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The action camera market is expanding at blinding speed, and the best known name in this sector is GoPro. GoPro cameras feature extensive at sports events and they’re used by broadcasters like the BBC to capture spectacular wildlife footage.
GoPros and their rivals are ‘POV’, or ‘point of view’ cameras – they capture what you’re doing, not necessarily what other people are doing, and what has made these cameras so groundbreaking is their small size and high-quality, high-resolution footage – and the characteristic GoPro wideangle ‘look’.
This is a camera not much larger than a matchbox which can capture 4K video at an incredible 30 fps (that’s the same as the Panasonic GH4).
There’s no screen, and no way of checking your composition, but you can connect your GoPro via Wi-Fi to a smart device to check your clips.
What’s new?
GoPro cameras have now hit the 4th generation and the line-up has been overhauled with three new models – the GoPro Hero4 Black, GoPro Hero4 Silver and regular GoPro Hero. You can see what’s new in our earlier GoPro Hero4 news story, but it’s the top-of-the range Hero4 Black we finally get our hands on.
It goes on sale at £369/US$499/AU$639 and the headline new features are 4K video at 30fps (the Hero3+ could shoot 4K but only at 15fps) and 1080p at 120fps – that’s full HD in 1/4-speed slow motion. This is a crazy amount of power in a device that costs about the same as an entry-level D-SLR or compact system camera.
Other new features include Bluetooth support, not just Wi-Fi, and the ability to tag your best footage as you shoot it.
Early verdict
Aesthetically, the Hero4 Black looks much the same as the Hero 3+, with the familiar GoPro box form and dimensions. This means that the standard waterproof housing remains the same and is included with the camera when purchased. But once you start using it you realise there have been a few significant changes to the design which make a big difference.
Some are fairly minor – the camera status and Wi-Fi lights that were on the front before are now two small illuminated slits to the left of the LED screen.
And on the right hand side of the body the old direct access Wi-Fi button now becomes the settings button – and if you hold down for a couple of seconds it will still enable you to toggle Wi-Fi on and off.
This new settings button is part of the overhauled navigation system, which is a vast improvement and actually makes using the camera far more intuitive than the previous version.
Finally, the battery compartment is no longer accessed through the back of the camera. It’s now located in the base, and the battery type also changes from 3.7v 1180mAh to 3.8v 1160mAh. More importantly, it’s much easier to swap out in the field than before.
As with previous models there’s a connection on the back for a screen. On the side under a protective flap are two connectors that enable direct connection to HDMI and USB along with a Micro SD card slot.
The GoPro Hero4 Black carries on the best GoPro traditions. It’s easy to use and the Wi-Fi connection to a smart device is both straightforward and fast. It’s also tough enough to survive a heavy mountain bike crash better than its user (don’t worry – just 1hr in Accident & Emergency with a partially dislocated collarbone, then back to work).
Some of the best things about GoPro cameras are the least obvious from the specs, such as its excellent mount system – it gives a really tight grip and you can get mounts for anything from a crash helmet to a dog harness.
GoPro might be the big name in this sector, of course, but it now has lots of rivals. We’ve got a big POV action camera test lined up which will include a whole bunch of cameras to see whether GoPro is still king of the hill – and to showcase just what these cameras can do.
Want to know more? Read our GoPro Hero3+ Black review and our Top 10 GoPro Accessories feature.
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