well, actually, its' NOT a "Point of View" camera. The marketing people at GoPro have taken that phrase, which is a legitimate cinema technique, and are using it to sell cameras. I looked up several definitions, and basically, the one on Wikipedia ( yeah yeah I know all about Wikipedia, I have written some of their definitions) is as good as any other:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Point_of_view_shotBottom line, a "Point of View" camera would be the camera used to show you what a character is seeing. The Point of View shot is just a scene between two other scenes. NOTHING TO DO WITH WIDE ANGLE OR FISHEYE. To say that a POV camera is a special piece of equipment is wrong. ANY camera could be described as a Point of View camera if it was used to illustrate what a character was looking at. An old Kodak Super 8 is a "POV camera". A Polaroid is a POV camera. Point of View is a scene. Not a piece of hardware.
So saying a GoPro works the way it does because it's a "POV camera" is just swallowing their marketing Kool-Aid.
Saying all cameras are asian is kind of misleading. Stuff made in the PRC is no way in the same league as something made in Japan. Not by a LOOOOOONG shot. ( pun intended)
Now, having said all that, I agree the little camera has it's uses. And I have already explained, several times, that I did not look into it enough before buying one. Would I buy another one knowing what I now know about them?
I'm not sure. Its a fair chunk of money for a gimmick. It reminds me of the smoke, and gray, and other special lens filters I bought years ago for a 35mm Nikon I was shooting. They were fun for a while. Took a few dozen interesting special effect photos, then put it all away never to be used again. Will I still be entertained with these neato looking fisheye shots six months from now? We'll have to wait and see. I know I don't like the video, and now understand that this distortion is going to be like this when looking wide open spaces. A distant scene shot of Laramie Wyoming would look pretty distorted, too, with the plains curling down under the subject at the edges. There's a place for one of those, every now and then. A shot in an enclosed areas, like a jungle path, would not be as bad. Its a matter of learning the camera. Its got it's uses. Of course the $ 5,000 camera pros love it. From their standpoint, it's a disposable. That's not my situation.
I've got several cameras at the moment, including this Go-Pro. It's one of three waterproofs, so it'll get used. I love the camera-on-a-stick approach and will be trying that next. I am also looking forward to trying the camera on the dog's lifejacket. I've seen some dog-cam video, and so far, they've been pretty jerky. Maybe by putting it on a padded lifejacket I can smooth some of that out. Also, I suspect a swimming dog will help keep the camera on a single plane and smooth it out. Just some thoughts on that. Sadly, I might need to get a bigger dog as a camera platform. Just kidding.
But for someone who can only afford one waterproof digital for now...I suspect the money would be better spent buying an Olympus Tough 8010 and figuring out a way to remotely push the video button on it. PVC and string are cheap.
In any case, if you are in the market for a camera to use on your new TI, you should carefully consider your needs and expectations before plunking your hard earned money down. Don't depend on the people selling you the camera to point out all the nuances. I speak from experience.
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Island life in the Devil's Triangle:
http://2gringos.blogspot.com/