Installed new batteries and the camera will not turn on. The camera has been sitting up for 6 mo. with no use. We used energizer lithium batteries.

You can try using Lithium batteries (Energizer Ultimate Lithium) instead of an alkaline battery. If you are using brand new, high-power batteries and are still getting this message, there may be a short or some defect within the camera itself that is causing the batteries to drain unnecessarily fast.

A Class 6 memory card is required for recording HD quality video. Not sure if yours is HD or not. Anything lower than Class 6 (such as Class 4 or Class 2) will result in recording issues and possibly skipping some video here & there.

As for the 30 seconds of filming limit...

1) It may be the memory card...that is if it's lower than Class 6. As a rule of thumb, when it doubt, buy Class 6 or better. Class 10 is the next step up, but it's a quite a bit more expensive.

2) Make sure you are using good, Lithium batteries...not Alkaline. Alkaline batteries will shut the camera down after a very short period.

Here are more tips on shortened recordings from GoPro's Website, followed by their Support Contact Info:

The batteries do not last very long.

• It is not recommended that you use Alkaline batteries. Lithium batteries have the best results and longest battery life. Rechargeable NiMH are another option in mild weather.
• Is it cold out? Battery life can definitely be affected by the cold! Please make sure you only use Energizer Lithium batteries in the cold, as any other battery type will perform poorly. In cold temps, you can expect about half of the normal run time when using the Energizer Lithium batteries.
• Still having shortened records with a good set of the recommended batteries? Please email our support team through http://gopro.com/support for further assistance.

http://www.gopro.com/support

You have to make sure you use Energizer Lithium e2 L91BP Battery - AA - Li 2900 mAh

Hi
check the following
Energizer 3V Lithium Camera Battery - EVR2L76BP
Energizer Silver Oxide 1.5V Watch Battery - EVR357-303TS
Duracell 1/3 N-Cell Lithium Battery 1 Pack - DL1/3NBPK
Energizer Silver Oxide 1.5V Watch Battery 3-Pack - EVR357BP-3

Cheers
Tejodhar

I've turned many of my customers into users of the Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA batteries. Many people who have been ready to throw their camera away find the Energizers fix all their problems. Make sure to get the Energizer Ultimate Lithiums, as there are some lower output Energizers available too.

Not all batteries are created equal, especially in digital cameras. Try lithium ion batteries (Energizer Advanced or Duracell PowerPix) or quality NiMH rechargable batteries. Regular alkalines, especially some of the cheaper ones, are not recommended regardless of what the manual says.

How "fresh" are the batteries. Quite often they are weak, right out of the package. We revive a lot of "dead" cameras with Energizer Lithium AA batteries. Many cameras that people are ready to write-off, are resurrected with the Energizer Lithiums. I also think that battery manufacturers are not putting as much "juice" in them as they used to.

turn flash to off in menu and it will at least work.

I'm not sure what model camera you have, but it's possible that you may be using the wrong type. If your camera uses AA batteries, make sure that you are using lithium batteries instead of regular alkaline ones. The lithium batteries are a lot better for digital devices and they will last a lot longer too. However, they are a little more expensive. You can find them anywhere they sell batteries. They're the energizer e2 ones in the blue package.

try energizer lithium batts- some cameras very very strange about batterys-have a sony that will only work w/ sony or energizer lithium-bought all other types and they do not work-i get 300-500 pics per set of lithiums-good luck