HD HERO2 GoPro Camera

Product Description

GoPro HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition GoPro cameras are used by more professional athletes, sports filmmakers and core enthusiasts than any other camera in the world. The HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition is the most advanced GoPro camera yet. Wearable and gear mountable, waterproof to 197′ (60m), capable of capturing professional full 170º wide angle 1080p video and 11 megapixel photos at a rate of 10 photos per second, the HD HERO2 is the world&rsquos most versatile camera. Whether your goal is to capture a great day out with friends or you&rsquore gunning for the cover of a magazine, the HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition can help you nail it and look like a HERO.Included are mounting accessories you&rsquore most likely to use during outdoor sports like biking, skiing, skating, kayaking and so on. Other accessories are available via links on the right hand side of this page.The HD HERO2 Outdoor Edition is compatible with all GoPro expansion accessories and BacPacs&trade, including the Wi-Fi BacPac and Wi-Fi Remote (coming soon). What&rsquos Included 1 11MP HD HERO2 Camera 1 Waterproof Housing (197′ / 60m) 1 HD Skeleton Backdoor 1 Rechargeable Li-ion Battery 1 USB Cable 1 Vented Helmet Strap 1 Head Strap 2 Curved Surface Adhesive Mounts 2 Flat Surface Adhesive Mounts 1 Three-Way Pivot Arm Assorted Mounting Hardware

Top Reviews

Pros and Cons
by D. Sanders (3 out of 5 stars)
May 5, 2012

I gave the GoPro Hero2 only 3 stars due to some issues that potential buyers should be aware of. I own a Hero so my comparison is based on the difference between the Hero and Hero2.

Pros:

Better and easier to read menus

Louder audio function indicators (beeps)

Additional light indicators

Better color and use in lower light

Addition Video FOV settings and Photo Modes (after firmware update)

External microphone input port

Mini-HDMI port

Cons:

Not all external microphones will work. In fact GoPro sent me these e-mail messages in regards to microphones:
"Most of the time if a microphone has the ability to draw internal power from the camera, it will try to do so and stop drawing power from the battery. The problem with this is the camera itself has about around a 2 volt supply coming from the external microphone input. This is enough to power smaller microphones such as the mono lavalier mics, however it usually will not be enough to power a mic that also has a battery option...."
"The (GoPro) Media Team hasn't chosen any favorites yet, but they've been using the following two (expensive) lavalier mic's with decent results: Sennheiser MKE 400 and Compact Video Camera Shotgun Microphone ($199.95) and EMW Omnidirectional Lavalier Microphone ($159.95)...." POSTER'S NOTE: I read on-line that the RØDE VideoMic and VideoMic Pro work on the Hero2 too.

Not all FOV settings available for Hero2 and Firmware update protocol requires an additional program download to your computer (GoPro Cineform Studio software). Besides 2x sharper lens feature, additional photo Modes, you will only get additional FOV video settings for 1080p even though GoPro.com specs shows additional settings for 720p. GoPro told me that the 720p POV settings are for the Hero 3D only, but later firmware updates will include the 720p POV's for Hero2 in the future. After installing the GoPro Cineform Studio software, the firmware update didn't work (it didn't indicate one was needed for my new Hero2). GoPro told me to re-install Cineform Studio and try again. I found a work-around searching the net which bypassed the program install.

I really like the Hero2 but I wish GoPro would have made it known about the issue with microphones and had tested various mics so that a customer would know which ones the Hero2 supports. And I think GoPro should have let customers know that firmware version 70 does not give the Hero2 all that they show on their specifications.
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Lack of support from GoPro from a product defect coming from a hardware issue.
by Hunter G. (1 out of 5 stars)
June 25, 2015

TIMELAPSERS BEWARE: PROLONGED DIRECT EXPOSURE TO THE SUN WILL RESULT IN A PERMANENT YELLOW STREAK WHEREVER THE LIGHT WAS THE BRIGHTEST, SUCH AS THE SUN. READ MORE:

I bought this GoPro last year, before the 4 came out. Back then, this was my cheapest option. Now, I'm a little peeved that I'm stuck with a defective device and GoPro support still hasn't gotten back to me. I guess that's what you get for buying older generations.

