(Photo: from GoPRO's website)
Update: 11/30/10
A firmware update from GoPro may fix the memory card problems in the GoPro HD Heros. There's also a bunch of cool features added in the update as well. Disclaimer: update at your own risk. http://www.goprocamera.com/support/hdheroupdate.php
Update: 12/15/10
Update from the comments--thanks Steve for the info. There may be some issues with the new firmware update. Please check out the comments section of http://cheesycam.com/gopro-hd-firmware-update/ for more information. I'm hoping the exposure issue is due to the user selecting Spot Metering vs. Center Weighted Average? If not, I would hold off upgrading until they make available the original firmware. Personally, I'm now using one of their recommended SD cards, and it's working good for now...knock on wood.
I'll cut straight to it, so here's the bottom line guys: GoPRO HD cameras have flawed firmware where they cannot read certain SDHC cards. Class 4, 6, 10, 30Mbit write speed, doesn't matter--the camera will just not play nice with many SDHC cards irregardless of the brand name. Either due to not enough testing, rushing to release the product to market, GoPRO still has not released a fix for this after 4 months+ of their product on the market. Also, nowhere on their website have they referenced this problem. Not cool.
The only "fix" GoPRO has advised is to try a different card, but that kind of hurts if you already purchased a 32GB card setting you back an arm and a leg, which you could have used to go skiing for example. They are blaming it on the cards, but that is not the case because many of these cards have write speeds exceeding GoPRO HD's requirements.
http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/open-forums/427173-video-editing-1080p-go-pro-choppy-need-solution.html
http://www.kawiforums.com/off-topic-discussion/146750-gopro-hd-issues.html
I've tested a 16GB Lexar Class 4 card, 8GB Adata Class 6 card, and I've only been able to successfully record 4 seconds of corrupted video, on the 16GB card, out of many many tries. The rest of the time, there is no video file recorded, and I get a S.O.S error with 3 beeps. However, I was able to record video on a 2GB Kingston Class 4 card.
For now, hopefully, users will report which cards do work with the GoPRO HD Hero so that other HD Hero owners will be able to capture their adrenaline pumping moments.
Update: Ongoing list of card that WORK:
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=50043151918&topic=11791
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=50043151918&topic=11791
More on the topic here:
http://goprouser.freeforums.org (thanks anonymous)
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=50043151918&topic=10838
http://goprouser.freeforums.org (thanks anonymous)
http://www.facebook.com/topic.php?uid=50043151918&topic=10838
http://www.hayabusa.org/forum/random-thoughts/122158-gopro-hd.html
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=581680
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=581680
http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/open-forums/427173-video-editing-1080p-go-pro-choppy-need-solution.html
http://www.kawiforums.com/off-topic-discussion/146750-gopro-hd-issues.html
