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Why GoPros Are the Only Camera Worth Buying Right Now

2 minute read

Apple’s latest ad campaign, “Shot on iPhone 6,” uses iPhone photographers’ gorgeous still images and video to ask one question: Do you really need a standalone camera anymore? For many, the answer is no—and that shows in camera companies’ performance. Nikon’s camera sales were down 15% in 2014, Canon’s by 7.3%.

But that pain isn’t being felt universally among camera makers. One in particular is doing just fine: GoPro, which in April posted a 54% year-over-year gain in revenue, though its stock price is floating at about half its all-time high Monday after going public last June.

GoPro is succeeding in selling cameras where its bigger, older rivals are failing because it’s taking advantage of a major shift in consumer tastes. For many people, smartphones are now good enough to replace typical compacts, like the Canon PowerShot line. There’s no reason to carry a comparatively bulky camera if your pocketable iPhone 6 or Samsung Galaxy S6 can take snapshots of your family’s trip to the zoo just fine. That leaves Canon, Nikon and other brands catering to a far smaller crowd of hobbyist and professional photographers, hurting sales.

See the Photos Apple Featured in Its iPhone Ad Campaign

BART Train Toward San Francisco
BART Train toward San Francisco Klodjana Dervishi
Kototoi Bridge, Tokyo
Kototoi Bridge in TokyoJun Imaizumi
Inle Lake, Shan State of Myanmar
Inle Lake in Shan State, MyanmarFrancis Olarte
Chinese University of Hong Kong
The Chinese University of Hong Kong in Hong KongKinyat Chan
Takachiho Gorge, Kyushi, Japan
Takachiho Gorge in Kyushi, Japan Gayle Tan
Joffre Lakes, British Columbia, Canada
Joffre Lakes in British Columbia, Canada Dan Carr
San Leandro, CA
San Leandro, Calif.Klodjana Dervishi
Rochester, New York
Rochester, N.Y.James Bogue
Downtown Dubai, Burj Khalifa
DubaiDavid Kalonick
In the Norrebro suburb of Copenhagen, Denmark
Norrebro suburb of Copenhagen, DenmarkBrendan Ó Se
Santa Monica PCH Beach
Santa Monica Beach in Santa Monica, Calif.Chris Cotter
Taft Point in Yosemite National Park
Taft Point in Yosemite National Park, Calif.Pei Ketron
Hugh Boyd Soccer Field in Richmond, British Columbia (No additional info provided)
Hugh Boyd Soccer Field in Richmond, British Columbia John Lehmann
Wah Tai House, Wah Fu Estate, Hong Kong
Wah Tai House in the Wah Fu Estate in Hong KongHarold Lee
Garin Dry Creek Regional Park near Union City, CA
Garin Dry Creek Regional Park near Union City, Calif.Renee Mukherji

GoPro, meanwhile, has positioned itself as the go-to brand of choice for the so-called “action cameras” — tiny box-shaped gadgets with ultra-wide lenses that can be attached to helmets or handlebars for hikers, bikers and climbers to get rad selfies for Facebook and Instagram. Since the introduction of the entry-level GoPro HERO, the company’s cameras now start at $129.99 and go all the way up to $499.99, adding bells and whistles like 4K ultra-high resolution video, Wi-Fi communication for slicker smartphone uploading and quicker burst photography along the way. The company’s newest entry, unveiled Monday, makes the whole package even smaller.

GoPro’s cameras are great because they offer something your smartphone doesn’t. Sure, you could probably mount your precious iPhone 6 on your skateboard helmet before you go bomb that killer hill. But would you really want to? That’s why—for most people—GoPros are the only standalone cameras worth buying right now. For everything else, there’s your phone in your pocket.

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