GoPro Hero8 Black

amazon GoPro Hero8 Black reviews

Hero7 Black was GoPro’s biggest release in years. It introduced HyperSmooth, a kind of electronic image stabilization (EIS) so good you don’t need a gimbal – even for the most rudimentary runs or rides. It’s a really useful innovation that has set a new bar for EIS and action cameras in general.

It also raises an important question: Where can GoPro go from there?

The answer is the $400 Hero8 Black, which features the first physical redesign since 2016’s Hero5 Black and includes a built-in mount – you can ditch the mounting bracket. It’s also compatible with a new line of accessories, called Mods, that turn the camera into a powerful vlogging and storytelling tool.

Then there’s HyperSmooth 2.0, which now works across all frame rates and resolutions. Combined with the optional horizon leveling, it’s another leap for EIS.

It’s only been a year, but the Hero8 Black compares very favorably to the Hero7 Black with these and many other new features. More importantly, GoPro’s latest flagship proves the company that started the action cam craze still has what it takes to compete – and win – against the likes of DJI, Yi, and countless others that have to appear.

New design and user interface

The new design looks largely the same, but it hides an important functional improvement. Recessed and hidden from view at the bottom of the camera are two tabs that fold out to form traditional GoPro mounting hardware. Previously you had to place the camera in a case or frame before using it with the mount.

While this has made the size of the product slightly larger than the naked Hero7, it is smaller than the frame-wearing Hero7. Since the GoPro is almost always attached to something – be it a helmet or a selfie stick – the Hero8 offers a small size advantage over previous models.

That also adds the convenience of accessing the memory card and battery without having to remove the chassis. Thanks to the new side door, you don’t even have to remove the camera from whatever it’s attached to swap out batteries or cards. These small improvements go a long way towards improving the user experience.

The lens hasn’t changed but now sits behind a thicker protective glass and is twice as stiff as before. It also protrudes from the body, though, making the camera slimmer overall. As a result, the glass can no longer be removed or replaced, so a separate frame will be needed if you use the filters.

The touch interface has also been tweaked to make it easier to navigate, with a new preset menu that allows you to bring up different modes for different situations quickly. In addition to the default modes, you can save up to 10 of your custom presets for different shooting styles or activities and label them. Four customizable on-screen buttons also give you quick access to settings like stabilization, zoom, exposure compensation, white balance, and more.

GoPro already has the best touch interface in its class, and I’m amazed at how the Hero8 has made it even better. You still hit the wrong button from time to time due to limited screen real estate, but using this camera is easy.

What I am not very happy with is the LCD screen. It’s the same base unit that’s been around since the Hero5 days, and it’s starting to show its age. It’s too small, and the aspect ratio is wrong for the video. The DJI Osmo Action showcases that outshines the large 16:9 display, and I would expect GoPro to rival that on the Hero8.

However, the Hero8 Black sets a new benchmark for action camera design, which is likely to hold well into the future.

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HyperSmooth 2.0 and TimeWarp 2.0

Just as HyperSmooth is the reason to buy a GoPro Hero7 Black, HyperSmooth 2.0 is what will make you covet the Black Hero8. It provides improved stability performance without changing the number of crops (which is 10%). If you don’t mind a more important crop, you can take stability even further with the new Boost Mode, which GoPro says will be great for track recording.

Not that I found a need for it. Anything I threw at the Hero8, from mountain gliders to running tracks, the standard HyperSmooth 2.0 handled with ease. It has never been so easy to get professional quality results with very little effort. In short, your video will end up looking more like an official GoPro promo video.

Leveling also helps to take stability to the next level. That is a feature borrowed from GoPro Fusion 360 cameras, but it’s rare to see it on non-360 cameras. It’s not enabled by default, but you can enable it in the GoPro mobile app. Of course, unlike the 360 ​​camera, the Hero8 has a limited field of view to work with, so extreme horizon balancing will result in noticeable cropping of footage. In practice, this has never been an issue for me and using horizon balance often results in a more polished shot. It’s a lifesaver for those times when it’s impossible to mount or hold the camera perfectly.

But my favorite new feature is something less about practicality and more about fun: TimeWarp 2.0. Like the TimeWarp mode introduced on the Hero7 Black, it creates a steady-motion time-lapse video – or hyper-lapse – that looks almost unthinkable in playback.

Version 2.0 adds a few neat tricks. First, it automatically calculates the time-lapse rate based on the amount of camera movement. Second, you can slow down in real-time by tapping an on-screen button, then speed it back up to hyper-lapse with a second tap. While it sounds basic, it’s a feature missing from most hyper-lapse modes and apps. It allows you to draw attention to key subjects or moments or build dramatic conclusions about your journey. It’s also fun to play.

Another new feature is LiveBurst, which buffers frames before pressing the shutter button, then saves 1.5 seconds of footage captured before and after pressing. Like Apple’s Live Photos, you can then select a single frame or save the entire 3-second clip as a video. I haven’t found this to be helpful, but some people will appreciate this option.

GoPro has tweaked its SuperPhoto mode for standard photos to handle HDR (high dynamic range) better. When shooting moving subjects, ghosting is now greatly reduced, if not eliminated. I didn’t try this feature a lot in my testing, but the stills I took in SuperPhoto mode look great, and the ultra-wide lens creates a unique look you won’t find on the internet.

More than an action camera

Some of the more compelling new abilities of the Hero8 Black are not in the camera but the Mods. GoPro has announced three so far – Media Mod, Display Mod, and Light Mod, all aimed at alleviating the needs of GoPro’s less action-sports-focused creators.

Since this review was published, I’ve had a chance to try out the Light Mod, even though there’s no Media Mod needed to mount it on the GoPro. But part of the value of the Light Mod lies in being able to use it off-camera, to light your subject from a different angle, or to use it as a flashlight. The small LED has three levels of brightness and is amazingly bright at the highest level. It also has a strobe mode that will make it work just as well as a bicycle light. A diffuser is also included, which does a good job of softening the light, but with such a small light source, you will still experience harsh shadows.

The Media Mod’s key feature is the built-in shotgun microphone, but it also has a 3.5mm jack for connecting your microphone, as well as two cold boots for attaching accessories. HDMI and USB-C ports provide video and data options.

The Display Mod is reminiscent of the old LCD BacPac from the HD Hero era. It adds a screen to the camera’s back, but it flips up in the selfie position. It’s much larger than the built-in DJI Osmo Action’s front screen, and its battery also powers it so that it won’t put extra strain on the camera.