On October 1st, the latest model of GoPro, the compact camera used mainly for shooting outdoor sports in high definition, was released in stores and in the first month it broke a new sales record in the company's history. After reaching a moment of maximum diffusion and success in 2014, between 2016 and 2017 GoPro did not seem to be doing very well, especially because it was damaged by competition from the more accessible Asian brands and the increasingly sophisticated video cameras of smartphones. Despite this, however, every new model that the company presents is always a great success and the review sites say that the GoPro is still the best choice for those who want to buy an action camera.
Reviews speak highly of Hero 8 and Wirecutter, the influential New York Times review site that is still testing it, says Hero 7 Black is the best action camera on the market today. If you are considering buying an action camera, however, you should know that GoPros are high-end products (Hero 8 costs 423 euros and Hero 7 330) and that there are also much cheaper and less sophisticated action cameras produced by other companies.
GoPro Hero 7
The two things that make GoPro the best among the other action cameras on the market are the high image quality and the resistance to water, dust and shocks, essential for those who use it during extreme sports activities. In GoPro Hero 7 Black, the image resolution goes up to 4K (i.e. 3840 x 2160 pixels) and the frame rate (fps) up to 60, but lower specifications can also be set. In the water it can go up to 10 meters deep and the Wirecutter editor who tested it says he recovered it perfectly functional and intact after a few hours on his dog playing Frisbee in the park. Compared to the previous model, Hero 7 Black also has a more advanced processor and a new function, which is called HyperSmooth and which serves to stabilize the image more in order to return smoother footage and avoid the “earthquake effect”.
With the TimeWarp function you can make time-lapse videos, those where time seems to pass faster (here are some examples), and by increasing the image capture frequency you get slow motion videos (where time seems slowed down instead. ) of great quality. You can set the field of view to obtain a more “normal” effect with an angle of 170 degrees or obtain a wide angle effect, the so-called fish-eye, by opening the lens beyond 180 degrees. Compared to the previous model, the Hero 7 Black also has a better microphone, which makes sounds less muffled, although according to Wirecutter those who want to get really clear sound must add an external microphone. If you use the SuperPhoto mode to take photos, the result is an image like that of an iPhone XS but with the wide-angle effect typical of GoPro.
The camera also responds to voice commands such as “GoPro, take a picture” or “GoPro, record video” so that you can activate it even when your hands are busy with something else (if you are on a kayak or surfboard, for example. ). With the GoPro app you can control all the settings and also make direct streaming on Facebook and YouTube and with Quick App, a program that can be downloaded to your desktop or smartphone, you can make quick changes and montages. In addition to the Hero 7 Black which costs 330 euros, there are the two versions White (204 euros on ePrice) and Silver (194 euros on ePrice), cheaper but with less specifications than the Black: among other things, they do not have an LCD screen. front and it is not possible to remove the battery when it is discharged (therefore it cannot be replaced with another charged one, but you can only wait for the internal one to recharge); White also doesn't shoot 4K images.
Being so small, GoPro batteries have a limited lifespan: Hero 7 Black at full capacity (4k and 60 fps) lasts an hour and a quarter. If you need it to last longer, you can buy extra batteries to charge and take with you for when the first one runs out.
GoPro Hero 8 Black
GoPro Hero 8 Black is the latest model released in October and costs 423 euros. It is half an inch thinner and lighter than the Hero 7 but is also a bit wider and taller. According to the American tech site The Verge, the biggest novelty of the Hero 8 is that it doesn't need the plastic frame that older models need, because here the adapters to the various mounts are integrated into the camera. Another big news is that the HyperSmooth mode for shot stabilization has been improved over the Hero 7 and can be used for all resolutions (while in the previous model only for 4K videos).
If you use the Hero 8 to its full potential, the battery lasts about an hour and a quarter, like that of the Hero 7. Also in the Hero 8 the battery can be extracted (from the side door, another novelty) and replaced with another charge. Hero 8's new lens makes details a little sharper, but The Verge says there's too much contrast and that, for example, skin tones come out a little too warm.
There is also a function called Live Burst to immortalize unpredictable moments: the video camera records everything but only saves the seconds before and after the moment the button is pressed. There are also improvements on TimeWarp and SuperPhoto modes. For conditions where it is difficult to use the controls, you can pre-set scenarios with the specifications you want to be easily activated when needed. The app for editing and editing videos and images has been integrated into the GoPro app.
GoPro Max
In October, GoPro also released GoPro Max, an action camera that takes “360-degree” video: this means that, if it is used for example to walk on a street, it will take pictures of the people in front of you, yourself, the things on your right, those on your left, the sky and the sidewalk on which you are walking. Even the microphones, which are six in all, return sounds from all directions. GoPro Max can also be used simply as a GoPro Hero, but it is less powerful than the Hero 8: among other things, it does not have the resolution in 4K. The review from the technology site CNet says that, unless your priority is shooting 360-degree videos, the best purchase for those who want a state-of-the-art action camera is GoPro Hero 8. Also because GoPro Max costs 522 euros.
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