GoPro for Commercial Videography?

I am confused.

I am a Video Creator. Of late, I am getting enquiries to make company introduction videos. I would have to record short customer interviews, glimpses inside their office/manufacturing environment, etc.

These are typically short – less than 2/3 minutes and they’ll mostly be a part of promo videos I make for them. Promo Videos mostly contain animation, video backgrounds, messages with text effects, motion graphics, etc. and the recorded videos may be a small part in it.

As you may have guessed, I am more of a video editor and not a videographer. But since a few customers want, I am considering to create a small mobile video kit that I can carry around and record their videos.

I have three options,

One option may be to rent a video/movie camera. These are available on a per-day basis, for a relatively low-cost. However, I’ll not have much of an opportunity to learn and use it often.

My second option would be to buy a professional DSLR tailored for video professionals like the Sony a6300. It’s expensive, but very capable, and should be sufficient for my requirements. The issue is, photographer friends say that my requirements will change over time, hence major investments now may not be a good idea.

My third option, and my current favourable consideration is to buy a GoPro Hero 5 Action Camera. This is not only a very capable video camera, but has latest/excellent features like 4K movie recording, slow motion, time lapse, burst mode, RAW photos, and what not. This one costs 1/3rd of the Sony DSLR price.

The lower cost gives me the leverage to more confidently invest in the remaining accessories required to build my mobile video studio setup – like Mic, LED Light, Video Tripod, Gimbal/Stabilizer, Memory Card, Power Bank, etc.

The issue is, although they are awesome for video recording, GoPro cameras are very small – the size may be 3″ x 3″ x 1″. So, when I visit a customer, they might be daunted by the small size and that might create an unprofessional first impression.

GoPro’s are meant for shooting high-speed action scenes and other such, hence the good video capability. They’ve been used to shoot action movies, even, due to their support for high speed recording.

I am now thinking why I should spend so much and buy a professional DSLR when I can buy a GoPro at 1/3rd of the price. Maybe I can rent professional video cameras as the need arises.

Has anyone used a GoPro for commercial purposes? Even if not, I am tempted to try it out

Any photography enthusiasts here wish to help?

Destination Infinity