GoPro HERO3 Silver Review | 96 Data compared

The BikeRadar review highlights the GoPro Hero3 Silver as a slimmer, lighter, and more versatile action camera compared to its predecessor, offering crisp 1080p/30fps video and 11-megapixel stills. Key advantages include built-in Wi-Fi for smartphone app connectivity—allowing for live preview and control—and larger, more accessible buttons for easier operation with gloves. YouTube · However, the Silver Edition lacks the dedicated Wi-Fi remote included with the Black Edition, and it misses advanced features like Protune mode. Furthermore, the review notes that while video quality is generally good, high-speed footage can occasionally appear soft, and active Wi-Fi usage significantly accelerates battery drain. YouTube

The GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition is a major leap forward for action cameras, successfully bridging the gap between casual consumer use and professional film production. A standout pro is its heavily upgraded internal performance, featuring a newly engineered ƒ/2.8 6-element lens that significantly reduces the annoying "bubble" distortion found in previous models. Reviewer Cyrus Sutton highlights its exceptional high frame rate video modes, including 1080p at 60 frames per second and 720p at 120 frames per second, which are perfect for smooth slow-motion capture. The camera body is also highly portable, being 30% smaller and 25% lighter than older models. Additional advantages include the inclusion of a compact, waterproof Wi-Fi remote, smartphone app integration for remote viewfinders, and a highly impressive 12-megapixel, 30-frame-per-second photo burst mode to capture fast action perfectly. However, the camera does come with a few notable cons and adjustments. Users must adapt to a completely new card format (Micro SD) and a redesigned outer housing shape, which shifts how the hardware is physically handled. Additionally, at a premium price point of $400, the writer cautions...

The GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition is recognized for its excellent video quality, featuring 960p at 48 FPS, a compact design, and a user-friendly interface. Its versatility is highlighted through a vast ecosystem of mounts, particularly for cycling, and seamless iPhone app integration for live viewing. 220 However, the review cites poor battery life as a major drawback, with the unit running down within a couple of hours of use. While accessory battery packs can mitigate this issue, the review notes the power longevity requires improvement.

The GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition offers a highly compelling midrange option for users who want the brand's iconic ecosystem and reliable high-definition recording without paying top dollar. Priced $100 below the flagship Black Edition, this prosumer camera stands out for its excellent HD video capabilities, offering important consumer formats like 1080p at 60 frames per second and 720p at 120 frames per second. A major benefit is its physical design, which remains completely identical to GoPro's other models, granting users full access to a vast marketplace of first- and third-party accessories and mounting options. It features built-in Wi-Fi that interfaces smoothly with mobile devices via the GoPro app for a fast, near-seamless live preview, setting adjustments, and remote operation. Additionally, it includes a smaller, lighter waterproof housing rated down to 131 feet (40 meters) and features a user-replaceable battery, ensuring you can swap in fresh power during longer shoots. However, the cost savings require some notable feature and quality trade-offs. Because it utilizes a weaker sensor and processor than the Black Edition, it lacks advanced video settings like Protune high-bit-rate...

The PCMag review of the GoPro Hero3+ Silver Edition highlights its compact, portable design, built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, and ability to shoot 1080p60 video with accurate color and white balance. As a $300 mid-range option, it offers solid,, though not top-tier, performance for action videography. However, the review identifies significant cons, including subpar video quality, disappointing 10-megapixel sensor performance that produces blurry, noisy footage, and poor battery life when using Wi-Fi. Furthermore, it lacks the advanced Protune editing mode and the included remote control found in the higher-tier Black Edition.

The GoPro HERO3+ Silver Edition is a compact, robust, high-quality action camera designed for capturing wide-angle footage during high-intensity activities like car reviews and track sessions. Priced around $300 in the US, it features a 170-degree lens capable of recording 1080p video at 60FPS, taking 10MP ultra-wide stills, and capturing photo bursts at 10 frames per second. Its 1180mAh battery offers a runtime between 90 and 180 minutes, and the camera includes mini-USB, HDMI, and micro-SD slots up to 64GB. The device acts as a wireless access point, allowing for easy remote control via a smartphone or tablet app, although setting it up requires an app that may demand up to 1GB of RAM. The camera excels in build quality, durability, and video output, earning a high 9.5/10 rating from the reviewer. Key pros include its exceptionally crisp audio and video quality, a user-friendly Wi-Fi setup that takes only minutes to master, and a durable waterproof housing rated for depths up to 40 meters. However, there are notable cons, such as a highly limited base set of accessories that excludes...

