While looking at this new camera, I'm also going to focus on my comparison between the GoPro Hero3 Silver and the new Hero3+ Silver. What's different, how does it work on its own, is it worth an upgrade? Let's find out.

OUT OF THE BOX

First out is the camera, as it's nicely mounted in the glass container at the top of the box. It's already obvious the new housing for the Hero3+ is noticeably smaller and more compact than the older one. The housing buttons are larger and easier to press, but everything else was downsized. The latch no longer requires an extra tab to slide over, yet still feels very secure and tight when closed. The front covering over the lens has become simplified as there are no longer rivets or a large bezel adding to bulk.

There is some concern this could reduce durability, but short of throwing it into a wall, I'm going to just base this on look and feel. Which is to say it appear to be just a solid and durable as the old one. Otherwise the camera itself is identical in size to the old one, so everything is interchangeable. Extra batteries and cables will work just fine with both. You can check the product description to see what exactly is included, but it's just the basics. A few basic mounting brackets, stickers, mini-USB cable, etc. No charger is included.

CAMERA SETUP

After charging, the first step will be to supply a micro-sd card. I did run into an issue where my 32GB Sandisk Class 10 card wouldn't work. I just got an Error on the display. Despite manually cleaning and formatting the card to the specific exFat file system the camera required, it was never happy. At least not until I found the menu option within the camera itself to format the card for me (trash can icon). After that, it's been working great.

Speaking of the menu, going through the initial setup via the on-board controls is still as annoying as it was in the previous version. In other words, we have the same basic menu layout and 2 buttons to change menus and make your selections. If you've used them before, you're all set. If not, I do suggest going over the user's guide which has a menu layout that'll help you find what you want and avoid getting lost. As this camera has wireless functionality, it's usually best to get this part setup and use your smartphone to connect and make changes.

The GoPro Android app, which I'm using on 2 separate phones, worked great. I used my LG G2 and Note 2 so we could test them out separately. There was virtually no difference between the two, other than the additional video modes the Hero3+ added in the drop-down menus. The preview still has a 1-2 second delay, but more than enough as a basic view-finder. Once again, really no change on the software side of things. At least nothing cosmetic.

VIDEO QUALITY

This is of course the important part. So for this test I've basically got them mounted side-by-side on the windshield of the car. Both phones were wirelessly connected to the android phones as well we could easily make identical changes on the fly. Testing was done in daylight and in multiple different video modes. You can check Amazon or GoPro's website to see an exact list of video mode changes going to the plus model, but the important ones are some things that have trickled down from the older Black Series.

This includes 1080p @ 60hz, 960p @ 60hz, and 720p @ 120hz which is basically double the frame-rate of older GoPro Silver. Whether I was taking advantage of the higher frame rate of the new model, the video quality was noticeable improved. The image was brighter, more vibrant, and seemed to have more detail than the older non-plus model. And once you take advantage of the higher FPS, action shots look considerably smoother.

The camera's megapixels have dropped from 11MP to 10MP, although I didn't notice any change in still photo quality. It's also not something I use all that much with the GoPro. Even though it of course has plenty of features such as burst shot mode.

AUDIO

While playing both videos back to back, it's very obvious there is an improvement in audio quality. We're using the same backing (with 2 openings) while it was in the car. With the older model, our voices and other audio were quiet and muffled. But with the plus, our voice was very clear and easy to understand. The audio was simply more crisp and detailed. Really a night and day difference.

PROS:

+ More compact housing
+ Increased battery capacity
+ Improved High resolution video quality
+ Noticable audio quality improvement
+ Higher FPS video recording at all HD resolutions
+ Durable and Waterproof (in housing)
+ Wireless smartphone connectivity
+ Has most important features of older Black series

CONS:

- Battery life could always be better
- Menu controls can still be confusing
- Slightly expensive
- Camera gets very warm
- Picky with SD card formatting

CONCLUSION:

Overall there wasn't much to dislike about the new camera. Considering its intended purpose, I don't think you can really find anything better for the money. The GoPro Hero3+ Silver basically offers many of the improved video quality/FPS of the older Black series, for less money. And other than 4K recording of the new Black series, the Silver series fits into a nice "mid-range" providing everything most folks are looking for. All while making several minor but very welcome design improvements.

