Hero 4: black vs silver

[din4225]

Hi guys,

I haven't used a go pro, but I'm keen in buying one and I'm torn with black or silver???

Any suggestion:
- do guys think the lcd of silver be useful underwater (or it's good to just record the action?)
- is the higher fps of black be of good use?

I'm actually planning to have a dive tray for the camera as well =D

Cheers!

 

[WarrenZ]

I like the LCD On my silver and could care less about the higher fps at 4K. 2.7k is a larger file than I want to begin with.

 

[jerrwhy01]

The Black really makes sense if you need to do 4K. If you don't need that capability or have the ability/desire to watch/process 4k then I'm not sure that it makes a lot of sense.

I use both a Hero 2 and a Hero 3+ Black. I have the LCD backs on both which is nice for composing. To be truthful I've never needed more than 60 FPS and 99% of the time 30 FPS is more than adequate. The smaller file sizes of 30 FPS means that I have to carry and manage fewer member cards on dive trips.

 

[din4225]

Thanks for the advise. Just a follow up question, is the lcd a big + ? from your experience?

 

[ReefHound]

I think the LCD is indispensable. I started with a Gopro HD without an lcd and I hated not having it. I have the 4 Silver now. Without it you are just guessing if you are aiming correctly. The wide angle of the gopro means your target will probably be within the frame but a video looks better if your target is in the center of the frame and if you can do that without an lcd then you are better than me. Plus, the lcd can give me an idea if the lighting is right especially if I am using video lights.

The higher resolutions and frame rates of the Black are useless to me, in fact I don't even use the Silver's top end. You'll need a ramped up computer and good video software to play those high res videos. Windows Media Player (not that WMP is a preferred player, just using as an example) won't play anything over 1080. I usually shoot 1080 at 30fps, or maybe 48-60fps with dual video lights. The higher frame rate the more light you need.

I would take the Silver over the Black even if you offered me the Black cheaper.

 

[jerrwhy01]

Thanks for the advise. Just a follow up question, is the lcd a big + ? from your experience?

There are some pros and cons regarding the LCD screen but I consider them a must have.

The screen is pretty small, so there's only so much you'll be able to see with it especially if you're in an area with a decent amount of surge or you have a lot of task that you need to tend to. And the use of the screen will deplete your battery faster.

On the other hand it really helps a lot with composing your video. Yes, you can get a decent shot without the LCD screen, but I've found that I have to do more post processing and editing than I do when using the screen.

For me personally, I generally look over my go pro for a lot of my shots; it's only when I see something really interesting that I think might make a god shot that I look at the LCD screen to try to compose the video as best as possible.

Lastly, the LCD screen really helps when you're adjusting the settings on your camera. The go pro menu system leaves a lot to be desired, but accessing it thru the LCD makes things a lot easier.

Hope that helps

 

[morey000]

yeah. get the silver. the difference in image quality is small. the LCD is really helpful.

if you need the higher quality resolution... then you probably need a much more expensive camera.