(Compare all GoPros)

HEROs 9 to 12 can do the Duration Capture and you can set it from 15 seconds up to 3 hours. To set a specific time you want to start a Duration Capture, set a Scheduled Capture so you don’t have to get out of bed for that sunrise!

You can also schedule a time to start a capture on a GoPro.

Set Duration Capture on the GoPro

1. Press and hold Preset Pill
2. Scroll down and tap duration
3. Set time you want on scroller
4. Press Mode Button to return to idle/main screen
5. When you start a recording, the Top Pill will show the duration

To turn off, follow the steps and set to No Limit.

The duration only shows on the main screen if there is a scheduled capture set.

Set Duration Capture in the Quik App

1. Pair camera
2. Tap Preset Pill
3. Scroll down and tap Duration
4. Pick Duration
5. 15, 30 seconds, 1 minute, 5, 15, 30, 1 hour, 2, 3 hours or no limit
6. Tap back arrow
7. Tap X top left

To turn off, follow the steps and set the time to No Limit.

Tips

• For recording for longer than 1 battery (about an hour) the camera will need to be plugged in.
• Set Scheduled Capture to start recording automatically for the time you set in Duration Capture.

The post How to set a Timer on a GoPro shot first appeared on Pack & Trail.

(Compare all the GoPros)

You can also set a timer on the duration of the GoPro shots.

Set Scheduled Capture on the GoPro

You can set Scheduled Capture right on the camera without a phone.

1. Hold the Preset button and scroll to bottom
2. Click Scheduled Capture
3. Time will be gray if Scheduled Capture is off
4. Turn Scheduled Capture on
5. Select the time you want
6. Click back arrow
7. The blue pill at the top the main screen will show the set time for capture. Duration will show there if it is set.
8. Turn the GoPro off. It will turn on at the scheduled time.

Set Scheduled Capture on your phone

1. Open Quik app
2. Pair with camera
3. Tap Preset pill
4. Tap Pencil on a Preset
5. Scroll down tap Scheduled Capture
6. Set time by moving dial or select keyboard (first movement is hour, second is minute)

Scheduling tips

• You can only set a time in the next 24 hours with Scheduled Capture
• Duration Capture can be set as well so the recording will stop
• If Duration Capture isn’t set, the GoPro will just run until the battery dies (the recording will still save)
• Set Auto Power Off in the GoPro settings to not kill your battery after the Duration Capture is done

Got any cool shots with a Scheduled Capture? Share them in the comments!

Buy the latest GoPro

The post How to Schedule a Shot on a GoPro first appeared on Pack & Trail.

(Check out our GoPro 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 Comparison)

Plugging in your GoPro isn’t easy if you’re out in the woods or on the ski hill so it’s nice have something that can store and charge GoPro batteries in your pack with you. 

GoPro’s don’t ship with any external charger or battery case. You have to plug the whole camera in. Thankfully there’s a whole industry dedicated to GoPro accessories. 

Artman have a sleek battery charger case that holds your batteries and can charge them at the same time. We tested one with Artman Enduro batteries that claim to have the same runtime as the GoPro version. Here’s the results.

Charging and Storage Case

The 3 battery case is a small black box about 5.5 x 6 x 6.5 cm. A lid on top is held down by a small magnet. Inside has three battery slots and three micro SD card slots. 

The magnet holds the lid shut but only just. With a good shake the lid can come open. The batteries are fairly snug on the charging pins but I’d prefer the magnet be a little stronger.

A 15 cm USB-A cable is wrapped around the bottom and permanently attached so you don’t have go looking for it every time. USB-A is the rectangle on almost all battery packs right now so it’s easy to find something compatible. The flat cable sits in a groove in the side of the case case and snaps snugly into a slot on the back. 

Under the USB-A cable is a USB-C port if you’d rather use that. The case does come with a C to A cable if you don’t have one already.

A small screen on the front of the charger shows the charging status of all 3 batteries with a small picture and percent number. Popping batteries into the charger is a quick way to see the state of charge when rooting through batteries.

Three SD card slots sit around the battery slots inside. Two of the SD card slots are only plastic, with no metal hardware inside. The third has a pressure clip to hold the card and seems to have metal in it but plugging the case in doesn’t show up as a reader on the computer. It would make it more expensive but it would be nice to an actual card reader when you are charging batteries off a computer.

Batteries

The case came with 3 batteries that fit the Hero 12, 11, 10 and 9. They claim to have the same 1800 mAh size and cold resistance as the GoPro Enduro battery. That is one of the reasons for this test.

(Check out our GoPro Hero 12 Review)

So far after more than 10 tests charging the batteries and then running them until they die on a GoPro 12 at 5.3k (8:7 aspect) we’ve got some pretty consistent results.

GoPro Enduro Average Usage Time: 76 min

Artman Enduro Battery Average Usage Time: 66 min

So while the GoPro batteries do get a little longer runtimes, the Artman batteries are close. Good enough for my purposes.

Charging

This case charges all the batteries at the same time, sending a bit of juice to each. This means they’ll all be ready at the same time. I prefer cases that charge the highest one to 100% and then moves on to the next. It gets you back filming faster. If you’re looking for one to get to 100% the fastest, you’ll have to charge one at a time.

I found the charge times exactly as advertised.

• 2.5 hours to charge 1 Enduro battery
• 3 hours for 2 batteries
• 3.5 for all 3 batteries

Price

One Enduro battery goes for about $35 (CAD) from GoPro. You can probably find them on sale here and there. They don’t sell an enclosed charging case.

The Artman 3 battery charger with 3 batteries came to $40. So for a little more than 1 OEM battery, you can get 3 and a charging case.

The original Artman 3 battery charger with 3 batteries came to $40 when I first found it but it doesn’t seem to be available any more.

There is the same thing in white for $54 when I looked at it last.

Or there is a similar 3 battery charger without the screen at $40 with no built-in USB cord.

Recommendation

Some things you can get cheap away with cheap knock-off brands and some you can’t. Compared to GoPros, cheap action cameras don’t work well, break faster and aren’t as waterproof. 

Batteries on the other hand, might not work quite as well the OEM GoPro batteries but they’re close and for a fraction of the cost, it’s pretty good value. 

The charger works well and has both USB-A and C. I like the built in cable so I don’t have to go looking for one. The lid could use a stronger magnet but mostly stays closed. It hasn’t come open in my backpack as things are usually packed around it. 

If you you need another charger and batteries for your GoPro, Artman is a good deal.

The post Artman 3-Battery Charger for GoPro 12 first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Like other tech companies, GoPro releases upgrades some years and big improvements others. Is the HERO12 just an iteration on the 11? And is it enough to keep DJI and Insta360 running to catch up?

Compared the HERO8, 9, 10, and 11, the 12 is an improvement, no doubt. If you have an 8 or 9, should you upgrade? GoPro has actually removed something from the 12 that some folks might not be happy about.

Ok, first, the Rad list and specs and then get into the testing.

Specs

With the exception of the sensor, the basic specs of the 12 haven’t changed a lot. See it compared to the HERO8, 9, 10, and 11.

Video Modes

These are the video modes available in the HERO12. It’s basically the same setup as the 11 without 4K 4:3.

