Upgrading from the HD Hero to the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition is a big step, but some people are unsure if they really need to change their camera. If you have the original HD Hero, then you have a powerful camera that is great for taking action shots, and it has a durable body that can take quite a good fall. But, in almost any respect, you’ll find that the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition is much better. If you don’t believe me, then read on to see why it’s essential that you upgrade.
Low Light Performance
You’ve spent the entire day trying to do that one new trick and it’s getting dark out. After so many tries you finally do it, and you can’t wait to see the footage when you get home. If the low light exposure isn’t good, then all you’ll see is a lot of darkness with some noise.
The HD Hero isn’t bad with low light, but it’s far from the best. The Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition comes with professional low light performance. This means that you will easily see your trick, and it will look even more dramatic against the darkening atmosphere.
Resolution
Resolution is everything with a camera. It determines how good a shot looks, and how crisp all the details are. You need a high megapixel count for the best shots, and only one of these cameras really provides that.
The HD Hero only has a 5-megapixel option. While 5-megapixels aren’t that bad, you can definitely do better. The Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition gives you three options, 11, 8 or 5 megapixels. This allows you to choose the size and clarity of the shot. While you’ll probably always have the resolution set at the highest, it’s also good to have options.
Time-Lapse and Speed Photos
Speed photos are when you set the camera to take a lot of shots in a single second (or longer, depending on the setting). The HD Hero allows you to shoot three photos in 2 seconds. That’s not bad, but it’s not great. This means that you will lose a lot of movement in your photos, and it might skip over the important parts of the trick.
The Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition is incredibly reliable with this feature. You can take up to 10 photos in 1 second. This is a massive improvement, and it ensures that you’ll see everything when you take photos.
Both cameras also have a time-lapse mode. The HD Hero and the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition are similar because they both have time-lapse settings that will take photos every 1, 2, 5, 10, 30 and 60 seconds. However, the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition also has a 0.5 setting. This isn’t a huge improvement, but again, it’s always better to have more options.
Video Resolutions and Recording
The HD Hero and Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition have similar video resolutions, but there are a few differences with video recording when you compare these models. Both cameras can record video in WVGA, 720p, 960p and 1080p. However, the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition is much better when it comes to the field of view (FOV) and frames per second (fps).
The best fps that you can get on the HD Hero is 60 fps, but you can get a full 120 fps on the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition for slow motion shots. The Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition can also capture better angles because of the superior FOV.
User Interface
There is a huge difference in the user interface. The HD Hero has a complicated 3-digit code interface where you need to know what the digits means to know what settings are available. It can get a little confusing, and it’s hardly intuitive. If you haven’t studied the manual, then you might be left scratching your head for a few minutes.
The Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition has a very simple language-based user interface that anyone can use. It will plainly tell you what options are available, and you can easily customize the shot until it’s perfect.
LED Lights
If it’s getting dark, then you want to light everything up so that your shots look their best. You could get a bunch of large, professional lights, but those are difficult to install by yourself. The HD Hero and Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition come with LED lights, but the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition is superior.
The original version only has one light. It’s good for medium darkness, but that’s about it. The upgraded version has four different lights. This will really light up the night, and you will be able to see everything. Some people even complain that the lights are a little too bright, but you can easily turn off one or two of them if this is an issue.
Connectivity
The HD Hero was made before tablets and major Internet connectivity, so it doesn’t have some of the more sophisticated features you’ll commonly find with modern digital cameras. The Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition has a lot of connectivity that will make it easy to view and upload your photos and videos.
The original only has WiFi connectivity. The upgrade has WiFi, a tablet app, a streaming service and smartphone connectivity. This makes it much easier to transfer your shots when you’re done doing your tricks.
Conclusion
Except for a few small things here and there, the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition is a clear improvement over the original. You get more light, better low light performance, improved connectivity, enhanced resolution and a ton of other changes. If you love action shots and having the best technology, then you definitely need to upgrade to the Go Pro HD Hero 2 Outdoor Edition. It might cost some extra money, but the benefits are worth it.