Video: GoPro Captures Cyclist's Collision with Kangaroo

For every jaw-dropping video that we see captured on an action camera, we also get others like this one, which are simply downright painful. A cyclist in Australia was wearing her GoPro when she ran head-on into a kangaroo. The animal comes out of nowhere at about the 20-second mark of the clip, sending the rider down hard. Apparently she suffered nothing more than a few scrapes and bruises, although one cut required eight stitches to close. The "roo" wasn't so lucky. After surviving the accident with the cyclist, it apparently was hit by a car on another nearby road. They really are like deer in Australia.

Video: GoPro Camera Accidentally Captures Great Underwater Images of Sea Life

We've seen a lot of great video captured by GoPro cameras over the years, some of it on purpose and a lot of it accidentally. You can put this clip squarely in the latter category, although the results are pretty great. The person who captured the footage was flying a radio controlled airplane over Cape Range National Park in Australia. A few minutes into the flight, he became disoriented by the sun, and lost his little aircraft. Desperately trying to find the plane, the pilot sends it spiraling into the ocean, where it soon sputters to a halt. Meanwhile, the GoPro Hero Black 3 mounted on the aircraft continues to shoot video footage, capturing images of numerous fish, sharks, a sea turtle and more. It ends up being quite a great video, although the RC airplane probably didn't survive.

The first three minutes of this clip features the aircraft flying around over the park. Some of the footage is quite nice, but if you want to skip ahead to the undersea imagery, jump to the three-minute mark.

Adventure Tech: Light & Motion Introduces New GoPro Companion Light

Light & Motion, a company known for making outstanding headlamps and bike lights, has introduced an interesting new product that I'm sure will be of interest to budding adventure filmmakers with GoPro cameras. Their new Sidekick light is designed to work as a companion to the ubiquitous action cams, providing a lightweight option for providing bright light, without adding much in the way of bulk.

The new product was introduced via a Kickstarter campaign that was launched within the past few days. L&M is looking to raise $50,000 from supporters to help get the Sidekick off the ground, and as of this writing they are already more than halfway to that goal, proving that there is already a great deal of interest in this product.

The Sidekick is designed to be a powerful light source that remains highly portable and very lightweight. The finished model will put off more than 600 lumens of light in a wide flood beam that is meant to provide plenty of illumination to help improve the image quality of the video footage captured by the GoPro camera. The light is also completely water proof, and can withstand pressures down to 200 feet (60 meters) below the surface. A second model – called the Sidekick Duo – will also provide a 400-lumen spot beam for navigation, while an accessory mount allows the light to be mounted on top of the camera specifically for capturing underwater images. Light & Motion promises a run time of up to 4 hours before the Sidekick will need a recharge as well, making it an efficient device too.

The Sidekick is expected to start shipping in March, with those supporting the Kickstarter campaign picking up the standard model for as low as $80, while the Duo light can be had for just $110. When the lights hit the market, they will probably run for considerably more than that, so this is a great way to get the Sidekick at a low price.

For  more details, check out the Sidekick Kickstarter page here.

Kickstarter Campaign: MicroJib For GoPro Cameras

I get inundated with Kickstarter campaigns these days, and for the most part I can't post all of the ones that are sent my way. But I wanted to share one particular campaign that is going on right now that might be of interest to many readers.

The MicroJib is an extension pole for a GoPro camera that allows budding filmmakers to capture shots of themselves and the landscapes they are traveling through. But unlike other GoPro extension poles, the MicroJib also allows them to pan and tilt the camera, opening up the possibilities for creative filmmaking even further. To better understand what it can do, take a look at the YouTube video posted below.

The Kickstarter campaign for the MicroJib has just two days left before it is done, and as of this writing it is closing in on its goal of raising $24,000 but it hasn't quite achieved that just yet. The designers of the product are looking to use the cash to put the MicroJib into production and begin shipping later this year. As is typical with a Kickstarter project, backers can also receive the MicroJib at a great price depending on the level that they contribute at.

