GoPro for Commercial Videography?

I am confused.

I am a Video Creator. Of late, I am getting enquiries to make company introduction videos. I would have to record short customer interviews, glimpses inside their office/manufacturing environment, etc.

These are typically short – less than 2/3 minutes and they’ll mostly be a part of promo videos I make for them. Promo Videos mostly contain animation, video backgrounds, messages with text effects, motion graphics, etc. and the recorded videos may be a small part in it.

As you may have guessed, I am more of a video editor and not a videographer. But since a few customers want, I am considering to create a small mobile video kit that I can carry around and record their videos.

I have three options,

One option may be to rent a video/movie camera. These are available on a per-day basis, for a relatively low-cost. However, I’ll not have much of an opportunity to learn and use it often.

My second option would be to buy a professional DSLR tailored for video professionals like the Sony a6300. It’s expensive, but very capable, and should be sufficient for my requirements. The issue is, photographer friends say that my requirements will change over time, hence major investments now may not be a good idea.

My third option, and my current favourable consideration is to buy a GoPro Hero 5 Action Camera. This is not only a very capable video camera, but has latest/excellent features like 4K movie recording, slow motion, time lapse, burst mode, RAW photos, and what not. This one costs 1/3rd of the Sony DSLR price.

The lower cost gives me the leverage to more confidently invest in the remaining accessories required to build my mobile video studio setup – like Mic, LED Light, Video Tripod, Gimbal/Stabilizer, Memory Card, Power Bank, etc.

The issue is, although they are awesome for video recording, GoPro cameras are very small – the size may be 3″ x 3″ x 1″. So, when I visit a customer, they might be daunted by the small size and that might create an unprofessional first impression.

GoPro’s are meant for shooting high-speed action scenes and other such, hence the good video capability. They’ve been used to shoot action movies, even, due to their support for high speed recording.

I am now thinking why I should spend so much and buy a professional DSLR when I can buy a GoPro at 1/3rd of the price. Maybe I can rent professional video cameras as the need arises.

Has anyone used a GoPro for commercial purposes? Even if not, I am tempted to try it out 🙂

Any photography enthusiasts here wish to help?

Destination Infinity

9 thoughts on “GoPro for Commercial Videography?

  1. KP

    You have, it appears to me, rightly concluded to go fo Go pro along with hiring professional video cameras based on need and size of work.
    My best wishes to you for great success.

    1. Rajesh K

      I am now also considering 360 Deg. Cameras in addition to action cameras. More confusion, but hope to come to a conclusion soon 🙂

      Destination Infinity

  2. Jeevan

    I have gopro hero 5 and I use it only during the travel, connecting it with mobile and mounting the gopro on windshield I take photos and videos while traveling in car. In my experience 4k videos are excellent but not great in low light. gopro power stands for less than an hour, so a powerbank is good to accommodate…. I recommend this more for videos than photos and it really produce wonder for its size. it has voice control. But no idea about using it in professional way

    1. Rajesh K

      I’ve bought LED light and external mic to attach with gopro… let’s see how the audio-video quality turns out now.

      Destination Infinity

  3. Avada Kedavra

    I would suggest going for a DSLR, but I am not sure which ones are good for video photography (that’s why I didn’t reply on your facebook post earlier). I use mine only for photos. But I think if you buy a DSLR once, you can use it for many years and also get different lenses which will be great for different types of shoots.

    1. Rajesh K

      I had even decided on the model – Sony a6300. It’s an excellent DSLR esp. for video. But I am taking sometime to evaluate or test options before buying this model. I am not very familiar with lenses and other advanced features of DSLR so some learning is important before I buy it.

      Destination Infinity

  4. Avada Kedavra

    REnting may turn out costly over a period of time. It might be cheaper have your own gadgets. The advantage is that you know your equipment very well.

    1. Rajesh K

      I will buy, but before that I want to evaluate the output from action cameras, semi-DSLRs, DSLRs and even professional video cameras. That way, I can be sure which is the best option. I hope renting would enable me to zero-in on the right option as the investment is quite high.

      Destination Infinity

      1. Avada Kedavra

        That’s a good idea DI. Evaluate all the options and then decide.

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