The featured review highlights the GoPro Hero 3 Silver Edition as an amazing sports video camera that delivers stunning, high-definition video at an affordable price point. In terms of pros, the reviewer notes that after a week of testing, the camera excels as a portable option for recording action sports, offering professional-grade performance without breaking the bank. Its impressive footage capture and economic accessibility make it highly appealing to both hobbyists and sports enthusiasts seeking reliable action footage. However, the review leaves out some critical performance metrics, which point to broader cons historically associated with this model. While the review praises the baseline price and video quality, standard industry tests reveal that the camera requires a bulky external waterproof housing to endure rugged conditions, making it less streamlined than modern counterparts. Additionally, the lack of an integrated rear LCD screen forces users to rely heavily on the smartphone app for framing shots, which subsequently drains the camera's already short battery life much faster.

The GoPro Hero3 Silver functions as an effective "training partner" for triathletes, moving beyond a simple "black box" crash camera to actively analyze and improve swimming and cycling performance. On the bike, the reviewer found that shooting at 720p resolution optimized the battery to last roughly 2.5 hours, making it capable of capturing long 50-to-70-mile rides. In the water, the device excels because its waterproof housing is rated down to 197 feet (60 metres). This allowed the testers to easily place the camera at the bottom of a pool using its standard plastic display mount to successfully diagnose and fix specific stroke mechanics. The review highlights several clear pros and cons regarding the camera's overall utility. Key advantages include its versatility across multiple sports (swimming, riding, running, and transitions), the ability to expand recording times using an optional add-on battery pack, and its ability to capture vehicle makes and models during accidents. On the downside, the camera suffers from poor low-light capabilities that make it completely impossible to capture vehicle license plates at night. Additionally, shooting in higher resolutions like...

The GoPro Hero3 Black Edition is a top-tier action camera from 2012 that is 25% lighter and 30% smaller (only 20mm thick) than its predecessor, while keeping the same height and width to support older mounting options. Its standout pros include a powerful image processor capable of recording 1080p full-HD at 60fps, 720p at 120fps, and high-resolution 2.7K cinema video at 30fps. It features built-in Wi-Fi, a flat-lens waterproof shell with an extra-secure two-stage lock, improved wind-reduction audio algorithms, and a vastly improved still-photo burst mode that can shoot 12MP photos at 30fps. Additionally, it offers a micro-HDMI output, a microSD slot, and a mini-USB port that acts as a 3.5mm mic input using proprietary adapters. However, the camera has notable cons, such as its flagship 4K video mode capping out at a sluggish 12–15fps, making it virtually useless for fast-paced action videography. The control scheme is more complex than competing action cameras, presenting a steep learning curve, and the monochrome dot-matrix LCD screen is difficult to read in direct sunlight. Hardware constraints lock users into buying proprietary GoPro audio...

The GoPro Hero 3 performs well as a compact and relatively low-cost dive camera capable of capturing exceptionally high-quality full HD video and still images, making it a strong player for underwater photography. A major advantage is its ability to shoot continuous footage hands-free when mounted, ensuring divers never miss a shot while handling equipment. However, the base price only covers the camera itself, meaning users must buy extra accessories like handheld lighting units for dark environments or wrecks, filters for color compensation, and optional battery packs to survive multiple daily dives. The review also highlights several functional challenges, such as the tendency for exhaled bubbles to get trapped under the exterior lens cover when using a headband mount, which requires a vigorous shake to clear. Operating as a "human tripod" demands significant practice to avoid shaky footage, requiring slow and fluid movements. Additionally, the high-quality footage quickly consumes storage space—generating about 100 GB over a week—and demands an extensive post-dive editing commitment, typically requiring five hours of editing work for every single hour of finished film.