Review: Hero3 White Edition
Looking at the specs I really wanted to be excited about this camera and give the GoPro Hero3 White Edition high marks. After all it is light (2.6 ounces), small, and fairly sleek. It offers built in Wi-Fi, a revamped UI, and can be worn or mounted on gear to provide high quality hands free video. With it's 60 meter waterproof case and frame rates of 30 for 1080p video plus the ability to take 5mp size pictures at 3 per second, the camera appears to be among the best for sport applications on the market.
The major thing holding back a glowingReview: GoPro Hero3 White Editionis the fact that so many people have had bad experiences with the firmware updating process, the performance of the system, and the power drain from the battery. While for some people doing a manual firmware install works to correct their problems, this is not always the case. Additionally, it seems that the Black edition has more issues of this nature than the White one, but it still seems that it is about 50/50 on who has problems with dud units. Those who have tried to get a defective unit repaired instead of returning it have run into issues with the company's customer service, which is defined as “poor”.
When someone is able to get a fully functional GoPro Hero3 White Edition they are typically overjoyed with how it performs. Granted battery life taps out at about 45 minutes on average video use, and is shorter if one tries to enable Wi-Fi for remote triggering. For those people who need short videos that are professional quality, or have a steady supply of back up batteries, the video is indeed superior quality, with fine sound capture. When still photos are required one can either do burst photos at 3 frames a second or take time lapse photos at intervals of their choice.
For some people who have taken the chance on using one of these cameras, their experience has been horribly trying. Some individuals have gone through 2, 3, or 4 replacements before finding one that works. They suggest that dealing with the store you bought it from is wiser than going to the manufacturer directly. The conclusion of this Review: GoPro Hero3 White Edition is that this is a good camera, when and if you get one that is functioning correctly. Otherwise, be prepared to spend time exchanging.