Low cost gopro alternatives?

I currently have a Hero2 and im looking to get something new.  However I do not have several hundred dollars available to spend on a new GoPro.

All I care about is excellent 1080 video.  I really dont need or want much other capability.  Mainly for recording racing and maybe occasional YT content to my whopping 3 subscribers

Who has any first hand experience with the lower cost alternatives? ?

The GoPro market is becoming saturated. You can probably find the previous model for pretty cheap.

The specs on SJCAM's models look pretty good and they work with GoPro mounts, but I haven't tried one myself yet.

The Hero2 can do 1080p though, so if that's all you need, why upgrade?

Didn't we have a thread on this pretty recently?

I recently bought one of these: https://www.amazon.com/Lightdow-LD6000-Sports-Action-Camera/dp/B00XC46RWG/ref=sr_1_2_sspa?ie=UTF8&qid=1517847443&sr=8-2-spons&keywords=lightdow+action+camera&psc=1

The image quality isn't fantastic. Probably fine as an action cam but for recording working on cars the image isn't as good as I would like. Maybe a 4k version would be better?

I'd sell the Hero2 and just move up to a Hero4 or even a Hero5 since they're getting pretty cheap now.

Unless you're wanting multiple angles on the car while racing, then I'd just shoot for a Hero3 or something.

I bought a couple of Chinese knock-offs from Groupon.

works great and they are cheap enough that if I lose one, I can replace it fairly cheaply.

the only potential drawback is that the battery life might not be great, but if you’re in the car, many can run off a USB cable and a cigarette lighter adapter.

heres an example taken from the inside of the windshield at TNiA 

https://youtu.be/ZS4JMlChMGY

they come with some decent mounting options and you can get tow hook, antennae or triple suction cup mounts for reasonably cheap off Amazon and the like.

Tom_Spangler said:

Didn't we have a thread on this pretty recently?

https://grassrootsmotorsports.com/forum/grm/action-cam-guide/130453/page1/

GameboyRMH said:

The specs on SJCAM's models look pretty good and they work with GoPro mounts, but I haven't tried one myself yet.

The Hero2 can do 1080p though, so if that's all you need, why upgrade?

At least with mine the video quality is not as good as I think it should be.

I have a Hero2 and I think the video quality is pretty good. That's one thing the cheaper action cams aren't likely to beat a GoPro on.

GameboyRMH said:

The Hero2 can do 1080p though, so if that's all you need, why upgrade?

I don't know why, but I'm amazed at the wide range of quality.  1080p describes the resolution of the sensor, but that could be upscaled, or a flat-out lie.  I have some of those NR16 keychain cameras which are advertised as 1080p, but until they compress, encode, record, and try to pull light through tiny little low-quality lenses, it looks more like a camcorder from 1988.

So there is a huge difference between 1080p cameras.

We all know 1080p refers to the number of pixels on the screen that can be any color, but the actual glass lens(es) and/or photo sensors can matter quite a bit beyond what a couple of numbers tell you. The diameter of the lens for example, separates the low and high end digital cameras to a certain degree.

Hero Session 5 is $200 and shoots up to 4k without looking like potato vision

Also with my hero2 it seems to washout some of the color on brighter days.  Inside say a dyno room its not too bad

Newer heros have the no spot metering problem, making interior mounted car cams wash out. Just something to keep in mind. You want spot metering if at all possible for incar vids.