A couple of weeks ago, I was invited on a trip of a lifetime: To travel to Alaska to see the Aurora Borealis with a research team from GoPro, a family-run business that’s grown massively in just a few years.
Before this trip, I wasn’t too familiar with GoPro and their super popular mountable and wearable still and video camera, which tends to be mostly on the radar of extreme sport enthusiasts. Given that the most extreme sporting I do is change a poopy diaper on an airplane, that’s probably why I didn’t know much about them.
But after spending time with their team on this exciting GoProAlaska expedition, I not only experienced several firsts — ice museum, dog sledding, and Aurora sighting — but I got a chance to try out the new GoPro HD Hero2 camera.Turns out, it’s not just for skateboarders, surfers, and hang-gliding types. This versatile camera is a fantastic gadget for parents looking to snap amazingly cool still photos and videos of their kids.
The GoPro HD Hero2 packs an amazing amount of photographic power in a camera that can fit in the palm of your toddler’s hand. With 1080p video and 11 megapixels, you will not believe the quality of video and still shots you’ll get from something you can easily and safely toss in a diaper bag.In its protective case, it’s waterproof to up to 60 meters and is totally kid proof — it fell off my head while I was dog sledding and was perfectly fine.
(I can’t believe I just used the phrase It fell off my head while I was dog sledding.)
The easy to read LCD screen and settings make it super simple to use, camera buff or not, and give you the ability to switch quickly from video to still photo mode, or select options like timer and time lapse with intuitive clicks. You can also stream the video and photos to your computer via the SD card instantly, and then edit them in whatever program you might typically use; I’m a big iMovie fan myself.
The video and photos you take will have sort of a “fish-bowl” effect, which gives you more horizon and dimension, and adds such a cool twist. But my very favorite aspect is because your kids can actually wear the camera themselves, you can get so much more than the typical sit-and-play type shots I tend to get; whether it’s a walk to the park from their vantage point, swinging upside-down at the playground, or their first bike ride from what they’re seeing, you’ll be able to capture the spontaneous moments of childhood from your kids’ perspective and not always from the outside looking in.
While I can definitely see the appeal of the HD Hero2 for an active, outdoorsy family, there’s also value for families, like mine, who haven’t yet figured out the best video option. Smart phone video cameras are convenient but lack high quality. And I don’t know many families that are diligent about transferring and editing video from their standalone video cameras.
The HD Hero2 Outdoor Edition will include everything you need to get started, though I’d strongly recommend getting the LCD screen attachment so that you can see what you’re snapping and recording.You’ll also want to keep your eye out for their WiFi BacPac, coming Summer 2012, that will give you the option of instantly uploading and sharing your videos and photos.
Keep in mind that you won’t get all the fancy effects, flashes, and lenses that you expect from a DSLR or point and shoot. This is clearly an outdoor camera with specific functionality. However, I’m finding that I’m taking more video and doing more with it than before. And that’s something I’m super thankful for–and I know my kids will be too. -Kristen
Huge thanks to GoPro for providing my travel + accommodations, as well as equipping me with a GoPro camera. You can learn more about the HD Hero2 at GoPro.com.
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Raising kids feels like a sport sometimes, and this camera might just be able to help capture them in all of their wild glory. Thanks!
DS is starting to ride a dirtbike & I would love to get a birds-eye view of what he sees, not to mention some great video of the mountain trails when we go out as a family.
i just saw this for the first time when snow boarders had them on their helmets. GoPro, making helmets cool! I can get behind that.
You are so lucky to have seen the Aurora Borealis. I had just read that the Northern Lights have been insanely good this year.
Isabel
My husband is an avid scuba diver whose underwater camera just got damaged. Winning this camera would be wonderful for him!
Would love to record a mama surf session!
I’d like one of these for my trip to Pamplona, Spain this July when I run with the bulls.
I would love to use it when we go mountain biking!
Like a lot of moms I was good at taking video with my first son but my third only has so-so quality smartphone video. This would be awesome to use with my three boys!
It’s embarrassing to say that I am more excited about the durability of this than the photos. We are just so dang hard on our gear.
What an amazing camera! We have been looking to upgrade our old camera and will look into this one for sure. It’s capability and easy functionality sounds perfect for our active and growing family! Thanks for the opportunity to win it!
I have a son of 6 months and everyday there’s something new happening. Every moment is worthy of a keeping forever, especially at this age. I want to share this wonderful memories with my son one day because I wasn’t lucky enough to have them myself. I would l
With 2 boys this is the only way to keep up with them!
I would love the camera to take pics of my kids at the beach and my husband while her surfs!
