Are you seeking the article about GoPro Hero 8 review? This camera is designed for those who love to film their outdoor adventures and extreme sports. The Hero 8 has a few new features that set it apart from its predecessor, the Hero 7.
GoPro Hero 8 Overview
The GoPro Hero 8 is the latest action camera from GoPro. It features a new design, updated software, and a range of new features. The Hero 8 is the first GoPro to feature a built-in screen, making it easier to frame shots and review footage.
It also has a new stabilization system that promises to keep footage smooth even when you’re moving around. Other new features include a TimeWarp mode for creating sped-up videos and a SuperPhoto mode that automatically enhances your photos.
Pros
- Stabilized 4K at up to 60 fps
- Robust, waterproof design
- LCD with crisp touch.
- Mount integrated.
- Improved user interface.
- USB-C charging
- Automated editing via Companion App
- Mod expansion system.
Cons
- Wi-Fi video transfers can take some time.
Memory card slot damaged
GoPro Hero 8 Black Review
Design And Setup
The HERO 8 Black appears very similar at first glance to its predecessor. Although the Hero 7 Black is slightly larger in size, the HERO 8 Black’s body looks more modern. It has cleaner lines and a less prominent lens. The GoPro HERO8 Black measures 62.3W x 44.9H x 33D (mm), while HERO7 Black measures 66.3W x 48.6H x 28.5D (mm).
The HERO8 Black eliminates the need for an additional frame, making it easier and faster to set up. Two ‘folding fingers” hinge from the camera’s base and attach to any mount or accessory. These fingers can be magnetically laid flat at their base when not in use. This is a great addition.
The HERO8 Black comes with a waterproof case specifically designed for the camera. The case is not needed when using the Frame mount, but it is an option if you plan to use the camera under extreme conditions.
The front and rear edges are coated with a high-quality rubberized coating to prevent slippage. The HERO8 Black is lighter than its predecessor, weighing 126g (compared with HERO7 Black’s 142g frame), but the metal construction of the HERO8 Black still adds some weight.
It feels like the camera is bombproof. During testing, we accidentally discovered this while riding a mountain bike. The rear-drop-out-mounted HERO 8Black crashed into our rear wheel and smashed through it.
The accident bent the spokes and rim of the GoPro, but it managed to record video and continue recording throughout the whole thing. The HERO8 Black survived being whipped by brambles, bumping off roots, and churning while surfing without sustaining any injuries.
- The HERO-8 Black was the first model that used a dedicated accessory system called Mods (short for modular), which were designed to be used with GoPro’s frameless HERO camera. Three Mods are available for the HERO8 Black model:
- Display Mod ($79.99) adds a front-facing LCD color LCD. This is an add-on to the Media Mod-GoPro figures. If you want to make sure your selfie video is perfectly framed, you will also need better audio.
- The Light Mod ($49.99), a battery-powered LED lamp, is the third add-on. You can insert it into the Media Mod’s cold shoe mount.
Although not practical for the HERO8 Black’s primary function as an action camera, these Mods can be funky. They will increase the GoPro’s appeal for vloggers and anyone looking for a lightweight, premium video production tool.
The HERO9 Black has its own Mods, but both the Display and Light Mods can be used across both cameras.
New Features
- HyperSmooth 2.0
- TimeWarp 2.0
- Live burst photography
- HDR has been improved
- Processing of low-light images better
- RAW Photos
- 100Mbps Bitrate for 4K or 2.7K
- Capture Presets
- You might be wondering how the Hero 8 Black differs from its predecessor, Hero 7 Black. These are the major new features that it brought to you.
HyperSmooth 2.0
The new GoPro HERO8 Black is now available with HyperSmooth 2.0, providing the world’s best stabilization. This updated version offers gimbal-like stabilization to your videos, making them look incredibly smooth and professional.
It also comes with a new SuperPhoto mode, which automatically optimizes every shot so that you’ll get great photos and videos even when the light isn’t perfect. It’s simple to use: turn it on, and SuperPhoto does the rest. Select your preferred level of stabilization, and it will be automatically enabled for use in video or photos.
