gopro hero 8 lcd screen free sample

Exactly one year ago today GoPro announced the Display Mod, as part of the larger Hero 8 suite. At the time, a year before the Hero 9 would come out, it promised a way to see yourself from the front of the camera, aimed somewhat at vloggers, but realistically anyone that just wanted to frame the subject from in front of the camera (which I think is way more people than just vloggers). Undoubtedly it was a response to the DJI OSMO Action with its dual front and rear color screens.

Unfortunately, with delay after delay after delay, it wouldn’t finally see the light until just a week or two ago. By then, the GoPro Hero 9 had launched, which featured a similar front-facing screen as the DJI OSMO Action, negating the value for most people. Still, plenty of people have the Hero 8 cameras, and the Display Mod also offers a larger screen than the Hero 9’s front facing display. So perhaps there was still some value there – it was time to find out!

To begin, the Display Mod comes with both a USB-C charging cable (just like a normal GoPro would), as well as a small case for it, keeping it safe for when it’s not on your camera:

The GoPro Display Mod requires the GoPro Media Mod. In the case of the Hero 8, that’s the Hero 8 Media Mod, and in the case of the Hero 9, that’s the Hero 9 Media Mod. These are different models and aren’t cross-compatible because the GoPro Hero 8 and Hero 9 are different sizes, thus their shells are different sizes:

But, the good news is that as long as you have the appropriate Media Mod for the right camera, then you can use the same Display Mod with either. Also, for fun, I tried using the Media Mod with the GoPro Hero 7 (which has an HDMI port on it), and while it would illuminate, it would only show a gallery view of existing content on the card (like plugging into a TV), except half the navigation icons are cut-off, so you’re basically navigating blindly with the Hero 7 Mode & Power Buttons, hoping you don’t delete anything in the process.

Now, you’ll twist up the Display Mod, which has the screen on the front-facing side. This hinge seems well built in terms of up/down movement, but wouldn’t do well with a strong shear (lateral) or twisting force on it. Long term I think disconnecting and re-connecting the wire is probably what will break first.

Next, go ahead and hold down the left button, this turns it on. If you have the screen on, but not yet the GoPro, you’ll see this (which assumes you haven’t connected the cable). You’ll also see the battery state in the corner (of the display mod). Once you turn on your GoPro, you’ll see yourself on the Display Mod, and the GoPro Hero 8 or 9 back screen will turn off:

On the front Display Mod screen you’ll only ever see the exact same thing: Yourself and the Display Mod battery. Meanwhile, on the front GoPro status screen you’ll see the recording time details more or less like normal. You’ll see the mode you’re in, recording time, battery life of the GoPro, etc…

At first you’re like – OK, no biggie, right? Except…biggie. See, you can’t adjust any settings now unless you literally turn off the Display Mod (which means it’s now sitting there flipped up and off – cause if it’s flipped down, it blocks your rear touchscreen):

See, the Display Mod isn’t a touchscreen, and it *NEVER* shows display settings, or allows you to adjust settings. It just shows yourself. That’s it. Again, it only shows yourself. Take for example this super cool new audio feature on the Hero 9 Media Mod (green lines at the bottom) – this is when the Display Mod is turned off:

Or, perhaps you want to adjust from Wide to the new GoPro Hero 9 Linear Horizon Leveling mode. Nope, you can’t do that either without shutting off the Display Mod, waiting for it to slowly disconnect itself, and then illuminate the other screen. And then of course once that’s done, you’ll turn back your Display Mod on.

So when you’re not having the Display Mod in use, then you can flip down the screen like this (shown partially, it goes all the way down as shown above elsewhere):

And that’s fine, you can still see the GoPro screen. Except it doesn’t go to sleep like the normal screen does. So it’ll just burn battery forever. Also, again, you can’t adjust any settings, or even see the recording times from the back – because that’s only on the status.  Mind, you, all this is the same on the Hero 8 or Hero 9.

Further, it ignores the GoPro display timeout settings as well. It’ll just stay on forever, until the GoPro turns off physically, in which case two minutes later the Display Mod turns off too. But this doesn’t match the normal settings where the displays go to sleep (timeout) earlier to prevent battery drain.

As in, there’s nothing else to talk about. That’s the sum total of the GoPro Display Mod’s capabilities. It’s basically a simple non-touchscreen display that you clip on the top and it reduces the functionality of your GoPro, by only very slightly increasing one aspect (seeing yourself on the front if on the Hero 8, or slightly bigger on the Hero 9). But that’s a massive tradeoff for the functions.

No, the Media Mod is required for either the Hero 8 or Hero 9, since neither camera has a micro-HDMI port. The Media Mod does, which is required for the Display Mod.

The screen measures 2” diagonal and has a resolution of 480×320, the exact same as the GoPro Hero 8 rear screen (but smaller than the Hero 9 rear screen).

No, it has its own battery that you must charge separately. Meaning, you’ll need to plug in two cables (one to your GoPro to charge that battery, and one to your Display Mod to charge that battery). The Media Mod doesn’t have an internal battery, so no need for a third cable there.

No, according to GoPro “Current hardware limitations prevent output to the Display Mod and enabling the full functionality of the Hero 9 Black back touchscreen at the same time”. Which, is exactly what I’ve seen. It will show status on the Hero 9 front display screen, just like the Hero 8 front display screen.

When GoPro announced the Display Mod, it was clearly in response to DJI. Some day we’ll find out for real whether this was in the hopper before DJI announced their OSMO Action 5 months earlier. My guess is it might have been on a napkin somewhere, but that’s about it. When GoPro held various media events leading up to the Hero 8 launch last September, the Display Mod was nowhere to be found, save under a glass case…untouchable. Yet, it was still slated to be released by December 2019 (something I was skeptical on at the time).

I’ve bought literally almost every product GoPro has made. Every action cam, almost every mount, and even that drone. Yes, the remotes and accessory cables too. And ultimately, I think this is the most disappointing thing GoPro has made.  It’s as if the concept never really left the napkin stage and went through a proper productization. It’s as if someone shipped the napkin off to a manufacturer in Asia, and they shipped back this hardware with a coffee-stained half-ripped sticky note that says “KThxBye!”.

For Hero 8 users this would have helped bridge the gap, and sure, if you’ve already got the Hero 8 + Hero 8 Media Mod, and don’t care about changing settings or often changing the direction of your camera to point at something else, then maybe this is a good intermediate option for ya. But if you’ve got a Hero 8 with no Media Mod, you’re basically looking at $160 for both the Media Mod + Display Mod, which is about half-way to the cost of a Hero 9 assuming you’ve got GoPro Plus.

