Picture Quality GoPro Hero3 +
Picture quality comparison of the GoPro Silver 3+ and the NuPro
Actually, there is no comparison. The GoPro cannot compare.
Challenge to GoPro.
I am embarrassed by the picture comparisons you will see below. The pictures are so unequal in quality that most people would think that we have doctored the pictures. I would probably think that if I didn't know the pictures are just the way they came out of the cameras.
NuPro hereby challenges GoPro to have an independent photographer do the same comparison test we did using a GoPro and a NuPro camera providing they agree to publish the unaltered results the same as we have below.
We also did a comparison between the NuPro and GoPro's more expensive model, the GoPro Hero4 Silver and posted it on the next page. Take a look at that one, please.
All pictures comparing the GoPro Silver Hero 3+ to the NuPro were taken at the same time from exactly the same camera position. At the right you can see both cameras mounted on the same bar sitting on a tripod.
Interesting fact: If you examine the lower left corner of each of the double images below you will see that the lower left corner is cut off by a blue color. Its easier to see in some pictures than the others. What that color is, is the lens of the NuPro camera being captured by the GoPro camera mounted on the camera bar together as you see it here to the right. The fish-eye lens is so extreme on the GoPro that it is actually including the NuPro sitting next to it by its side. That's extreme.
The pictures were not altered in any way and were shot using the camera default settings as the cameras came out of the box.
One note: Besides the difference in quality you will see another difference between the images that makes it look like the pictures were taken from a different place. That's because the GoPro uses a "fisheye" lens. The affect of using such a lens is it makes it look like you moved very far back to take the picture. That means the main subject of your picture will look very small.
The reason GoPro was forced to use such a wide angle lens is because the camera has no viewfinder or viewing screen on it the way the NuPro has. You just point the GoPro in the general direction of your subject and hope the wide angle lens will catch it. You will notice this in the pictures below.
The pictures above show the parts department of a car dealership. They were taken at the same time with the camera rig shown at the top of the page. Both cameras were set to automatic. You can see that the fish-eye lens of the GoPro distorted the lines a great deal and the camera was not capable of reading the light temperature as well, resulting in a very blue looking image. It also added a great deal of empty foreground to the picture that was not desirable.
Which camera would you rather use?
The pictures above compare two images of the same shopping center sign taken from the same place at the same time with no alterations. The picture taken with the GoPro appears faded and slightly out of focus when compared to that of the NuPro. The reason for the superior quality in the NuPro image is the lens. The fish-eye lens of the GoPro lets in a lot of side light from above and the sides of the picture area. This unwanted light in the camera dilutes the colors and saturation of the image desired. Even if the sun is behind the photographer, a lot of extra light will come in from the surrounding sky and possible light buildings etc. Which camera would you rather use?
Both pictures above of a woman in a beach chair are exactly as they came out of the cameras. The hedge in the foreground prevented getting any closer to the woman on the lounger. Both pictures were taken at the same time in exactly the same spot with both cameras mounted side by side. The first thing wrong with the GoPro picture on the left is the washed out pale appearance. That is caused by the fish-eye lens letting in a lot of extraneous light to bounce around in the camera. You can see the glare coming in from the upper left corner of the image. The second thing is the huge area taken in by the goPro leaving the subject lady looking small and insignificant. In the foreground it shows down to the bottom of the hedge, there are a lot of extra trees on the left and the wall of the building on the right. Processing the picture on a computer later will allow you to enlarge just the center of the picture to get the area you want, but every time you enlarge an image you lose some quality. NuPro makes taking pictures of animals and people a great deal easier.
Which camera would you rather use?
Both pictures above are exactly as they came out of the cameras. The viewing screen on the back of the NuPro makes it possible to compose your picture the same as you would on any fine camera. With the Gopro you're only guessing if your camera is pointed in the right direction. The reason for the light flares in the GoPro image on the left is because their "fisheye lens" gathers in extraneous light from outside your image area. Notice even here in the shade the Newpro reproduces rich colors. The NuPro makes a far superior image. Which camera would you rather use?
Both pictures above are exactly as they came out of the cameras, standing in the same place with the cameras mounted side by side on the same bar as shown in the picture at the top of this page. The object of this picture was to photograph the garden setting. Aside from the strange look the GoPro fish-eye lens on the left gave the image, take a look at how the colors are much more saturated and rich in the NuPro image. The reason is all the extraneous light allowed into the camera by the GoPro fish-eye lens. Which camera would you rather use?
Why are the pictures so different in quality?
| Camera | GoPro Hero 3+ Silver | NuPro |
| Color saturation | Very weak | Beautiful |
| Contrast | Low contrast | Strong contrast |
| Sensor | 10 Mega-pixels | 12 Mega-pixels |
| Lens | "fisheye" lens, 170 degrees wide | Normal wide angle, 140 degrees wide |