Many people really like recording video in vehicles but it often requires really expensive rigs or getting stuck with poor quality video.  The GoPro HD Motorsports HERO camera attempts to get high quality HD (1080p) video from a $300 camera.  Can it be done?  In my opinion it’s a yes and no.  Video quality is pretty good, but no where near professional level cameras.  It seems suited for some stock footage or very short clips that you can weave into your final video.   The in camera audio quality is practically useless.  While it’s a major improvement over the non-HD version, it won’t be usable in your movie.  If I had to put it on a scale of 1-10 where 10 is the best, I’d have to give it a 6 or possibly 7.  Watch the sample video and judge for yourself.

GoPro cameras have been a cheap source for capturing video where a traditional video camera was impractical or when shooting solo.  GoPro has since released their latest offering which shoots full 1080p HD video.  In fact the following formats are supported by the new GoPro HD cameras:

* 1080p = 1920×1080 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
* 960p = 1280×960 pixels (4:3), 30 fps, 12 Mbit/s data rate
* 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 15 Mbit/s data rate
* 720p = 1280×720 pixels (16:9), 30 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate
* WVGA = 848×480 pixels (16:9), 60 fps, 8 Mbit/s data rate

The GoPro HD cameras are offered in 4 configurations: HD Helmet HERO, HD Motorsports HERO, HD Surf HERO, and HD HERO Naked.  Prices range from $260 – $300.