: 16 MB internal, expandable to 4GB with SD card (not included),
Capacity: 2 hours of video (incl. audio) or 3500 photos with optional 4GB SD card.
Power: 2x AAA batteries (not included), lithium batteries highly recommended.
TV Out (with RCA cable): NTSC or PAL
PC Connection: USB + RCA combo cable
PC Compatibility: Windows ME, 2000, XP, and Vista; Mac OS X 10.2 and later
Waterproof: rated to 100 feet/30 meters
Dimensions: 1.75" x 2.30" x 1.25"/4.45cm x 5.84cm x 3.18cm (H x W x D)
Weight: 4.9 oz/139 g

Items Included

5 Megapixel HERO Wide Camera with 170º Wide Angle Lens
1 Shockproof/Waterproof Quick-Release Housing—100 feet/30 meters
1 High-Impact, 3M Adhesive Mounting Disc with Integrated Leash System
1 FCS Compatible Male Plug Mount for Attaching to FCS Center Fin Plug
1 Quick-Release Buckle
1 Rubber Quick-Release Stopper Lock
1 USB/RCA Combo Cable
Warranty: One Year

Review

First impressions...
I can remember seeing some photos of this camera as a wrist mount a few years ago and thought it was a bit of a toy - a tiny little box that was not as stylish as others on the market but when I looked into it further I realised that it was so compact that it could not be any other shape!

The GoPro Hero Wide is powered by 2xAAA batteries which take up the whole rear of the camera, as with most cameras it is best to use Lithium(3hrs) or NiMH(2hrs). There is some onboard memory(16Mb) but it is definately best to put a 2Gb card in straight away. It can shoot TV resolution(512x384) video and 5Mp stills with a range of auto shoot options such as a burst of 3 shots or continuous shooting every 2 or 5 seconds.
Special attention has been paid to the point of sale presentation, the camera packaging is a fabricated clear acrylic box which provides a full view of the camera and its housing. It is rare that this attention to detail is shown in packaging design these days.

Operation
The camera is extremely easy to operate and navigate through each of the different shooting modes. I did however take my helmet of before a run just to make sure that it was recording(red flashing light). The camera beeps when you manually shoot stills and record which can be heard inside the helmet if there is not too much background noise. There is also an invert shooting option so that the camera can be mounted upside down. I have not tried this yet but imagine it would be good when mounted under the rear of the boom arm.

Housing
The housing is shock and waterproof and has a robust rear seal that is rated to 30m. Check out the AAA battery in the foreground! This thing is tiny and as a result you dont even realise you are using it.
What you get...
With the standard kit you get the camera and housing, a stick on flat mount and a USB/RCA combo cable. I chose this kit as I wanted to stick the camera to the helmet and did not need the helmet head strap mount. This would be suited to cycling or vented helmets that you didn't want to stick a mount on.

Roll Bar Mount Kit.
For the boom shots I mounted the housing directly to the bar clamp, this allowed the camera to shoot down the tube that it was mounted on. This worked well mounted on the boom grip adjacent to the head as the camera is pointed in the centre of the action around the sailors chest. I took some still photos after putting the camera on the tail of the boom and will try this the next time I sail. I think the other linkage pieces will be required so that the camera can sit beside the boom and centre closer to the mast base.

Grab Bag Mount Kit
You get 2 curved and 2 flat 3M stick on mounts. The curved mount is well suited to helmet mounting - make sure you get the position right as the 3M adhesive won't give you a second chance. You also get 2 Horizontal Surface Quick-Release Buckles, a Vertical Surface J-Hook Buckle and a spare Thumb Knob with Nut and Bolt.

Helmet Mount.
I chose to mount the camera slightly forward of centre so that it sat a little lower. The mass of the camera and the wind resistance was minor and didn't affect what I was doing whatsoever. Also, with it slightly forward you can duck your head when you flip the sail in the water and the back of the helmet takes any contact instead of the camera. With the camera off this also means that the mount will not damage the sail doing the same.

Boom Mount
Mounting on the front of the boom you don't even notice the camera. I am not sure if it would hamper the rig flip as I was speed sailing on the day I used it and didn't even gybe.

Rear Boom Mount
Mounting on the rear of the boom grip or the tail you can get another interesting perspective. The wind was blowing in the back yard and I had to point the camera into the sun. The wide angle lens will still capture the full sailor even this close.

Conclusion
This camera is one of the best investments I have made! I can re-live the sessions and show others what I "get up to". I would even consider getting a second to shoot 2 views at once or the standard model to shoot others over greater distances.

I purchased the GoPro Hero Wide and the mounting accessories from Adventure Cams HQ.
They had the best prices I could find and also included a Windows Movie Maker tutorial DVD and a handy Spudz Lens Cleaning Kit. The delivery was promt and everything was well covered in bubble wrap. They are also Australian(WA) so you are supporting local business.

