GoPro has seen phenomenal success with their line of cameras that have put low cost POV production into the hands of every person with an active hobby. Their brand is as synonymous with POV cameras as Kleenex is with facial tissue.
Their latest model, the Hero3, saw heavy engineering improvements and the addition of the Sony IMX117 Exmor sensor made it an absolute power house. The sensor is capable of full 4K DCI at 60P (though the Hero3’s engine can only hand 15fps at 4K). But the camera is still considered by many pro’s dabbling with prosumer equipment to be a one trick pony only useful for POV.
Why? The big limiting factor is the lens. To put it bluntly, the lens sucks. While it’s awesome for POV where everything is thoughtlessly in focus with zero need for adjustment. However, that’s a bad thing for people wanting to shoot in situations where “POV quality” and lack of adjustability aren’t acceptable.
Enter the solution, the GoPro Hero3 Ribcage. This little system is for hardware hackers. Basically you rip the front of the camera off (lens included) and replace it with a piece of machined metal. This system allows the mounting of CS or C mount lenses and through adapters, Nikon, MFT, or just about anything else. It also maintains compatibility with the default M12 lens so you can always get the stock look back if you so desire. You can see an example of the quality you can now get out of using improved lenses (notice the depth of field in the shot). Could a Hero3 be your next high end camera?
