Photos of GoPro dropped from 100m prove that a GoPro Subscription isn't just a waste of money

 Broken action camera with a cracked lens.
Broken action camera with a cracked lens.

Back in the day, having a GoPro Subscription meant that you could get the latest and greatest GoPro action cameras for cheaper than non-subscribers. When the company got rid of this benefit, interest in GoPro Subscription waned slightly.

Looking at a Redditor's photos, there might be other reasons why you might want to keep that subscription going.

In a post titled '100m free fall with fpv drone…', Redditor Fit-Variation-4220 shared some photos of what looks like a GoPro Hero 12 Black, completely disfigured after a 100-metre (approx. 328 feet) fall while attached to a drone. The lens and the battery door fell off, and the battery itself seems to be missing, too. Ouch.

As rugged as the best GoPro is, it can't withstand such a massive fall without complete obliteration. Officially, the Hero 12 Black should be able to survive a fall from 10 metres (33ft) without Protective Housing and 60 metres (196ft) with Protective Housing.

You might wonder what any of this has to do with the GoPro Subscription. Well, as damaged as the above action camera is, you can still trade it in if you're a subscriber for a whopping $100. Even assuming it isn't the Hero 12 Black, cameras all the way back to the Hero 9 Black can be traded in for the same price.

That's a whopping $100 off your next GoPro, whichever model it might be!

GoPro's Premium subscription (links to GoPro) costs $49.99 a year ($24.99 for the first year for new subscribers), and as well as the generous trade-in offer, you also get unlimited cloud storage, synced mobile and desktop editing, up to 50% off accessories, auto uploads and more.

If you're planning on using your GoPro how you should – a.k.a. in situations where the camera might get knocked repeatedly – it's well worth considering the GoPro Subscription. Have you seen our best GoPro deals roundup? You might want to check it out.