GoPro has ever occupied a rather tight market of camera users. In reality, there are more individuals who own the action camera than have lifestyles gnarly or radical enough to really need them. With this laser attention has arrived GoPro’s ability to continue optimizing entirely with each new update to its HERO series.
This action camera experience is on full display with their newest the GoPro HERO6 Black. At $499, this is the company’s most expensive addition to this line yet. However, the pervading additions to this version establish the HERO6 Dark as a clear flagship model for the action cam industry.
Design-wise it’s identical to what came before it. So, what’s new to differentiate it over the cheaper, still very capable HERO5 Black?
Capturing 4K at 60 frames and 2.7K at 120 frames is pretty fantastic with this small camera. Also, the quality you can get from pulling 1080p footage at 240fps for buttery smooth slow-mo opens up a lot, creatively. This doubling in frames is opened by the 6’s custom-designed GP1 processor. Which also allows the camera attain a wider dynamic range than preceding cams and improve low-light functionality (even though there is still room to grow ).
This camera does offer some noteworthy improvements besides slapping higher frame rates on 4K video. The electronic image stabilization is perhaps one of the biggest stars of this HERO 6 — it is surprisingly terrific. It’s not a miracle worker for bumpy footage. But it will show off some magic with source video which has been by no means stable in the course of shooting without making it feel unnatural. For current owners, the stabilization is one of the most notable updates.
GoPro Hero6 Black Review: Quality Action Camera
Should you rely heavily on the GoPro mobile program. You will also definitely notice the 5ghz Wi-Fi support, which lends a 3X improvement in offload instances between the HERO 6 along with your mobile phone. This time from being excruciatingly long on the HERO 5 to merely being fairly protracted on the HERO6.
Important to notice for prospective buyers is your camera’s use of this HEVC format. Allowing the HERO6 fit more into smaller file sizes. You can check your device’s compatibility here. You’ll still have the ability to shoot using H.264 to get a host of other manners. But items such as 4K/60 and 1080p/240 are just reserved for HEVC, and it can be a bit of a bummer.
Battery life leaves much to desire when shooting footage 4K/60; after an hour of shooting aggressively, the camera’s battery was roughly kaput. Insert in the extraordinary drain of offloading clips in the HERO6 to your telephone over Wi-Fi and it’s apparent you will want a couple spare batteries handy. Luckily, the HERO6 uses the same battery type as the HERO5.
GoPro, the company, might be striving to find another hit vertical using all the Karma drone or Fusion 360 camera. However as it looks to make features in their flagship lineup to get consumers to update. They appear to be on the ideal track with the HERO6.
The tiny action camera which could has been deliciously fun and shockingly powerful because of its size. The HERO6 Black provides exceptional performance that bests its predecessor in many key metrics. Together with the HERO5 Black currently selling for $299, the choice to buy the GoPro HERO6 Black becomes a whole lot tougher for first-time owners, but if you’re looking to take the plunge for $499, you are getting a whole lotta camera.