As a mother of a very active boy, I’d love to have this to capture his adventures!
I would absolutely LOVE to win this camera so I could document my kids’ lives as they grow up. Right now, all I use is my phone camera to record video and take pictures so an actual digital camera/recorder would be awesome! Thanks!
We have been dying for one of these to capture our two skiing, scootering, biking, basketball, soccer and baseball playing boys!
I would love to be able to take good videos of my kids instead of cell phone videos which are too fuzzy to watch on tv. My kids LOVE to see old picrures and videos of themselves 🙂
This looks great to use while we are learning to ski.
We do so much swimming, skiing, boating, and camping in the summer, this would be perfect!
It would be awesome to tape my family/friends snowboarding and skiing next season!
I would love to have this awesome camera! My little one just turned 8 months and has just started crawling. And by the looks if it, walking is just around the corner. This gadget would be perfect for capturing these milestones!
There is nothing liking capturing my two sons every moment. We have a busy summer season filled with water parks, swimming, and beach trips planned. So looking forward to downtime with my boys! We have gone through two waterproof cameras and are still searching for the perfect one!
I would love to see my son’s world from his viewpoint. And if there’s a camera that can stand up to his go-go-go personality, I would love to have it!!
My family goes on off-toadying adventures, this would be a great way to capture them!
I have two kids and one on the way and I’d love a camera to capture all the silly moments!
Saw this last summer and thought it would be awesome for scuba diving. My kids are newly certified scuba diving and we are taking them this summer. This would be a great add on to their adventure and they’d be able to share their experiences with friend’s and family!!!!
I have yet to find a camera that consistently takes good photos of my daughter on the move. One that promises great pictures? Wow!
We are moving to Hawaii from Virginia and I can see our lives and our 4 kids becoming a lot more active. A camera like this would help capture and share the fun we have with relatives on the mainland.
This would be perfect to capture videos and images of my three year old daughter when we go to Yellowstone National Park this summer.
Now that I’m finally getting the kids into riding bikes, I totally want one of these so we can see what it’s like from their point of view! Or so they can see what it’s like from mine. 🙂
This would be great for us when we’re wakeboarding and tubing or riding bikes this summer! How fun!!!
My husband and I are perennially fourteen steps behind, technologically, and we end up making these giant jumps from, say, a huge stereo to the latest iPod, skipping over earlier generations because we take forever to catch up. I think it’s beyond time to jump from our sad little older digital point-and-shoot to this supercool camera. Our kids need it. We have really fallen behind recording their endlessly (ahem) interesting lives.
I live in Alaska, and all of our outdoor activities are hard on cameras. Would love to have something that can stand up to the sled rides and late-night aurora excursions. Glad you had a good visit!
I would love to use this to capture all of fafmily outings.
I tweeted.
https://twitter.com/#!/tweetyscute/status/197060334685655044
Aurora Borealis is on my bucket list! But alas it may be a while before I can take it there. So for the moment, it would be filming my girls doing their every day crazy stunt girl shows!
I’d love to put this on the head of my soon-to-be-two-year-old son! He just discovered dogs this weekend in the park when a nice passerby let us pet her Spuds Mackenzie look-a-like — what fun to get his view.
This would be fantastic to show a day in the life of my 4 year old (if I could keep that sucker strapped to him! 🙂
Neato! Our kids are 6 and 3, this would be the perfect tool to snag video when lugging the DSLR isn’t practical.
The HD Hero2 camera would make my life so much easier. Having three little ones and a 125 lb dog always in the mix between them during those photo moments leaves most of my pictures out of focus and my not-that-great-camera has been slobered on so many times it is on its last leg. Thank you for the chance to win such an amazing camera!!
This camera is amazing when it comes to taking video of live action, so it would be useful for the next time my school enters a LipDub video contest. We wouldn’t have to worry about shaking and bad quality of video, which would increase our chances of winning that 10grand for my school. Filming with a gopro would give us the edge we need to do better than our rival schools.
With two under the age of eight, and twins arriving in a matter of weeks, I think we meet the criteria for an “adventurous” family. Having a camera that could survive our sons using it would be great, too.
We ride atv’s and this would be great to capture the ride especially in the mountains.
My soon-to-be 14 year old really, really wants a GoPro. I’d love to see how creative he could be and what kinds of movies he’d make!
Would love to be the lucky one! That camera is amazing and takes such crystal clear pictures! Thanks for the opportunity!
My 5 year old loves to take pictures but can’t hold my DSLR. I’m wary of giving her my phone because I’m afraid she’ll drop it and break it. I’d like to get her her own camera but want a rechargeable one and it seems excessive to give a $100 + gift to a five year old.
