Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

If you're like me when I bought the 4 Black, I had three main questions: 1. Is it worth upgrading from the 3 to the 4? Short answer: mostly likely. Long answer: see below. 2. Which version of the 4 should I get? Short: Are you a pro? Black. Otherwise, the HERO or 4 Silver. 3. What else do I need? Short: a really fast microSD. Long: probably also some extra batteries ==ONE== On upgrading - I used to own the 3+ Black. While the increased slow motion capabilities interested me, the big selling point is the 4K. In daylight, a GoPro with protune is actually surprisingly comparable to a dSLR (I do aerial cinematography for film sets). The only weak point of the 3rd generation was the softness / lack of sharpness. Now, I can film in 4k, downscale to 1080p, and it's sharper than my Canon 6D! If you have paying clients, or are seriously building your portfolio, you should upgrade. But if you already own a version of the 3, and just film things for fun....save your money for adventures :) ==TWO== If you do decide to upgrade (or this is your first GoPro), you have three good options BESIDES the Black: The $130 barebones HERO: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NIYNUXO/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NIYNUXO&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=6RGQWHRXFRZSLFPY The $300 HERO3+ Silver: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F3F0EIU/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00F3F0EIU&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=74K5GFVCEONUONTG The $400 HERO4 Silver: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00NIYJF6U/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00NIYJF6U&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=UMGB6UAI466WOP6K The GoPro website has a huge spreadsheet comparing all their features... but here's how I think about it: If you're using the GoPro to just capture memories, save your money for the memories and get the HERO. If you /think/ you're interested in using your GoPro to make more serious footage (but don't have any experience yet), pick the version of the Silver that best suites your budget. Note that the 4 Silver has a touchscreen back to help you frame your shots - that alone is worth the $100 if you can afford it. And if you're already a heavy GoPro user (or filmmaker in general) with paying customers or past successes, get the Black. If you have a once in a lifetime trip approaching, and you have deep pockets, you might also consider the Black - but, for a lot of people, there are more meaningful things you can do with that extra money :) ==THREE== Especially if you're filming in 4K protune, you're gonna want the fastest card you can get your hands on. I've been using this SanDisk without issue: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00M55BS8G/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00M55BS8G&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=UVLMTWAPOPKC6RT3 It also gobbles through batteries. I seem to get about an hour of battery life, and that's only filming about half the time. Thankfully, Wasabi once again has our back with a dual battery set w/charger for just $24: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00OAAUZO2/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00OAAUZO2&linkCode=as2&tag=todmedblo-20&linkId=O67BCZ56CZ4ABYS2