Smartphone or GoPro for lazy filming?

[sans.terre]

Hey gang,

I'd like to clock some footage just for fun this summer. Looking to do it as cheaply as possible. Homies say Gopro is pretty legit and has what you need to get started.

Do you think it might be even cheaper to invest in like a Samsung galaxy X and use the camera off there?
what are your opinions on the quickest/cheapest/best way to get started filming an amateur edit?

looking to spend > 200
i have a pretty decent laptop (lenovo t430u) that should be alright for editing id think. 4g ram, I5, blahvlah linux

[Cellmember]

You can do much more with a smart phone, but a go pro is cool as well, personally I use contour.

[reebzor]

I like my GoPro.

[condrbkr]

I know for the iPhone there are accesories to add fisheye to them. That way you can shoot long and fish.

[dude...]

i got an iphone fisheye, wide angle and macro lens set for $4 off ebay. only downside is you have to stick a little metal ring onto the phone to use them (it comes with the lenses though), so depends if you can handle having a phone with the metal ring stuck to it

theres cheaper gopro clones out now too which are like 1/4 of the price and can shoot full 1080. i doubt theyre as good as the real things but if your gonna compress to youtube anyway and dont wanna spend much, theyre ideal

[_tom_]

I don't like my GoPro 2. Poor quality unless you have really good light. It's so terrible at lower light stuff. Maybe the new ones are better. I'd rather use a smart phone tbh. Plus you can see what you're shooting without the extra led screen backpack you need for the GoPro.

[MilkyWilky]

Yea I'd tend to agree with tom on the GoPros. I have a H3+ but the reality is it's a pain in the ass to use all the time, bring with you. Their pretty bulky compared to a pocketable phone. Find a decent case/stand mount for the phone if need be. I'm always shocked at how poorly full quality stuff runs on my computer, on my laptop, forget it. Even on my 32GB iMac it's not hard-smoothie.

[badlight]

I'm always shocked at how poorly full quality stuff runs on my computer, on my laptop, forget it. Even on my 32GB iMac it's not hard-smoothie.

This. Its fucking atrocious. Youtube auto quality defaults to 1080 on available videos due to (speculation) my internet connection, but no computer I have can play a buffered 1080 video without tons of stutter, making it unwatchable. My computer can play an emulated FF12(ps2 game) at 4x resolution with minor framerate drops, but it cant play an HD video from youtube.

[sans.terre]

smmartttphone it is. what phone u guys thinkin?

[master]

If you like Apple, get an Eye-phone 6. If you don't, get a Samsung S6.

[JFax]

Im far from a videographer, but I would take a look at the fps. Imagine that the smartphones suck on that account. My samsung note edge films quite well, but for bmx? Who knows

[ginger]

iPhone 6 has 60 fps at full resolution, 1080p HD and 240 fps in slow-mo. That's crazy good for a phone.

[Sasha]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LHZvsWDcVYc

Phones are pretty amazing in 2015.

[Sasha]

As with anything, good lighting and composition makes the most difference.

[MilkyWilky]

I just bought a Sony Xperia Z3 compact. Fact is I think iPhone 6's and most phones today are too fucking big. I use the internet and my phone a ton, but there's no way to be subtle with a 5+incher.

Anyways this Sony is nice enough, it's waterproof, 20+ megapixel photos and shoots a 4K video. Expandable memory which yo iPhones will never have, and nice if you film lots and enjoy music or whatever.

This is all first impressions, but as someone who's used an iPhone since gen-4S I'm really liking this Android, customizable homescreens and widgets and shit. Takes some getting used to, but Go, Google, Go.