The 12 does introduce a new vertical aspect of 9:16. It can get a vertical clip without having to mount it vertical.

HERO12 vs HERO11

There isn’t a lot of difference between the 11 and the 12. If you have an 11, you probably don’t need to upgrade but for any other versions it’s a good bump.

These things are an improvement over the 11 though.

• 9:16 aspect ratio
• HDR video
• Improved HyperSmooth
• Bluetooth audio
• Timecode sync
• 1/4 20 mount

This table just shows the 11 and 12 but check out this other post if you want to see the HERO8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 compared.

They have the same processor and mostly the same features. If you can get an 11 on a good deal, they are both amazing cameras that can go anywhere.

For me, bluetooth audio and 1/4 20 mount are great new features. I wouldn’t upgrade from the 11 to 12 if it was my only camera but they sure sweeten the deal if you’re upgrading from an older GoPro.

	HERO12	HERO11
Shop	GoPro.com	GoPro.com
Full review	This post!	HERO11 Black Review
Release Date	Sept 13, 2023	Sept 14, 2022
Processor	GP2	GP2
Aspect Ratios	16:9, 9:16, 4:3, 8:7	16:9, 4:3, 8:7
Video Modes	5.3K (8:7) 30/25/24 FPS 5.3K (16:9) 60/50/30/25/24 FPS 4K (8:7) 60/50/30/25/24 FPS 4K (9:16) 60/50/30/25 4K (16:9) 120/100/60/50/30/25/24 FPS 2.7K (4:3) 120/100/60/50 FPS 2.7K (16:9) 240/200 FPS 1080 (9:16) 60/50/30/25 1080P (16:9) 240/200/120/100/60/50/30/25/24 FPS	5.3K (8:7) 30/25/24 fps 5.3K (16:9) 60/50/30/25/24 fps 5.3K (4:3) 30/25/24 fps 4K (8:7) 60/50 fps 4K (16:9) 120/100/60/50/30/25/24 fps 4K (4:3) 60/50/30/25/24 fps 2.7K (16:9) 240/200/120/100/60/50 fps 2.7K (4:3) 120/100/60/50 fps 1080p (16:9) 240/200/120/100/60/50/30/25/24 fps
HDR Video	5.3K (16:9) 30/25/24 fps 4K (8:7) 30/25/24 fps 4K (16:9) 60/50/30/25/24 fps	–
Slo-mo	2x at 5.3K 4x at 4K 8x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p	2x at 5.3K 3x at 4K 8x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p
Back screen	2.27″ touchscreen	2.27″ touchscreen
Front screen	1.4″ with live preview	1.4″ with live preview
Waterproof	33ft	33ft
HyperSmooth	6.0 with AutoBoost	5.0 with AutoBoost
Horizon Levelling	360° Horizon Lock	360° Horizon Lock
Photo Size	27MP	27MP
Video Screen Grab Size	24.7MP	24.7MP
TimeWarp	3.0 Auto, 2x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 30x up to 5.3k	3.0 Auto, 2x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 30x up to 5.3k
Color Depth	10-bit	10-bit
HindSight
Scheduled Capture
LiveBurst
Duration Capture
Webcam
Removeable Lens Cover
Livestream	1080p30 with HyperSmooth + 1080p60 recording	1080p30 with HyperSmooth 4.0 + 1080p60 recording
Wired Transfer
Timecode Sync
1/4 20 mount
Mods	Media Mod Max Lens Mod 2.0	Media Mod Max Lens Mod
Price (USD, Dec 2023, GoPro.com)	$349.99	$299.99

Max Lens Mod 2.0

So GoPro already has a crazy wide lens at 156° (when you’re in in 8:7 aspect ratio).

If you need it to be even wider, even more immersive, the Max Lens Mod bumps that field of view up to 177°.

How do you put on the Max Lens Mod?

With the removable lens cover on the HERO cameras now it’s easy to take the lens cover off and put the Max Lens Mod on. A quarter twist and pull and the cover is off. It’s easy to replace the standard covers as well if it gets scratched.

Once the standard cover is off, put the Max Lens Mod on at the same angle and twist on.

What’s the difference between the Max Lens Mod 1.0 and 2.0?

There is a version 1.0 of the Max Lens Mod. Version 2, released in 2023, is smaller, lighter and more scratch resistant.

Version 1.0 can be used on HERO9, 10, 11 and 12.

Version 2.0 of the Max Lens is not backwards compatible and can only be used on the 12 at this point.

Other Accessories

GoPro has a ridiculous number of mounts and other accessories. These ones have been updated recently.

Head strap

The front of the head strap comes off into a hat clip as well.

Chesty

The new Chesty has a padded mount and new clip on the front.

Tripods and GorillaPods

GoPros work with any tripod and GorillaPod now with the new 1/4 20 mount on the bottom. It’s still possible to mount the GoPro fingers but it’s easier without it.

Conclusion – Do you need a GoPro HERO12?

The HERO12 is another iteration on the camera that defined actions cameras.

If you have an 11 then you probably don’t need a 12.

If you have a 10? Then you’ll get higher resolution, better horizon lock, and better Hypersmooth.

If you have a 9 or 8, you get an upgrade to the GP2 processor, faster menus, higher resolutions, and better Hypersmooth.

Do you have an action camera? If not, I’d be getting a GoPro.

GoPro Questions

What does the 8:7 sensor do?

HERO11 and 12 have a larger 1/1.9″ sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio or close to a square. HERO10, 9 and 8 had a smaller 1/2.3″ sensor with a 4:3 aspect ratio more like a TV or computer monitor.

Because the larger sensor captures more information, the camera can use higher levels of stabilization and pull vertical crops for social videos even when the camera is mounted horizontally.

Not all of the video modes are available in both 16:9 and 8:7 aspects.

What’s in the GoPro subscription in 2024?

The GoPro subscription changed a bit in 2023. Where there used to be one subscription that got you:

• Discount on your camera
• unlimited cloud backup and auto-uploads
• 50% off accessories from GoPro.com
• Up to 2 discounted camera replacements

Now there is a Premium and Premium+ tiers to the subscription:

Premium ($59.99 USD/year, half price for first year)

• Unlimited cloud storage
• 25gb storage for non-GoPro footage
• Synced mobile and desktop editing
• camera replacement
• 50% off accessories at GoPro.com
• $100 off 1 GoPro per year
• Auto upload
• Automatic Highlight videos
• Live Streaming

Premium+ ($129.99 USD/year)

• All Premium features
• 500gb cloud storage for non-GoPro footage
• HyperSmooth Pro stabilization

What is GoPro Quik?

Quik is GoPro’s video editor for mac, tablets and phones. The Mac version was just released late 2023.

You can use it for free but to use all the features, you’ll need an active subscription.

What is GP-Log and LUT support?

GoPro 12 now supports Log Encoding with GP-Log, a Rec. 709 color profile, with the related LUTs.

Log Encoding is a color profile that keeps more dynamic range information in video image. Better for editing later if you are going to color-correct with something like Davinci Resolve or Final Cut Pro. Log footage will look washed out until it’s edited.

LUTs are the files that do the mapping from the colors in the log footage to something that looks more normal.

What is HyperSmooth?