This camera solves all those problems. I would love a camera that takes decent pictures that can fit in my diaper bag. Lugging the DSLR is giving me a back ache!
that camera is perfect for documenting family ski trips and hikes!
My husband and I have talked about getting a GoPro. It would be a great camera to bring to the beach. Plus, we’re tempted to put one on our toddler to get a glimpse of his pint-sized world view. 🙂
Hey Kristen, did you get the extra LCD screen that allows you to see what you’re shooting and to watch playback?
I would love this camera to capture my two boys in all our outdoor family adventures like hiking, bicycling and fishing with their cousins.
This camera would be perfect for hands-free video recording! A plus when you’re chasing after an elusive 8 year old.
What an awesome camera! With 2 active boys and a little girl on the way it would be perfect to make sure we have pics from all of the fun we’ll have this summer and beyond.
I would love to throw this on my dog and see life from his perspective!
This camera looks amazing. All I have been using since my old camera died 5 years ago is my phone, and the capacity and quality just aren’t the same.
My little guy is learning to waterski this summer, on real big boy skis. I would love to record him skiing and then have him record his first trip around the entire lake!!!
I have nearly “totalled” a couple cameras trying to photograph my little ones! This camera seems like perfect Mom and Toddler equipment, and I would love to have the privilege of helping my daughter learn more photography skills with it!
I have two active, rambunctious, enthusiastic, WILD girls who love to take pictures with mom’s camera. Which is so fabulous and I encourage, but my poor camera is starting to feel the “love”. Just last week said camera went for a ride down the slide at the park. Into a mud puddle. And then my 3.5 year old landed on it when she came barreling down after it. *sigh* I think a new camera with protective case is just what we need! And to have video capabilities would be awesome!
I work with a great group of intellectually disabled children and we are lucky enough to participate in a program called Saddles of Joy. The kids are able to ride the horses for a number of therapy purposes. A GoPro would allow us to capture their moment of joy and share it.
Sounds perfect for my girls who love to take pictures, but are a little rough…..
This would be a blast for all our upcoming summer activities!!
I just would love to get the kiddos’ perspective on film. They love to run and laugh and I think being able to put some of that on film to preserve as they get older would be priceless! Thanks for the opportunity!!
Video of the whole wild gang at the beach/pool would be a breeze to capture with this gem!
I would use this for really cool waterskiing/boating activity videos. Scuba diving too – Just a neat perspective on life.
I would love to try this camera when I run my dogs over the agility equipment. This seems like an amazing camera that could take a lot of vibrations.
I can’t count the number of times my camera’s nearly died by drowning, crushing, etc. And we aren’t even extreme sports people! This would be an amazing thing to have!
Our son is just 8 months and always on the go, much like his Mom and Dad. We’re outside, at the lake, on the boat, playing with our two dogs & racing cars on the weekends. A GoPro would really add to the different perspectives our lives take daily and we would be able to share that view with the world! But what would really make a GoPro a family necessity would be for us to see how our son sees the world and capture that for him to view later in life.
My digital camera just broke so we are in desperate need of a new one! And we have 4 trips, 2 weddings, and first swim lessons this summer that I need to document!
dog sledding is my new passion, and a GoPro would be *awesome* for it. And seriously, what wouldn’t be great filmed with a GoPro? Bike rides, hiking adventures, car trips: we would do them all.
I would LOVE this because I am an expecting mama AND a TV producer who has a pitiful amount of gear at home 🙂
I’ve love to use this to capture the ins and outs of my little 3 year old. He’s learning to ride a bike and it would be cool to see things from his vantage point and not just mine, from above.
I have a 3-month-old and an almost-3-year-old, and I’d like to wear a camera like this around sometimes just to capture a bit of the everyday. They’re always doing things that I wish I had on video, but of course they won’t repeat when I have the camera out and rolling…
I would love this camera because I want to begin to travel and be more adventurous! I need a camera like this! OMG. Your trip sounds amazing.
Our little one is growing up so fast and the water sports are beginning to be a huge part of our family life. It would be wonderful to be able to capture all those moments!
https://twitter.com/#!/susanlanai/status/197495802183155714/
I bought a new camera before our adoption trip and it is a as camera. I’m missing so many great shots since our 2 year old moves so quickly! I would be able to take so many more amazing pictures of this awesome little boy.
I love to take pictures of family and the outdoors and I need a good quality camera and this is a great camera!