Even in the case of the Hero 9, there’s so much real potential for the Display Mod for its intended target audience – vloggers. Why couldn’t GoPro have put the audio levels on the screen? Why not an exposure graph? Why not additional ProTune metrics on the screen like ISO or shutter speed? Why not the ability to change zoom levels like the Hero 9 screen? Why not a 16:9 overlay when recording 4:3 content? Why not even GoPro GPS-based metrics that are available through the app, like speed? Why not dual-screen support like their actual product page originally showed? Why doesn’t it auto shut–off the screen per the GoPro screen savings settings? Why can’t I change settings when the Display Mod is enabled?

While I can hope some of those things happen, the reality is that I suspect they won’t. Which is too bad, as I think there actually are some use cases for the Display Mod, but as of today I’d have a really hard time recommending it to anyone. But hey, on the bright side – the Hero 9 Media Mod and Hero 9 Max SV Mod are actually mostly pretty cool…so more on those shortly.

If you"re shopping for the GoPro Display Mod or any other accessory items, please consider using the affiliate links below! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. Even more, if you use Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with coupon code DCRAINMAKER, first time users save 15% on applicable products!

If you"re shopping for the GoPro Display Mod or any other accessory items, please consider using the affiliate links below! As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. It doesn’t cost you anything extra, but your purchases help support this website a lot. Even more, if you use Backcountry.com or Competitive Cyclist with coupon code DCRAINMAKER, first time users save 15% on applicable products!

The ultimate GoPro HERO 8 review, detailing the newest features, settings and upgrades on this brand new, high quality action sports camera. Is the GoPro HERO8 Black the best travel vlogging camera on the market now? Read on to find out…

GoPro revolutionised the sports action camera market when it first burst on the scene in 2004. Since then the Californian company has grown to be one of the most well-respected and high quality camera and adventure brands in the world.

From the original HERO1 in 2004, the evolution of GoPro has seen the pocket-sized cameras go from being a product that only extreme sport professionals would use to becoming a household name and something that kids, families, travellers and professionals use in their day-to-day lives.

But when they released the HERO7 Black in 2018 with its revolutionary HyperSmooth, TimeWarp and SuperPhoto technology, the company rose back up the ranks to beat their action camera competition.

HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT – Our brand new GoPro HERO 10 Black review of the latest camera is now published. Is it worth the upgrade? You’ll have to read to find out. Or have a read of our GoPro HERO 9 review if you’re not ready for the 10.

GoPro have announced the HERO 8 Black, and it is set to not only surpass its predecessor in terms of features, technology, usability and overall quality.

If you’re looking into upgrading from the Hero 7 or comparing the Osmo Action, find out more of our professional experience with the GoPro Hero 8 camera and its accessories below.

I’ve been putting the HERO 8 Black to the test for the last two weeks in Japan, and I have to say I am simply amazed at the quality of videos and photos it is producing.

GoPros have always been easy to use. But with the HERO 8 Black the simplicity is taken to a new level, and you can quickly switch between video and photo modes using presets.

Over the last few years, GoPro has been trying to shift away from their ‘only for extreme sports athletes‘ reputation and instead cement themselves as a multi-purpose camera that can be used for family vacations, night photography, time lapse, travel vlogs and more.

My review of the GoPro HERO 8 Black shows that there has been a number of big updates over the HERO 7, making it the best action camera for travel the company has ever produced.

The most obvious new feature in this is the ability to simply touch the screen and have the video stop shooting a hyper-lapse, and instead switch to real-time recording.

Additionally, now you can just set the time to ‘auto’ and let the GoPro determine the right speed ramping to use, rather than having to guess beforehand which speed will look better.

HyperSmooth was the ground-breaking, revolutionary feature in the HERO7 that singlehandedly made GoPro back at the top to be the best action camera for travel.

4K linear or 4K wide, 1080p at 240FPS or 2.7k at 120FPS – Environments change quickly, and in the old GoPros, going through and changing your settings to match what you wanted was a time-consuming task.

It made the action camera that much more versatile. But the only way you could then use any of GoPro’s extensive selection of mounts was to use an additional frame to add a mounting point.

I haven’t been able to test this personally yet so, hopefully, GoPro has already taken this into account and will allow customers to cheaply replace the fingers in case of breakage.

Finally! We’ve been vlogging on the GoPro HERO 7 Black for a year now, and while we feel as though it’s almost the perfect action cam for travel vlogs, there was one thing that it dropped the ball in – audio.

For those of us that like to edit their photos, GoPro have now introduced the ability to shoot RAW images in every single photography setting on their camera, including on 0.5sec time-lapses and burst mode.

The final new feature on the HERO 8 Black I want to talk about is that the user interface has been given an upgrade, making it easier to switch between settings quickly.

On the video screen, you’ll find shortcuts to change the perspective of the shot (Wide to Linear), activate slow-motion mode which puts up the frame rates, digitally zoom the shot or change the HyperSmooth 2.0 setting.

Personally, I never use the digital zoom, but I am always switching my max ISO to keep it as low as possible depending on the light conditions. I’ve changed it to be a shortcut on all my video screens now.

GoPro is aiming to turn their action camera into a complete video production powerhouse for vloggers, and they’ve taken their biggest criticisms and addressed them with new tools for video makers.

Additional accessories, such as the Media Mod, allows you to install your GoPro into a frame with an upgraded microphone on one side and two cold shoe mounts for adding a front-facing LCD screen.

The HERO 8 Black still shoots in 4K 60 FPS like the HERO7, but now you can change your field of view to be linear at its highest setting, giving a more standard perspective compared to the typical GoPro fisheye look.

Battery life is usually a limiting factor with GoPro and competitors like Osmo Action have tried to move in on GoPro. But the Hero 8 battery life has been spectacular thus far. And you can charge with the USB C port.

With the updated app there are some new themes to make videos, you can add non-GoPro pics and video clips to your edits, and there’s a much-appreciated automatic horizon levelling feature.

In my tests of the HERO 8 Black, I’ve noticed that the low light performance is a huge improvement over the HERO 7, with visibly less noise at higher ISOs.

While at first it might not seem as though there has been a huge upgrade between the HERO 8 Black and the HERO 7 Black, the new camera really packs a punch compared to its predecessor.

There’s no doubt that the HERO 7 is still a fantastic action camera. In fact, just its image stabilization features alone make it one of the best action cameras on the market.

However, if you are a vlogger, or spend a lot of time talking to the camera, then the front-facing microphone and optional Media Mod, Light Mod and Display Mod accessories make the GoPro HERO 8 well worth buying.

Also, the video setting improvements such as 100Mbps, 4K at 60fps in linear mode and 1080p at 240fps make capturing the best quality videos much easier.