Anyway, as I said above. If you expose the device sensor directly to the sun, as you might in a timelapse, you'll eventually end up damaging the sensor. Apparently, it's far more sensitive to light than GoPro ever publically led on, but I've found several instances of this "yellow streak" it causes online, with one thing tying them all together: prolonged exposure to sunlight. A quick Google search for "GoPro Hero 2 yellow streak" or something similar will yield plenty of results.

So to recap, that's the reason why this device gets one star. A defect that's been popping up quite a lot that the company has still failed to disclose information about. I understand if you think this might not apply to you, and therefore you shouldn't worry about it, but if a company fails to address a known issue in one of its products, doesn't that concern you about the integrity of all its OTHER products?
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Arrived with a screw missing and rattling around inside the electronics
by Kurcules (3 out of 5 stars)
June 5, 2013

Purchased 6/2013 for $386 total.

The first thing I noticed is the camera rattled when I moved it around. I also noticed that one of the four screws in the battery compartment that hold the camera together was missing. Putting 2+2 together, I surmised that the missing screw was rattling around inside the body of the camera. I figured it either rattled loose on the slow boat from china, or an assembly laborer dropped the screw and decided to save a second or two by not recovering it. Either way. Unfortunately I didn't order it in anticipation of low quality assembly practices that would require me to return it in exchange for another throw of the dice: I needed it operational immediately. So, after musing for a while, I decided to take a chance and see if I could extract the screw without leaving evidence that I had opened it up. Luck held out and sure enough, I found the missing screw inside the unit, bouncing around with the electronics. I put the screw back in where it should have been put in the first place. It took me about an hour to effect the repair.

The camera now works properly and I'd give it five stars for that because these things are great when they work right. But one star for quality control. So I averaged that out to three stars.

Note to gopro: You gotta get your quality act together!!! You're making a fortune on us with your product. Give a bit back to your customer community by boosting your quality. Get a better assembly contractor, or maybe even move assembly stateside where you can keep an eye on it. We're a fickle bunch, and you're toast if a competitor shows up with as good a product and more concern for their quality and reputation. You're REALLY toast if your competitor builds one that fits into your housings (hint to potential competitors...)You might want to locktite those screws, too. We expect your camera to be pretty much vibration proof.
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GoPro Hero2
by Ricochet,Top Contributor: Photography (4 out of 5 stars)
September 12, 2012

GoPro is hands down the best near professional grade video sports camera for the everyday consumer and enthusiast. My first experience with GoPro was on a mountain bike trip to Tahoe with friends. It was with a GoPro Hero HD (not 2). I was involved with the camera's initial set up. We also used the Battery Backpac and Wifi Backpac with Remote Controller. Set up was easy, the Hero HD uses a different method for firmware update. The updated .bin file is copied to the SD card and the update is performed manually by the user. This is straightforward. Once complete, Cineform Studio (free GoPro software) is used to update the Wifi Backpac and Remote's firmware. This is an automated process.

The Hero2 uses Cineform Studio for updating the camera and accessories. The firmware is downloaded and installed automatically. I have now performed updates on both the Hero HD and Hero2, and their accessories. Neither went what I consider smoothly. Updating the Hero HD from the .bin file copied to SD card was easy for me, but might present issues for some. The Cineform software had issues properly detecting the Wifi Backpac and remote. Persistence paid off and we finally got everything completed, but it might be frustrating for others.

The Hero2 updating was abyssmal. Camera would not properly detect in the software. Then when it finally did, it saw the camera, but would not read the current firmware version, so an update could not be performed. Google reveals a multitude of users that experience the same problems. Once again, persistence wins the day.

By now you're probably wondering why I've given the product a 4 star rating. The video and pictures these cameras capture is awesome. Get past the firmware updating and the rest of the experience is stellar.

Top off your battery, choose your mounting location and you're ready to shoot. This part, just works! This is what we all want from this type of device. The camera worked flawlessly our entire trip. We captured hours of trail riding, some great single track and some stills of the lake. We came home and watched the footage we captured from our weekend. Everyone was blown away by the epic quality of the video. The entire trip was captured, including many of the conversations we had during our rides. I was so impressed I came home and ordered a Hero2 for myself.

Some observations:

Everyone will use their GoPro differently.