HyperSmooth is GoPro’s in-camera stabilization. With no stabilization, the video footage comes out shaky and moving all over the place.

Did GoPro remove the GPS?

GoPro has removed the GPS in the 12. Apparently few people were using it and it was using a lot of battery. I never used it and very much welcome the increased battery life. If you need it, HERO11’s shouldn’t be hard to find.

Other Photos

The post GoPro HERO12 Black Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Zero Zero has done this with the HoverAir X1.

The X1 is a compact, foldable drone that literally fits in your pocket. You can buy just the drone with 1 battery or a combo pack with 2 batteries and a USB-C battery charger. We tested one out in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. Here’s the review.

Specs

Flying the HoverAir X1

There are 2 ways to fly the HoverAir X1, smart mode and manual.

Smart mode doesn’t need a phone or controller at all. Turn the drone on, select a mode with the button on top and it will do its thing. When you’re done, put your hand under it and it will land. You can pick the mode from the phone if you have it connected.

Hover – Sits about 1 metre off the ground and hovers. It will turn and track you but won’t follow. Has settings for shooting mode, duration, target tracking, vertical mode, and video quality.

Zoom Out – Slowly backs away from you up, level or down. Has settings for shooting mode, distance, altitude, vertical mode, video quality and photo mode.

Follow – Follows you from behind. Has settings for shooting mode, follow type, duration, distance, altitude, vertical mode, and video quality.

Orbit – Spins around you, keeping you in view. Has settings for shooting mode, radius, angle, altitude, vertical mode, video quality, and photo mode.

Birds Eye – Slowly moves straight up and then back down. Has settings for shooting mode, altitude, rotation speed, vertical mode, video quality, and photo mode.

Manual – Fly using the controls in the app on your phone. You can control forward/left/right/backward and up/turn left/turn right/down and the gimbal.

Snapshot – Records video until you are standing still for 3 seconds, then it takes a photo. You can set this as a custom mode that doesn’t require the phone.

Dolly Track – Takes off, backs up 2 metres and flys backwards keeping you in front of it, even if you turn. It has no sensors so careful of things behind it. Moving to the left will steer it back and left. Same with right. Staying still for 3 seconds will stop the recording and bring it back to you. It can be set as a custom mode.

Manual Mode

Manual mode needs a phone. It’s just like other drone apps where you connect and fly the drone around with onscreen controls.

There’s no way to view the controls in a landscape (horizontal) view, just portrait view. I think it would be a little more intuitive to fly if it had virtual joysticks on a landscape view.

To take off, press the power button once and it will start the 3-second takeoff sequence. When you’re in a smart mode it automatically starts recording video or taking photos as soon as it takes off. In manual, a button on screen starts the recording.

If you are connected with your phone, you can override smart mode with manual mode and continue to fly yourself.

For landing, as soon as your hand or the ground is close enough to the bottom of the drone it will come down and land. There is a land button in the app in manual mode as well.

The batteries on tiny drones never last very long but with the smart modes on the X1, you can use it quickly and then get it back into your bag moving on to the next location.

Manual mode lasts between 10 to 11 minutes. On Hover Smart Mode, I was getting between 8 and 9 minutes. I thought the Manual mode would drain the video faster the with wifi connection and video preview but it was lasting longer for me.

Test Footage

App

The Hover app is on the iPhone App Store and Google Play for Android.

The main screen is a feed of videos and photos from other Hover users. Next is a screen for connecting to the drone, and then information about each of the smart modes

Once you connect, you can see the media, go into manual mode, or record audio.

Drone videos don’t have sound because all you would hear is the sound of drone propellers. Recording the sound from your phone instead and matching it up with your video gets you both.

The third section in the app is a list of instructions for each of the smart modes like Hover and Zoom out. They have a hilarious mascot character that looks like a mini Pillsbury Doughboy acting out each of the modes.

The last is a profile section to see your settings and accounts.

Downloading Media

After connecting to the Hover you can click on Hover’s Album and see your videos and photos on the drone. From here you can view, delete, or download. From there they go to the Downloaded section of the app and your photo album. I like that it doesn’t require another step to get into the photo album.

Charging

The X1 can charge through the device or through the USB-C battery charger. It takes about 55 minutes to charge when it’s in the drone and 35 min when it’s in the charger. The charger charges one battery at a time and charges the higher one first. This gets you flying faster.

Compared to the DJI Mini 3

A lot of people will compare the X1 to DJI Mini 2 or 3. They’re both small, foldable, and under 249 grams. At the end of the day, the X1 is a smaller, more packable flying camera, where as the DJI drones have more features but are more complicated.

Who is the HoverAir X1 for?

There are plenty of drones on the market now and some with better cameras than the X1 but that’s not really the point of it.

The HoverAir X1 just makes it so easy to pull a flying camera out of your bag, grab a couple shots and continue on to the next location. It’s so easy and fast to use. The battery life could be a bit better but small batteries don’t have a lot of space.

Larger drones, like any DJI, take a good amount of setup and practice to be able to use well. Sure, they can get better videos and photos but you need to put in a lot of time and effort (and possibly replacement parts) to learn it well.

If you are looking for something easy to learn and fast to use, then the HoverAir X1 is a great drone to have on you all the time.

The post HoverAir X1 Drone Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

The GoPro HERO12 action camera has been out since September 2023 and I’m sure the 13 is on its way (probably September 2024). If you are buying a GoPro for the first time which one should you buy? If you have an 8 or 9 should you be upgrading to a 10, 11, or 12?

Price is always going to be a factor. Prices are falling and sales happen all the time, you can usually pick up a GoPro for a good price somewhere online.

In this post:

• Feature comparison of 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12
• GoPro Subscription: Should you get it?
• Best GoPro prices online
• Explanation of every GoPro feature
• Other GoPro cameras

GoPro HERO 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 Features Compared

Check out the bottom of the post for explanations of each of these features.