Video

FAQ

Question: What batteries do I need for my GoPro?: Answer: You will need 2 x AAA batteries, We recommend the use of NiMh rechargeable batteries (900 or higher mAh) or lithium. You will get 4 hours or more from either type. Standard alkaline batteries do not last as long due to viabration which causes them to drop voltage quickly. For those using the camera in the cold ie snow boarders we recommend lithium batteries only
Question: How much recording time do you get?: Answer: Using the internal 16MB memory you can record about 40 seconds of video or store about 25 still photos. By using a 2GB SD card you expand the memory to record 56 minutes of high quality video or store 1900 photos. SD cards available click on the accessories tab for details
Question: Can I use a bigger memory card?: Answer: The GoPro will only accept a 2GB standard SD memory card. The camera will not recognize larger cards.
Question: What is the picture resolution?: Answer: The camera captures 5 megapixel digital photos. There is also a mode that shoots a photo every 2 or 5 seconds automatically
Question: What is the video resolution?: Answer: Video is recorded at 512x384 at 30 frames per second
Question: What is the video format?: Answer: The camera compresses video using the Motion JPEG codec and stores the footage as an AVI (.avi) file. The files are easily downloaded and can be edited using Windows Movie Maker
Question: Can you record sound?: Answer: Yes, there is sound. The camera has ‘HI’ and ‘LO’ sound settings. LO was designed for motorsports or other loud external noise environments.
Question: Does the camera have zoom?: Answer: The GoPro HERO cameras do not have zoom.
Question: Is the camera waterproof?: Answer: The GoPro is capable of depths of 30mtrs in the waterproof housing. The housing has also been designed with a convex lense so water freely runs off ensuring great shots no matter what your sport
Question: Does the camera work with Windows? Or Mac?: Answer: YES, the cameras are compatible with Windows AND Mac. You can use with Windows ME/2000/XP/Vista and Mac OS 9.1 or later.
Question: Are the cameras the same for each kit?: Answer: YES,All the kits containing the new 170 wide camera are identical cameras with different mounting options. This makes them interchangeable with each other and all GoPro accessories and expansion kits.
Question: What is the weight of the GoPro: Answer: 139 grms

Accessories

MaxFlash 4gb SDHC Card

Class 6

You’ve bought the best so use the best. The MaxFlash cards have a high transfer rate for fast copying and downloading and is the Ideal SD Card for your Helmet Camera.

$29.00
GoPro Anti Fog Inserts

Prevent your camera's housing from fogging, even in cold temperatures/humid environments. Great value and performance: includes 3 sets of anti-fog inserts. Each set lasts 4-5 uses and can be dried in an oven (3 minutes) and used again.

$25.00
Kite Hero Line Mount

The perfect mount for kite surfers and kite sports, allows optimal camera set up allowing a unique point of view. Suitable for 4 and 5 line rigs

Made from light weight nylon designed for use with all GoPro cameras (except the Wrist Hero). Capable of mounting other brands of cameras using the standard tap hole.

$58.50
Surf Hero Expansion Kit
Includes all of the mounting accessories from the Surf HERO camera, minus the water proof housing and camera. Perfect for mounting your GoPro HERO onto a surfboard. The Surf HERO extension kit includes two, removable mounting options:
- A stick-on baseplate that takes a couple of minutes to set up and go
- An FCS™ compatible plug mounting system that allows you to allen-screw your camera into the deck of your board when you install an FCS™ center fin plug into the deck of your board. Easily done by any ding repairer or shaper.
$43.00
The Chesty

Want to capture a really unique point of view? The chest harness combined with the 170 wide angle GoPro provides a realistic view of your chosen sport. Show the world how and what you get up to with this totally unique camera mounting system. Make your GoPro so much more than just a helmet camera.

$59.00
Grab Bag of Mounts

The ideal kit for mounting your GoPro to helmets (and almost any surface) using the 3M adhesive base plates. You’ll get 2 flat 3M adhesive base plates, 2 curved 3M adhesive base plates as well as 2 horizontal surface quick release buckles, and 1 vertical surface J-hook quick release buckle (for mounting your camera on vertical surfaces such as car bumpers or the back of your helmet).

$43.00
Roll Bar Mount

"Out of Stock"

Roll bar / tube clamp for mounting your quick-release GoPro camera on to tubes / frames ranging from 35mm to 65mm diameter. Perfect for clamping your camera to Roll bars, go karts, bike frames, bumper bars, ski / surfboard racks, or anything else that is in the size range above. Comes with pivoting orientation arms allowing for 3-way adjustability, ensuring you can get the angle you want.

$52.50
Ride Hero

The Ride HERO is a seat post and handlebar tube clamp for mounting your quick-release GoPro camera on to tubes/frames ranging from 1.9cm - 3.5cm in diameter. You can also clamp to chainstays, small roll bars, bolt-heads, windsurfing and kite surfing booms/control bars, or anything else that is in the size range above. Comes with pivoting orientation arms allowing for 3-way adjustability, ensuring you can get the angle you want.