HyperSmooth 2.0 has three modes of stabilization – High, On, and Boost. The first two modes will reduce the Wide lens angle by 10% to buffer any bumps. While the Boost mode cuts even more tightly to cut off serious camera bounces when doing extreme things, the Boost mode increases the cropping to take out the worst of the serious camera bounces.
HyperSmooth 2.0 adds stabilization to slow-motion footage shot at 120fps or 240 fps. You can only use the Boost mode for frames rates below 60fps.
It is excellent for forward-moving shots but can still cause jitteriness in shots that should pan smoothly. Stabilization is not necessary for fast-paced, forward-moving shots. It shouldn’t be a problem as long as you don’t forget to turn it off indoors or for anything cinematic.
TimeWarp 2.0
The GoPro Hero 8 is finally here! This newest version of the popular action camera features TimeWarp 2.0, a stabilization feature that ensures smooth, stabilized video footage no matter how you move the camera.
We were very excited to test out this feature. After all, GoPro’s new flagship camera was designed with a stabilization technology that could potentially rival the HyperSmooth feature on DJI Osmo Action.
The TimeWarp 2.0 can only be enabled by default through the TimeWarp mode of the Hero 8. You will need to enable it manually via an app or the camera menu to record stabilized videos in other modes.
If you’re looking for a way to speed up your editing process, TimeWarp is the perfect tool for you. With its interval detection feature, you can quickly identify and correct any errors in your footage.
This will make the footage look even better when the camera is moving. This effect is significant if you need to showcase an entire event in a short time frame without doing much editing.
Photo Updates
A handful of settings can help you avoid pulling out your phone to take photos. LiveBurst is the first mode. It captures images for 1.5 seconds on each side of the point you press the record button. This gives you 90 frames to select the best one.
This is great for slow-moving shots. You can now save images in raw, and Hero 8 Black software provides HDR photos that are more accurate for scenes with high contrast and low light processing. This is great for nighttime-lapse videos and dark images.
Capture Presets
One of the great new features of the GoPro HERO8 Black is capturing presets. This allows you to save your favorite settings so you can quickly and easily use them again.
To do this:
- Go to your photo/video mode and use the left joystick to choose Presets.
- Hold the joystick down to enable entering a new preset.
- Choose a name for the preset and then select if you want it saved or not.
- Remember that presets are specific to photos or videos and do not save which one was used when the video was captured.
Capture Presets are now available on the Hero 8 Black. While the resolution, framerate, and lens angle settings have been easy to access on the Hero range’s primary interface for years, the Hero 8 Black also introduces Capture Presets. These customizable settings let you save time by setting your ten favorite image and color settings for different activities.
After getting used to the camera, you will realize that higher framerates are not significant in low-light situations, wide-angle lenses with high resolutions cannot do the HyperSmooth Boost, and some shots work better when you use different color settings.
It’s not easy to see all the details, and it can be overwhelming to try to fix them in the field. Capture Presets are a great way to make your camera settings specific for certain activities and shot types. You can also easily switch between them when needed.
Video Modes
The Hero 7 Black also has the SuperView, Wide, and Linear digital lenses. The SuperView lens captures more of the scene, while the Linear lens eliminates the curved edges of traditional digital lenses. This results in sharper, more realistic video footage that will impress.
However, the Hero 8 Black now offers a new narrow lens perspective that allows you to take photos or footage of people close up. To make professional-looking shots, the maximum bitrate for 4K and 2.7K has been increased to 100Mbps from 75Mbps.
This allows anyone to use more memory without sacrificing quality. Livestream feeds are now available in Full HD 1080p resolution and can be sent directly to Facebook, Youtube, or other streaming sites.
GoPro Hero8 Black Review: Price
GoPro.com made the action camera available for preorder in October 2019. It is now available at an MSRP of $349.99 (or $2999.98 with a one-year GoPro subscription) at major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, and the GoPro website.
How does this price compare to the HERO 7 Black and its arch-rival, the DJI Osmo Action? The official MSRP for the HERO7 Black is now $349.99 (with a one-year GoPro subscription), while it was $369 for the Osmo action. We expect to see GoPro deals on this newer model.