If you don’t already own the GoPro HERO 7 Black and are looking for a new camera to buy, there isn’t any reason (other than to save some pennies) to buy the latest GoPro, as it really is fantastic.

Secondly is the issue of the camera freezing. Every single GoPro I have ever owned has had a problem with it randomly freezing, with me having to take the battery out to reset it.

Overall I am extremely excited about the HERO 8. I love using it, am a huge fan of the results I can get out of filming on it, and Alesha and I will now be vlogging exclusively on it for all our future travel videos.

DISCLAIMER: I was given the GoPro HERO8 Black due to being a member of the GoPro Family. I was not asked to write a review, share my experiences or paid for this article. All thoughts, opinions and levels of stoke on this camera are, as always, my own.

I put the camera to the test in this in-depth GoPro HERO8 Black review. Find out about all the new features, improvements & whether it"s worth upgrading.

Is GoPro really the best? Well, with the GoPro Hero 8, I don’t hesitate to bring a camera regardless of where I’m going. It can literally go anywhere: underwater, rain/snow, dust/dirt, etc. It’s so simple and compact that you don’t have to think about it!

I was initially very impressed with the sleek style and durable feel of the Hero 8. With simple fold-out mounting tabs on the bottom of the camera, it feels like they’ve reached the next level in design.

There are only 2 buttons on the camera (power and record). This makes the camera dead simple to operate but it still retains a full menu of customization through the touchscreen on the back.

Another thing to note about the GoPro is the simplicity of operation. Because it only has one built-in fixed lens, it allows you to point the camera in a general direction and know that the camera will do its job to capture the scene. By design, everything past about 1ft (25cm) is in focus. The fixed wide angle lens does an excellent job of capturing big landscapes and making sure to capture the entire scene.

It has a touch compatible rear screen and it’s easy to use even when you’re in the water. The screen also has a handy lock function that prevents accidentally changing settings.

Having the ability to hand-hold the camera or quickly mount it on the variety of mounts without having to worry about carrying around the external case is a tremendous improvement. This feature alone makes the Hero 8 a worthy upgrade from previous generations.

When it comes to action cameras, they aren’t really complete until you get a few mounting options. The magic of a GoPro is its durability, but what sets it apart is the ability to put it in unexpected places so you can get creative in ways that other cameras can’t match.

After reviewing a multitude of options, I think the most important mounts to consider are: a selfie stick, a chest or helmet mount, and a clamp/suction mount. With these three types of mounts you’ll be able to position your GoPro in a variety of places that will give you interesting perspectives.

There really isn’t much to think about when it comes to focusing. The beauty of an action camera like the GoPro Hero 8 is that is has a fixed focus that’s sharp from 1 ft to infinity all the time!

This incredible depth of field allows you to focus on framing and capturing the moment instead of worrying about whether things will be in focus. I really appreciated the simplicity of this feature on the GoPro Hero 8!

The GoPro Hero 8 offers the best available performance in its class of action cameras, but if you’re seeking excellent low light performance, I’d suggest looking for a camera that’s designed to shoot at high ISO.

The image quality of the GoPro Hero 8 exceeded my expectations. The JPEG images look incredibly sharp and vibrant, especially when viewed on a smartphone.

Because it’s a hybrid photo/video camera, the Hero 8 straddles the line of quality between the two. Additionally, it’s a niche product that’s meant to serve a specific need: a super durable, go-anywhere photo/video camera.

This review is mainly focused on using the GoPro Hero 8 for still images, but it would be incomplete if we didn’t look at the incredible video specs that it offers. Many people really enjoy both capabilities and I agree.

The GoPro video performance is incredible for the size of the camera. It offers top of the line image stabilization all while shooting 4k at a variety of frame rates.

Image stabilization on the Hero 8 is improved over previous generations with HyperSmooth 2.0. I was amazed at how stable the video is with this feature enabled. It allows you to get gimbal-like shots even while handholding the camera while skiing/running/biking, etc.

What I loved about the video features on the GoPro is their simplicity and usability. Video amateurs will find out-of-the-box success while professionals will be able to make impressive shots by getting the camera into creative positions.

Additionally, I’m very impressed by the user interface design and streamlined workflow that comes with the GoPro app. I appreciate that GoPro is a forward-thinking company and I think other camera manufacturers should take a hard look at their model.

It’s awesome to see GoPro making the backend workflow so user friendly. Someday I’m sure we’ll all think it’s silly to have to offload memory cards to a computer and use a separate editing software to process/export images.

Another cool offering from the GoPro Hero 8 is the time lapse modes. You can easily create time-lapse or hyper-lapse videos with a very easy-to-use interface.

I found these modes similar to what’s offered on the iPhone but still fun to play with because of the wide angle field of view and durability of the GoPro.

Lastly, GoPro really upped the ante when it comes to customization. Their “mods” allow you to customize the camera to add an improved microphone, a flip-out LCD screen, and an LED light.

As I mentioned previously, I think a GoPro isn’t complete without the accessories to mount it. If you buy a GoPro, make sure you get a least a few different mounting options to make sure you can get the most out of its versatility!

At around $400, the GoPro Hero 8 is amazing value! It provides a unique perspective that’s difficult to replicate without a much more expensive camera setup.

With the minor downsides like low light performance, the Hero 8 is an amazing buy for someone who wants to have a super-compact camera with a wide angle lens to quickly capture exciting moments in life.

Compared to the Hero 7, the Hero 8 is a nice upgrade due to the simplicity of mounting and the new video features (namely HyperSmooth 2.0 and the digital lenses).

In comparison with the DJI Osmo Action, the GoPro Hero 8 has some improved functionality/quality but the main feature it’s lacking is a front-facing screen (available with a “mod”).

If you’re looking for something to take selfies with or film yourself in a vlog style, the DJI Osmo Action may be a better buy, but overall the GoPro Hero 8 has better performance, features, and functions.

It’s amazing that such incredible technology is available at such an affordable price. For the niche that action cams target, the Hero 8 is unbelievable value! What other sub $400 camera has such stunning performance?

If you haven’t considered the GoPro Hero 8 worthy of your attention, I strongly encourage you to check it out. It’s great for creating photos/videos of action sports or sharing exciting moments on social media.

I remember GoPro in the early days. Back then the cameras could only offer sub-SD recording, had no Wi-Fi and more importantly no way to see the picture as they lacked a screen. They were a hard sell, but filled a gap for small disposable digital video cameras.

The launch of the Hero 8 Black brings some improvements over the previous generation, but is it enough? If you already have an action camera does the quality and feature set of the Hero 8 Black make you want to upgrade? And, if you don’t already have a camera like this, has GoPro launched a camera that will convince you to buy into this product category?

