GoPro's New LCD BacPac Let's You See What You're Shooting

Here at the CrunchGear offices, we have a few GoPro HD Hero cameras that we use for an assortment of footage, including our auto coverage. These are great cameras for getting video in places you wouldn’t want to put an expensive, more fragile, camera. But, the biggest problem with the HD Hero has been its lack of a viewfinder. Sometimes, when the camera is pointed too high, like towards the sky, everything gets overexposed and washed out. Unfortunately, the only way to know exactly what you’re shooting is by lugging around a laptop in hopes of getting a good test shot. Luckily, that problem is a thing of the past. Can we hear an amen for technological advance?

GoPro is launching their new LCD BacPac today; a detachable LCD screen for the HD Hero. It simply clicks into the back of the camera, where is connects to the Hero Port. We got a chance to look at this earlier this year at CES, and we thought it worked pretty nicely. We also noticed that GoPro only needs to ship new backdoors for their waterproof cases; so all the old housings still work. While some may not need an LCD — the HD Hero has such a wide lens — for only $79.99, it’s worth knowing what you’re shooting. It’s also available now at GoPro.com.

Press Release

February 1, 2011 – Half Moon Bay, Calif. – GoPro, the world’s leading wearable and gear mountable camera company, today announced the availability of the LCD BacPac, a detachable LCD screen for the company’s HD HERO camera. The LCD BacPac represents the first in a line of expansion modules to be released for the HD HERO camera.  Available for order today at GoPro.com and subsequently shipping to retailers around the world, the LCD BacPac has an MSRP of $79.99.

The LCD BacPac is a detachable LCD screen for the 1080p HD HERO camera. It attaches to the camera via the HERO Port™ – a small expansion port located on the back of the camera. As a removable accessory, the LCD BacPac keeps the HD HERO camera as small and light as possible, yet provides the convenience of an LCD screen when attached

Acclaimed by industry professionals and consumers alike for its broadcast quality HD video capture and unrivaled versatility, the HD HERO camera now benefits from the enhanced convenience of a detachable LCD screen:

  • easy framing of complex scenes; see exactly what you are shooting
  • playback video and photos directly on the HD HERO camera
  • transform the HD HERO into one of the world’s most powerful everyday cameras

The LCD BacPac illustrates GoPro’s dedication to evolving the HD HERO camera into one of the world’s most versatile HD cameras.

“We designed the HD HERO camera to be a professional HD video capture tool, and that meant planning for expandability,” said Nicholas Woodman, GoPro’s CEO.  “At the core, we’ve kept the HD HERO camera as small and light as possible, cutting out everything that isn’t required for capturing incredible HD content. Our wide angle lens allows for the omission of an LCD screen for most uses, but of course there are times when an LCD screen comes in handy. We’re excited to provide this functionality to our customers via the LCD BacPac. This is the first of many expansion BacPacs to come, and one more step towards establishing the HD HERO as one of the most versatile cameras in the world.”

Included with the new LCD BacPac are four new housing backdoors that can be attached to both the existing HD HERO waterproof housing as well as the HD Wrist housing which enables the HD HERO to be worn on the wrist. The new backdoors allow both housings to fully enclose the HD HERO camera plus LCD BacPac within the respective housings. Furthermore, the LCD BacPac is compatible with all existing GoPro mounts, when attached to the HD HERO camera.

Based in Half Moon Bay, California, GoPro is the world’s leading activity image capture company. GoPro’s HD HERO line of wearable and gear mountable cameras and accessories are sold in over 60 countries, in specialty sports retailers, Best Buy, and online at gopro.com.