A GoPro gave its life so you could watch this way-too-close volcano footage

By Felix Esser October 6, 2014

Volcanic eruptions surely are one of the most fascinating natural phenomena. Considering that they can destroy entire cities and even affect the climate on a global scale, they’re also one of the most frightening natural phenomena. Getting close-up with an active volcano, then, requires a fair amount of daringness.

The good thing is, volcanic eruptions can be predicted to a degree, and if you’re visiting a volcano whose activity is well-known, you can prepare accordingly and minimize the risk. Still, you shouldn’t get too close to that sputtering lava, because its heat is so intense that it can be felt even from a great distance. Eric Cheng, Director of Aerial Imaging at DJI (you know, the guys who make the Phantom copters) learned about a volcano’s destructive nature the hard way.

Actually, it wasn’t so much Eric who got to feel the heat of the Bárðarbunga volcano in Iceland, but rather the GoPro Hero3+ action cam that he attached to one of the DJI copters he used to film the Holuhraun lava field which is part of Bárðarbunga’s fissure system. During the filming process, he recalls, the video feed suddenly turned black, and when he recalled the drone copter he noticed that the entire front of the GoPro camera had been melted by the heat of the eruptions.

Luckily, it was only the camera itself that was damaged, not the MicroSD card inside it, and Eric was able to salvage the footage that the GoPro had recorded until the moment that the intense heat of the volcano fried its systems. The results is an epic video of volcanic eruptions that wouldn’t have been possible without modern technology such as aerial drones and actions cams.

If you’d like to take a peek behind how the video was made, and hear the story of the melted GoPro from Eric’s perspective, there’s also a behind-the-scenes video that you can watch below. Apparently, the world needs a volcano-proof action cam, and quite possibly also a volcano-proof drone copter. DJI and GoPro, are you listening?

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Felix is a freelance tech journalist with a strong focus on photography. Based out of central Germany, he contributes to…

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GoPro Hero8 Black vs. DJI Osmo Action: Comparing two of the best action cams

GoPro Hero 8 Black

DJI entered the action camera market earlier this year with the Osmo Action, an innovate attempt to take on GoPro's Hero7 Black. It was an impressive first-generation product, but it wasn't long before GoPro came back with the Hero8 Black -- which quickly found its way to the top of our best action cameras list in addition to earning a 9/10 score in our review. While the Hero8 Black is an exceptional action camera, the Osmo Action still stands out in a few ways -- not the least of which is its cheaper price -- and may have some features that make it the better choice for you. Here's how the two stack up.
Design
This is where the DJI Osmo Action really tries to differentiate itself with a front LCD monitor. This helps frame up those walk-and-talk vlogging shots or preview your shot when mounting the camera in such a way that the rear screen is blocked. Additionally, the main LCD on the back of the camera is a wide, 16:9 screen measuring 2.25 inches at a resolution of 640 x 360. That's larger and sharper than GoPro's 2-inch, 480 x 320 screen.

The Hero8's main trick is that it contains a built-in mount so you can ditch the mounting frame that's needed with the Osmo Action (as well as older GoPro cameras). Despite this extra built-in hardware, the Hero8 Black is the lighter of the cameras by a narrow margin, at 4.13 ounces compared to 4.37, and noticeably smaller compared to an Osmo Action in a case. Both cameras are waterproof to about 33 feet.

Deals

The GoPro Hero 7 Silver is at its cheapest price ever on Amazon

gopro action cam amazon walmart deals hero 7 silver

If the price tag of the GoPro Hero 7 Black gives you heartburn, but you still want a quality GoPro action camera,
the Hero 7 Silver
is a great alternative. You get many of the Black's features for a fraction of the price.

Right now, Amazon's selling the Hero 7 Silver for just $210, which is the lowest price we've seen on Amazon and 24% off its normal price of $300. While the Hero 7 Black sports a 12-megapixel camera with 4K 60fps video capability, the Silver's camera is no slouch: It is 10 megapixels and still does 4K video, but at 30fps.

Photography

The best GoPro tips and tricks

Here are 8 GoPro tips to get the most out of your action cam

GoPro Tips

Things have changed quite a bit since GoPro shipped its first product -- a wrist-mounted 35mm film camera -- in 2005. Now, long after moving to digital and having gone through multiple generations of cameras, adrenaline junkies all over the world have flocked to GoPros for their versatility and durability.

From a supersonic skydive from the stratosphere to your morning bike commute, a GoPro is the perfect camera for capturing whatever your most exciting adventures are. But what about all those nifty GoPro videos you see online that have the production value of a Planet Earth episode? While many of those possess a bit of professional postproduction, there’s still a few GoPro tips and tricks we recommend employing to turn your basic videos into masterpieces. These won’t necessarily make the Academy come calling, but, hey, you need to start somewhere, right?
Use a mount