The list of features on the Hero 8 Black is extensive, but improvements in image quality year-over-year are hard to come by. After all, 4K/60p with limited noise on a sensor that is incredibly small is difficult to achieve, especially in low light. To paraphrase a well known line from Scotty, ‘you can’t change the laws of physics’. Pixel pitch, size and resolution play directly against each other in the triangle of visual fidelity. Without increasing the pixel size, or finding a way of gathering more photons per pixel, improving signal-to-noise ratio is difficult.

Where do you see improvement when moving from the Hero 7 Black to the Hero 8? One feature that’s attracting attention is HyperSmooth 2.0, GoPro’s image stabilization technology, which claims to rival gimbal levels of image stabilization without the need for balancing, mounting or powering an external handle. But can it actually deliver, and is it a big enough improvement over the previous generation to convince people to part with their money and upgrade?

I discovered one odd effect when using the HyperSmooth 2.0 boost mode at 1080 resolution: when mounted in certain situations, like a moving car (above) the image will pan to counter movement. This gives the image a floating feel instead of the sense that the camera is locked in place.

Along with some useful additions, this new camera also changes some features – and not for the better. For example, it’s no longer possible for the user to change the front element of the lens if it becomes cracked or chipped. GoPro’s stance is "GoPro does not offer a repair service on our cameras as, due to their size and design, the cost of parts and labor for performing such a specific repair would be more expensive than replacing the camera outright if it’s covered by warranty."

Instead, it offers the GoPro Plus service, which will replace your camera if something goes wrong (at a maximum of 2 cameras per year). However, this service comes at a cost: $4.99 per month or $50.04 per year, and includes unlimited cloud storage and 50% off mounts and some accessories. Yes, another service to subscribe to, although for serious users this may pay dividends.

Think you might be able to use your older Hero 7 batteries? Think again. Hero 7 batteries can"t deliver as much peak power as Hero 8 batteries and are not compatible with the new camera.

There’s always a trade off with temperature as well. If you did have all the available features turned on the camera would most likely shut down before the battery was exhausted due to overheating, which could cause damage to the camera or battery. There"s a reason that the older Hero 7 batteries—even though they are physically the same—won’t work on the Hero 8 due to power delivery limitations. The newer Hero 8 batteries can deliver more peak power. What more can be added?

If image quality isn’t making great leaps, and with features like Hypersmooth 2.0, live streaming, 4K capture and slow motion already included, have we hit a wall? What more can possibly be added to future action cameras? Part of the answer for GoPro seems to be add-on hardware, like a vlogging flip-up LCD (Display Mod), or an add-on frame which gives you HDMI out, a 3.5mm in and an extra microphone (Media Mod). These go some way to disguise the limitations of the bare camera and add the possibility of appealing to the ever expanding vlogging market.

The competition in the premium action camera space is actually fairly limited. There"s the Sony FDR-X3000, the DJI Osmo Actionand the recently introducedInsta360 One R, and really that’s about it at the moment. The recently released Insta360 camera employs an interesting modular setup, but can it compete? After all, GoPro has been doing this for nearly 20 years.

There are lots of cameras available at the mid and lower end of the market, but this isn"t an area that GoPro competes in and it really is a case of getting what you pay for. GoPro’s installed user base and reputation are formidable to any new manufacturer coming to market, and it has proven difficult for established name brands to launch and maintain an action camera market segment, as Nikon found out.

An action camera is a great addition to a filmmaker"s tool kit, and if you need a new one the Hero 8 Black is a solid choice. However, while there"s a certain FOMO—a fear of missing out—and even peer pressure to have the latest and greatest, it probably doesn"t make financial sense to upgrade every year for only minor improvements.

I"m not what you"d probably think of as a typical GoPro user. I spend my weekends biking around my neighborhood with my kids, not barreling downhill on a longboard or jumping in a backyard pool and not off a cliff in Hawaii. What I can tell you, though, is that the new $400 (AU$600, £380) GoPro Hero 8 Black makes it possible for me to create fun, sharable, shake-free video of my not-so-extreme life, so getting amazing clips doing extraordinary things probably won"t be a problem, either.

GoPro finally got rid of the frame that was required to mount the camera. What you"ll see instead is that GoPro actually built its mounting fingers into the camera. This is fantastic for me since I hated that frame -- I would occasionally forget it and then couldn"t mount the camera. It also blocked the battery and microSD card slot, which is now on the right side with a USB-C port. That means even when it"s mounted you can easily swap batteries and cards as well as charge it. And it"s still waterproof to 10 meters (33 feet).

Adding the mounting fingers and moving the battery are the biggest physical changes, but GoPro also did away with the removable lens cover. The lens is made with Gorilla Glass that"s twice as impact-resistant as the glass on past Hero models. (A $20 pack of tempered glass lens and screen protectors will be available.) That change also made the camera slightly slimmer, making it easier to slip the Hero 8 into a pocket.

The new $80 Media Mod (AU$130, £80) is designed to fix that by adding a built-in directional mic as well as a 3.5mm jack if you want to add a lav or some other mic. There"s also an HDMI output and two cold shoes. Those shoes can be used to hold a $50 Light Mod (AU$85, £50), a 200-lumen LED light, and an $80 Display Mod (AU$130, £80) -- each with its own power source so they"re not draining your camera battery.

With the Hero 8, GoPro made HyperSmooth adjustable in case you want it off, want to add a little shake, smooth it out some more or add a boost for when you want no shake at all. Also, HyperSmooth is now available at all resolutions and frame rates, so slow-motion clips never looked better.

Also getting the 2.0 treatment is Time Warp, GoPro"s motion time-lapse mode. It can now automatically adjust speed based on the scene, motion and how much lighting you have. What"s better is you can now tap on the GoPro"s screen to slow down to real time and then tap again to speed back up into a time lapse. The clips are silent all the way through, but if you"ve ever wished you could stop a time lapse to show some scenery, now you can.

GoPro said the question it gets the most is what the best settings are to use for a specific activity. So now, instead of having to guess, there are a bunch of presets you can just dial up. You can create your own, too, so your favorite settings are a tap away.

One of these virtual buttons can be set to select GoPro"s digital lenses. A slider pops up to let you choose one of up to four different fields of view: Narrow, Linear, Wide and SuperView. You can slide up and down to see in real time how much of the scene will be in your shot before you hit record.

Those are the big additions, but then you have a few smaller things like improved SuperPhoto and HDR photos that nearly eliminate motion blur; livestreaming can now be done at 1080p; night-lapse videos can be created in camera; and raw photos can be captured for single shots, bursts and time lapses.

And I didn"t even get to the app, which now has all of the editing features once in GoPro"s separate Quik app and includes a new horizon-leveling option. If you"ve ever knocked your camera off-kilter in the middle of recording or simply didn"t shoot straight for one reason or another, you can now quickly level it out in the app.

