Hero 3 Black vs. Hero 4 Silver for beginner

[Brian2828]

I'm a beginner when it comes to underwater photography/videography and am leaving for the Galapagos in a few months. I'm not expecting miracles but I'd like to get a simple setup that will allow me to get the best quality possible. I'm considering a used Hero 3 Black vs. a new Hero 4 Silver. Without a lot of experience, would having a Hero 4 vs. a Hero 3 make a big difference in quality? If I buy a used 3 Black I might have enough left in the budget to add a light. My main goal is to capture pictures/video of larger marine life. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

Thanks,
Brian

 

[timz]

Both have similar quality. But u'll need a good red filter and light(s) to bring out the colors.

If the price difference isn't too great, the hero 4 silver gives you the advantage with a display.

 

[carlkcarlk]

Brian,
I faced exactly the same question and decided to go with the Silver because of the display. Even in the murky green waters around Seattle I'm able to pull "snapshot-quality" stills without lights. The great part is that underwater, I only need to toggle one button. The less great part is that the workflow requires post-processing on the computer (with the free GoPro software).

Here are details: Easy One-Button Scuba Photos with GoPro Hero4
And a video:
[video=youtube;54bwE5N7G_c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?t=1&v=54bwE5N7G_c[/video]

- Carl