Gopro, the big helmet camera line our sister site http://pointofviewcameras.com carries has just announced their new HD Hero2 line of pov cameras. The new camera still shoots full 1080p HD but has an 11 megapixel sensor and the processing chip inside is twice the speed of the previous Hero HD.

So what else is new in the Gopro HD Hero 2? Almost all the changes are in the guts of the machine. The physical size of the case is exactly the same as the Hero HD. Smart move because it can use all the same cases, mounts and accessories as all the other Hero cams.

Other much wanted features is showing up on this Gopro. The big ones are mini-HDMI port, composite out. Coming later this winter is the GoPro’s WiFi BacPac which fits in the BacPac port and promises live broadcasting, preview, playback and camera control over WiFi. Wow! Finally, the Hero2 fixes the original HD Hero’s confusing LCD 3 digit code UI with more intuitive and easier to understand icons and text.

The full list of Gopro HD Hero 2 features:

-2X More Powerful in Every Way:
-Professional 11MP Sensor
-2x Faster Image Processor
-2X Sharper Glass Lens
-Professional Low Light Performance
-Full 170°, Medium 12°, Narrow 90° FOV in 1080p and 720p Video
-120 fps WVGA, 60 fps 720p, 48 fps 960p, 30 fps 1080p Video
-Full 170° and Medium 127° FOV Photos
-10 11MP Photos Per Second Burst
-One 11MP Photo Every 0.5 Sec Time-Lapse Mode
-3.5mm External Stereo Microphone Input
-Simple Language Based User Interface
-Compatible Wi-Fi BacPac™ and Wi-Fi Remote
-Long Range Remote Control of up to 50 GoPro Cameras
-Wi-Fi Video/Photo Preview + Playback
-Live Streaming Video + Photos to the Web

Visit our sister site: http://pointofviewcameras.com/gopro for a full review and more details coming soon.

Also check out our Canadian site http://pointofviewcameras.ca or in Europe http://pointofviewcameras.co.uk

From the moment of the iPhone 4S camera announcement we were immediately intrigued by how well it performed against the old iPhone 4 camera. We were especially interested in how the new camera worked with the Olloclip. Being a new distritbutor for the lens accessory we were concerned the new f 2.4 lens might cause distortions or other problems when working with the Olloclip. Fortunately no problems arose during our testing the weekend the new phone came out. The fisheye photos, wide angle and macro shots were made with the Olloclip lens.

Below are some sample photos taken with both the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S. Compare for yourself how the new camera competes against the old one. You can download original sized images at the end of this article. No photo post processing has been done to the full size images. The smaller images in the side by side comparison were simply resized from the original in Lightroom 3.

You really notice the old iPhone 4 camera’s tendency to overboost saturation and color in these flower photos. Detail is also lost in the bright color patches of the flowers. iPhone 4S tends to keep a little more detail.

Another thing we discovered is that the new faster f2.4 lens tends to give a shallower depth of field and more care must be taken to make sure the focus point is where you want it. A bit more manual focus via touch may be necessary when using the iPhone 4S camera.

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

We noticed that the color balance tends toward a warmer, slightly yellow tinge in daylight as shown in this macro closeup with the Olloclip.
 

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

White balance seems better on the new iPhone camera as seen on the plates. The iPhone 4 cam tends towards a slight magenta tint.

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

We saw slightly more shadow detail in darker areas of the picture when shooting with the iPhone 4S.

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

Exposure is more accurate on the iPhone 4S, the iPhone 4 exposure can be compensated by touching the area in the scene where you want the exposure to be taken in iOS5 but that tends to blow out the highlights. Generally, exposure is more accurate straight off the camera without user intervention on the 4S.

iPhone 4 Auto Exposure

iPhone 4 Manual Touch Exposure

iPhone 4S Auto Exposure

iPhone 4 Auto Exposure

iPhone 4S Auto Exposure

Low light photos were a bit of dissapointment. Shutter speed on the 4S is similar to the 4 which is to say slow. Noise between the 4 and 4S were similar. In dark conditions like the bar the 4S exposed more of the shadows but colors tended towards more of a “video” look.

iPhone 4

iPhone 4S

Apple really emphasized the fast shutter speed of the new camera and in use it is definitely snappy making for a smoother photo experience. Sadly, the focusing speed is about the same as the 4 so while you can snap away quicker, you may end up with more blurry shots as the autofocus cannot keep up with the faster shutter speed. Nevertheless, for still shots or photos without a lot of motion, the new camera can capture moments that would have been missed with the older 4 camera.

Overall the new iPhone 4S camera is a commendable upgrade from the 4.

We got our iPhone 4S via UPS this morning. Our in house Apple fanboy tracked the package from China, where it was less than 24 hours ago. We are using it to test some of the gear we sell and for another secret project.

Back in late August I discovered a new Kickstarter project that was a set of wheels for the Gorillapod Focus tripod. With a Ballhead X this setup becomes a portable DSLR dolly. I was intrigued and convinced my boss to support the project by buying one of the first 100 Cineskates kit contributors. As a matter of fact we were the first to contribute $325 for a full kit.

Our staff videographer Mark was totally stoked on the product too after seeing the video on Kickstarter. Since then I have been communicating with Justin at Cinetics on the Cineskates status. We are located in Canada and even though Justin shipped them on September 16th we finally got them in today.

Here is our Cineskates unboxing and first overview. Here is a short demo we did with the Cineskates. Come back later for upcoming video review and more demos.

In the meantime enjoy the unboxing and detailed shots of this neat dslr dolly setup.

Finally! After Canada Post finished dicking around and bogged down our shipment in customs the box arrives.

Since we were the first ones to buy the full kit, I bugged Justin to put something special on the box. As you can see it’s marked 1 of 100, flames on the side.

Thank you note from the company and instructions.

The Cineskates come with a bag with pockets and drawstring cinch with a lenscloth in a pouch.

Gorillapod and Joby Ballhead X dslr camera head.

The Cineskates look solid and well built with hard plastic and metal all around.

I asked Justin to mark our set with something special since we bought the first one, so the skate wheels have 1/100 marked on each wheel. Thanks Justin for getting back quickly on all our questions and doing the special markings.

We mounted the Cineskates to our Canon T2i. We rushed it so I’m not sure if we mounted everything properly and lined up the wheels right.

Here are some more closeups of the Cineskates from various sides. The wheels are really solid and smooth with some nice flame like designs on the sides. The wheel cups slip onto the bottom of the Gorillapod Focus. The Gorillapod can hold up to 11 pounds, enough to handle a large DSLR and a heavy lens.

Mark and I took this out in the hallway for a quick spin. We hope to post even more videos made with the Cineskates in action soon. Check back here soon for a more thorough review.