Introduction

Compared with traditional camcorders, the GoPro is a superhero, able to leap tall buildings in a single … err, remote-control action. Your first inclination when hearing about such a unique camera is that it has to cost a lot of money, but that’s not the case. The GoPro is cheap. Very cheap.

The GoPro challenges conventional notions of where you can put a camcorder and continually encourages users to find new and exciting places to capture movies. It’s waterproof, so you can capture video footage under the wettest of circumstances, submerging the camera to record stunning underwater sequences. Even the lowest-priced model comes with a waterproof housing.

The capability to work in weird places would go only so far if the GoPro’s image quality were subpar. In fact, the GoPro captures high-definition (HD) video at a rate of at least 30 frames per second (fps), depending on the model, so you can capture unique high-quality video at an affordable price.

Some GoPro models are also capable of capturing 4K video — the successor to HD, with double the quality.

This rugged little camera can go anyplace and produce exciting new perspectives. It works for everyone from amateurs to pros. Families use it to document their daily lives; students experiment with it; photographers use it to supplement camcorder footage. GoPro has even spread to the professional arena, with an increasing presence in broadcast news programs, movies, and television shows.

I’ve had a blast making movies ...

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