Feature	GoPro HERO12	GoPro HERO11	GoPro HERO10	GoPro HERO9	GoPro HERO8
Release Date	Sept 13, 2023	Sept 14, 2022	Sept 16, 2021	Sept 16, 2020	Oct 15, 2019
Processor	GP2	GP2	GP2	GP1	GP1
Sensor	1/1.9″ CMOS 8:7	1/1.9″ CMOS 8:7	1/2.3″ CMOS 4:3	1/2.3″ CMOS 4:3	1/2.3″ CMOS 4:3
Max Video Modes	5.3K60 4K120 2.7K240 1080p240	5.3K60 4K120 2.7K240 1080p240	5.3K60 4K120 2.7K240 1080p240	5K30 4K60 2.7K120 1080p240	4K60 2.7K120 1080p240
Slo-mo	2x at 5.3K 4x at 4K 8x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p	2x at 5.3K 3x at 4K 8x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p	2x at 5.3K 3x at 4K 8x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p	2x at 4K 4x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p	2x at 4K 4x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p
Back screen	2.27″ touchscreen	2.27″ touchscreen	2.27″ touchscreen	2.27″ touchscreen	1.95″ touchscreen
Front screen	1.4″ with live preview	1.4″ with live preview	1.4″ with live preview	1.4″ with live preview	black and white status
Waterproof	33ft	33ft	33ft	33ft	33ft
HyperSmooth	6.0 with AutoBoost	5.0 with AutoBoost	4.0	3.0	2.0
Horizon Lock	360° Rotation, up to 5.3K30, 4K60, and 2.7K120	360° Rotation, up to 5.3K30, 4K60, and 2.7K120	–	–	–
Horizon Levelling	Up to 27°, 5.3K60, 4K120, 2.7K240 and 1080/240	Up to 27°, 5.3K60, 4K120, 2.7K240 and 1080/240	27-45° All Resolution	27-45° All Resolution	In Quik app
Photo Size	27MP	27MP	23MP	20MP	12MP
Video Screen Grab Size	24.7MP	24.7MP	19.6MP	14.75MP
TimeWarp	3.0 Auto, 2x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 30x up to 5.3k	3.0 Auto, 2x, 5x, 10x, 15x, 30x up to 5.3k	3.0	3.0	2.0
Color Depth	10-bit	10-bit	8-bit	8-bit	8-bit
HindSight
Scheduled Capture
LiveBurst
Duration Capture
Webcam
Removeable Lens Cover
Livestream	1080p30 with HyperSmooth + 1080p60 recording	1080p30 with HyperSmooth 4.0 + 1080p60 recording	1080p with HyperSmooth	1080p	1080p
Wired Transfer					(android only)
Mods	Media Mod Max Lens Mod 2.0/1.0	Media Mod Max Lens Mod 1.0	Media Mod Max Lens Mod 1.0	Media Mod Max Lens Mod 1.0	Media Mod
Price (USD, Dec 2023, GoPro.com)	$349.99	$299.99	$249.99	$199.99	$149.99
Shop	GoPro Amazon	GoPro Amazon	GoPro Amazon	Amazon	Amazon
Review	Coming soon	Hero11 Review	Hero10 Review	Hero9 review	Hero8 Review

GoPro Subscription

The GoPro subscription changed a bit in 2023. Where there used to be one subscription that got you:

• Discount on your camera
• unlimited cloud backup and auto-uploads
• 50% off accessories from GoPro.com
• Up to 2 discounted camera replacements

Now there is a Premium and Premium+ tiers to the subscription:

Premium ($59.99 USD/year, half price for first year)

• Unlimited cloud storage
• 25gb storage for non-GoPro footage
• Synced mobile and desktop editing
• camera replacement
• 50% off accessories at GoPro.com
• $100 off 1 GoPro per year
• Auto upload
• Automatic Highlight videos
• Live Streaming

Premium+ ($129.99 USD/year)

• All Premium features
• 500gb cloud storage for non-GoPro footage
• HyperSmooth Pro stabilization

GoPro Features

GoPro’s have a lot of different features. Here’s what they all mean.

Processor

Cameras have a processor, or brain, just like in your computer and phone. They run process the images, control each function and run the touch screen.

The GP1 processor was getting a bit slow in the HERO 9 camera and was upgraded to the GP2 in the HERO 10. The performance difference is noticeable.

Video modes

Video modes are all the different resolutions and frame rates each camera has like 4K60 or 1080p240.

Resolution is the size of the picture and how many pixels you are recording. The standard aspect ratio (pixels across vs down) of 16:9 in a 5.3K video on a GoPro 10 is 5312 pixels across by 2988 pixels down. A lot of pixels!

Frame rate is how many frames are recorded each second. Movies on TV will be 24 frames per second or fps. If you film at a higher frame rate you can slow it down a bit so 60, 120, or 240 fps can be slowed down a bit for a slow motion effect.

Back screen

GoPro have a touch screen on the back where you control each of the functions and see what you are recording. They got a back screen back in the Hero 3 days with an optional, detachable touch screen. The 1.95″ screen on the GoPro 8 got upgraded in the 9 and 10 to 2.27″ as the camera body got bigger.

Front screen

Up until the Hero 8, GoPro’s had a small front screen that showed how many images or video you had taken. In the GoPro 9 it got upgrade to an actual video screen showing what a preview of the video.

WaterProof

GoPro got famous because they came with a waterproof housing. To mount it to anything the fully waterproof housing had to be on.

Starting with the GoPro 5, they whole camera was waterproof, no case needed. Hero 5 and 6 still needed a frame to mount it to anything and then the Hero 8 got built-in mounts.

No waterproof case is required for the 8, 9 and 10 to go down to 33 ft. Past 33 ft though they still require a thicker waterproof housing.

HyperSmooth

Most video is a jittery mess if you start moving. Even worse if you are mountain biking and constantly hitting bumps and rocks.

HyperSmooth is GoPro’s image stabilization technology. It automatically takes out the bumps and jitters resulting in smoother video.

Horizon Levelling

HyperSmooth takes out the bumps but sometimes the camera will rotate when you don’t want it to. Horizon Levelling automatically keeps the horizon in the shot level. This is only available in certain modes because it has to clip the corners of the video to do this.

This option can be disabled if you want the horizon to rotate with the camera.

Photo Size

GoPro’s can take still images too and they are getting better and better. Mirrorless or DSLR camera will still take better still images but GoPro are starting to be the only camera you need to take on adventures.

Hero 10 takes 23 megapixel photos.

SuperPhoto

SuperPhoto can be enabled for your photos and does a few things when it’s on auto:

1. High Dynamic Range (HDR)
2. Local Tone Mapping
3. Multi-Frame Noise Reduction
4. Or, no processing

These are each explained below. SuperPhoto can be disabled if you want.

High Dynamic Range (HDR)

Cameras still aren’t very good at capturing very bright and very dark in one image. What they can do is capture multiple images and put them together. Some are taken for the bright areas, some for the dark areas and they quickly merged for your final photo.

Local Tone Mapping

GoPros have adjusted your photos and videos in the camera globally, meaning they add contrast or increase saturation across the whole image. What they can now do is make these changes for one spot on the photo like just on your subject and not the sky behind. Different adjustments are made in photos than in video but both use local tone mapping with the Hero 10.

3D (Multi-Frame) Noise Reduction

GoPro’s, like all other cameras, increase the ISO (sensitivity) of the sensor when the light gets low. This introduces noise in the picture. It looks like a grain or static on the video.

Cameras and computers can run through each image of a video and smooth out pixels. They blend noisy pixels with the pixels around them and things look better. It can also make it look a lot less sharp.

With the faster GP2 processor, the GoPro 10 can look at multiple frames of an image and copy information from the others, reducing the noise without making the image look soft.

This applies to all the resolutions and frame-rates except for the highest so 4k30/24, 2.7K60, 1080p120 and below. The processing is just too much to do the highest resolutions and frame-rates.

Video Screen Grab Size

Through the GoPro Quik app there are 2 ways to get a photo. You can take a normal photo with the camera, or you can just save a frame (screen grab) from a video. With the videos becoming such high resolution, the photos from a video clip are getting better as well. Just remember that it will have whatever blur in the image from moving as the video clip did.

Time Lapse Photo

Time Lapse Photo makes a time-lapse series of photos. You can pick your interval you’d like the photos to be taken at. Each of the photos are saved separately on the camera letting you do something with them after.