I"ve spent only a little time with the camera so far, but it"s hard not to be impressed with how much camera is packed in here. Unsurprisingly, it still chews through batteries, and the Hero 8 Black"s design and features required an updated battery. You can use older batteries, but some of the features, such as HyperSmooth High and Boost settings, might not be enabled because they can"t draw enough power from the battery, said a GoPro representative I spoke with. Also, while I like having the USB-C port, card slot and battery under one door, that door pops off way too easily. I"ll be back with a full review soon, but it looks like this is easily the most versatile single-lens camera GoPro has ever made.

I said "single-lens camera" because GoPro also announced the $500 Max (AU$800, £480). I"ve only seen a mock-up of the new dual-lens camera, but as you can see in the picture above, it"s barely bigger than the 8 Black and has a built-in touchscreen. GoPro took everything it learned from users of

Waterproof to 5 meters (16 feet), it will offer "GoPro"s widest, most immersive field of view yet." It can capture 360-degree video, but more importantly, you can use its app to turn that 360-degree video into a traditional widescreen video letting you pan to subjects captured by either lens. It sounds like a lot, if not all, of the features of the Hero 8 Black will be available here, just in larger doses. For example, it has "six mics that enable shotgun-mic audio performance" and a TimeWarp mode with more control and better performance.

Make sure the GoPro is charged. Charge the GoPro by using provided USB connector and plugging it into a computer. You can also use the GoPro wall or automobile charger.

If the GoPro still does not charge, please use the microSD/Micro USB Port Assembly Replacement guide to replace your assembly. A poor connection inside the Micro USB port may prevent your GoPro from charging.

Older computers do not have the hardware to support HD playback. Ensure your computer can play the video by checking if it meets the GoPro Studio Software minimum requirements here.

You can have choppy video playback if you play the video streamed from the camera over USB. What this means is if you have the camera connected to a computer by the USB cable and you play the video from the files on the camera, without transferring the file to your computer, it can come out choppy. This is due to the USB connection not being fast enough to play the HD video back in real time. Before playing back a HD video, copy or transfer the file from your GoPro to your computer, then playback the video.

I will share tips and tricks on how to build and use the “naked” GoPro 8 – a stripped down GoPro Hero 8. You can reduce the weigh of the camera from 126g to only 15g. Using a BEC, you can power it directly from your drone’s LiPo battery.

This guide will focus on the GoPro Hero 8. I have another post just for the Hero 6, the GoPro Hero 9, and Naked GoPro Hero 10 (officially made by GoPro)

Going forward, I think the GoPro Hero 8 might be a better alternative, because of Hero 6’s diminishing supply of spare parts as it’s been discontinued for years.

Not to mention the Hero 8 actually has better image quality, as well as having both Reelsteady GO and Hyerpsmooth stabilization supports. In fact, the stripped Hero 8 is a few grams lighter than the 6 (13g vs 17g).

GepRC is selling the naked GoPro in their injection molded plastic case, all ready to go! It’s a little pricey but no DIY required: https://oscarliang.com/product-l0ap

If you don’t have the time or skills to decase a GoPro, you can try and make a naked GoPro  from spare parts. All you need is a sensor module and a logic board. The only problem is that spare parts are not always available but worth a look.

connect USB module to logic board, then connect USB cable, hold down power button to see if the GoPro powers on, is there image showing on the screen?

The GoPro 8 mainboard takes 5V only, so you can use a BEC (voltage regulator) to convert higher voltage to 5V and power the GoPro from one of the 5V input pads as indicated in the pinout diagram above.

I’d recommend at least a 1.5A BEC, because the GoPro Hero 8 is more power hungry than the Hero 6, and it draws more current. It’s more reliable to have a dedicated BEC. I don’t think it’s a good idea to power it from your flight controller. In case of lack of power, your GoPro may reboot or stop recording randomly.

There are other ways of powering the Naked GoPro, but in my opinion it’s way easier and hassle-free to use one of the aftermarket BEC boards. These manufacturers also make cases for the stripped down GoPro 8 that you can mount on FPV drones and cinewhoops.

BetaFPV board has straight plug (facing out), while Nameless’s and iFlight’s plugs are facing sideway. If you want to use the naked GoPro between drones, it’s easier with the BetaFPV board, the Nameless board is slightly more difficult to insert the cable.

When it comes to case, both Nameless and iFlight offer a 3D printed case, but BetaFPV doesn’t have one. Note that the iFlight one has allows you to install the front LCD. The Nameless doesn’t, but there are custom front plate you can 3D print yourself for that.

If you power down the GoPro without stopping recording, the file will be corrupted and you will lose your footage. Make sure you stop recording before disconnecting your battery.

Or you could use the GoPro App on your phone, however GoPro has since removed Protune feature from their App, so you can no longer change certain camera settings such as shutter speed. You can try to install the older version of the App though.

GoPro Labs gives your GoPro the ability to scan QR codes through the lens and register camera settings. This allows you to change most camera settings without touching a button on the camera, including resolution, frame rate, shutter speed, ISO, Lens (field of view), White balance, stabilization etc.

To update firmware and install GoPro Labs on your camera, you need the original battery connected, so it’s best if you install it before you do the decasing.

One useful application of GoPro Labs is the “WiFi Hack”. Simply scan the below QR code and connect your GoPro to the APP on WiFi. It requires GoPro Labs installed on the camera.

Naked GoPro’s are fragile due to the lack of housing. The ribbon cables can tear, therefore take good care when attaching/unplugging connectors. For those connectors that don’t need to be disconnected you may want to use some kind of removable glue (e.g. E6000).

The other cause could be overheating. The GoPro 8 is known to get hot and likely to intermittently stop recording. One fix is to put heatsinks on those chips on the motherboard.

Heatsink is not required, but the GoPro can get really hot, putting a small heatsink on the processor can avoid potential issues on a hot day. Some 3D printed cases normally leave cutout just for that. The CPU measures 14x14mm, so heatsinks for the Raspberry Pi should also work: https://amzn.to/2Sw06EY

Solder a piece of wire to the WiFi antenna pad on the Naked GoPro 8, this will extend your WiFi range as well as reducing heat that build up in the main board.

You can remove it from the GoPro, but it’s glued very well to the case, so it’s not easy to remove. You can just buy the LCD for around $10-$15 on eBay/AliExpress, if you can’t remove it. See spare parts section below for link.

To remove the front LCD, I first put it on my 3D printer heated bed (facing down), turned the heat up to 100 degree, and leave it there for 5-10 minutes.

Very carefully pry up the LCD display around the edges with a plastic tool like a prop, and gently lift it up. DO NOT use metal tools. The glass can break easily so do this very lightly.

