Camera or GoPro or neither

[troutpoop]

A friend and I have a trip planned to Yellowstone after Labor Day, provided COVID concerns are cleared up.
I have a fairly nice 16mp point and shoot camera I had planned to take. My wife has been encouraging me to get a GoPro to take. Not sure I'd watch the videos again. Feels a bit narcissistic to me. I thought a few pics for an old style photo album might better for me. Not sure I want to haul around batteries, mounting stuff and try to turn on and off etc.
Anyone else using one or the other? Looking for opinions.

 

[shadspoon]

An old guy here. I say no pictures! Travel light and if you need to remember the day you will, trust me. Pete

 

[GeneBeam]

Feels a bit narcissistic to me.

I think you answered you own question, take your point and shoot camera, as a GoPro just screams narcissistic, with a blinking neon sign.

 

[Dave_W]

GeneBeam wrote:

Feels a bit narcissistic to me.

I think you answered you own question, take your point and shoot camera, as a GoPro just screams narcissistic, with a blinking neon sign.

I dunno.

Speaking as one who is skeptical of new equipment fads and thinks of himself as old school... I'll admit that I have always carried a camera when fishing. When I was a teenager I had a beat up Instamatic in my fishing vest pocket and I treasure the faded photos I have from the 70s/80s including countless stream and fish pics.

I recent years I purchased a water-proof point and shoot that takes good underwater pics and video and love it.

While a GoPro isn't my style (certainly not with a drone), I'll admit that I like some of the pics and vids folks are posting with this technology. I'd be interested to hear some opinions from folks who have transitioned from point and shoot to GoPro.

 

[Out4Trout]

Depends on the use. I have a GoPro and use it to take my son fishing with me. He lives in Michigan and Im here in Pa so I take video when I go and share it with him. He does the same for me and its kinda like having him along. So while I dont know if I would have one for any other purpose, using it to share time spent outdoors with my son is a great idea.

 

[troutbert]

I like the idea of a camera, getting prints made, and putting them in a photo album.

And take pictures of PEOPLE.

The photos with people remain interesting over time.

 

[maxima12]

I had cameras,lots of those disposible kinds, regular kinds, big panaroramic shots. Put them in a box about 25 and who knows where they are now. Who cares. A picture is worth a 1000 words. That is a small book of 2 pages. A memory, is worth all the gold in China! I kind of like that gold feeling! I am rich but have nothing!

You can put me on the curb, moneyless, hungry, jobless! And those sweet memories will make me full, happy and fat!

Just take a look, a picture, maybe a 1/2 minute viewed. I have seen that one before. The Charisma you share from the trip. No pictures, just the facts will last a lifetime. I generally start like this.

You should have been there, and let me tell you why!

Maxima12

 

[TimMurphy]

Dear troutpoop,

I've never been to Yellowstone. I'm sure this is probably a thought that only I would have, but I'd rather go to Yellowstone without a fly rod than without a camera.

I am a little like you in that I personally don't care for the "Hey look at me" videos that seem so prevalent. But I am sure you could tastefully and unobtrusively shoot video in Yellowstone with your current P&S camera.

Will it become a BBC documentary, probably not, but will it provide a record of your time and your memories, absolutely.

I possess a photographic memory. I can remember scenes and places and times right down to the smell. But there are many times I wish I would have had the forethought to have a camera handy so I wouldn't have to just rely on my head.

Have fun when you go!

Regards,

Tim Murphy 🙂

 

[Prospector]

troutpoop wrote:
A friend and I have a trip planned to Yellowstone after Labor Day, provided COVID concerns are cleared up.
I have a fairly nice 16mp point and shoot camera I had planned to take. My wife has been encouraging me to get a GoPro to take. Not sure I'd watch the videos again. Feels a bit narcissistic to me. I thought a few pics for an old style photo album might better for me. Not sure I want to haul around batteries, mounting stuff and try to turn on and off etc.
Anyone else using one or the other? Looking for opinions.

I bought a Fujifilm XP (I think model# is 120) based on advice in the thread below from last year. It has video and photo capability (underwater also) so it is water proof. I chose not to buy an after market card with larger capacity so I have to download all pics to my phone after about 20 pictures are taken. The import process from camera to phone is slick and fast (3 minutes max).

http://www.paflyfish.com/forums/Open-Forums/Gear-Talk/What-Camera-for-on-stream-use-/3,47906.html

 

[troutpoop]

Thanks for the thoughts. I ordered another memory card for the camera and will go with that. The memories are in the photo and my head.

