1. | Jun 27, 2014

I needed it back ASAP for a ski viatcaon is Steamboat. Well, it arrived back in my anxious hands 8 days later. They had it for less than three days that's impressive. The fastest turn-around for Canon has been four weeks.The movie accompanying this review was is a time lapse shot at One frame every five seconds, 1145 photos. I reduced them in size, then used Quicktime Pro to make the movie. The extreme color shift towards the end is the camera automatically switching settings when it grew darker out.So I used it every day for a week, plus every few days since then (When not shooting skiing, I shoot a lot of time-lapse.) No issues, no problems the quality is stunning. I think my earlier complaints concerning customer service were due to the rush accompanying the Hero2 introduction.I still have complaints with the Scuba aspect of the camera, plus I can't even use it in our pond and produce usable results.Underwater? The specs have an impressive Waterproof to 197 feet. Except the thing can't actually shoot any usable underwater footage. How many snorkelers and SCUBA divers have purchased this thing, only to find out that EVERY video and photo are totally out of focus? The curved lens cover acts with the water to create a second lens this shifts everything out of focus by about five feet! Since the camera has no manual focus, you're stuck. So all your underwater photos and videos will be nothing but blurs. Doubt that? Just check Youtube. Gopro will be offering an optional housing with a flat port to correct this problem and will charge another $75 or so for it! So you'll be paying extra for a feature they brag is included underwater use. Of course you can shell out $55-$100 for 2nd party modified housings or replacement lenses. I have been taken to task for criticizing the SCUBA aspects, as Gopro never specifically mentions SCUBA. They do, however, actively market the cameras to SCUBA stores. I have personally spoken to employees of several SCUBA stores selling the Hero cameras. Only one was aware of the focus issue! So, yes, the housing can be used underwater, but not actually *work* underwater. Check the various SCUBA store websites many sell the Hero line none mention the focus issue.The 120fps is amazing. The video quality is much improved over the Hero I looked at the same footage from both cameras the Hero2 is obviously better. The time lapse? Fool proof. In warm weather, I can shoot around 6000 photos on a single battery. I use Quicktime Pro to create the final movie, as it has a one-step time lapse feature. -Previous reviewIf you've used the original Hero, this updated version will be a real treat. The menu is so much easier to navigate no more obtuse codes to decipher. You can use the camera without ever looking at the user manual. Other improvements include LED's on top and bottom (as well as the front,) a more informative display, higher resolution for still images this of course includes time lapse, and a 10 photo burst mode (the camera takes a few moments to store these out.)If you're new to the Hero line, this beats the pants of any competitor. The vast array of mounting options, both from GoPro and third party vendors make mounting this puppy anywhere a breeze. The fact that it uses SD cards (class 4 or above) keeps the cost down. and the tons of options make this a no-brainer. There's a Streaming video back being released shortly yes streaming video! You can add extra power using the USP port and any generic power supply (Aluratek, Belkin, or Tekkeon) for those really long shoots. The affordable replacement housing and parts are another big plus. I've seen this thing survive being tossed from a go-cart doing 50mph (It needed a new housing, but the camera was undamaged) and being knocked off a ski-helmet and tumbling down a rocky mountain face.The slo-mo and new super-slo-mo are really cool watch those trick jumps and stunts in all their glory. You can always speed them up in most video editing software! When I first saw this unit online I thought it looked a little strange and was larger than it actually way. Once I actually held one in my hands, I was shocked by it's tiny size, negligible weight and variety or mounting options.For the most bang-for the buck, the motorsports version is your best deal you can purchase the vented helmet mount for about 1/2 the price