Things you will need:
-A 16 or 32GB SD Card (one is NOT supplied with the camera)
-A second battery, maybe a 3rd if you plan to shoot for several days
-The Wifi Backpac receiver (The remote controller is needed now, but will be optional later - more about this is a moment.

The need for controlling the camera remotely is just a given. The upcoming iPhone app will allow you to do everything the current remote does now, AND (big and) allow you to preview/review video. The wifi accessory is 2 parts (the Backpac and the controller). The Backpac itself is good for any sport where you aren't sitting next to the camera. There is no better way in my opinion to start and stop recording. Fumbling for the button with the camera mounted on your helmet is possible, but why.

The remote controller can be worn on your wrist or can be fastened to your bars. It's waterproof, so you can take it swimming or get it wet. Can't do that with your iPhone. Once the iPhone app is out, the camera can be controlled using it along with the Backpac. You won't need the remote controller, but if you want to use the camera in a extreme environment or in one that involves water, it's recommended.

So in conclusion, the firmware updating for both the latest and previous models could be improved. Barring the clunky firmware update precedures, I have to say again how impressed I am with the camera's design, it's ease of use on the trail and quality of the captured video/images.

Update 9/16/12 - I received my Hero2 and took it out for the first time today. Camera captured beautiful video and great pictures. Mic on camera was DOA, and sadly has to be returned. I'm sure it's replacement will be fine.

Update 9/25/12 - Replacement camera works flawlessly.
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So far, mostly good.
by Aekero (4 out of 5 stars)
January 10, 2012

I'd been using a couple tachyons in the past, one I lost in a lake, the second just didn't have the picture quality I wanted, so I decided to try the gopro hero2. (after watching that insanely adrenalizing hero 2 video on youtube :-O)

First thing I'll say is I'm wayyy more happy with the amount of mounting equipment I received with this one. My tachyon(s) both pretty much came with a bracket the camera would clip into, along with some double sided velcro, not very practical imo for anything active.

The hero2 comes with, among other things, a doubled banded head mount (like a headlamp), a bike harness mount, and a bunch of different shaped bases to attach the mount to. (for various curved surfaces) I went ahead and bought a chest harness as well, just the fact that it was available was nice.

As far as video goes, honestly it's a step up from my higher res tachyon, but it still has some of the same issues, sound isn't very good by default (there's a stereo jack for that, but only usable when the camera is not in it's protective housing), and low light shots are grainy. That being said there are more options than I thought there would be, although I was disappointed that this doesn't shoot 1080p x 60fps, max at 1080p is 30fps. You can do 720p x 60, or 900+ (i forget exactly) x 48fps. I'm sure this is mentioned in the product description, so I'm not really mad about this. fyi at all three of those options I got around the same amount of video times with an 8 gig card, about 1hr 15m. I'd say get at least a 16gb if not 32gb if you're planning on shooting for a few hours.

I did a test run walking around the house, "pointing" my head at various objects while saying the name to see if the camera and my head movements were syncing up properly. I noticed when the camera felt centered, all the objects were down and right from where I thought they should be, probably because the lense is up and left from the center of the camera.. But when I took the camera outside and recorded things, everything lined up perfectly, so I'm not really sure this is an issue.

Connecting to the pc was a breeze, I just popped in an sd card, and when I plugged in the camera, it opened in windows explorer pretty much like plugging in a usb drive. This is also how you charge the battery, and I was happy to see the gopro uses usb2 cables, which I have about 10 of. (I hate proprietary cables)

Navigating the menu is a bit tedious with only 2 buttons, but still a step up having that little lcd screen there. There are plenty of options to choose from for all modes i.e. video, single shot, continous stills etc.

After losing a helmet camera already, I was _extremely_ happy to see that the gopro comes with a little rubber safety ring you can install so the camera won't pop off. It already feels _very_ secure, but I'm all about taking every precaution.

One thing I've learned already is to get video as exciting/quality as what you'll see on youtube, you'll need lots of footage, good lighting, and video skills. :) Presentation is everything!

All in all, happy I got it, excited to try it out for future events!
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Better now with WiFi
by FD Firefighter 121 (5 out of 5 stars)
November 14, 2013

I had the GoPro HD but I can not find it so I figured I will get a new one. I got the GoPro 2 Outdoors package. I did not want to jump up to GoPro 3 but if you have the extra money that would be good as the WiFi is built into the device and overall it is in a smaller size.

