I purchased the Gopro Hero 2 camera for it's size, weight, and excellent HD video capabiity.  I use the camera for an aerial photography remote controlled drone (multicopter).  Since the camea is light weight and almost indestructable when housed in it's protective casing it became the ideal choice for me. 

The video of the camera is very good in good lighting.  The Hero 2 sports better low light video and picture taking capabilities than the first Hero camera, but like all digital cameras, they will show noise when it gets too dark.  What I film is during daylight hours (sunrise to sunset) and the camera fits the bill.  

The 11 megapixel camea has several options available to customize how you want your video or pictures taken.  Some of the features that I liked were burst mode (takes 10 pictures in a second), interval picture (great when I'm flying my multicopter around and just want aerial photos), self portrait,  and of course HD video. HD video can be customized for 1080p or 720p and also has the options for narrow, medium or wide field of view.

The menu system is pretty small so if you may have a hard time viewing if you've been staring at a computer screen too long or just have bad/uncorrected vision.  Navigating through the menu system is easy (aside from the small view) and can be accomplished with two buttons.  This is great when you are out and about and need to make a quick change to the settings.  This camera allows you to get back into the action instead of fiddling around with complex menus.  So this greatly outweighs any complaints I had about the some of the small symbols on the menu system.

GoPro is known for their fisheye lens.  I think that's the best way to capture all of the action when you are into sport or an activity with lots of motion.  I really wish the camera would have a flat lens or come with two lenses (one for fisheye and one flat) so that the user would have a choice for the desired film effect.  Rumors have it that Gopro will come out with a flat lens version for their camera system.

Another plus for the Hero 2 is the upcoming WiFi backpack that will allow the users of Hero 1 and Hero 2 cameras to wirelessly control their cameras.  The Hero 2 camera system will allow live video and audio streaming to a smart device like an iphone or laptop computer.  
The Wifi capability of the add on is something that I eagerly await. The Hero 2 combined with the upcoming Wifi backpack will allow control of several cameras (50 I think...) and have a range of almost a football field for transmitting video.  

I purchased the outdoor edition which came with various straps for the camera system.  I wasn't concerned too much about the straps since my camera was going to be airborne.  Different attachments exist depending on the sport you plan on using the camera for.  Surf edition has mounts for surboads, Driving has mounts for autos, and outdoors has straps/harness for climbing, biking etc.  Many have created their own straps for their cameras, but Gopro really did a good job by providing it to their customers.  It's a quick way to get into filming the action instead of trying to engineer a method of attaching a camera.  

I'm very pleased with the Gopro Hero 2 camera.  It's best suited for daylight, even with it's improved low light capabilities.   Sunrise to Sunset are the best times to film.  Cloudy or overcast days seemed a little dull for me.  The camera is tough when housed in it's waterproof/resistant housing.  I've seen it dropped from about 100 feet and survive.   The addition of the upcoming Wifi back pack will certainly be a game changer for the sports camera industry.  Both Hero 1 and Hero 2 cameras will be able to take advantage of the add on.  Hero 2 will have enhanced capabilities though.  Overall this is the camera to get, even if you are a sports adrenaline junkie.  The Hero camera was even used in flilming the movie Fast Five.  



 

Recommended: Yes