It’s amazing how new formats appear before our eyes, and new brands become household names. I think you’ve all heard about action cameras and for many, “gooproshka” has become synonymous with such cameras.
It seems like it was only yesterday, the GoPro 2 and 3 models went to the people and began to be used by everyone who is somehow connected with extreme sports. And the world saw everything that it could not have imagined before, from a new angle. Here, of course, the formation of YouTube played into the hands as a platform for demonstrating your skills.
It’s 2021 and the American company GoPro presents its latest development – the model HERO10 Black.
Specifications
- Matrix 23 megapixels.
- Photo with a resolution of 5568 × 4176 pixels.
- Video: 5.3K@60, 4K @ 120 and 1080p @ 240.
- Range ISO: Auto, 100–3600.
- Two screens: front 1.7 inches, rear touch 2.27 inches.
- Memory card: MicroSD U3 standard up to 256 GB.
- Built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS.
- Weight 153 grams (with battery).
Ergonomics
This is no longer just an opportunity to attach a camera to non-trivial places.
GoPro has become a real combine: a mix of different possibilities, which greatly expands scenarios and areas of use. It has become closer to modern mirrorless cameras (their capabilities are also much wider than the banal “taking pictures”), which also speaks of the seriousness of the gadget. Yes, GoPro has grown in size and weight over time. HERO10 has two screens: the front one is non-touch, it can be turned off to save battery power, you can just display shooting information, or you can use it to monitor what the camera sees. This is especially useful if you are using it as a webcam for your blog.
The rear display takes up almost the entire area of the case (earlier models had a battery compartment cover here). It is touch-sensitive, with its own system of swipes (as if you are using an application in a smartphone) and very bright.
The idea with swipes came in very handy, as well as the use of large round icons. In short: swipe from top to bottom – settings (here is a quick menu with icons and go to the main menu by another swipe), right / left – shooting modes, and swipe from bottom to top – viewing content. It’s simple, though, sometimes you can make a random swipe, especially when changing the shooting mode. It’s a pity that this cannot be turned off, since the shooting modes are also changed with the on / off button.
The menu is also divided into semantic blocks: setting the shooting parameters and setting the picture. A separate menu for the settings of the camera itself. I don’t see the point of describing all the point, I will only note that it is easy to set up a GoPro through the camera itself and there is no need to go into the application.
There are only two buttons on the case. This is shooting and on / off. The camera has a cool feature: when in the off state you press the “Record” button, the camera turns on and takes pictures with the last set settings and mode. That is, if you had a video, there will be a video, if timelips or photos, there will be them. Comfortable. Here, however, I would like the camera to turn on faster, now it takes about 6 seconds and there is no question of “catching the moment” if the camera is turned off.
The battery and microSD card are hidden under a cover on the side. It is dense and difficult to open, this is all due to the dust and moisture resistance of the camera itself. The lugs of the standard GoPro mount are now folded and hidden in the bottom end.
GoPro also has its own application – Quik. He has several roles at once. The main one is shooting control. There are all the same settings, picture monitoring (it does not work during recording) and, in general, the function of the remote control. Also in the application you can download material from the camera and immediately edit it into a video. There is even auto editing, filters and music. In general, everything that is now offered in editing and processing applications on smartphones.
The application, to be honest, looks a bit overloaded with functionality, but this is now, in general, a trend, look at the same Instagram. I will only note that it works very vigorously and stably.
But the ergonomics of the camera itself is definitely commendable. We can see a wealth of experience in this area and an excellent borrowing of useful chips from modern applications. By the way, the GoPro has voice control, and it’s done great. The camera recognizes commands well (they are fixed) and is friendly with the Russian language.
I’m taking pictures!
It all depends on your imagination
The question of what to say about HERO10 is tricky. Let me explain why: the camera is really so multifunctional that it will not work to satisfy everyone’s curiosity. There will always be an amateur to install it where I may not even guess. Well, or fans of this kind of sport, from which the author is simply far away. For example, parachuting.
But let’s talk about the quality of the picture in general and about one function that really amazed me.
I’ll start with a photo. A wide angle lens is a very specific thing, and it is more about “capture more” and “unusual angle”. The camera also has the ability to frame the picture by choosing different viewing angles. The options are:
- W (Wide) with 16-34mm equivalent;
- L (Linear) with 19-39mm equivalent;
- N (Narrow) with 27mm equivalent.
All this, in fact, is an imitation of various lenses. Yes, the W and L values are variable and there is a zoom option. It is important to note that all this is a software function and the camera has one lens. By the way, regardless of cropping and corner width, you will get a frame with a resolution of 5568 × 4176 pixels.
