All the Details That Make the New GoPro Jaw-Dropping

Capturing the adrenaline rush you get from hitting the slope, taking to the water, or jumping into any adventure you find yourself on has just gotten a whole lot easier. The new HERO8 Black is GoPro’s most advanced HERO camera yet and represents the first design change for the series since 2016. It’s chock-full of even more features than before — including HyperSmooth 2.0 and 4K capabilities along with impressive usability. And that’s not even to mention its new built-in mounting system and series of new mods that were designed to make HERO8 Black a one-stop camera for all your production and vlogging needs. We caught up with two members of the GoPro team that made HERO8 Black possible for an insider look at what makes this camera so damn exciting.

Key Specs

Dimensions: 48.6 mm x 66.3 mm x 28.4 mm
Waterproof: 33 feet
Camera Modes: 12MP HDR photo, 4K video, TimeWarp 2.0, time lapse photo, night lapse video
Connected Features: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and GPS enabled

Built-In Mounting

Insider Note: “It’s the first time we’ve updated the design since HERO5 Black, which came out in 2016. Eliminating the frame is huge for the ease of use improvement that we wanted to prioritize with HERO8 Black. We’re continuously trying to improve the ease and convenience that require less gear needed to capture the shot. Basically, getting rid of the frame, going to built-in fingers, allows for a slimmer, lighter GoPro that’s easier to fit into a pocket, easier to fit into a gear bag.” — Jeremy Hendricks, Senior Product Marketing Manager of HERO8 Black

This built-in mounting has completely revolutionized the HERO camera series and paves the way for even more changes. Built-in mounting fingers are easily deployed and let users swap mounts in a matter of seconds. This new design also lets you change batteries in a jiffy, so you never miss any of the action. HERO8 Black is still as rugged as ever, thanks in no small part to being waterproof up to 33 feet and a lens that’s twice as impact resistant as it was before.

HyperSmooth 2.0 Stabilization

Insider Note: “Now users don’t have choose between shooting in slo-mo or capturing stabilized footage. They get the best of everything. HyperSmooth 2.0 is available in all resolutions and frame rates. In addition to more stabilization, there’s more control. Users can choose how much stabilization they want. We were able to do all of this while maintaining the field of view.” — Fong Tran, Principal Product Manager

A massive part of any adventure camera is making sure it’s stable enough to capture all the action — while still being part of the action. HyperSmooth 2.0 gives HERO8 Black the best stabilization ever offered on any HERO camera and has three levels: On, High, and Boost. With the ability to tweak settings, you can get the widest view possible or boost it up for the smoothest video available. Also, HERO8 Black comes loaded with a 1080p240 video frame rate that allows up to 8x slow motion as well as in-app horizon leveling.

Ease of Use

Insider Note: “The presets allow users to quickly get to the settings that they want. In the past a user would have to deep dive into the menu in order to make a setting change. Now, users can quickly switch back and forth between their favorite settings in just a few taps. And the best part is that it’s flexible. Users can use the options that we’ve loaded onto the camera or set up their own custom presets.” — Fong Tran

HERO8 Black was designed to be easy to use on the fly, so you don’t have to be distracted while living in your most adventurous moments. Instead of fumbling around to change settings, you can use HERO8 Black’s preset settings, including options for Standard, Activity, Cinematic, and Slo-Mo shots. Before getting out into the world to film, you also can create your own presets. And when it comes to actually using those presets, HERO8 Black has voice command — compatible with 14 languages — making it easy for you to capture all the action. Lastly, TimeWarp 2.0 will automatically adjust speed based on motion, scene detection and lighting, so you don’t have to think about it. You also slow down the effect to real-time and then tap to speed it back up.

The All New Mods

Insider Note: “Users can now accessorize HERO8 Black with mods and still stay true to the overall compact personal nature of GoPro. There is a Media Mod, a Display Mod and a Light Mod. They can be used together. When you combine all those three mods together, it really turns into a production powerhouse,” — Jeremy Hendricks

These new mounting accessories work with the camera, and each other, to fulfill any kind of production need. The first three mods that GoPro has released add shotgun-like microphone capabilities, lighting (which can be used with or without HERO8 Black), and a separate front-facing screen, making for a compelling expansion that can be used in more ways than one. This new method of accessorizing HERO8 Black is exciting to see.

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