You could damage the display if you scrape too hard, you can see the screen on the right, there are some scratches, it still works though. Be gentle and patient, and it will come out perfect like the left one :)

Prepare for the worst if you decide to invest in a Naked GoPro, as it’s a risky project. Stripped down GoPro is extremely flimsy and fragile, a damaged lens module and motherboard can easily cost you $100-150 each to replace. I have only damaged 1 GoPro logic board so far and I consider myself pretty lucky compared to some others :)

GoPro, Inc.GoPro and sometimes stylized as GoPRO) is an American technology company founded in 2002 by Nick Woodman. It manufactures action cameras and develops its own mobile apps and video-editing software. Founded as Woodman Labs, Inc, the company eventually focused on the connected sports genre, developing its line of action cameras and, later, video editing software. It is based in San Mateo, California.

It developed a quadcopter drone, Karma, released in October 2016. In January 2018, Karma was discontinued.JPMorgan Chase to pursue options of selling the company.

On May 19, 2014, GoPro filed its Form S-1 with the SEC without specifying the number of shares or their price. The company stated that they hoped to raise at least $100 million through the sale of shares, using the money to pay off debt in full ($111 million as of March 31, 2014) and "to acquire or invest in complementary businesses, technologies or assets". They said that they planned to list on the NASDAQ stock exchange using the symbol "GPRO."

The expected price range was $21 to $24 a share; on June 25, 2014, GoPro sold 17.8 million shares to initial investors at $24 per share (totaling $427.2M).

One reason for GoPro"s decision to go public was the potential to become a media company to generate additional revenue from the content its cameras create.

Woodman worked on his first camera for two years after founding the company, eventually introducing the GoPro 35mm HERO in September 2004 at San Diego"s Action Sports Retailer trade show.

In 2014, the company was selling the HERO3+ in editions of different colors. It was capable of filming in 16:9 aspect ratio, supporting 4K UHD video and 12 MP still photographs.

On September 28, 2017, GoPro released the HERO6 Black, which claims improved stabilization over the HERO5 models and is capable of capturing 4K video in 60 FPS.

On September 20, 2018, GoPro came out with the HERO7 Black, which apart from providing improved stabilization over HERO6 models with HyperSmooth, also featured the new form of video capturing, "TimeWarp", providing a high speed effect to the videos. HERO7 also came out with capability to stream live across multiple platforms like Facebook and YouTube .

On October 15, 2019 GoPro released the Hero8 Black, which included improved in-camera stabilization by way of Hypersmooth 2.0. The Hero8 Black introduced integrated mounting "fingers" which could be folded down for use, and was also notable for not having an easily replaceable lens available from GoPro, though a third party replacement lens kit is available from a company called Camera Butter.

In 2014, GoPro entered into discussions with DJI for a private label model built with the GoPro branding. After the failure of these negotiations, GoPro entered into an agreement with 3D Robotics (3DR) for a similar partnership based on 3DR"s flight controllers. 3DR failed to meet their agreed-upon timelines. As a result, GoPro took full control of the development process in mid-2015.

Scheduled to be released early 2016, the GoPro Karma project was delayed several times before the GoPro Karma was announced with an introduction date of October 23, 2016. The Karma was released along with newer models of the HERO5 and Session cameras and features a removable handheld stabilizer (gimbal) integrated into the design. After a few customers complained about power failure during operation, GoPro recalled Karma drones and gave customers full refunds.

In November 2017, GoPro launched the Fusion camera,omnidirectional camera which is capable of recording 360-degree footage. The Fusion was the first GoPro to feature an increased maximum resolution of 5.8K.

GoPro produces various mounting accessories for its cameras including a 3-way mount, suction cup, chest harness, jaws-type flexible clamp, dog harness, surfing mount, etc.

In April 2014, GoPro was listed by Adweek as one of the "Top 10 Best Brand Channels on YouTube" based on a combination of views, shares, comments and overall engagement.

As part of its transformation to a media company in 2014, GoPro created additional channels with GoPro content on YouTube, Virgin America, and Xbox Live.PlayStation Network in 2015.

The first generation of Digital HERO cameras (2006–09) were powered by conventional AAA batteries and included a rugged housing and wrist strap. Models were distinguished by their still image resolution and shot video in standard definition (480 lines or lower) with a 4:3 aspect ratio. Like the film camera HERO, the first-generation Digital HERO cameras were equipped with an optical viewfinder.

The original Digital HERO (DH1; 640×480 still resolution, 240p video in 10-second clips) of 2006 was succeeded by the Digital HERO3 (DH3; 3-megapixel stills, 384p video) and Digital HERO5 (DH5; same as DH3 but with 5-megapixel stills). All three of these had a 54° angle of view. A variant of the DH5 was released with an extreme wide-angle lens with 170° of angular coverage on the diagonal as the Wide HERO; the Wide HERO had a different housing than the other first-gen cameras (DH1/DH3/DH5) to accommodate its larger lens.

The Digital HERO released in 2006 (Model: SQ907 mini-cam) had a 640×480 camera and shot QVGA definition 320X240 (10 fps) video for a maximum of 10 seconds. The Digital HERO1 had 32 MB internal memory without SD slot.

The Digital HERO5 was first introduced in 2008. It had a 5 megapixel still photo sensor and supported standard definition (512×384) video capture. It ran on two AAA batteries, had 16 MB of internal memory and could function with a 2 GB SD card. Its housing was rated to 100 ft/30 meters depth. Its dimensions were 2.6 × 1.75 × 1.25 inches (66 × 44 × 32 mm).

The GoPro Wide HERO was the first model with a 170° wide-angle lens. It was released in 2008 alongside the Digital HERO5 and had the same 5MP sensor (2592 x 1944), capable of 512x384 at 30fps video with sound recording (up to 56 min. on a 2GB SD card), 5MP Photos, 10s Self Timer, 3X sequence still photo burst and Auto "Photo every 2 or 5 seconds" mode. It was powered by 2 x AAA batteries (not included in the box).

The second generation of the HERO cameras (2010–11) were branded HD HERO for their upgraded resolution, now offering up to 1080p high-definition video. With the HD HERO generation, GoPro dropped the optical viewfinder.

The basic HD HERO was marketed either with a basic set of accessories (case and mount) as the "Naked", or in bundles with additional accessories named for the intended purpose (such as the HD Helmet HERO, HD Motorsports HERO, and HD Surf HERO).

The HD HERO also offered an expansion port on the camera"s rear panel, branded the HERO Bus. Optional accessories included the LCD Bakpac, which offered a small monitor that displayed and played back video, and the Battery Bakpac, which doubled the battery life of the camera.

