GoPro Announces HD HERO Naked at a Market-Disrupting $259 MSRP

Posted: 11/17/2009 In Category: Outdoor Manufacturer

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Media Contact:
Theresa Blake
Verde PR & Consulting
theresa@verdepr.com
970.259.3555

Half Moon Bay, Calif. – GoPro, the world's leading manufacturer of wearable sports cameras, is raising the bar for consumer HD image capture with the release of its HD HERO Naked, a wearable 1080p HD camera capable of professional full HD video capture yet available to consumers at a market-disrupting $259 MSRP. GoPro produces the worlds best selling line of wearable sports cameras, aptly named HERO cameras for their ability to make their user look like a hero during their favorite sport or activity.

“GoPro builds what we call the ‘invisible camera’,” says founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. “Invisible because our cameras are so convenient, small and light...you forget that you’re wearing it or using it. It’s this ease of use during any sport or activity that makes it simple for consumers to document their lives most exciting moments...moments that make them look and feel like a hero they’re used to only seeing on TV. But in this case...they are the star on the screen.”

GoPro’s HERO cameras are so convenient to wear and mount on gear that consumers are using GoPro cameras in every way imaginable. Whether attaching the camera to their surfboards, wearing it on their helmets while skiing or biking, or suction cup mounting the camera to their car for a spirited drive, consumers are using GoPro cameras in more ways than any other camera on the planet.

GoPro began sales in 2004 and has grown over 2100% since 2006 and 200% in an otherwise challenging 2009. GoPro is successfully pioneering a new category of cameras it dubs “activity image capture devices.”

The HD HERO Naked is the newest addition to the company’s line of wearable cameras, which already include vertical market specific HD Motorsports HERO (motorsports), HD Helmet HERO (outdoor sports), and HD Surf HERO (surf) models. These units come bundled with a variety of mounts ranging from suction cups to vented helmet straps, head straps and adhesive mounts for attaching the camera to cars, motorcycles, bikes and surfboards.

GoPro sells its products at gopro.com and through a distribution network of several thousand-specialty retailers in North America and internationally in over 30 countries. The HD HERO Naked differs from the aforementioned HERO cameras in that the HD HERO Naked comes with one mount for attaching the camera to a helmet or other curved surfaces, the camera, and the housing which protects the camera from bumps and keeps it waterproof to 180’/60m. Included are a removable rechargeable lithium-ion battery and cables for attaching the camera to an HDTV or computer, but aside from this the camera comes “naked,” sans the mounts included in the other models.

“We made the HD HERO Naked for our customers that want to buy a second HERO camera to use with the mounts they already have,” says Woodman. “Many of our customers buy multiple GoPro cameras to document their activities from a variety of angles, simultaneously, just like in a professional film shoot. We wanted to make their additional camera purchase more convenient and available at a reduced cost since they typically already have the mounting accessories from their previous GoPro purchase.”

Not just for consumers, GoPro’s wearable cameras have proven a useful tool for leading brands to capture marketing footage of their own. Red Bull, for example, regularly mounts GoPro cameras on their athletes to document sports events ranging from world record motorcycle jumps to a Red Bull Racing Team NASCAR pit stop in Times Square.

Other brand giants like BFGoodrich, Specialized, Discount Tire Company, and many film and TV production companies have successfully implemented GoPro’s HERO cameras for their action sports filming. “We are very impressed with the new GoPro HD HERO camera. The picture and sound quality is amazing, and it is very easy to use. GoPro has changed the game for POV cameras,” commented Marcus Bolland, Product Marketing & Development, Discount Tire Co.

The caliber and versatility of GoPro’s products allow consumers to capture and create videos with quality normally only found in professional productions. One example is USC Ski & Snowboard Team member Abe Kislevitz. He caught GoPro’s attention with stunning ski videos he and his teammates created in early 2009 using GoPro’s standard definition cameras.

“We mounted GoPro cameras on our helmets, skis, and ski poles while shredding the mountain; the footage was incredible...it made capturing our tricks on video so easy. We pretty much just hit record at the start of a run and skied...that’s the best part. We are able to focus on having fun skiing while the camera does all the work, recording the most insane angles and shots - things we had never seen before in any action sports video.”

GoPro was so impressed with Abe’s filming they asked him to shoot a movie with a pre-production HD HERO Naked to showcase what an average consumer can create with the camera. Abe’s “GoPro Ski Movie," filmed in a few short hours this past summer, can be seen on GoPro’s website at http://www.gopro.com/skimovie.

The HD HERO Naked captures professional quality 1080p / 960p / 720p true HD video at 30 and 60 frames per second. The camera features the industry’s widest 170° angle lens and also shoots a lesser 127° wide angle in the 1080p resolution. Equally impressive is the camera’s sound recording quality, specifically designed to eliminate wind noise from action sports filming and auto adjust to varying ambient noise levels. “We spent more money developing the sounds system on this camera than many companies spend on their entire camera design,” says Woodman. “Compelling HD video is only as good as its sound. GoPro believes sound quality is just as important as image quality.”

The HD HERO Naked and related cameras also shoot 5MP photos and feature an optional auto-photo mode that captures photos every 2, 5, 10, 30, or 60 for the duration of a consumer’s sport or activity.

Proving to be a market disruptor, GoPro’s HD HERO Naked and related HD Motorsports HERO, HD Helmet HERO, and HD Surf HERO cameras have generated a stir in the professional film and TV production industries. Professionals note that GoPro’s HD HERO cameras out-perform rival cameras from the likes of SONY, for example, costing ten times as much.

"It's exciting that for $259 consumers can buy the same HD camera that professional athletes, leading brands, and film and TV production companies are using for their own action sports filming and marketing...the HD HERO line of cameras from GoPro. GoPro sells more wearable sports cameras than any other camera maker in the world and were excited to launch this, our best camera, yet.” says Woodman.

About GoPro:
GoPro is the world's leading manufacturer of wearable activity image capture devices. Its markets include outdoor sports, motorsports, travel, and professional film and TV production. Since 2004, GoPro has been designing cameras and accessories that make it easy for people to record their lives most exciting moments. GoPro’s products include the patented HERO line of shockproof/waterproof wearable cameras and gear-attachment devices.