360 Camera News and Info

I killed my GoPro Fusion — learn from my mistake

GoPro Fusion killed
GoPro Fusion killed

My fears came true — I killed my GoPro Fusion (reviewed here).  It happened over the weekend, while I was working on my video review for the GoPro Fusion. Unfortunately, it got knocked over in one scene and you can see the lens got scratched up pretty badly.

My plan was to skate over the Fusion.  I had rehearsed the scene a few times with a practice target and was able to do it fine in the test shots, but on the actual shot with the actual camera, sadly I knocked over the Fusion!

The Fusion is kind of pricey for a 360 camera, and unlike the Hero 5 Black or Hero 6, the lens is not user-replaceable, nor is there an external housing for it. That’s why I added GoPro’s protection plan when I preordered the Fusion.

But GoPro’s current protection plan costs $5 per month ($60 per year) and it has a deductible, which they call a service fee, of $129. It’s a lot cheaper than having to buy a new camera at full price, but it’s not that cheap either. To GoPro’s credit they said they are thinking about making an exception and offering a replacement free of charge.  We’ll see.

At the time I bought the Fusion, Gopro.com was the only place to get the Fusion.  But now you can also buy it from Amazon. And that’s important because Amazon offers an protection plan that costs less (around $57 for 4 years) and has no deductible.   Hopefully you will never need to use it, but if you get a Fusion, I very strongly recommend a protection plan — either Amazon’s or GoPro Care — until GoPro releases a housing for the Fusion.

Accident protection
Accident protection

About the author

Mic Ty

21 Comments

Click here to post a comment

Leave a Reply to Steve Troletti Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Sorry to hear it, Mic. I didn’t kill mine, but I did sell it… so it’s dead to me. In the end, the issues in dealing with the camera were just too much when cameras like the MadVenture 360 make it so simple.

  • Sorry to hear that, Mic. But you bring up a point I have often talked about with my colleagues: The difficulty in adequately protecting the fish-eye lenses used on 180 and 360 cameras.

    As a photographer, I always keep lens caps on my lenses and often use filters and hoods over them. But none of these will fit the often bulging fish-eye lenses found on “VR” cameras. And that leaves them particularly vulnerable. I noted when the Yi Horizon was being showcased at CES that there were many fingerprints on the demo’s lenses. It might seem “normal” in such a context, but yet it highlighted the fact that lenses sticking out in such a way make them particularly vulnerable.

    One must keep in mind that most people using compact cameras just slip them in a pocket. Most of these cameras have retracting lenses that retreat under a metal protective shield. But cameras such as the Yi (and many other2D 360 cameras) leave the lenses exposed and, as a result, they may can get scratched by other items in people’s pockets or bags.

    In other words, the problem exists due to the inherent design of such cameras even before you attempt to use them in a risky context.

    And speaking of “risky context”, I am reminded of the recent suggestion to twirl such cameras around one’s head in order to create first-person bullet-time clips. Such twirling is a great recipe for accidents, given people often don’t take note of obstacles all round them or might miscalculate the distance between the camera and such an obstacle while moving around.

    • Hi Francois. Yes that’s true that’s why I have a camera case for each of my cameras. I use the camera case as a lens cap. 🙂 Unfortunately, it won’t protect the camera while I am shooting with it lol
      Best regards,
      Mic

  • Seems like the main problem with 360 camera is that we try to do more dangerous stuff with it. Mine fall twice in the past few weeks, something that never happens to me with any other camera. With that said, good luck with GoPro!

      • Hey there Tony! good to see you again buddy. Hmm it’s on Amazon now? wow. I backed that project on Kickstarter but it got pulled for unknown reasons. Now I see on Amazon that it is ‘currently unavailable’. I think something is wrong with that product. But if it becomes available again, I’m willing to test it with one of my cams! Best regards, Mic

      • I definitely would recommend against putting such a product on an optical glass lens. Lenses on camera are AR treated and such a coating could completely disable the AR properties and mess with the optical quality as well.

  • I havn’t scratched my GoPro Fusion (trying to take more care of it) yet, but my Insta360One is another matter. The Insta360 is more portable/lighter/cheaper, so I was properly trying out more strange things to do with it, than I dare to do with the GoPro. :-/

  • This is a big issue with almost all 360 cameras. Ricoh will replace lens/camera for $150 or so if you damage one of the lenses. This is why I like the concept of the user replaceable lens cover like the ones found on the Keymission 360. There’s no reason not to implement a user serviceable solution, especially for GoPro who advertises themselves as an action camera company. Action cameras tend to live in harsher environments than regular cameras. At least Nikon got one thing right 🙂

  • Hey there Mic!

    did they offer in the end any solution?

    we’re in the same situation right now, and the only answer we got from GoPro is to go find ourselves the way to repair it.

    We think is a great mistreatment and we’re thinking to make a viral move if needed.

    • Im sorry to hear that. There is no way to repair it other than just replace it and maybe sell the broken one for parts. I hope you got their equipment replacement plan…

  • Hello and Merry Christmas! Sorry about your camera. I have the same fusion but broke the led screen. If you decide to sell it for part i’m interested in the screen. You may get more money selling the other lens, body, battery, motherboard and the rest. Pleaee let me know if you’re ok with that kind of an offer. Kind regards. Alex. galabeste@yahoo.com