 

[drakeking412]

We just started using a Sony A7ii but it's multi use for landscape shots also. The pictures do look damn good too

 

[SteveG]

I don't take many pics, and the cell phone pics I do take always look horrible. I may need to get a friend to show me how to use a GoPro. My 90y/o grandfather, who is responsible for my obsession, loves to see the couple pictures I do take. So I'd love to try and capture some video for him.

 

[larkmark]

Nothing

 

[BruceC2C]

Sounds like your wife is a keeper but the GO PRO is not.
Suggest you take the P&S cam u currently own.
May I also suggest developing habit to routinely shoot frequent 10-15 second video clips of " anything u like and anything that catches your eye"
DEF DO NOT WORRY about what u r gonna do with them when u get home. Any/all post trip video production is TOTALLY unnecessary.
I can emphatically assure u will enjoy and value viewing the raw 10 second unedited video clips just as much as u will enjoy the stills u take..

 

[salmonoid]

BruceC2C wrote:

Sounds like your wife is a keeper but the GO PRO is not.
Suggest you take the P&S cam u currently own.
May I also suggest developing habit to routinely shoot frequent 10-15 second video clips of " anything u like and anything that catches your eye"
DEF DO NOT WORRY about what u r gonna do with them when u get home. Any/all post trip video production is TOTALLY unnecessary.
I can emphatically assure u will enjoy and value viewing the raw 10 second unedited video clips just as much as u will enjoy the stills u take..

Not sure why you wouldn't just use an always on video camera if you're recommending shooting 10-15 seconds clips of anything and everything that catches your eye.. Because the times you see a bear, watch a fish sip something off the surface, run into a beaver, or the large fish that you actually fool and land are all going to happen before you have time to get out your point and shoot. There's nothing narcissistic about capturing memories on video. How you share and portray your outing with others is the only place that I see narcissism creeping into today's Instagram minded videographers - that's where the look-at-me attitude shows up.

 

[bigjohn58]

Definitely take a camera even if its just your cell phone. Photos are nice! I do have a GoPro but I only use that for when I have no one around. I have it on an expandable tripod I keep in the back of my vest that I can quickly set up and record myself for a few seconds then go back through and cut out for certain photos. The GoPro/video recording/YouTube thing is way overdone these days and annoying. Everyone's a wannabe prostaff professional.

 

[afishinado]

IMO, there's nothing more boring then seeing a GoPro shot video of an angler fighting a fish.

It's analogous to back in-the-day your neighbor inviting you over to see a slide show of their vacation in Nebraska.

Anyway, the new waterproof cameras can take stills or videos above water and underwater.

They would be a good choice.

 

[mattwolf]

troutpoop wrote:
A friend and I have a trip planned to Yellowstone after Labor Day, provided COVID concerns are cleared up.
I have a fairly nice 16mp point and shoot camera I had planned to take. My wife has been encouraging me to get a GoPro to take. Not sure I'd watch the videos again. Feels a bit narcissistic to me. I thought a few pics for an old style photo album might better for me. Not sure I want to haul around batteries, mounting stuff and try to turn on and off etc.
Anyone else using one or the other? Looking for opinions.

Remember this when looking at GoPro's or cameras. What will you be using it for? GoPro's are awersome "personal action cameras" (fast, high intense activities) If you want to video yourself doing something, they are great. If you are looking to just take some video shots of someone else doing something then go with a good point and shoot that also rates high in recording video. You will get more for your money by doing it this way. I have both, but find myself using my Nikon AW 120 more than my GoPro Hero 5 Black. I do know a lot of people that have been taking some great photos with their GoPro's as well.

 

[sarce]

I used to use a GoPro often but as I got older and busier I could not find enough time to sort through all the footage it held. To this day I have GB's of unedited video files that I haven't touched - stuff that was filmed 5+ years ago. These days I'd probably go with a good camera that also takes high quality videos, if you think you'll want some videos.

 

[Bamboozle]

All small point & shoot digital cameras are great, (I used one once)...

...until you've had them a few years and find out the cute small proprietary batteries have been discontinued by the manufacturer and robber barons on eBay want $70 for knock-off one.

I have a GoPro too, but I don't carry a camera fishing any longer or take pictures of fish. However, if I was inclined to do so, I'd just use my phone.