GoPro has been always been a forefront player in the action-cam segment and has garnered a substantial market share leaving its nearest competitor miles behind. This week, they show off their latest kids, the Hero8 Black, the Max and Mods.
Just like the iPhone game plan, GoPro dished out a few options for its users to choose, based on the budget and usage. We are more interested with the Mods as it expands the capabilities of the base Hero8 Black. Let’s us summarise each of the models launched with its important features you should know before you buy them.
Hero8 Black
Streamlined Design – Frameless mounting with built-in folding mounting fingers, more pocketable and 14% lighter. The frameless design also makes changing batteries and SD cards even faster; plus, the lens is now 2x more impact resistant.
HERO8 Black Mods – Vloggers, pro filmmakers and aspiring creators can do more than ever imagined with quick-loading accessories that bring flashes, microphones, LCD screens and more to HERO8 Black.
HyperSmooth 2.0 – Improved overall baseline performance and dramatically improved stabilization in pitch-axis movement. HyperSmooth 2.0 also features a new Boost mode that cranks up the stabilization when desired. Plus, HyperSmooth 2.0 works in all resolutions and frame rates and features in-app horizon levelling.
TimeWarp 2.0 – Automatically adjusts speed based on motion, scene detection and lighting. Tap to slow down to real-time and again to speed back up.
Digital Lenses – Toggle between Narrow, Linear, Wide and SuperView.
LiveBurst – Record the moments 1.5 seconds before and after your shot, so you can choose the best single frame for the perfect 12MP photo or share an awesome 4K 4:3 video.
Pro-Quality Videos – 4K60 + 1080p240 Video, Stunning video resolution, with studio-quality bit rate options of up to 100Mbps, and 8x slo-mo ultra-high frame rate 1080p240 video.
RAW in All Photo Modes – RAW mode delivers the most flexibility and is now available for time-lapse and burst photos.
Live Streaming in 1080p – Get HyperSmooth stabilization as you broadcast via the GoPro app and save footage to your SD card to check out later.
Rugged and Waterproof – Waterproof without a housing to 33ft (10m).
The MODS
The Media Mod, Display Mod and Light Mod are modular accessories that ‘lego-ed” HERO8 Black with professional-grade audio, a front-facing display and enhanced lighting. For user who wants to expand their performance, Mods enable them to transform their HERO8 Black into a mini production powerhouse. Let’s look at these MODS:
Media Mod: It delivers shotgun-mic directional audio performance and features two cold shoe mounts for additional accessories along with Type-C, HDMI and 3.5mm external mic adapter ports.
Display Mod: This is a folding front- or rear-facing 1.90-inch display that attaches to the top of the Media Mod. It’s the perfect size for both framing up vlogging shots and folding down and out of the way when not in use.
Light Mod: Waterproof to 33 feet (10 meters), wearable and gear-mountable. Light Mod is the world’s most versatile light. It’s rechargeable, and it comes complete with a diffuser to soften lighting when filming with HERO8 Black.
GoPro MAX
There is no other camera in the market today that works like the GoPro MAX. Well, to summarize this device, it is like buying two Hero8, tape it together back to back then you squashed it flatter like a burger. Then, it will become a 360˚ camera, a super panoramic camera, an action-cam that can record from and back actions in one single device. So, how cool is that? Here are some important features of the MAX you can digest
- Built-In, Folding Mounting Fingers
- HERO + 360 Capture Modes – Switch between traditional HERO-style video and photo or immersive 360 footage.
- Max HyperSmooth – MAX gives you unbreakable stabilization by using 180° capture as the ultimate buffer.
- In-Camera Horizon Leveling – In HERO mode, game-changing horizon levelling gives you that silky-smooth cinematic look.
- Max TimeWarp – Warps time in both 360 and HERO modes. In HERO mode, TimeWarp automatically adjusts speed based on motion, scene detection and lighting + slow capture to real-time in one tap.
- Digital Lenses – 4 digital lenses make selecting a field of view easy and include the ultra-immersive Max SuperView option.
- Max SuperView – Our widest, most immersive view yet can be applied using digital lenses.
- PowerPano – Pano without the pan. Take an incredible 270° distortion-free panoramic photos without having to scan the horizon. Perfect for capturing action shots and epic selfies.
- Premium Image Quality – 5.6K30 360 video, 1440p60 and 1080p60 HERO video, 5.5MP HERO photos and 6.2MP PowerPano photos.
- Premium 360 + Stereo Audio – Six mics capture true-to-life 360 audio and deliver the best stereo sound ever from a GoPro.
- Directional Audio – Directional audio in HERO mode lets you prioritize sound from either side of the camera, no matter which lens you’re using—perfect for vlogging.
- In-Camera Stitching – Offload and edit your 360 footage in the GoPro app.
- Reframe + the GoPro App – Use the new keyframe-based workflow in the app to easily Reframe 360 footage into traditional videos and photos you can playback, edit or share.
- 1080p Live Streaming – Shoot in HERO mode and share while you’re there in HyperSmooth stabilization.
- Rugged and Waterproof – It’s a GoPro—built tough. Really wanna go hard? Snap-on the included protective lenses and charge. And it’s waterproof down to 16ft (5m).
- Voice Control – 12 commands in 15 languages and dialects.
- GPS-Enabled – GPS captures your location, altitude and speed. Add GPS performance stickers to your videos in the GoPro app.
- Scene Detection – In HERO mode, MAX knows if you’re in the snow, at the beach, underwater and more.
- Auto Backup to the Cloud with GoPro PLUS – Offload videos and photos from MAX to the cloud—automatically.
Available for pre-order at local GoPro Store this month,
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