GoPro Hero 8 Black Review: Video & Stills
The GoPro HERO 8 Black video and stills are incredibly detailed and rich. This is especially evident when shooting at 4K60. Although the video resolution is the same as the predecessor, the 100Mbps bit rate (compared to HERO7 Black’s 78Mbps) improves data transmission and produces better studio-quality shots.
HyperSmooth 2.0, GoPro’s incredible image stabilization software, was the talk of the town when the HERO7 Black arrived.
The differences between unstabilized and HyperSmooth-stabilized footage are impressive. The additional gains from High or Boost mode are not significant, but that isn’t a problem considering that HyperSmooth already has the best action camera image stabilization.
The options for photo processing work in a similar way to the HERO7Black, but there are a few additional features. SuperPhoto automatically selects the best image processing for your shot, while HDR uses processing best suited for use in well-lit conditions with slower-moving subjects/surroundings. You can now save your images in unprocessed RAW or JPEG formats.
The HERO 8 Black’s 12MP still resolution was adequate for action cameras in October 2019. However, the HERO9 Black boasts a 20MP resolution becoming more common with newer cameras. The H10 increases that resolution to 23MP.
Interface And Controls
The Hero8 Black’s design is minimalist. The Power/Mode button can be found on the left, while Record is located on the top. These are the only buttons. You can also use voice commands to control the camera. For example, you could say “GoPro, start record,” and it will. The front of the camera has a monochrome LCD to display recording status and other settings.
The touch-screen interface allows you to adjust settings and other things. The rear screen measures approximately 2 inches diagonally and has a 461k dot design. The resolution is sufficient to display the view from the lens in reasonable detail and render the menu text. It is also bright, a bonus for a camera used a lot outdoors.
The side button toggles between the main three shooting modes: Photo, Time Lapse, and Video. To adjust additional settings such as resolution, frame rate, and angle of vision, you’ll need the touch screen. Although the screen is small, GoPro has made improvements to it.
GoPro has replaced universal video settings with Capture Presets. You can switch between the best settings to vlog, fast-motion, or other purposes with just a few taps. You can create as many presets as you like.
The Hero8 has Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for connecting to your smartphone, as well as a GPS to record location. The GoPro app is available for free on both Android and iOS. It can be used to copy photos and videos to your phone and includes a video editor.
QuikStories can automatically cut any video you send it. I created a quick and friendly clip using just a few minutes of footage from the local zoo to test it. There are many templates and titles to choose from and music tracks.
This is an excellent tool for content creators, who might want to share a quick video and not have to do any editing. You can keep your clips short if you are using a phone-based workflow. They would transfer in almost real-time if they were shot at the highest quality.
The battery, microSD slot, and USB-C charging port are in the same compartment. Although the door is small and cramped, I was able to get the microSD card out of the compartment at times.
The battery can record for approximately 70 minutes with the highest quality settings. You can quickly fill your memory cards with 4K footage stored at 100Mbps. A 32GB memory card will last you about 35 minutes.
The New GoPro App
The new GoPro app will allow users to control their GoPro cameras with their smartphones. The app will also allow users to view and share their photos and videos. This app will be available for free on the Apple App Store and Google Play.
GoPro used two apps to control its camera and create quick videos on the phone: Quik and GoPro. This has all changed. Quik was merged directly into GoPro. It streamlines the workflow for video editors on the go.
The updated app features new themes for making videos, the ability to add non-GoPro photos and video clips to edits, and an essential automatic horizon leveling function.
Lower Light Handling
The HERO 8 Black has shown me a significant improvement in low light performance over the HERO 7. It also produces less noise at higher ISOs. Whether you’re a beginner or a pro, the Hero 8 is sure to meet your needs.
Conclusion
Although the GoPro Hero8 Black may not be our ideal action camera, it can capture stunning video in well-lit environments. It captures amazing video in well-lit environments and is incredibly stable. This makes it the best GoPro. DreamCheeky hopes you found this article useful, and let us know if you have any questions in the comment section below.
