Need GoPro Session advice Hero5 or Hero

[RDKLL]

Anybody using either a Hero 5 Session or Hero 4 Session. Looking to get a camera, too many close calls. And my wife also said I have to get one.
Hero 5 Session $299
Hero 4 Session $199

[gordonv]

You are wanting one for what reason? By your post, it sounds like you want a Dash Cam.

For which vehicle, car or MC? Car, there are a lot of choices out there. A Dash Cam will continue recording and delete the oldest recording for the newest. Upon an incident, it will write protect the recording it wishes too.

I use a Garmin from Costco. Came extra with the 32GB good for 8 hrs worth of recording. I struck a bicyclist, only knocked her over. I claim she failed to yield the right of way at an intersection. The other witnesses (cyclists) claimed I failed to.

I intend to use it on my MC, but only in dry weather, as it is not water proof.

[RDKLL]

As either a helmet cam or handlebar. And if a trip to the twisties, then an educational video LOL.
Got cut off by a guy in a pick up one day and the cop said if I had it on video they would have arrested him....then forgot about the camera idea and I mentioned it and my wife not so gently reminded me that I really need to get something

[dreamaker]

Have you considered a dash cam, for what you want is what they are made for.  Go to EBay and  type in "dash cam",  Dash you can mount on the bike and if there is any G-force it will fire and record.  Check them out they are allot cheaper than GoPro's.

[gordonv]

I don't know enough about the GoPro from today, I bought the 1st or 2nd gen ones, 2 extra batteries. The batteries only last max 2 hours. The memory card about the same. No display (the current gen does). I've actually only used it once in 6 years, and that was last years Valhalla, where I mounted it to the convertible.

But even an el cheapo clone (maybe a unmarked 3rd or 4th gen) GoPro, has a rear display. You can buy replacement waterproof housings. I would get one and drill a hole to pass the power cord through, and waterproof seal it.

I don't know if there is waterproof dash cams, but even a plastic sandwich bag over the camera might work better.

[saddlesore]

Used a GOPro but it has a limited battery life.  I agree with other posters here that a dash cam is what you need.  I had a couple of dash cams. one was a cheap remake that didn't work from the start. The next one was ruined when I got stuck in the rain.  I lost a GPS that day too.   

[dreamaker]

Rain can be an issue with any camera or GPS, nice thing about dash cams is they are cheap, if you are say, go in a store, and someone hits your bike or car it will record it upon contact, they have a long battery life and a monitor. But keep in mind there is not only one brand of dash cams, there are junk and there are good one for the money. Got to do the research, look at the customer reviews. And again, rain will turn anything into junk, you need to have the sense to take in off or get/make a protective enclosure. I have 4 GoPros and 1 Swann cams, I bought two of the GoPro's for under $100 off of EBay, being in the right spot at the right time. They can be a pain to fiddle around with on a bike, dash cams are simpler and have the capabilities needed for unforeseen conditions.

I had my bike hit and run at a Metro Park parking lot, by a woman, there was another woman sitting in her car 20ft away, and when she was asked what she seen, she was so freaked out because of the bad biker stigma, she said she didn't see or know anything. I wish I would have had a dash cam then!

[gordonv]

I don't believe there is any dash cam that turns on to start recording after an incident. But there are devises that can be added, to turn on the power after an incident.

My Garmin will turn on with a switch (about 1 hr battery life), or when powered from an accessory port. Turns off by the switch, or a timed length of time after power removed 0-15 min.

So if you are trying to watch for parking lot issues, then you need a constant power source.

I just bought a couple of cheap dash cams from China. Neither worked (still need to try the supplied cig adaptor). I wanted to put one in my other car and on the Valk. I have a $60 one from before, never liked it.

Here it's called Showcase, it's the As Seen on TV store, had the GoPro clone for something like $60 with a display screen on it.

[dreamaker]

There are some that detect a G-force I believe which triggers it, I looked at several and they had the trigger, check the specs.  In fact there is an Ad on TV for one of those, showing a guy pushing a shopping cart into the car that triggers the camera.

[gordonv]

Most/All have G-force detectors. But I haven't seen any that will actually turn on. Only write protect the recording(s).

Do you have any names/links?