Time Lapse Video

Time Lapse Video is the same as Time Lapse Photos, except the camera puts them into a video file for you. If that’s what you are going to do, then it’ll save you time.

Night Lapse Photo

Night Lapse Photos are just like a Time Lapse Photo except with a longer exposure time. This lets more light into the camera when it’s dark at night. On the photo mode it will save a bunch of photos to the card

Night Lapse Video

Just like a Night Lapse Photo but saves a video instead of a series of photos.

TimeWarp

TimeWarp is a time lapse video with the HyperSmooth stabilization turned on. It can be used for walking around a city, driving a pretty road, or running down a trail. There are different speeds that can be used. Higher speeds are better for recording bumpier activities.

HindSight

HindSight captures 15 or 30 seconds of video before you press the shutter button. This gets added to whatever you record after the shutter is pressed. It’s handy if getting the timing on a shot is hard. Because the camera is recording the whole time just like a car dashcam, it uses up the battery faster.

Scheduled Capture

The GoPro can start recording at a specified time in the next 24 hours. You can record time lapse or video and the camera will turn on by itself. Great for sunrise time lapse shots when you don’t want to get out of bed!

This feature can be used with Duration Capture.

Duration Capture

Duration Capture will let the GoPro shoot a time lapse or video for a set amount of time. Set the amount of time to capture for and let the camera go.

This can be used with Scheduled Capture as well to capture at a set time and then run for the set duration.

LiveBurst

LiveBurst records a burst of photos and then saves them to a video file. It’s always recording so it records 1.5 seconds of photos before and after you press the shutter button. With the Quik app you can view and share the whole video or save one photo from it.

Color Profile

In older GoPro’s they were set by default to a GoPro colour setting which had very saturated colours. In the 9 they defaulted to that punchy GoPro colour setting but also had a Flat colour setting which left every desaturated but much easier for colour grading afterwards.

In the 10 they’ve extended the GoPros even further. Vibrant is still the punch, saturated GoPro colours from the old cameras. Flat is the desaturated colours great for grading after. Natural is in between the 2 others and makes for a great everyday filming profile.

Webcam

GoPros can now be used as webcams. Theres a small program to download from the GoPro website. The Webcam app can be used with GoPro 8, 9 and 10.

Removable Lens Cover

GoPro 9 and 10 both have removeable lens covers. To replace a scratched lens cover or add a Max Lens Mod, you can unscrew the lens cover and screw on the new one. Careful with the versions as the Max Lens Mod 2.0 is only compatible with HERO12.

Livestream

Through the smartphone app, GoPro 7 and up can livestream directly to Facebook, Youtube, Vimeo and others. GoPro 10 adds the ability to add HyperSmooth to the livestream as well. Livestream your next the big mountain bike descent?

Wired transfer

With a recent firmware update, GoPro 5 and up can connect to your phone with a cable and transfer your photos and videos much faster. GoPro 5, 6, 7 and 8 are Android only at the moment. 9 and 10 support iPhone but the cable has to be Apple’s lightning to USB-C cable for some reason.

How to set up the wired transfer.

Battery Life

Battery life is how long the GoPro batteries last on each camera. This can vary wildly depending on what you’re doing. Recording at 4K60 is going to drain your batteries much faster than taking a still image once in a while. On average GoPro batteries last about 30 to 60 minutes. We highly recommend taking extras!

The GoPro 9 and 10 batteries got larger going from 1220 mAh to 1720 mAh. Running the front screen takes more juice so the battery life doesn’t usually get longer. A new Enduro battery from GoPro last longer than the standard batteries and does better in the cold.

Other GoPro Cameras

GoPro also have some other cameras out aside from the Hero line.

Max

The GoPro Max is their 360 degree camera. It can take 360 video and you can choose what shots you want afterwards.

Not in this chart. That camera is here.

Hero10 Black Bones

The new Bones camera is a Hero10 stripped down to just a lens and processor for use on FPV drones. It’s smaller and lighter than a normal GoPro, not having a battery or any screens. It requires power from the drone to work.

GoPro Hero11

Cleary not a feature of one of the GoPros, the GoPro Hero11 is expected to be released September 2022. We’re excited to see what features GoPro will pack into the latest camera.

Which is your favourite GoPro?

Do you have a GoPro? Do you like it? Which one is your favourite?

I’ve had an original Hero Wide, 3+, 5 and more recently the 8, 9 and 10. The 10 is clearly the best you can get and has every feature we could imagine.

For the right price anything from the 5 up are amazing cameras that can do so many things.

The post GoPro Hero 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 Compared: Which is Best? first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Does it even exist?

First we’ll compare the top backpacks for hiking then get into the buying guide. What do those features even mean?

Top Camera Backpacks Compared

Camera backpack features to look for

Comfort

Many camera packs forget comfort in the search for endless configuration and dividers inside. Make sure you try on the pack before you buy with some weight in it.

Back, side and top access

The difference between regular backpacks and camera backpacks is the access. Whole back, side or top panels open giving easy access to your gear.

Back

The hallmark camera backpack access is the large back panel. The whole back of the bag opens up when it’s sitting on the ground. From there you can access your camera bodies, lenses and drones.

Side

Side access to the pack is a fast access while you’re wearing it. A small side panel opens straight into your main camera.

Top

Some camera packs have a top access too. This might be into your camera gear or into another compartment for camping gear or clothes.

Configurable cubes and dividers

To hold your camera inside the pack, there’s usually a removable camera cube or built-in area that can be divided by soft, bendable velcro dividers.

Cubes are removable and can be put into other backpacks but the extra layers and lids can get bulky inside a pack. Some cubes like the Mountain Light in the Moment Strohl pack are very thin but still strong and protective.

Some packs like the Lowepro ProTactic has a built in area made from the soft velcro material that you can divide however you want.

Laptop and tablet storage

Most camera bags come with some sort of laptop storage but some don’t. Be careful it’s big enough if you have a 15″ or 16″ laptop. Some only fit 13″ laptops and tablets.

Removable hip belt

Most bigger camera bags will have a waist belt and some are removable. It’s nice to have the remove it if you are using it more like a small city or travel bag. When you’re going for long days or have a lot in your pack, the waist belt will take some of the weight off your shoulders.

Tripod storage

A camera bag wouldn’t be much. of a camera bag if it didn’t have somewhere to store a tripod. Most of the time, they attach to the side with a strap and sometimes a pocket to hold the bottom of the legs. The pockets can double as water bottle holders as well.

External attachment points

No matter how much space inside there is, there’s often other stuff to hang from your bag. Anything external could fall off easier so be mindful of what you put out there. Other tripods or sleeping mats can attach to the outside with attachment points. Most bags have a few on the bottom sides and back for small clips or carabiners to attach to.

What’s your favourite camera pack?

Have you used the perfect camera pack? What’s great about it? What sucks?

The post Best Camera Backpacks for Hiking (Buying Guide) first appeared on Pack & Trail.

The still padding all around does a good job of keeping gear safe and the shape of the backpack.