All three versions of the HERO3 come in a 30% smaller and 25% lighter package, with WiFi built in. The change of the physical dimensions of the cameras compared to the previous generations (HD HERO and HD HERO2 were physically identical) means that some accessories for HD HERO Original and HERO2 are not compatible with HERO3, so GoPro made new versions of those accessories specifically for HERO3, which mostly also were compatible with HERO3+, see below. Those new versions of accessories are usually not compatible with older Hero camera generations. However, a lot of other accessories are compatible with all HD Hero camera generations.

The Black EditionWVGA at 240 fps.BSI sensor included in a GoPro. The Black edition also includes the WiFi Remote. The Black Edition cannot record at 25/30 fps in 720p and WVGA resolutions; it can only record at very fast frame rates in those resolutions. This is a deliberate firmware limitation, as the manufacturer does not expect that this high-end camera model will be used at these lower resolutions and frame rates.

A timelapse recording one frame every 10 seconds with a GoPro HERO3 camera mounted on a bicycle helmet during a bike ride in Chicago. Note how the wide angle lens allows for the rider to capture wide images.

The HERO3+ camera models claim dramatically improved low light performance and have a waterproof enclosure which is 20% lighter and 15% smaller than the HERO3"s, according to the GoPro website. The HERO3+ camera housing is 20% smaller than the HERO3. The cameras are claimed to have improved image sharpness (close focus down to 7" vs about 3 ft on the HERO3, at the expense of distant focus which is slightly less sharp

The HERO4 Black Edition still has a 12 megapixel (MP) CMOS and a f/2.8 fixed maximum aperture and focus free. It adds Bluetooth connectivity, Highlight tag, Protune Available for photo and a new processor claimed by GoPro to be twice as fast as that of the HERO3+ Black Edition, doubling the frame rates in most resolutions. The HERO4 Black Edition can record 4K UHD video (3840×2160) at a frame rate of 24, 25 and 30 fps.Wi-Fi disabled at 4K/30, GoPro claims the HERO4 Black Edition battery life to be 65 minutes, increasing to a maximum of 1h 50" at 720p/240.

The HERO4 Silver Edition is basically a HERO3 Black Edition with the addition of a micro speaker,touchscreen display, Protune for photo and highlight tag (the first GoPro with this), a lower clocked Cortex-A9 and missing the Black Edition"s integrated analog-to-digital converter which supports a wider variety of professional low-sensitivity external microphones.4K video (3840×2160), but it supports Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and contains the sameAmbarella Inc. A9system on a chip (SoC) as in the HERO4 Black.

The HERO4 models maintain the H.264 video codec of previous versions and MP4 file formats. GoPro claims the mono microphone in both the Black and Silver Editions has twice the dynamic range of that in the HERO3+, and that the HERO4 Black and Silver Editions have improved low-light performance.

In September 2014, GoPro released an entry level camera named simply "HERO", priced at $130, alongside the HERO4 Black and HERO4 Silver. It is built into a waterproof housing, unlike the HERO4 line.

The GoPro HERO (2014) can capture 5mp still images and has a 5fps burst option. It is able to record 1080P at 30 or 25fps and 720P at 60 or 50fps on to a MicroSD card up to 32GB. It has an LCD non touch display on the front and is waterproof down to 40m.

In June 2015, the company started to sell the GoPro HERO+LCD, which provides video recording at 1080p at 60 fps and 8 megapixel photos. The HERO+LCD is also built into a waterproof housing.

The HERO6 Black was introduced on September 28, 2017.HEVC video recording at up to 60 fps and 1080p at up to 240 fps, automatic upload of footage to cloud, voice controls and 5 GHz Wi-Fi. It was the first GoPro sporting GoPro"s custom system on a chip (SoC) the GP1.

The HERO7 White, HERO7 Silver and HERO7 Black were announced and released in September 2018, as the seventh-generation action camera series from GoPro.

The HERO7 White was intended as the entry-level camera, featuring only 1440p resolutions for video and time-lapse video functions and a lack of WDR or HDR in its photos. The HERO7 Silver was intended as the mid-range camera, featuring 4K resolutions for video and time-lapse video resolutions and WDR in its photo mode. Initially, both the HERO7 White and Silver defaulted to a video resolution of 1440p with 1080p only available by cropping.

By contrast, the HERO7 Black was introduced at the high-end level and primarily encompasses the features of the HERO6 Black with major improvements. The HERO7 Black introduced a heavily improved electronic image stabilisation known as "HyperSmooth" video stabilization, which GoPro has advertised heavily as "Gimbal-Like", as its primary improvement.

During its release, the HERO7 Black largely competed with rival camera and camera accessory manufacturer DJI which released the DJI OSMO Action, which also introduced a similar enhanced stabilization feature.

On February 28, 2019, GoPro released HERO7 Black in a new "dusk white" color. This is a limited edition and it has the same specs as in regular version and differs just in color.

The HERO8 Black essentially contained the former features of the HERO7 Black, however improved on certain functions. Most notably, the "HyperSmooth" feature introduced in the HERO7 Black was improved on and named "HyperSmooth 2.0", also resulting in an improvement of the TimeWarp feature introduced in the HERO7 Black. The HERO8 Black also improved the image quality, improving the HDR functions of the camera to allow HDR to assist the SuperPhoto function of the camera that automatically chooses what image processing to use such as high dynamic range (HDR). GoPro also reintroduced the field-of-view (FOV) functionality as, "Digital Lenses" which retains the original SuperView, Wide, Narrow, Linear FOV settings. Moreover, live-streaming now streams in 1080p instead of the HERO7 Black"s 720p and the RAW imaging functionality has now been expanded for all photo modes.

The HERO8 Black largely introduced several new functions into the camera. Physically, the HERO8 Black now incorporates the connecting prongs that are used to connect accessories, directly onto the camera. Originally, the cameras would only be able to access the prongs if the cameras utilised either the frames (for cameras HERO5 to HERO7) or the protective cases for HERO4 and before. Moreover, the GoPro logo moved under the LCD screen to make way for extra microphones. More additions to the camera most notably were part of the software aspects of the camera. These included an option to switch between various settings presets, including standard, activity, cinematic and action shots and adjusting on-screen shortcuts of the user interface. Most notably as part of software, was the introduction of the night-lapse video, which similar to the time-lapse video mode, automatically stitches the frames captured by the camera at set intervals, however with the addition of improved low-light performance.

The HERO8 Black also attempts to address vloggers who may wish to use the GoPro in such a manner. As such, GoPro has also introduced an external accessory known as the "Media Mod" which includes a USB Type-C port for supplying power to external microphones and accessories, a micro-HDMI port and a 3.5mm microphone port. Moreover, the accessory includes a mount to connect either external microphones, LEDs or an LCD screen.