$43.00
Lens Replacement Kit
Kit comes with two replacements for the wide-angle glass lens covers which used on all wide-angle HERO housings.

Compatible with all Wide Angle GoPro cameras...

What's Included:
- 2 Wide-Angle, Glass Lens Covers
- 2 Rubber O-Rings
- 6 Screws
- 1 Screwdriver
$39.00
GoPro Tripod Mount
"Out of Stock"

Tripod mount for attaching your quick-release GoPro camera to a standard tripod.

What's Included:
- 1 Tripod Mount
$27.00
Replacement Wide Housing

Stone chips and scratches no longer mean the end for your helmet camera. One of the great features of the GoPro is the ability to easily replace the housing. Waterproof to 30 metre.

$72.60
Lever Action Suction Mount

Industrial strength suction cup for your quick-release HERO camera. This is the suction cup that comes with the Motorsports HERO Wide cameras. Strong enough to pull dents out of a car door or stay attached to an airplane at 200mph. Enables quick position changes, Attaches to cars, motorcycles, snowmobiles, cockpits, you name it.

NOT RECOMMENDED for surfboards, snowboards or other high-impact sports. Only recommended for non-impact activities.

$52.50
Head Harness

Build up your arsenal of camera mounts. The head harness is ideal for those who don’t wear a helmet, but still want to head mount their GoPro. Fully adjustable silicone lined elastic straps ensure a secure, non-slip mount.

$38.00
Vapex VTE-700 X- Fast Battery Charger AA/AAA

The affordable battery solution for your helmet camera, with Australian C Tick plus CE (Council of Europe) approvals. Recharges 2 to 4 pieces of AA & AAA Ni-MH or Ni-Cd batteries at a time. Advanced MCU Microprocessor Control automatically detects faulty, non rechargeable, short circuited or reverse polarity batteries. Powered by 240V AC Adapter when using at home or office or by 12v AC adaptor when using in a vehicle. Delta V Control detects when the batteries are charged and switches to trickle charge to avoid overcharging.

$43.00
Vapex AA / AAA 12V Car Charger

VTE900C - Recharges 2 pieces of AA or AAA NiMH / Ni-Cd batteries at a time.

12V car charging function.

Microprocessor Controlled - Batteries life well protected by negative delta V cut-off function and timer protection.

Temperature sensors to avoid the battery from being damaged by over-heating

$19.95
4x AAA 1100mah Vapex NiMh Rechargable Batteries

Highest capacity AAA currently available. Ideal for GoPro cameras allows aprox 4.5 hrs recording time . Supplied with a free plastic carry case.

$17.00
Dual Lock Velcro

When 3M Dual Lock reclosable fasteners are pressed together, hundreds of mushroom shaped heads interlock to produce an extremely durable fastener which can be opened and closed many times. The strong adhesive works well on most surfaces. Works well in place of the adhesive found on most mounts. Price is per mtr

$29.00
Vented Helmet Mount

Designed to tie in through the vents of any vented helmet, camera attaches with the use of the quick release buckle, ideal for mountain biking, kayaking ect. This mount also comes with the GoPro Helmet Hero

$39.00
GoPro Wide Wrist Housing

Wrist housing for your Helmet, Motorsports, or Surf HERO Wide, 170º lens camera.

NOTE: This housing is NOT compatible with the new HD HERO Cameras. An HD HERO version of the wrist housing will be available late Spring, 2010.

Dubbed the HERO Wide Wrist Housing, this wrist-worn water housing for your GoPro Wide 170º lens camera is the world's most convenient solution for shooting on-the-go footage of your friends and family during your favorite activities, be it on the mountain or in the water.

Originally designed for surfing in big wave haven, Northern California, the housing is a engineered for maximum convenience as well as maximum durability. Perfect for surfing or snorkeling, hiking or climbing, the HERO Wide Wrist Housing makes it easy to have a camera on hand for video and photo opportunities that occur at times where traditional cameras are too inconvenient to use or carry. No pockets? No problem if you are wearing the HERO Wide Wrist Housing.

Thanks to its patented design, the HERO Wide Wrist Housing can be worn securely flat on the wrist during your sport but can quickly pivot upright for aiming the shot. Even in this upright position, the camera is still securely attached to your wrist. This makes it easy to grab your surfboard, paddle, or otherwise have both hands free without a risk of dropping your camera. The water housing is waterproof to 100'/30 meters.

The housing can also be strapped to gear such as kayak paddles and the leading edge of kitesurfing kites. This allows the kitesurfer to film their entire session looking down from above, as though they had a private helicopter camera crew following them while they surf.

The HERO Wide Wrist Housing has an adjustable neoprene strap that adjusts to fit a range of sizes from a child's wrist to fitting over the ski jacket sleeve of an adult.

$67.00