The LIVE SA YouTube team was given a task to give the Go Pro 3+ video camera a test-drive. They opted to document Sizwe’s “normal day at work”. Young entrepreneur, Sizwe Nzima, is the founder of Iyeza Express, a service that delivers chronic medication to residents in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, by bicycle. We mounted the Go Pro 3+ on his forehead and connected it via wi-fi to our LIVE video mentor – Bulelani’s iPhone, through the mobile app. We let Sizwe loose. We also filmed him from LIVE video mentor – Tamara’s vehicle through a normal camcorder. We struggled to stay off the Go Pro 3+’s frame because of its wideness. Okay, that’s a pro in the bag already.

One constant struggle we had was keeping a “safe” following distance while staying connected to the Go Pro 3+ via wi-fi. The safest longest following distance we could establish without getting disconnected was approximately 25 metres. We lost connection a couple of times every time we tried to stay out of frame. Re-connection was smooth in most cases.

The app, which is compatible with android and ios, is quite easy to operate. It acts as a monitor for the Go Pro camera, which would be usually strapped to the subject. In our case, it was strapped to Sizwe’s head as he embarked on a journey to deliver medicine to a client. We monitored whatever was being filmed from Bulelani’s phone. This is a feature that the previous versions of the Go Pro didn’t have.

“…you know in Khayelitsha, in order to drive smoothly in the traffic you have to drive like taxi drivers….”

This was my first encounter with a Go Pro and it just had to be with the most advanced of all its iterations. Even though we didn’t use it under the harsh conditions it’s designed to stand – extreme activities such as air pressure from sky diving filming or underwater filming – it did prove to be powerful technology. The footage we took was high definition and was crispy clear albeit the fact that Siya’s bike was speeding. It also has a sound recording feature – a feature added in recent versions of the Go Pro series. The soundtrack was mainly created separately because the windy weather made the sound distort a bit. We were also lucky to get the music composed to the picture by UK DJ and music producer, Charles Webster.

The final product was impressively great. The clarity of the picture is amazing. Watching it made me feel like I was actually in Sizwe’s position; on the bike delivering meds to his client.The juxtaposition between the Go Pro-filmed footage and the normal camcorder-filmed one was overtly visible.

Here are the GoPro3+ spec specifications:

4Kp15 / 2 7Kp30 / 1440p48 / 1080p60 / 720p120 fps

12MP Photo / 30 fps Burst

Changeable Field of View(FOV)

Take photos and video at the same time

Professional low-light performance

Loop recording function perfect for security

60m waterproof housing

built in Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi Remote

This video was shot 100% using a GoPro (HERO3+ Black Edition) for Live Magazine SA and IYEZA EXPRESS. For more information and stockist details visit www.omnico.co.za Download the GoPro App free on iTunes   WindowsPhone  GooglePlay View other great videos like this one on WorldOfHeroesZA , the home of GoPro in South Africa.