The HERO9 Black essentially contained the former features of the HERO8 Black, however, improved on certain functions. Most notably, the "HyperSmooth" feature introduced in the HERO7 Black and refined in HERO8 Black was improved on and named "HyperSmooth 3.0". It also features a max resolution of 5K for video and 20M for photos and adds a front-facing 1.4-inch color "selfie" screen.

The HERO10 Black essentially contained the former features of the HERO9 Black, however, improved on certain functions. Most notably, the "HyperSmooth" feature introduced in the HERO7 Black and refined in HERO8 Black was improved on and named "HyperSmooth 4.0".

The major changes new GP2 processor, HERO10 Black shoots 5.3K video with double the frame rate, 23MP photos, enhanced low-light performance and HyperSmooth 4.0 video stabilization in all modes. On top of all that, HERO10 is cloud connected—so the moment you charge it, your footage is automatically uploaded to the cloud.

Karma Drone became available October 23, 2016. The drone is compatible with the HERO7 Black, HERO6 Black, HERO5 Black and HERO4 Black and Silver. The Drone has 20 minutes of battery life.

GoPro released the 3D HERO system in April 2011, which coupled two HD HERO cameras via a synchronization cable in a single housing to form a stereoscopic 3D camera. One of the cameras is used in upside-down mode.anaglyph to be viewed wearing red-cyan glasses.

In 2014, GoPro released an update as the Dual HERO system, which provides similar functionality using two HERO3+ Black edition cameras. The updated Dual HERO BacPac sync/link cable now has an asymmetric design: the right or primary camera (viewed with the lens facing away from the user) is larger than the left (secondary) camera, and the left camera is used in upside-down mode.

The Fusion was announced alongside the HERO6 Black360° Panorama video. Fusion Studio can export to several formats, including H.264 (4K), CineForm 422, and Apple ProRes 422.

The GoPro GP1 is their own System-on-Chip with the main task of image processing. It replaces the earlier used Ambarella SoC"s and launched in the GoPro HERO6.Socionext.

The GP1 encodes video in the H.265 codec, also known as HEVC. The available resolutions are 4K60, 2.7K120 and 1080p240 unstabilized or 4K30, 2.7K60 and 1080p120 digitally stabilized.

"GoPro doesn"t like their HERO3 compared to Sony"s AS15?". DigitalRev.com. March 19, 2013. Archived from the original on March 17, 2015. Retrieved February 20, 2015.

"GoPro Hero 3 Black Edition: Seconda solo a se stessa". InsideHardware.it (in Italian). October 25, 2013. Archived from the original on September 24, 2015. Retrieved September 28, 2015.

"GoPro launches 3D HERO system; world"s smallest 1080p 3D Camera" (Press release). GoPro. April 4, 2011. Archived from the original on 12 November 2021. Retrieved 12 November 2021.

"Dual HERO System Workflow - Setup and Recording". GoPro Support. September 30, 2019. Archived from the original on 10 December 2021. Retrieved 9 December 2021.

The GoPro Hero 8 Black andGoPro Max(opens in new tab)are a testament to the fact GoPro isn’t resting on its laurels – and particularly now that its faces fierce competition from DJI and itsOsmo Actionin the race to offer thebest action camera(opens in new tab).

• Update:TheGoPro Hero9 Black(opens in new tab)is out now, but the Hero8 is still on sale and could still be the best choice, depending on what you need and how much you want to pay. Read ourGoPro Hero8 vs Hero9(opens in new tab)comparison to find out what the differences are.

While the Max reimagines what a 360-degree camera is and does, the Hero 8 Black (or Hero8 Black, as GoPro like to write it) rethinks the traditional Hero line’s design, adding folding feet for easy, housing-free mounting. It also serves up four focal lengths, despite the fact it only packs one optical field of view, and introduces a range of video enhancements, including the smoothest action camera footage we’ve ever seen. It is, in short, the best GoPro(opens in new tab) we have seen to date.

On the front is a familiar monochrome display, but alongside it is a fixed lens with no removable glass protector. Instead, the lens is shielded by scratch and smash resistant glass that’s 2x more durable than that of the Hero7. Naturally, this means third party ND filter options won’t be quite as convenient - no simple screwing on, but GoPro claims the move to a fixed lens means the microphone below it can capture better audio - and the mic is indeed, better.

On the back, the screen hasn’t changed much if at all. It’s small, responsive to the touch and bright enough in all but the sunniest conditions. Its aspect ratio is somewhere between the camera’s photo and video capture dimensions, and we can see why GoPro opted to give photo and video takers a middle-ground, but it ended up feeling more like a compromise, given the fact we mainly used it for video. DJI has clearly committed to a video-first approach on its Osmo Action(opens in new tab) with its slightly larger 16:9 display.

Footage shot on the GoPro Hero8 Black can be captured across multiple resolutions starting at 1080p 240fps through to 4K 60fps. It shoots at either 4:3 or 16:9, and betters the competition by being able to capture Hypersmooth 2.0 stabilized footage across all resolutions.

Give the Hero8 Black good light and it captures stunning content that’s held together incredibly steadily. There’s a new Boost feature for situations when stability is more important than clarity. Alternatively, you can shoot with Hyperboost 2.0 on high, standard or off - we tended to stick with high and it worked to great effect.

GoPro’s default video capture profile exposes footage more than the Osmo Action’s, which pulls out more information from shadows. It’s also more inclined to blow out skies and hotspots though, particularly noticeable in darker scenes.

Noise handling in low light is aggressive - more so than the competition, and that’s not a bad thing. The Hero8 Black captures brighter images with less grain than most action cameras at night, though we wouldn’t choose it over our smartphone when the lights go down.

One very smart shooting mode introduced on the Hero8 is TimeWarp 2.0. This is, in effect, a time-lapse, but unlike other action cameras, you can tap the screen to smoothly slow down to real-time, and tap it again to speed things up again. This is a piece of cake to use, works at up to 4K 30fps and across the three widest digital lenses, SuperView, Wide and Linear, producing high-impact fast-slow-fast footage, perfect for walking through a city for the first time.

The fact the Hero8 Black also captures 100Mbps 4K video over the 78Mbps footage captured by the Hero7 Black is just one more boon for quality chasers.

GoPro Hero8 Black vs DJI Osmo Action: side-by-side video comparison of the the two action cameras, comparing stabilization and image quality in good light

While we wouldn’t use our GoPro for photos if we’ve got a flagship phone with an ultra-wide lens, like the iPhone 11 Pro or Samsung Galaxy S10 5G in anything but great lighting, the Hero8’s improved SuperPhoto feature captures better dynamic range and more pop than most action cam snaps and the night photography betters night video sig