Go Pro vs. Ion

[Bronk]

Anybody used either of these? I've been wanting to get a video cam for more traditional type video-ing but came across the Go Pro and now the Ion, which seems to be a much smaller and more compact camera...at only 4.5 ounces it seems like the right camera for backpacking.

My biggest concern with either of these is this: how do you know what you're filming if you don't have a screen to view it live? I'd hate to get home and watch the video and find that I didn't get the shot right. And I don't have a smartphone so I wouldn't be able to watch it until I got back.

The other thing is it appears that these cameras don't zoom.

Would appreciate anyone's thoughts and experiences on these differences from a regular video camera.

[moytoy]

I have a Go Pro. It has a fish eye lens so it's a very wide angle. It doesn't zoom, it's best at doing action videos. Short Batt. life is going to limit how much video you get on a hike. Mine is a Hero4 black and it's only good for about 1.5 hours shooting.

[Bluegrass]

I got a GoPro this past Christmas, primarily for skiing adventures.

I got the GoPro simply because of the rich supporting industry around it. You can find GoPro compatible mounts for just about any situation, for example. I got the GoPro Hero ($129 model). The battery life is a lot better than my friends' various Hero4 models, probably because of the lack of screen and limited resolution - I generally shoot in 720p60, vs 1080p60 or 4k. I have a 32GB card in mine, and the card generally fills before the battery life, meaning I get about 3-4 hours of footage at a time.

I would recommend the GoPro and Ions of the world to "Point, Shoot and Forget" model of recording footage, and are meant to get spontaneous moments. My GoPro is mounted to my ski helmet, so generally if I can see something, it has been recorded. If you are more serious about setting up a particular shot, I would look at something more serious. A quick Amazon search found this:
http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-Black-...zg_bs_photo_18