Specs

The basic specs:

• 2.85 kg
• 36 x 22 x 52 cm external measurements of the bag
• 29 x 2.2 x 37 cm laptop compartment
• ActivZone back panel
• Utility belt with water bottle holder, tripod cup and 2 quick straps
• 15″ laptop slot
• 2 clear accessory pouches
• 4 access points
• 2 small zippered side pouches
• 1 small zippered pouch in top

Fit and Comfort

The 450 AWII is a very comfortable pack.

Being a stiff, black box, it doesn’t look like it’s going to be comfortable. Having worn all sorts of hiking, backpacking, ski and photography bags, this has easily been one of the most comfortable.

The padding on the back and straps is nice and thick, comfortably holding the pack when it’s fully of cameras, drones, lenses and water bottles.

Camera Access

There are 4 ways to access to the main compartment on the 450.

Depending on what I want to get, I’ll go through the side, top or back lids.

Back Panel Lid

The whole back panel opens up with a zipper. The dual zipper can be put on either side or the top. or locked together. I love that the zippers can be put anywhere on the track to close it.

The backpack straps are attached to the back and not the back panel. While this does take a little extra effort to open, I’d much rather have the straps firmly attached to the bag. If that zipper fails, the bag would stay closed and on your back.

The flat front of the bag means the back stays flat and level when the back panel is open.

Top Lid

The hard top shell of the pack opens as well. It’s quite stiff and feels more armoured. It flips open but stays mostly closed. I rarely have my camera sitting in the top since so I can access it through the side.

Side openings

Both sides have a small opening at the bottom for sling-like access to the main compartment. You can pick either side to set up. for camera access. I always have my camera in the left side so I can pull it out around my left shoulder with my right hand.

How much can it hold?

The 450 is about 25 litres total inside which can hold a fair amount of stuff.

If you are looking for something to use for a multi-day trip with camera gear, this will be small. You might need a multi-day pack and small camera module or larger camera pack.

The LowePro website says it can fit can fit 2 pro bodies, one with a 70-200, up to 8 other lenses, drone and action camera.

The hip belt is like a utility belt with a few spots to hang attachments to. The back and sides of the pack has a molle-like webbing to hold velcro and SlipLock hooks.

The pack comes with a water bottle holder, tripod cup and 2 quick straps to attach other things. Other accessories are on LowePros website for strapping on all the things.

2 other small pouches on are the sides of the pack and 2 clear pouches sit on the inside of the back panel. The clear pouches are very useful to see everything inside.

Laptop Pouch

Just inside the back panel is a 15″ laptop. It’s well padded and easily fits a 15″ MacBook Pro.

My only issue with the laptop pouch so far as been accidentally letting it fall open with a laptop in it but that’s all my fault?

Difference between the ProTactic 350 AW and the BP 450 AWII

The ProTactic 350 AW is a smaller version of the 450. It’s a very similar layout but 15 litres instead of 25. It still has the webbing, removable hip belt, ActivZone back panel and 4 access points.

Conclusion

After using the LowePro ProTactic BP 450 AWII for the last couple years, it’s been an awesome camera pack. It’s very comfortable even when fully. loaded, fits a ton of stuff, and is very configurable inside. All the zippers, straps and dividers are still in good shape even though it spends a lot of time laying in the dirt on my hikes.

If you are looking for a dedicated camera backpack, or daypack with camera dividers, the ProTactic BP 450 AWII is an excellent option.

The post LowePro ProTactic 450 AW II Backpack Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

And this year, again, they continue to push the boundaries of tiny, tough cameras with the Hero11.

We got our dirty mitts on the brand new camera so today we’ll have a look at the latest camera in the series, the GoPro Hero11 Black.

More test footage and photos will be coming soon. We just got a big dump of snow here so it take us a bit to dig out!

Enjoy.

Hero11 Features

The Hero11 is packed with features. Many are similar to the Hero10 from last year but there are still some meaningful changes. And there’s one big one that makes it all worth it.

See the Hero10 vs Hero11 section below to compare it with the last version.

The Hero11 features:

• 8:7 sensor
• Video Modes: 5.3K60, 4K120, 2.7K240, 1080p240
• Slow-mo: 2x at 5.3K, 3x at 4K, 8x at 2.7K, 8x at 1080p
• 2.27″ touch back screen, 1.14″ front screen
• HyperSmooth 5.0 with AutoBoost
• TimeWarp 4.0
• 27MP photos
• 24.7MP frame grabs
• Waterproof to 33 feet
• 10-bit color
• 153 grams
• $399.99 USD ($517 CAD)

Ok, that’s a nice big list. Let’s look at what they all mean and, most importantly, if they work well.

New 8:7 Sensor

The Hero11 has a new 8:7 sensor.

What’s a sensor?

Inside the GoPro is a computer chip called the sensor. It’s what ‘takes’ the photo and converts it into a file we can see. These are always different shapes and sizes for each camera.

GoPro sensors have long been a 4:3 aspect ratio that you see in the image below. This is about the shape of an old TV. This works great when you’re making a horizontal video for a TV or widescreen. It doesn’t work so good when you want the awful vertical video for phones these days. I know, we all have to make them for phones.

With the new 8:7 sensor, you can still crop images and video down to shorter (but still wide) 4:3 and 16:9 aspects. But with the taller 8:7, you can still get a full size 9:16 vertical image or video at the same time without sacrificing any quality.

Another benefit to the taller sensor is being able to see a wider view higher and lower when it’s mounted. This is great for chest mounts when mountain biking or views where you need to see up more.

The new sensor also enables an even wider digital lens called HyperView. HyperView can see an insane amount in one show, albeit with a lot of distortion around the edges because it’s so wide.

8:7 is the only option in these modes:

• Photo
• Burst
• Night Photo
• Time Lapse Photo
• Night Lapse Photo

8:7 is one option in video with these resolutions and frame rates:

• 5.3K/30/24
• 4K/60

HyperSmooth 5.0 with AutoBoost And Horizon Lock

Ok, what?

This is all the stuff for stabilization, or in other words, keeping the footage steady while you fly along the trail. Having a camera strapped to your helmet is fun but when the final footage is bouncing all over the place, it’s hard to use it for anything.

HyperSmooth 5 is the stabilizer on the Hero11. The stabilization from GoPro over the last 3 years has been insane. Running and jumping down a rough trail with the GoPro in my hand still looks nice and smooth on the computer after.

AutoBoost

AutoBoost is new in the Hero11. It automatically adds more or less stabilization as you go. If the camera detects a lot of bumps, it will zoom in a bit and increase the stabilization. When things get smoother, it zooms out to get more pixels in the frame.

Horizon Lock

Horizon levelling has been in the GoPro series for a few years. The camera automatically keeps the horizon level for you as you flail around with the camera.

The Hero8 couldn’t do it in camera but the Quik app could add it for you.

The 9 and 10 handle the levelling for you and keep things level up to 45 degrees. Some of the aspect ratios can only do up to 23 or 27 degrees. Once you go past the limit, it just rotates like a normal camera.

A separate Max Lens Mod is available for the 9 and 10 which enables full 360 horizon leveling but it’s another thing to buy.

Now the Hero11 has it all built in. No apps or extra lens mods to buy. The 11 can track the horizon through a full 360 rotation no matter how far you go as long as you’re on a linear video mode.

27 megapixel photos

GoPros have always been able to take photos and, while not amazing, they are getting better and better.

