A friend of mine and an amazing travel blogger recently pinged me, asking if I still use my DSLR and if it’s a good idea to invest in GoPro. To be honest, it’s been a while since our DSLR traveled with us. I still love my Nikon D3100 (one of the first things I bought from my hard earned money), but the truth is, in the last few travels, we didn’t even take out the camera, as our phones are good enough (iPhone6S and One Plus 2). And we’ve done enough damage to the camera – the lens got a little moisture from a mist fan in Bali, there’s sand from all the beaches we’ve visited in the last 7 years, there’s mehndi stuck in the outer body from all the Indian weddings… you get the idea. Although you cannot compare, GoPro is compact, designed for action and just the perfect buddy to record our wide-eyed view of the world. I am so glad we bought it, and hope that someday we score one free for creating awesome content with it.
Is it for me?
Yes, if you like action and often wish you could capture it. Like, while water sporting in Goa or biking through the lanes of Mcleodganj or snorkeling with turtles in Sri Lanka.
Or, simply if you like to capture life from a wide-angle lens, turning every moment into an adventure.
Which one?
We own the GoPro Hero5 Black. Bought one in January 2017, took it to Tanzania, lost it within 1 month; and then bought another in May 2017. Yeah, reckless. But this one has been with us since then. The pictures are as good as the videos. We usually don’t shoot in 4K to save space. But I guess we’ve got to start doing that now. Still, the video resolution and viewing experience are great. The pictures are sharp and high quality, although low light images are quite grainy. The video stabilization is not that great, but it can be corrected a bit in post-production. We bought it for $450, about 31,000 INR and I’d say it’s worth every penny.
Does it really work underwater?
Hell, YES. In fact, it’s our must-carry thing for every pool/beach trip. We’ve taken it underwater in freezing water in Mcleodganj and hot water springs in Manali and the salty beaches of Dubai and Sri Lanka and it hasn’t failed us once. We are true water babies and love to spend as much time possible near or inside water and GoPro is the perfect partner. The pictures and videos are super clear and trust me, the camera makes us try newer things as we love to view them all later.
Tannedandhow Tip: We didn’t bother to read the entire instruction manual and missed the part that you must always clean the camera with potable water after taking it into the sea or swimming pool. We never did that and the camera is still going solid. But I’ll not take any more chances. So take your GoPro along when you go for that shower; to rinse it, I mean.
What else should I buy with it?
We got a charging cord and one battery with our pack. Additionally, we bought an accessory kit off Amazon (couldn’t afford the original accessories, as it was a[checklist-box title=”GoPro Accessories” extraTitle=”” extraUrl=””][/checklist-box]lready our second GoPro). The kit had 20 attachments and cost us roughly 2000 INR. Our favorites?
- [checklist-box title=”GoPro Accessories” extraTitle=”” extraUrl=””]
- The underwater buoy
- The head strap
- Selfie stick
- Memory Card
- Extra battery
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We bought a 64 GB memory card when we picked it. After using it for a few months, we also bought an extra GoPro original battery and another SanDisk 64 Gb card. You don’t wanna run out of battery or space while shooting the Great Migration in Serengeti.
So, should I buy it?
To answer, let me tell you a story. Yash and I went to Mafia Island, off the Tanzanian coast for Whale shark watching. What we hadn’t anticipated was how utterly beautiful that place would be and the up and close encounter we would have with these majestic creatures. It was our first time snorkeling, not that anyone asked us. We traveled in a boat to the middle of the ocean, snorkeling mask and all, and our boatman just said jump – so, we jumped.
As I entered the water, I saw this huge grinning face swimming upwards from right underneath me. I forgot I was underwater – the sight just took my breath away. Literally. I ended up taking in mouthfuls of water through my nose and it got all salty for a few minutes but that moment still gives me the chills. I think I’ve found my spirit animal. We swam along with the largest fish in the world – the toothless grin and the little fishies under their fins, the stripes and the feeling of meeting the ultimate travelers (it is said they go around the world every year). Now imagine if we had our GoPro with us! Go buy it.
Do you have a second please to answer a question I have? I’m buying a new DSLR camera and I’m between Nikon and Canon. Do you think those are the best brands? And do you prefer one over the other? Or maybe there is another brand that’s better? Budget is definitely a factor. Thanks in advance for your answer!
Hey there, thanks for reaching out. We have been using a Nikon from the beginning and find it to be pretty good and sturdy. It’s a Nikon 3100 with a 18-155 combi-lens. Saves us the hassle of carrying multiple lenses and it’s economical that way – you do compromise on the quality a bit, but it’s okay if you’re starting out. I scouted for more than 3 months on multiple websites and local markets to get the right deal though. All the best with your search. Do let us know which one you end up buying. Cheers!