If this looks like a tool that you could use, then show some support for the team behind the project. It looks like they've put a lot of thought into the design, and are hoping to create a tool that will make adventure filmmaking even more approachable.

Adventure Tech: New Action Cameras Give Adventurers Alternatives to GoPro

As mentioned yesterday, the Consumer Electronics Show is set to begin in Las Vegas, with hundreds of new gadgets and high tech devices being shown off to the public for the first time. In addition to wearable technology taking center stage, there are also a number of new action cameras on display, giving adventurous filmmakers some true alternatives to the GoPro cameras that seem to have become ubiquitous over the past few years.

Yesterday, Sony unveiled the X100v, the next generation version of their popular Action Cam. This updated model is capable of shooting in 4K at 30 fps, as well as 1080p at 120 fps and 720p at an amazing 240 fps. That puts this camera on par with the new Hero 4 Black from GoPro. But Sony also claims their camera has improved image stabilization, a wider field of view, and improved noise reduction to cut back on the sound of the wind blowing through the microphone. The X100v will also have more manual controls over exposure and white balance as well, and the ability to automatically loop its recordings over the remaining free space on the microSD card in case you start to run low on storage. A new mobile app will also give users the ability to control multiple Sony Action Cams from their smartphone too.

The X100v will run $500 and will become available in February.

If you're looking for something a bit more affordable to record your outdoor adventures, than perhaps the new MHD 2.0 Action Camera from Monoprice will be more to your liking. It's specs are a bit more modest – capturing 1080p HD footage at 30 fps – but then again so is its price. This camera is just $89.99, and features a 170º ultra-wide field of view, a 2.5 hour battery life, and a 5 megapixel sensor. It is also waterproof down to 10 meters (33 feet) without the need for a separate enclosure, and is shock, dust, and freeze proof as well. It even ships with a handlebar mount for your bike so you can start capturing the action immediately.

The MHD 2.0 is available now.

Finally, check out the new Giroptic 360º Camera that promise to do something that neither GoPro nor Sony can match at the moment. This tiny device is capable of filming in a complete 360º circle – in HD resolutions no less – at the same time, ensuring that you never miss a shot. The camera is waterproof down to 10 meters as well and weighs just 6.3 ounces. It comes equipped with GPS for geotagging photos and video, a 185º fisheye lens, built-in Wi-Fi for streaming video and remote control, three microphones, image stabilization via a gyroscope, and a universal camera mount.

This device is capable of a number of very unique things, such as streaming realtime video via Wi-Fi, as well as capturing preset timelapse photos and shooting still shots in HDR. The camera can upload videos directly to YouTube and even Google StreetView. Its ability to shoot in 360º of rotation, as well a 300º up and down, makes it a great option for creating virtual reality films, and mobile apps are available for iOS and Android, with desktop software available for Mac and PC. There is even software that supports the Oculus Rift.

This camera will run $499 and will be available by spring.

As you can see, there are some interesting new options for budding filmmakers, with some powerful tools available at prices that would have seemed unattainable just a few years ago.

Video: GoPro Camera Mercilessly Killed by Grizzly Bear

It never ceases to amaze me what a well-placed video camera can capture these days. In this case, it is some amazing footage of numerous grizzly bears near Glendale Cove in British Columbia. The cameras were set up by ecologist John Kitchen, who was accompanied by bear biologist Melanie Clapham at the time. They managed to catch the massive creatures as the wandered on to a bridge that allows the bears to look into the river below, and spot the salmon as they run upstream. At one point, one of the bears gets overly interested in John's GoPro camera, and decides to play with it a bit. The footage is both humorous, and frightening at the same time. There are truly some great shots of these magnificent animals throughout the four-minute video. If you love wildlife, you'll certainly get a kick out of this.

Video: Real Life vs. GoPro

I came across this video yesterday and thought it was fairly amusing, and probably an accurate depiction for a lot of people who own GoPro cameras. It intermixes the the videos we see from GoPro the company, with clips that are more typical of what most people shoot. To say that most GoPro users aren't climbing in the Himalaya, bombing down single track in Peru, or paddling a river in Africa would be an understatement.

