GoPro cameras face simpler rivals

GoPro popularised the action-ready, ultraportable little cameras that make already exciting exploits look amazing.

But faced with new competition at lower prices, maybe GoPro has gone too pro for most consumers.

The company recently announced three new camera models: an entry-level camera simply called the Hero ($130 or Rs 7,954), the Hero4 Silver ($400 or Rs 24,476) and the Hero4 Black ($500 or Rs 30,595). Despite the nod toward the entry-level with Hero, it’s clear that GoPro’s attention is on the higher-priced cameras and their deluge of high-end features.

The GoPro cameras capture video in HD and even 4K resolution. The Hero4 Black, in particular, is capable of truly cinematic video quality. In short, film producers, photographers and videographers are extremely excited about the new GoPro cameras. Everyone else, though, may feel a little overwhelmed.

There’s stiff competition coming from more basic options, too. I spent time recently comparing the GoPro Hero4 Silver with a new video camera from Polaroid - yes, that Polaroid - called the Cube.

At first blush, this looks like an unfair competition. The Cube costs $100 (Rs 6,119) and is a tiny, brightly coloured box with one button on top for operation. It’s closer in spirit to the base-model Hero.

To justify the extra $300 (Rs 18,357) you pay for the Hero4 Silver, you have to use a lot of advanced features. And the truth is, most people will stick to basic options. In those cases, there is not a huge difference between it and the Cube.

GoPro offers a free phone app for Android or Apple devices that you can use to control the Hero4. 

It’s not that practical to use your phone to control a camera if you’re engaged in action sports like surfing or kayaking. The feature is better if the GoPro is attached to a drone or a frolicking dog and your hands are free.

While free editing software is the type of benefit that you get with GoPro, it’s also kind of complicated. Although the app does a decent job of walking you through basic steps, it’s not as easy as, for example, Apple’s iMovie app. If you’re not a semiprofessional athlete or someone with lots of time to edit videos, a GoPro is simply more than you need.

If the goal is just to have a superportable, easy to operate, point-of-view camera, it’s worth taking a look as some simpler alternatives now on the market.

HTC, for example, recently announced a new option called the Re, set to be released later this year. It’s a $200 (Rs 12,238) hand-held camera that’s so simple to operate it won’t even have a power button. It’ll just turn on when you pick it up, because of a touch-sensitive sensor on the back.

Its video won’t be as high-quality as that of a GoPro, but it should be better than most phones. And it will come with an app that lets you control it with an Android or iOS device.

And then there’s the Polaroid Cube, released in September. The Cube is billed as an action and lifestyle camera, and its fun begins with its design.

The Cube comes in a striped red, blue or black and is waterproof up to about 6 feet. You operate it by pressing a button on top to turn it on; press the button once to take a photograph and twice to start a video.

There’s no display, so you just have to hope for the best, but its ultrawide viewing angle usually makes things come out all right.

Video quality is obviously inferior to the GoPro, but it’s still high-definition. Cube is also friendly. It has a magnet on the bottom so you can stick it to a metallic surface like a golf club, but I found the magnet most useful to stick the Cube to the refrigerator so it was ready at a moment’s notice.

Overall, I found myself reaching for the Cube more often than the GoPro Hero4 Silver. It’s cute, accessible and easy enough for a child to use. The GoPro seems more daunting with all its potential.

Ultimately, I guess I don’t want to be a pro. I’d rather just be having fun.