From the day they assembled the first GoPro action camera, it has become a legend among those who love an active lifestyle and crave to explore the world, among those who want to open new horizons or just make breathtaking videos. Adrenaline junkies take this gadget everywhere they go – on every trip: it enables them to record the most incredible videos and relive those exciting moments over and over again after a while.
If you want your GoPro camera to live up to its impressive potential, you need to obtain additional accessories for it: they will protect your gadget, expand its capabilities and make it more convenient to use. They have invented a lot of accessories that are changing our perception of functionality of action cameras.
First off, I must mention such a necessary accessory as case for GoPro camera. I recommend reading this article about the best GoPro case. The article provides detailed information on how to select storage bags and cases for carrying GoPro cameras, so we can omit the discussion of their features and selection criteria here. Let’s get to the overview of other popular types of gear.
Mounts for GoPro cameras
The most popular accessories for action cameras are straps and mounts; they help to secure the device and avoid losing it while making “death loops” or rafting the rough rapids of mountain rivers. Universal properties of this camera let you place it on almost any surface: on the window of a car or an apartment, on the walls, on your head or wrist, and so on. That is why the mounts vary in design and purpose. So, before purchasing the right one, you must do a thorough research first.
Your choice of the mount or strap will depend on how you want to use your camera. There is a huge variety of gear, but the quality of their material and reliability of the parts are more important here. If they are questionable, you risk losing your valuable gadget somewhere in the woods or on a snow-covered slope.
Head straps are quite popular among athletes, skaters and fans of an active lifestyle. Such straps help to securely position your GoPro camera on your head, cap or a helmet thanks to adjustable belts, whereas silicone covering and inserts prevent camera from slipping or moving around. For underwater shooting, they also recommend strapping the camera under a chin.
Bicycle helmet straps (ventilated). Silicone or rubber covering of the straps is designed to keep the camera from slipping, while vertical adjustment allows you to set up the angle of recording.
Frame mount. The camera within a frame mount turns into a “dash-camera” of some sort; such housing does not interfere with sound recording and does not make your camera larger. But you must remember that the frame should not be used in bad weather or in extreme conditions – unlike in boxing, it cannot protect the camera from water or dirt.
Suction cup mount lets you attach the camera to a smooth surface and regulate both horizontal and vertical positions of the gadget. For additional security, we advise using a safety mini-cable to keep the camera in place.
Chest, shoulder or wrist straps. They provide the most stable image and spectacular shots; they allow you to relive those emotions and record yourself from unusual angles, for example, from below. With the help of elastic straps, the camera can be attached to a T-shirt or a warm winter jacket; it’s easy to shoot videos while making stunts. If you fasten the camera to your wrist, you can use your hand as a tripod.
In order to completely protect your GoPro camera, it is worth buying a protective housing or an aqua-box. With their help you can position your camera anywhere and protect its lens from dirt and damage; thanks to inner covering, it is possible to reduce chances of damaging the frame to a minimum. With the help of advanced aqua-boxes (for example, GoPro Housing), you can dive 60 meters deep and do a unique underwater video shoot.
Monopods for GoPro Cameras and Their Varieties
Quite some time ago there emerged a single-section tripod that helps to move the camera some distance away and shoot not only self-portraits, but also your surroundings. It has become very popular.
Modern manufacturers offer a lot of convenient gear that is light and doesn’t take up much space, and it also enables you to shoot from unusual angles and make high-quality pictures.
Floating hand grip will hold the camera afloat. You just need to choose a solid construction and take care of all the adapters it requires.
Selfie Sticks also Have Several Varieties
Telescopic models. A foldable handle makes it possible to carry the monopod and move the camera from oneself from different distances. At the end of the selfie stick there is a camera mount and a Bluetooth remote that allows you to conveniently use GoPro. The length of such model is about 110 cm, which is sufficient for shooting a panoramic view and for shooting oneself in full height against that panoramic background. The “cons” of the model are a limited control and some “flimsiness”.
A telescopic monopod with a built-in Bluetooth transmitter button. It is one of the most widely used models. You can capture a photo by simply clicking on the “stick” itself. It has a USB-charged battery; the mount fixes the camera from both sides.
There are models of telescopic monopods that get connected to the camera with the help of the audio jacks (3.5 mm), with or without an adapter; they are more compact when folded (20 cm), but when you unfold them, they reach only 90 cm in length.
Long monopods are designed exclusively for action cameras; fully extended, they reach 123 cm in length. Each segment of the accessory locks itself when it is unfolded, which prevents spontaneous self-folding of the monopod. These models are quite heavy, they require a Bluetooth remote, but it is, certainly, a reliable and an advanced accessory.
Multifunctional monopods. You can hold them in your hands, set them up as support stands; they come with a button remote and a Bluetooth remote.
Other GoPro Accessories
There are other items that are required to provide comfort for you and protection for your camera. For instance, you need adapters in order to attach your GoPro camera to the support stand.
For glass and lens protection, we recommend using removable covers; and a special spacious bag will come in handy for storing all the accessories and the camera itself. The recording time of the GoPro camera can be extended with the help of additional batteries.
A memory card is a must-have accessory. Would you like it if your camera stopped recording at the very interesting moment? Probably not! Therefore, it’s worth obtaining a proper data storage device in advance. GoPro camera supports micro SDHC format with a memory of up to 64GB.
Cards are manufactured by various companies; most well-known are Transend, Kingston, SanDisk and others. Pay attention to the class of the device – it should be at least 10: it directly affects the speed of recording and the shooting quality of the camera. Considering the fact that GoPro camera can record for 1.5 hours at the highest resolution and with a fully charged battery, the space will not exceed 15 GB, which means that a 32GB memory card would be sufficient.