Oh, I would love to be able to catch both of my boys in all their youthful splendor. As we know, they grow so quickly and I would love to be able to record their best moments for them to enjoy later on. Thank you for the chance.
Yes please count me in for the competition. I’d strap a camera to my kid and see the world from his perspective.
I would love to get one of these… Always a good excuse to go grab some new gear or get back into some outdoor hobbies that have gone out since the kids. Oh and capturing the special moments.
Thanks!
I’ve always wanted one to show my kids when they grow up that Daddy really could do awesome things on his skis or longboard! Plus I always wanted to go pro!
I would love to win this awesome camera to start capturing video!
So cool! With two “terrors” always in action and on the loose I could use something that’s indestructable! 🙂
I would love this for our next camping trip! This would be great for when we go mountain biking, kayaking, all the outdoor activities!
I would love a new camera because mine always takes blurry pictures. Would love to have clear pictures of my kiddos and not just on my phone 🙂 Good lukc to all!
This would be perfect to capture my kids in all of their sporting events
Would love to get one for the neighborhood. I live in a neighborhood filled with children playing all sorts of sports. Since I don’t have children, I am usually the photographer. I could capture some great pics and videos for the parents…no favorites 🙂
Yep, so my husband would go nuts if he had a go pro. I’m thinking he might attach to our child as soon as he gets him on skis (which he is determined to do when he turns 2) As for me, it sounds like fun enough editing dad and son adventures!
this would be perfect for our outdoor activities
My husband and I used to love to do adventure travel before we had a child and now we’d like to get back to it with our daughter (kid appropriate level of course!) And this would be the perfect camera to take with us!
We live in Seattle so we are always trying to photograph in inclement weather! We would love this!
I’m an organizer for a mommy club in Burbank,ca and would love to get great pics of the kids in action! I love taking pictures and this camera would be amazing to have!
Would love this for our active family, also on our wish list for group mountain biking trips to document the guys crazy wrecks! 🙂
I woul love to use this for so many things, but especially my toddler’s budding hockey career! 😉
Thanks for the giveaway opportunity!
My daughters ski, but I can’t, so I’d love to have them document their adventures with a GoPro and share the fun they have. I miss all the good stuff!
I am the mom of two wild crazy and extremely active boys and I am forever taking pictures of them in action! I am also a ski instructor and I would love to be able to take this camera out on the slopes without worrying! Thanks!
This camera looks awesome! My little guy loves to carry around and play with my camera. I like the durability of this one!
my daughter is almost one and having this camera could be an awesome addition to documenting her life!
I would love to get one to capture and cherish the memories from our trips!
I am a professional photographer, as you could appreciate after having my daughter I haven’t had any extra money to buy cool new toys. I haven’t been able to capture video of her the way I want to. The video I could capture of her with it would be awesome!
As a very active family of five there are countless ways we could use this camera!
This would be great on canoe and camping trips! The kids would love all the action shots!
I would put it on one of my kids…they’re non stop all day long!
My family are avid campers, love to go kayaking and spending a LOT of time in the wilderness. this would be amazing to catch our 3 year old enjoying the wilderness with us!!!
My 18 month old is shaping up to be a little water bug. I would love to get some great pool and beach shots.
I’d love to snag the Go Pro because my last camera (Sony Cybershot circa 2007) wasn’t quite as durable as I apparently needed and fell victim to a glass of wine in my bag. Time for an upgrade… Thanks for the opportunity!
Our underwater camera was stolen .. Would lOve to win this and have a blast!!
My husband is “the photographer” in our family, but i recently became a WAHM and will have more time with our babe. I need to learn how to take awesome pics too!!
My son never stops moving. It’s hard to get a decent picture of him. This camera would be a life saver
I have three young girls and a constantly deployed husband, so nothing ever stays still very long around here. Would love this to capture every moment I can!
We would love this camera! I love to take pictures but only have a point and shoot, we would get some heavy use out of the video too, and I love the idea of strapping the camera on my kids head and getting film from his perspective!
I would love to win to take videos of our family and our outdoor activities. Thanks!
I tweeted: https://twitter.com/#!/jenalber/status/197874456453066755
I would love to win this camera and use it on our next trip to the Yosemite National Park. Thanks.
My 10 yr old’s bday is coming up and he would love this! He’s into skateboarding and riding his atv and tries to make cool videos on his ipod. This looks like a safer, sturdier, not to mention better quality way for him to do this.
A GoPro Hero keeps families together! Kids do the stunts and dad films them
A GoPro Hero2 keeps families together. Kids do the stunts and I’m and dad film them!
What a fabulous giveaway! Thanks for the chance to win such an amazing memory keeper!