Like a point and shoot, the controls and zoom are basic.

You can enable SuperPhoto, HDR, standard, or RAW modes for photos with a Linear or Wide lens. Standard is straight out of camera. HDR takes a couple frames and uses the best exposed parts of each and SuperPhoto will choose between a few modes automatically trying to get the best highlights and shadows through the whole image.

RAW (.gpr) files are an option now so if you’re into editing your photos, you aren’t stuck with just jpeg.

Frame grabs

With the Quik app we can just take frame grabs from any video. Frame grabs are just saving a single frame from the video as a photo.

If you’re already taking a video of something, pause on the composition you want for a second and you can grab that frame later.

The frame grabs can be up to 24.69 megapixels from the 5.3k video. The 8:7 aspect generates the the largest photo. The other aspect ratios have fewer pixels.

• 24.69MP from (8:7) 5.3K Video
• 21.16MP from (4:3) 5.3K Video
• 15.87MP from (16:9) 5.3K Video

Zoom

The Hero11 can zoom up to 2x digitally but there is no physical zoom on it. This has always been the case with GoPros. Switching from the wide to linear lens will make it appear zoomed in a little bit more.

Easy and Pro Controls

The Hero11 now comes with Easy and Pro controls. It’s set to Easy when it first comes out of the box.

With Easy mode, you just pick whether you want highest quality or best battery life and then GoPro will pick the other settings for you. With a couple sliders, you can still pick what slo mo and digital lens you want but that’s it.

Pro controls are just the regular GoPro buttons like the 9 and 10 have. To switch to these, swipe down, left and tap Controls.

Enduro Battery

GoPro came out with a new battery for the Hero10 and now its included with the 11 out of the box. GoPro says it lasts 38% long and it’s better in the cold.

It’s the same mAh (1720) and physical size as the standard 9, 10 and 11 battery so I’m not sure how GoPro work this magic.

From our testing outside and in, the Enduro battery seems to get about 10 to 20 minutes more battery life depending on the temperature and the mode you are in. The greatest differences are with the higher, more demanding video modes. The Enduro works better in the cold.

2 Screens

The 2 screens from the Hero10 are back.

I love the new front screen and more responsive back screen. The screens still aren’t iPhone-level responsive but it’s far better compared to the 9, which was a bit slow.

There are 4 modes for the front screen: Off, Status (the number of shots you’ve taken, like the old GoPros), Actual Screen and Full Screen.

Actual Screen crops in and shows you exactly what you’re filming the correct aspect ratio. Full screen zooms in and fills the centre of the screen. I usually have it on Full screen so I can see a bit more but that means it cuts off the side a bit.

GoPro Subscription

The GoPro subscription comes with a bunch of stuff but more importantly it’s a big discount on the new camera if you get it from GoPro.com.

• Discount on the camera
• Unlimited cloud backup and auto-uploads
• Discount on GoPro.com for accessories
• Broken camera replacements
• Premium Quik app features

With the subscription you save pay $50 USD for the subscription and then save $200 off the camera. So you’re coming out in the end saving $150 on a new camera. It renews automatically for $50 a year.

Quik App

GoPro has an app that let’s you manage your media and edit quick (Quik?) videos.

With Quik you can:

• Use your phone as remote
• Import footage wired or wirelessly
• Automatically highlight videos
• Edit videos (subscription required to change slo-mo speed)
• Upload your footage to GoPro cloud (subscription required)

You can also just subscribe to all the features of Quik with the unlimited cloud backup for $12.99/year.

Quik Free version gets you:

• Limited Mural events
• Limited Quikstories
• Editing tools (duration, framing, exposure, contrast, vibrance, highlights, and more)
• 22 photo and video filters
• 11 themes
• A limited number of royalty-free music tracks
• Adding your own music

Quik Subscription version gets you:

• Everything included in free
• Unlimited Mural events
• Unlimited editing
• 25 additional photo and video filters
• Four additional themes: Urban, Memory, Travel, Glitch
• Speed adjustment tool
• 200+ original tracks — background music tracks
• 90+ premium, royalty-free tracks, added on a regular basis
• Improved Live Streaming
• Auto Upload
• Automatic Highlight features
• Unlimited cloud backup

Night Modes

GoPro already had night photography modes but they’ve added a couple more to make it even easier. These are the equivalent of long exposures on a DSLR or mirrorless camera.

The 3 modes are: light painting, car trails and star trails. Each hold the shutter open for longer to let in more light. These modes need a bit more practice to see how long you have to let the light in but they’re super cool when it works.

Verdict

So is the GoPro Hero11 Black any good?

Absolutely. It is the best action camera or small video camera we’ve tested. It doesn’t do 360 but it does just about everything else.

If you are wanting to do mostly video with some wide photos, then the Hero11 is all you need. The video and stabilization is ridiculously good. You don’t need any sort of gimble or software to do it on the computer after. The 5.3k is nice and crisp and more than enough to crop down to 4k for YouTube or other places you’re filming for.

You might not need the 11 if you already have a 10 or a 9 and are happy with it but if you are just getting a new one or want to upgrade the 11 is absolutely recommended from us.

GoPro Hero11 vs the Hero10

Check out the bottom of the post for explanations of each of these features.

See a full comparison of every spec from the Hero8, 9, 10 and 11

Feature	GoPro Hero11	GoPro Hero10
Release Date	Sept 14, 2022	Sept 16, 2021
Processor	GP2	GP2
Video Modes	5.3K60 4K120 2.7K240 1080p240	5.3K60 4K120 2.7K240 1080p240
Slo-mo	2x at 5.3K 3x at 4K 8x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p	2x at 5.3K 3x at 4K 8x at 2.7K 8x at 1080p
Back screen	2.27″ touchscreen	2.27″ touchscreen
Front screen	1.4″ with live preview	1.4″ with live preview
Waterproof	33ft	33ft
HyperSmooth	5.0 with AutoBoost	4.0
Horizon Levelling	360° Horizon Lock	up to 45 degrees in camera
Photo Size	27MP	23MP
Video Screen Grab Size	24.7MP	19.6MP
TimeWarp	4.0	3.0
Color Depth	10-bit	8-bit
HindSight
Scheduled Capture
LiveBurst
Duration Capture
Webcam
Removeable Lens Cover
Livestream	1080p60 with HyperSmooth 4.0	1080p with HyperSmooth
Wired Transfer
Mods	Media Mod Max Lens Mod	Media Mod Max Lens Mod
Price with Subscription (USD, Nov 2022, GoPro.com)	$399.99	$349.99
Price without Subscription (USD, Nov 2022, GoPro.com)	$549.99	$499.99
Shop	Amazon	Amazon
Review	This post!	Hero10 Review

GoPro Hero11 Black FAQ

Does the Hero11 have 2 screens?

Yes, just like the 9 and the 10, the Hero11 has a large touch back screen a small full-color front display.

Does the battery from the 10 fit the 11?

Yes. The Enduro and standard batteries fit the 9, 10 and 11.

Do the mounts from the 10 fit the 11?

Yes. The 9, 10 and 11 are all the same size cameras.

Do the Media Mods from the 10 fit the 11?

Yes. The 9, 10 and 11 are all the same size with the same plugs.