I found the menu screen has improved over the HD. Still a green/grayish display but the contrast is improved.

You will need to charge the batteries in the camera, the WIFi attachment and the remote WiFi key fob ( more on the fob in a bit).

So, after you charge up the devices you have to download software update for the camera and the WiFi attachment. You also have to update each device once at a time.

There is also a GoOpPro app.

Since I use iPhone, ipad, MacBook Pro I was good to go (although GoPro may need to update their update for iOS Mavericks) and hit the app.

In goes a ScanDisk Extreme Pro SD card.

Up in my tree stand and ready to see how it all works.

Using the app you do have to fiddle with your setting on your iPhone but if I figured it out than anyone can!

Nice thing about the app is it shows you a preview of what your camera is aimed at once the camera and wifi are synced. When you touch the red button on the preview screen, it starts recording. There is about a 3 second lag between real life and the preview screen. Still, nice to ensure your camera is aimed in the general area you are looking at.

However, I did not want to drain my iPhone battery nor have it light me up in my ladder stand so I also purchased the GoPro wifi fib. Easy to set up. Now, I can have the camera on my head and just hit the fob and filming begins. I set it to do video on start up and I also turned off the beeping when the machine turns on and off I don't want to spook game. The red blinking lights still go on and are not noticeable until before or after sunrise/sunset. Deer can not see red so it is a handy reminder your camera is on.

If the app does not work the first time just close it down and restart it. No issues after. It may have just been the set up, then exit, then activate the app again.

Test videos are fine, no MGM movie in the baking but nice nonetheless.

I like the wifi over the prior cameras. With the app you can confirm where you camera is pointed. With the remote you can start and stop filming without additional movement to find the cameras buttons, perhaps to spook critters, as well as not having the camera shift as can happen in a inn-wifi mode.

Overall I found this version easier to set up and operate.

Now, all I need is a good buck to pass by when I am hunting!

I found the iphone app to connect to GoPro is handy if you need a preview to see which way you camera is facing when wearing the head band set up. However. You have to lower the screen brightness on your iPhone at twilight so you don't spook game. I find the wifi connection between the iPhone and GoPro seems to deplete the battery power on the iPhone perhaps quickly. Before you put the camera on you have to make sure the wifi on the GoPro is synced to the iPhone.

Tomorrow I will try the GoPro key fob wifi device. You have to sync the fob and camera.

There is no way for the GoPro to automatically select between the fob wifi or iPhone wifi. That would have been a nice feature.

The fob does not give you the video wifi preview as you get on the iPhone. The fob will confirm your settings.

So, it is a 50/50 proposition as to which way you want to enable wifi.

Tomorrow, I will try the fob

For the same cost. You may want to consider the GpPro 3 as it is smaller and has the WiFi built in and not an add on as with the Outdoor 2 I bought. No buyer regrets, I needed all the extra do- dads as my original GoPro stuff is MIA
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The GoPro Hero 2 is still as good or perhaps better than 3+
by Ravi Iyer (4 out of 5 stars)
December 22, 2013

I bought the GoPro Hero 2 couple of years back for shooting vehicles and we've used it in almost all our out door shoots. The lens angle is a bit of a let down - but that's a problem with all GoPro cameras. The colour density can be worked on in post and the camera can take a few knocks. My original housing got scratched when I used it underwater on one of my snorkelling trips and I've replaced it with the dive housing. The only problem that I feel is a problem is this one doesn't have the wifi option - the GoPro 3 onwards life was made easier with built in wifi. However for stuff where you would fit the camera onto your helmet or your bike or go underwater you won't be able to do anything more than point and shoot anyway. So it is still worth the money compared to it's latter versions! But, don't go comparing it with the results of a 5D Mark II. It's a camera that's so tiny that it can even be used as a hidden camera. Think of that and it's uses expand!
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Going Where No Other Camera Has Gone Before
by mathewgogo (4 out of 5 stars)
June 25, 2014

I just returned from a year-long trip that took me around the jungles and beaches of Papua New Guinea, and this product was part of my pack. It performed great in all kinds of environments (underwater, jungle, beach, boats, etc.) and didn't have any technical issues the entire year. I chose this one over the HERO3 because the battery lasts longer from what I could tell, and it was cheaper and basically did the same thing, which was record awesome video.