If we evaluate the quality of the images taken directly, then it is slightly below the level of modern flagship smartphones. But if you only need frames for online use (galleries in social networks, and so on), then the result is more than decent. It should also be understood that the clarity of wide-angle lenses is always somewhat inferior to that of lenses with a smaller angle of coverage, especially at the edges of the frame. This is also due to the complexity of the optical design of the lens itself.
Those who want to get confused can shoot photos in RAW format. Then “screw up” them to the desired result in the same Photoshop. But I must note that even in the automatic mode, the color rendition is excellent, and overexposures can be compensated in advance with the metering settings (this is useful to do in smartphones, as they often overexpose the picture). Still, I think you’ll be more likely to upload pictures to Instagram using mobile apps with filters and editing frames on your smartphone.
Closing the subject with photography on HERO10, let me remind you that the camera does not have autofocus, the closest object in sharpness will be approximately 30 centimeters from the lens. Also, the camera has a certain delay when shooting, keep this in mind.
It’s time to get to the main thing – video. I repeat, it all depends on your tasks and imagination. And also from accessories. On the test I only had a basic set, which includes a pad that can be glued to the selected surface … but I did not do this, because I know that it is glued tightly. In general, I had to resort to ingenuity in the matter of fasteners. But I recommend using special fasteners to avoid damaging the camera. The original ones are quite expensive, but I think you can guess where you can find an alternative.
The thing that impressed me most about the GoPro HERO10 is the stabilization. Here even the exclamation “this is magic!” I’d rather show you the video, and then I’ll tell you how it’s done. Yes, here it is worth writing only “caps” (yes, the proofreader will not allow). It is something! GoPro introduced the Hyper Smooth feature back in HERO 7, but with the arrival of the fourth version of this feature, we can say that this is a very cool feature. Yes, in the video, the camera is attached to the car, but the frame is as stable as possible. Below is a video with different modes.
I decided to go even further. One of the popular scenarios is to mount it on a bicycle. I didn’t find a downhill bike and beautiful routes, but the Russian pole also has enough irregularities. I attach the camera (do not ask to show how!) To the front trunk, and here is the result.
Impressive, isn’t it? And keep in mind that the camera was constantly dangling, and here it seems to always look ahead. Yes, all this is software stabilization, there is no stabilization in the lens and sensor itself. Yes, with maximum stabilization turned on, the angle of coverage is clipped, but at the same time it remains wide enough to show the space to the viewer.
Review
Here, more than ever, it is important to understand why you need it
In my materials about any photo or video cameras, at the end I write that it doesn’t matter what to shoot, it is important how. What matters is how you see and capture the moment. In the case of GoPro, the game changes. It’s important to understand exactly why you need this camera. Otherwise, it will be just an expensive toy. And I went through it.
Long ago, when the brand was gaining momentum, I had Hero 3+. There was no stabilization, she was very brooding and not with the best photo quality. But even then it was clear that if you find the right application for the camera, it will delight you with cool content. Which then still needs to be applied correctly, but did you think?
Years later, HERO10 comes to me and this is a completely different device. The quality of the picture will not suit only those who study everything under a microscope (and those who often shoot at night), but it seems to me that the material from an action camera should have a “wow effect” first of all, and then have a super-quality picture. And the new camera is packed with features to help you achieve that wow effect. The main thing is to stock up on batteries and flash drives, especially if you will be shooting 5K video.
Summing up, I will say that HERO10 is the ultimate tool for creativity, and then it’s more up to you! The main problem, as before, is the battery life. It can be planted in 15-20 minutes if you use Wi-Fi, GPS, both screens, 5K video shooting with active stabilization. Fortunately, the HERO10 can be powered from an external source. The company, however, promises to improve the life of the charge in the next firmware, as well as release a new model of the Enduro battery. Are we waiting for a miracle?
PS GoPro also has a set of external modules. All of them are installed directly on the body. Available: 155-degree super wide-angle lens, flashlight, flip-down screen and media module with microphone and lavalier microphone jack and HDMI output. All of these accessories are from GoPro 9 and are backward compatible.
Pros:
- universal harvester for shooting from non-trivial angles;
- overall quality of both photos and videos;
- works from an external source;
- voice control, including in Russian;
- amazing stabilization.
Minuses:
- the battery problem is more acute here than ever;
- the display lacks auto brightness;
- I want the camera to take photos faster.
May not like:
- now the camera does not have a protective cover, and in the event of an emergency, it is the camera itself that will suffer, not the cover.
Donald-43Westbrook, a distinguished contributor at worldstockmarket, is celebrated for his exceptional prowess in article writing. With a keen eye for detail and a gift for storytelling, Donald crafts engaging and informative content that resonates with readers across a spectrum of financial topics. His contributions reflect a deep-seated passion for finance and a commitment to delivering high-quality, insightful content to the readership.