What is the Hero11 Black Mini?

The Hero11 Black Mini is a Hero11 Black with no screens. It’s 20 grams lighter since it doesn’t. have any screen. It’s also $50 cheaper. With no screens it’s going to be tougher to throw around. There are only video modes with the mini.

What is a frame grab?

Instead of stopping to take a photo, you can just take a frame out of the video you’ve already shot.

Is the lens cover water repellent?

Yes with a chemical coating. Don’t lick it. It is removable as well.

What does 10-bit color mean?

The Hero11 has 10-bit color, or 1 billion colors, to make it more flexible with editing.

Is the Hero11 good for photos?

Yes, the SuperPhoto mode makes great photos. It can’t zoom much though so you have to be close to your subject.

The post GoPro Hero11 Black Camera Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.

Well, yes. They have so far. The GoPro Hero10 is proof.

The Hero9 came out in 2020 and is still one hell of an action camera. With up to 5k resolution and Hypersmooth 3.0 stabilization that was better than anything on the market, the Hero9 great a touch in size but packed a ridiculous amount of tech into a tiny package. Click here to see a comparison of the Hero10 with the 9 and the 8.

GoPro Hero10 takes that larger camera size and doubles all the frame rates. We got from 5k30 in the Hero9 and now 5.3k60 in the Hero10. Not bad for a camera the same size.

With a possible 11th version on the horizon, is the Hero10 a good camera? Is it worth it? What about this new GoPro subscription?

GoPro Hero10 Specs

First, the main specs:

• GP2 processor
• Up to 5.3K60, 4K120, 2.7K240 video (8x slow-mo)
• 2.27″ back screen and 1.4″ front screen
• 23 megapixel photo or 19.6 megapixel video frame grabs
• Hypersmooth 4.0
• Waterproof to 33ft
• TimeWarp 3.0
• Better lowlight
• Cloud upload (with subscription)
• Hindsight
• Scheduled Capture
• LiveBurst
• Duration Capture
• Compatible with GoPro Quik App
• Use as a webcam

GoPro Hero10 vs the Hero9

The biggest competitor to the Hero10 is the slightly older Hero9. It had some very worthwhile upgrades this year.

(Almost) Same screens

The back and front screens have returned on the 10. The back screen is the beautiful 2.27″ touch screen with better touch controls. The front screen hasn’t changed size either, still 1.4″, but it did get an upgrade. The refresh rate is higher so that means you get a smoother video on the front. These improvements are likely from the new processor.

Faster GP2 processor

The Hero9 made it as far as it could go with with the GP1 processor, the brain of the camera. With the 2 large screens on the Hero9, it was clearly pushing the limits of what that processor could handle. The 4k30 mode was impressive, but the controls were a touch slow and the front screen was a bit choppy, not being able to refresh as fast as the back screen.

The new GP2 processor can handle all that with ease. Everything is just faster and better on the 10 because of the new processor. While the controls aren’t quite as quick as a phone touch screen, they are considerably better than on the 9.

Resolutions and Frame rates

That faster processor is powering higher frame rates too. 5k30 in the Hero9 went up to 5.3k60. 4k60 went up to 4k120. 2.7k120 went up to 2.7k240. The only one that didn’t get bumped up was 1080p240. Apparently there is some big technical limitation to going to 480 frames per second.

Slo-mo gets even better with all those frame rate bumps. 4x slow-mo at 4k is pretty sweet. 8x slo-mo at 2.7k isn’t too shabby either!

Better Hypersmooth and Timewarp

Hypersmooth 3.0 was already the best action camera stabilization out there and it gets bumped up to 4.0. Horizon levelling gets better with this all the way up to 45 degrees on most of the video modes. Timewarp (moving video timelapses) also bumps up from 3.0 to 4.0.

Better low-light performance

The small sensors in action cameras typically mean poor low-light performance. GoPro’s are not known for their low-light performance. With the new processor, they are squeezing everything they can out of the software to try and make that image look as good as possible.

Without getting too nerdy, the Hero10 automatically checks each frame before and after in a video to see what the pixels should look like, and replaces noisy pixels it finds. Older versions just mushed the noisy (static) pixels together with others, blurring the image slightly.

GoPro Subscription

Another new item from GoPro this year is the GoPro Subscription. It’s not specific to the Hero10. You can get it on the 8, 9 or 10 if you buy them from GoPro.

The subscription gives you a big discount on the camera when you buy from GoPro.com so it’s basically no-brainer. They give you a $250 discount on a Hero10. Then the subscription costs $50, so you’re still saving $200 on a new Hero10.

While you’re subscribed, you get free unlimited cloud storage for all your video footage, discounts from accessories from GoPro.com, extra Quik app features and very cheap camera replacements if you bust yours (you have to send the broken one back). You can cancel after a year if you don’t want to continue.

The discounts on the Hero9 and the 8 aren’t as big but it still saves you some money. It would be silly not to.

Other Features

Most of the features are still on the Hero10 from the 9. These are my favourites.

Scheduled Capture

With Scheduled Capture, you can set a time for the camera to start taking video or timelapse. It will turn on at that time and start recording. You can stop it manually, let the battery run out or use Duration Capture to set the amount of time you want to record.

Capturing early sunrises works well with Scheduled Capture.

Duration Capture

Duration Capture lets you set the total time you’d like to record for. You can start the camera manually and let it record or you can use Scheduled Capture to trigger at the time you want.

Hindsight

Hindsight is great to use when it’s hard to see exactly when you want to record. The camera stays on recording a rolling 30 seconds. When you press the shutter to actually start recording, it keeps the 30 seconds before and then records until you hit the shutter.

This will use your battery faster since you’re recording constantly, just not saving it.

LiveBurst

LiveBurst takes a burst of 1.5 seconds before you press the shutter and 1.5 seconds after. It sticks it into a 3 second video at 30 frames per second. You can share the short video or just grab a photo from the video in the Quik app.

Webcam

With the Mac and Windows apps you can make GoPro into a webcam. If you don’t have a webcam yet or just want to mount a webcam in cool places, GoPro can do it now when it’s plugged into the computer.

Hydrophobic coating on lens

In the past, we had to lick the lens cover if it was going to get wet or go in and out of water. Now the lens cover has a hydrophobic coating that water beads off.

Don’t lick the 10 now since that will take the coating off. You probably don’t want to eat whatever chemical they’ve used!

Conclusion

The GoPro Hero10 is easily the best action camera you can get right now. It does cost more than any of the knock-offs but it’s worth it. The stabilization is unreal and how clear the footage straight out of camera still surprises me.

If you want a new one, get it from GoPro.com and you get a big discount with the subscription. If you’re looking for something used, you won’t get the discount but you’ll probably find some good deals. The Hero7 and 8 are still solid cameras, though lack the front screen on the 9 and 10.

The bump in speed and higher frame-rates across the board thanks to the GP2 processor is a huge improvement. The speed on the controls could still be a bit quicker but much improved from the 9 and I can use them no problem now.

If you need an action camera, the Hero10 is clearly the one to get right now.

The only question is: What are they going to pack into the Hero11 when it arrives?

The post GoPro Hero10 Review first appeared on Pack & Trail.