Announced earlier today, GoPro released details on the launch of the HD Hero2 digital video camera. This camera is the successor to the HD Hero, a 5-megapixel camera that shot 1080p HD video. The HD Hero2 has been bumped up to 11-megapixels and can also shoot at eight or five megapixels to save on memory space. GoPro claims that the camera has an image processor that’s twice as fast at the original HD Hero. They also claim that the lens produces images that are twice at sharp. The HD Hero2 can shoot in multiple fields-of-view (FOV) including 170 degrees for widescreen, 127 degrees for a normal shot and 90 degrees for a narrow shot. It also has the same FOV capabilities for shooting video.
The company also claims that the HD Hero2 has professional level low light performance for those shooting at dusk. While the original HD Hero could only shoot three 5-megapixel shots per second, the HD Hero2 is capable of shooting ten 11-megapixel shots per second. In addition, there’s a new time-lapse setting that can record a 11-megapixel photo every 0.5 seconds. Other new additions to the new model include a mini-HDMI port for viewing photos or videos on a high definition television, a language based interface instead of the numeric interface, multiple LED lights on all sides of the camera and a 3.5mm stereo microphone input for plugging in an external microphone.
Similar to the previous model, the HD Hero2 is currently available in three different packages dependent on the usage. The packages include the Outdoor edition with a head / helmet straps for activities like mountain biking, the Motosports edition with suction cups / buckles and the Surf edition with surfboard mount. All packages are priced at $299.99 and comes with a 30-day return policy if the camera doesn’t perform well enough for the activity.