Almost 1/3 of the footage I brought back from PNG was recorded on this, and I'm a big fan of the camera. I'd recommend getting the chest mount harness (http://amzn.com/B0025UEQQW) as wearing it doesn't cause people to give you the same funny look wearing the head one does.

My only complaint is that I had to purchase anti-fog inserts (http://amzn.com/B00DVMJP96) for when I wanted to flim continuously for over 30 minutes. The case would fog up from the heat given off by the camera, and my shots would get a big muggy if I kept the camera on long enough.
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GoPro motor sports
by Tim (4 out of 5 stars)
August 14, 2012

This was my first foray into video cameras. I wanted to make short movies of various scooter rides and other events. As mentioned in other reviews, the product comes with a limited set of extras. I subsequently purchased various RAM mounts, e.g. RAM Mounting Systems RAM-B-149ZU Handlebar Mount

to mount the camera on my scooter and for tripod use. I bought the LCD back and the skeleton case for use with a microphone so that I can film my blues band in action. And the charger kit, composite cable, chest harness, extra batteries and SD card. By the time I was done I had doubled the purchase price. Not to mention my computer was too old to support any video editing software. Even Windows Movie Maker hung. I blithely went out and bought a custom, high-falutin', hot-shot computer just for video editing. Cost me another three grand! But, man, it flies!

Pros:
1. Quality is excellent
2. Easy to use on the scooter and with the chest mount
3. I was surprised that the vibration from the scooter was not very noticeable in the final clip. I wondered if the camera removed some of the shake.
4. Small size means easy to carry around which is good as I remove it from the scooter whenever I leave it.
5. GoPro offers free software (Cineform Studio) to convert the files to a useable format.
6. The beeps are loud and very useful.
7. Sound quality is acceptable, depending upon which case is used. The waterproof case is a little quite, but the skeleton cases are fine.

Cons:
1. The fish-eye result is very pronounced. No way to get rid of it. I looked for software to convert it to no avail. I can narrow the field of view to reduce the fish eye look but then I have a reduced field of view!
2. I have to be careful turning it on as it is very easy to skip to the second mode which is still shots. Many a time I thought I was filming a video when I really had just taken a still picture.
3. The front screen is very tiny for my poor old eyes to read. Impossible in sunlight.
4. One has to reset the date and time every time the battery is replaced. It is a pain to do: one has to page through to the Tools section and then page to the Date section and then ... give up.
5. Battery life is uncertain. I have three batteries: one on charge, one in the camera and one ready to go in.I put in a fresh one at the start of each filming session. So far the batteries have held up.
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I love this camera.
by Sikander (5 out of 5 stars)
September 9, 2012

I had wanted to get this for so long. Saw the first commercial back in 2010 and wanted it ever since. The $300 price tag kind of discourage me from getting it, until I saw it here for a much lower price. Obviously, I did my research and saw plenty of review for it on youtube and amazon, all the features, pros, cons and all that. But watching the videos of people actually using them and how amazing the quality was is what really sold me on it. I decided then that my life was too boring without this and I MUST HAVE IT!!! So I got it, the MotorSports edition to be precise, and instantly loved it. I loved the quality of the video and pictures. The menu system was very easy to figure out. I read through the manual a little bit but then started messing with the buttons and figured it all out in under 5 minutes. Low light performance when taking pictures does leave a little more to be desired. You have to be in well lit areas to take good, clear pics with them blurring or so. First thing I did was charge it of course, and I dunked the housing in water without the camera just to make sure that it was fully waterproof...it was. I also got the dive housing for it since I have seen a dozen videos showing the video quality contrast between the regular housing and dive housing underwater. Not sure why gopro couldn't make the regular housing give clear video under water, but the dive housing fixes that issue without forcing you to modify the regular housing yourself and voiding the warranty on it. The dive housing is excellent by the way. The suction cup works great, held on tight even through big bumps and potholes. I haven't used any of the adhesive mounts because I didn't want to waste them on my car. Another accessory I got was the gopole, very useful for recording yourself or going underwater with. I got the 3 foot extension and I really like it. Overall, I really like this camera, looking to do much more with in winter and next summer when I actually learn to swim. I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for a small, wearable, tough, underwater and all other condition camera.

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