Bottom line, spend a little more for the new plus model and you won't be disappointed.

UPDATED 1/14/15:

I've been meaning to update this review regarding the horizontal flip issue. Basically, when used up-side-down, the image would be flipped horizontally as well as vertically. Just a software glitch that took some time to get fixed. A software update from GoPro has resolved that issue and it works perfectly now. I've updated the review above and removed that particular section.

Otherwise the camera is still working great and no other significant changes since I wrote this review. Enjoy!

GPH3+ Silver Edition (1.09 firmware):

I'm writing this review in a rather disappointed mood. I bought this camera for both action shoots and time-lapse no-scope astro-photography.

Some Observations:
* The camera is tiny: much smaller and lighter than the pictures would let you believe. It comfortably sits on the palm of your hand.
* Wi-Fi is a battery vampire. In my tests, it will cut published battery life in about half. And unless you have the live view BackPack, you are going to need it together with the GoPro app.
* Without a heavy investment on accessories/harnesses/handles/leashes, you will find yourself with a $300 paperweight, for all action videography intents and purposes.
* The ultra-wide has quite a bit of barrel distortion at the edges, but this is normal for this type of lens.

The disappointment:

As mentioned above, I had two purposes in mind for this camera: 1) I wanted a good under-water and action/rugged video and still camera to tote along when we go on family trips. 2) I like doing no-scope, time-lapse astrophotography and this is where this camera falls flat on its face. I ran several tests with good light and "night" light. time-lapses of clouds and of stars. And anything out in infinity came very soft, even at the center of the frame. This was a disappointment because my bud's GP2 takes much, much, much better pictures and time lapses than this much newer model. Then as some suggested, I took still pictures of myself and people standing within 10-15 feet were also soft-focused and not in a good way. Another disappointment that I mentioned above is that Wi-Fi will suck the life out of the battery really, really fast. On a full charge, I took about 32 minutes of video and about 17 still pictures before GP3+ battery dies on me.

All in all, these issues are simply too important for me and am returning the camera as we speak.

The GoPro Hero 3+ camera is a nifty little device. It fits easily in the palm of your hand, or in a pocket, but don't let the size fool you. This camera is big on the inside! Its simple point and shoot function is improved by an excellent wireless app for mobile devices that expands on its function making editing and transfer of images simple and flawless.
The extreme wide angle lens captures anything in front of it - the inherent distortion of the lens can be countered by using the excellent lens profiles available for Adobe Photoshop and Lightroom -
The Hero 3+ Silver edition includes a tough housing, waterproof and durable, which allows for a myriad of mounting options, from head and chest straps to tripod heads and adhesive mounts.
I've been using mine for a week and although the hardware has worked flawlessly, I have had problems with my camera's wireless connection. The problem was easily solved, but be aware that the mobile app is not 100% reliable.
Otherwise, I am delighted with this item.
Pros:
WiFi iPad App allows 100% remote control.
Extreme wide angle lens.
Simple to set up and use.
Good online support, well written and efficient user manual.
Excellent photo and video quality.
Excellent lens correction settings in
Photoshop and Lightroom.
Compact
Wide variety of mounting options
Waterproof to 131 meters inside included housing.
Tough well built.

Cons:
No camera RAW option.
No infinite focus as per other models.
Device becomes very hot when running for a long time.
Occasionally Wifi loses connection with iPad.

This camera is rated tops (actually the Black Edition) by scuba.com for beginning underwater photographers. I don't think one needs the professional features of the Black Edition so I purchased the silver edition and I'll be just fine. I saved $100 which I needed to purchase accessories that are required. If you are going to use this camera underwater, the housing is just fine but you will also need to purchase: 1) An SD card, 2) an extra battery and charger, 3) a red filter or filter set, 4) a waterproof and, preferably, shock proof case, 5) a micro HDMI cable, 6) a floaty backdoor, 7) a floating wrist strap and 8) a floating grip extension. In addition, you might want a head strap and gripster tripod with tripod mounting adapter.