Adventure Tech: GoPro Hero 4 is Official

Last week I posted a story about the rumors of a new GoPro camera that was said to be launching soon. The leaked information indicated that new model would be able to capture video in 4K resolutions, and include a touchscreen for navigation of the device's settings. At the time, we didn't know much more about the product, including price or release date, but today GoPro made the new Hero 4 official, announcing two versions, as well as a new inexpensive entry model as well.

As it turns out, the rumors we were hearing last week have proven to be true. The new GoPro Hero 4 Black edition will indeed capture 4K video at 30fps, and 1080p video at up to 120fps, making it an ideal option for the professional filmmaker. The Silver edition is the model that comes with a touchscreen, and is capable of shooting 1080p resolutions at 60fps. Both models include both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity now, making it easier to connect a smartphone or tablet to monitor what is being shot, and to manage the device itself. The camera are priced at $499.99 and $399.99 respectively, and will begin shipping to stores on October 5.

The new entry-level model is now simply called the Hero. It carries much of the same specs as the previous models, including 1080p video at 30fps, a 5MP sensor, and is waterproof down to 40 meters. The best enhancement on this model is that it now costs just $129.99, a real bargain for those who want to dabble in filmmaking without spending a lot of money.

All of new models feature a few cosmetic changes, but for the most part they resemble previous generation GoPro cameras. That meanest hey'll also fit in the hundreds of accessories and cases that already exist. That is a wise move on the part of the Hero 4 designers, as consumers don't have to start over with all of their gear.

The video below will introduce you further to the new cameras, and give you a sense of what they are capable of. Judging from the early footage, GoPro's competitors are going to have to play catch-up once again, and I can't wait to see what filmmakers do with these new tools.

Adventure Tech: Next Gen GoPro to Include Touchscreen, Capture in 4K?

Aspring adventure filmmakers are no doubt wondering what GoPro has up their sleeve for their next generation camera. After all, the Hero 3 line has been out for several years, and the competition is starting to get a bit stiffer in what has become a very crowded action cam market. Yesterday, gadget website Gizmodo posted a round-up of the latest rumors circulating around the as-yet unannounced Hero 4, as well as a photo that may actually show off the product for the first time.

Amongst the new features expected to be coming to the new camera are a touchscreen LCD that will make it much easier to access, and adjust, the settings, as well as monitor and review any footage that is being shot. Previous models of GoPro cameras only had a small screen on the front which provided information on battery life and memory card capacity. A color LCD would be a significant upgrade in terms of what filmmakers could do in the field without needing to connect to another device.

The bigger news is that the Hero 4 is expected to be able to capture video in 4K resolutions at 30fps, which will greatly improve the quality of the films created using the camera. As Gizmodo points out, the Hero 3+ Black edition had the ability to shoot 4K as well, but at 15fps no one ever really bothered to use that mode. A true 4K capable GoPro will be extremely popular for sure.


The report also indicates that the overall size of the camera will remain about the same as current models. That means that all the current accessories, such as housings and mounts, will continue to work with the device. That's good news for anyone who has already invested in the GoPro line, as it will make the transition a smooth one.

There is no indication when the camera could arrive in stores, but GoPro generally likes to update products in the fall, ahead of the busy holiday shopping season. That means we could see the Hero 4 soon, but for now we'll have to wait to see if these rumors are true.

Upate: More info from Gizmodo today says that the LCD touchscreen may only be available on the Hero 4 Silver edition, which will shoot 4K video at 15fps. The top of the line Black Edition will not have the touchscreen, but will probably be able to shoot 4K at 30fps. Interesting trade off if true.

Gizmodo also says that the photo above is an actual shot of the camera, which will also take photos with its 12-megapixel sensor, and will be waterproof down to 131 feet. Pricing remains a mystery at this time, but hopefully more will be revealed soon.