More Professional GoPro Equivalent

[MrKorney]

I have a buddy who really enjoys doing time-lapse photography and high frame rate video with his GoPro but not that interested in straight still photography (even though time-lapse is technically stills converted to a video). What kind of gear, canon or not, would you recommend to get a more professional looking finished product. The GoPro is great for all that it can do but its quality only goes so far. Thanks!