I bought all these accessories for $120. Don't buy this camera in a combination pack if you are going to use it to scuba. Just purchase the accessories separately.

I bought this camera about a month ago hoping to record my skydives Don't have a single recording yet!

The very first jump I was recording ended up in cutaway. After I safely landed on my reserve parachute, the first thought was "yay, I'm alive", and the second was "how awesome, I got it on video". Well I was soon to learn the latter was not the case. The GoPro camera stopped recording shortly before I exited the plane. Looked it up on Google. "The recording may stop if there are some corrupted files on the SD card, make sure you format it before using". Ok. Although I have never seen a camera that would fail recording upon encountering an erased file, I'll take it for now.

So I then recorded a few more videos of my skydives. When the weekend was over, I came to my computer to download the videos, but upon turning the camera on, saw a big "0" on the screen. The card was empty! Whaaaat?!! Google again. "GoPro cameras do not work well with ExFAT file system, so it's not recommended to use a 64 GB card, or it can get corrupted". I tried file recovery software, which recovered the videos, however, none of them would play.

I talked to a few people using these cameras, and EVERYBODY agreed GoPro is very unreliable, as the files frequently get corrupted. One skydiver told me she sent her camera into repair a few times, bought the most expensive SD card, and yet this keeps happening. She recommended me to get the videos off the camera right after the recording is over, if I don't want to loose them, and then format the card before each usage. Wow, cool. If I decide to record my surfing as well, I guess I have to bring my laptop to the beach.

Nonetheless, I decided to give this lousy piece of hardware a third try. I purchased a 32 GB card (yes, grade 10), and went on the plane again. After landing, I turned if off (it would say it had 1 video), walked to the packing area, took out my tablet to get the video off and then Yep, the GoPro would say there were "0 videos". I think you would understand why I hardly stopped myself from smashing it against the wall.

I addition to that, about 3 times I experienced the problem where you turn off the camera, but it would just warm up a lot. It gets really hot, and you need to take out the battery in order to stop it from warming up.

To sum this up. GoPro is junk. Seriously, I cannot even talk about the quality of recordings since I haven't seen a single recording yet. What did I wasted my money for? Look up the forums, it's not just my camera, lots of people have the same issues. This company have been on the market for a few years, yet they cannot make a product that would actually work. I guess that's what happens when you put all of your money into marketing.

The bottom line: buy something else.

A significant downgrade to my Hero 3 Black, the 3+ Black is out of focus for anything past a few metres. Everything ends up blurry and smeared. Seems the still picture output quality has been downgraded too as file sizes are much smaller suggesting more compression even when everything is in focus (inside a room - no distance focus). So the 3+ Black is great for selfies and useless for everything else. I'm returning mine today

Reading the Specs between the Silver and the Black edition, you wont be able to tell a significant difference in quality,however, there is a huge difference. The black edition is worth the 100 extra dollars as it allows you to control many other features like exposure, colors schemes, and contrast. The silver dose not. That being said the Silver is a decent camera for action sports, but unfortunately it does not have any low light setting, unlike the black. You will only get decent quality picture out of it under good quality lighting, else the picture becomes grainy and requires post processing.

Great video recorder. Happy with product.

I got this to take pictures of squirrels at my squirrel feeder. The video works great if you use it manually. Set it next to the feeder, set to movie, push the button and walk away.

But, then you how a few hours of video tape of an empty feeder that has to be edited. I have tried several video editing software programs and they are all very complicated.

So, I went for the burst option which allows you to take 3 pictures in 1 second. The camera itself can be be controlled with an app on the Iphone. The app itself is pretty neat. You can sit nearby out of sight and monitor what the camera sees on the iphone until the perfect picture comes up - then you hit the button. But, a few problems:

(1) The WIFI feature will not go through a single pane window. My squirrel feeder is about 25 feet from my dining room. but, there is a window between me and the feeder. The APP loses the camera's WIFI through the window. I have to go outside and sit on the patio in order to be able to manipulate the camera with WIFI.

