GoPro alternatives

Welcome to Discuss Fastpitch

Your FREE Account is waiting to the Best Softball Community on the Web.

May 6, 2015
2,397
113
looking for a cheaper alternative to GoPro. want to be able to video DD2s at bats and catching for instructional purposes. Also want to be able to video DD1 FH games, she is entering HS, need to start trying to save any memorable moments for putting recruiting video together. In both bases, not really looking to film entire games (although might be added bonus for coaches), so memory is not my prime concern. Want to both be able to mount and forget (DD1 is GK, so not really necessary to follow her around the field), as well as control manually/remotely to pan and zoom. Would also be useful if it could be used underwater to film swimming (they both swim), might again give coaches insights they might not have.

any suggestions, ideas, ones to avoid, etc.?
 
May 6, 2015
2,397
113
I know you said GoPro alternatives, but I wanted to mention that the newly released "HERO" (their basic model) is now a very good baseball/softball solution. It is $199. Is your budget less than that?
https://shop.gopro.com/cameras/hero/CHDHB-501-master.html

given my limited goals for this camera, yes, was looking to keep it somewhere closer to $100 if possible. will check it out though, depends on how much DW is willing to let me spend. gott a lot of other things this years bonus money must cover (travel for both DDs tournaments, new gear (especially DD1), etc.
 
May 24, 2013
12,461
113
So Cal
I recently picked up a used Session 4 for $100 on eBay. It's not as feature-filled as my 4 Silver, but it has the essentials for good softball footage ("Medium" field of view, 1080p).
 

marriard

Not lost - just no idea where I am
Oct 2, 2011
4,312
113
Florida
Honestly the best alternative to a GoPro is an old cell phone you are no longer using. Currently I am using an old Galaxy 5 with a 128GB card in it. Really high quality video - you just have to be ore careful on where you put it and how you secure it (and yes I use it in a Link Spyder a lot)
 

JAD

Feb 20, 2012
8,231
38
Georgia
I used my old cell phone to broadcast one of DD's games on FB live, and it worked great since the park had WiFi and I could connect my old phone directly to the WiFi network and use the FB app directly - leaving my current phone free for other activities. I am sure it would work for your purposes, only downside was my old phone does not have a wide angle lens, but I think you can buy cheap adapters online that increase the FOV.
 
Jun 6, 2016
2,714
113
Chicago
My DW got me a Fitfort Action Camera. I think it was $80.

Everybody who sees it just calls it a GoPro, and it works great for my purposes. Is it as good as a GoPro? I don't know. But it produces clear, quality video from our games.

Good battery life (and they had a promotion where they'd send a couple free batteries if you left a review on Amazon), too.

Edit: I have no idea if you can control it remotely. I just set it up and record until the end of the game (or when I need to do a quick battery switch mid-inning if it's a long game).
 
Feb 16, 2015
933
43
South East
I looked into GoPro alternatives before pulling the trigger on a GoPro Hero 5 Black. The main reason I decided to go with the GoPro was for the stabilization features of the GoPro. With the high majority of the new ball parks going with the netting backstops in my area, DD high school field also having the net as a backstop, If there is just a subtle wind blowing it would make the video unwatchable. IMO the Hero 5 Black made huge progress in their stabilization feature starting with this model. Just wanted to give you something else to think about. What good is having video if it is unwatchable. This is only a concern if you are planning on attaching the camera to the back stop of course.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

Josh Greer

DFP Vendor
Jul 31, 2013
934
93
Central Missouri
I looked into GoPro alternatives before pulling the trigger on a GoPro Hero 5 Black. The main reason I decided to go with the GoPro was for the stabilization features of the GoPro. With the high majority of the new ball parks going with the netting backstops in my area, DD high school field also having the net as a backstop, If there is just a subtle wind blowing it would make the video unwatchable. IMO the Hero 5 Black made huge progress in their stabilization feature starting with this model. Just wanted to give you something else to think about. What good is having video if it is unwatchable. This is only a concern if you are planning on attaching the camera to the back stop of course.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

And GoPro is now selling the HERO5 Black at a $50 discount: $249. It says for a short time, but I suspect they were trying to put the price somewhere closer between the new HERO and the HERO6. So "short time" maybe until they run out of inventory.
 

Forum statistics

Threads
42,832
Messages
679,494
Members
21,445
Latest member
Bmac81802
Top