Hands on with the GoPro HD LCD BacPac

I’ve been really enjoying the GoPro HD camera I bought a few months ago. But one thing that I’ve been waiting for and that has been lacking for it is the newly released, LCD BacPac which gives the GoPro a much needed rear LCD screen:

The GoPro by itself is tiny and great for all kinds of action photography and video but sometimes it would be really helpful to see what kind of framing you have, especially in tight spaces. The BacPac addresses that shortcoming very well, without adding much bulk and for a reasonable price.

The LCD comes with a speaker for playback and an additional button for navigation. It easily attaches to the GoPro by clipping it into place:

My GoPro required a firmware update to work with the LCD BacPac but was painless to upgrade.

The LCD BacPac has another interesting benefit: it makes the cryptic mode codes usually found on the front of the GoPro completely understandable by using the full descriptions of each mode:

There is also a new mode for playback that you access by holding the LCD button down for 2 seconds. It let’s you playback video and photos as well as adjust the brightness:

A nice bonus is that the BacPac comes with a box of alternate back plates for the various types of mounts, including waterproof and non-waterproof versions for the regular housing and the wrist mount:

I recently purchased the Wrist mount and used it with the LCD attached while surfing in Ucluelet:

The BacPac is a little hard to see in full sunlight but it’s good enough to be able to frame up your shot and do a quick review (with sound) in the shade when you’re done shooting. There is also a hit to your battery if you use it a lot but it can be turned off by simply pressing the LCD button anytime. To me, it’s definitely a must buy if you have a GoPro.

As of right now, it’s only available directly from GoPro.com but shipping was only a couple of days from California to Canada. I did have to pay HST on the $79.99 price when importing it from the USA.