(2) BE careful! From a full charge, when you turn on the WIFI, your battery will go dead in about an hour. They really need to do something about this.

But, I am happy with the purchase. Nothing's perfect.

And if anyone finds an easy to use video editor, that really IS intuitive, let me know.

Physically, there isn't much to a GoPro HERO3+. No viewfinder, simple menu system, three buttons (power, wifi power and the typical 'snap a photo' button), no digital display, no flash. Take it out of the waterproof case, and all you have is a tiny little camera that looks a bit like a toy. They stripped it down to the bare minimum, but what the GoPro can do will blow your mind. Or blow my mind anyway.

By creating it's own local wi-fi network, you actually use your phone, or iPod as a viewfinder. There is a little lag between what you're actually taping, and the display, but its a pretty neat revelation the first time you use it. Very easy to connect and set up. I'm no professional filmmaker or photographer, but I had it set up in less than 5 minutes. Then I passed my phone or camera around a group of friends and everyone started cracking up, having fun watching and fun shooting.

It comes with this weird bracket/screw thing on the bottom of the waterproof case. I thought 'Well, this sucks. You have unscrew all this junk to swap out mounts?' I was wrong. Yes, you unscrew this little knob to change mounts (there are many available - everything from headstraps to suction cups), but its only threaded in about 3 threads or so. Only takes 4 turns to take the mount off ie. two seconds. Very nice, simple, straightforward design.

I bought a headstrap for the GoPro so I could film my twin babies at home. Its hard to juggle them as it is, nevertheless trying to snap photos of video of them. I stuck the camera on my head, and then took a video feeding both of them. Probably not the intended use, most GoPro ads show them strapped to snowboards or BMX bikes, but it was a nice way to capture a memory of the babies before they grow up.

My only big knock is that you MUST have a microSD card (not included) for the camera to use it at all. So, I got the camera, then had to order a memory card. They're cheap enough, but it would have been nice to include a small 4gb card to get your feet wet until you find something bigger to use. There is an HDMI port and a USB adapter to hook it up to your computer or TV.

Overall, what a cool gadget! Just walking around my daily life, I thought of a million little events that would be fun to capture with the GoPro - everything from waking the babies up, to playing pinball, running around the yard, touring a pinball playfield in 'first person' mode, etc. A must have gadget for the tech savvy.

I have owned multiple go pros in the past. I upgraded to the hero3+ and bought two of them. I can't actually write what I want to write about them because Amazon wouldn't approve my review. :)

FIRST, the complaint on every board: FOCUS. Anyone who tells you the "new focus" is just as clear is lying. Items 6-10 feet are quite blurry when compared to the previous models. GoPro took a step back in my opinion by doing this. I plan on attempting to make the change to the lens (from youtube) and risk destroying by GoPro in hopes of getting good pictures again.

SECOND, I bought two identical gopro hero3+, and two identical branded Sandisk Extreme Pro 16g SD cards. In one of the GoPros, the card works great. In the other one, it stops recording and shuts off after 1-5 minutes. In order to make it work, I had to downgrade to an old class 10 card. With the old cart, the GoPro works and does not cut off. The card is not defective as far as I can tell, and I have re-formatted the card both in the unit and on the computer while trying to find out what was wrong.

THIRD, all of the un-necessary HIDDEN files that you can't turn off! I don't know if it is all computers, but I didn't even see these files, so I didn't delete them. But I just happen to change my computer setting to "show hidden files". And I almost had a heart attack when I saw that the memory card was full of .LRV and .THM files! So if you filmed anything nasty, you had better be really, really careful with the new Hero3+. (And yes, if you use the "Delete All/Format" option of GoPro in the camera, it will delete all of these, but it is NOT a secure delete, and the files can be recovered!) There is NO OPTION to tell GoPro to stop saving all of these low resolution files.

Overall, the GoPro still provides good video under the lowest light conditions. If only they were in focus. Sorry GoPro, but changing the focus as you did was a dumb, dumb decision.

Remember also that GoPro has no tripod mount on the camera itself, nor does it have any mounts that allow you to clip the camera to something (without the case). Nor can you use any of the mounts if you don't put it back in the case.