Gopro Hero 9 Review

There’s a lot similar between the models, but once you start digging down into the details there are differences that can help in choosing between them. I have a rundown of the highlights of the HERO8 Black here. Many have been lightly processed, in part because I find that the camera tends to underexpose a little for my tastes, so I’ve often had to nudge up the exposure and contrast slightly. I haven’t used any lens profile corrections to fix the fisheye distortion, although that’s certainly an option available. Here are a few sample general travel-style photos I’ve shot with a HERO8 Black.

Which ultimately comes down to the battery just being a chunker in comparison to the older ones. Thus at least Gopro Hero 9 Review the battery change was functional in that I got something out of that situation, rather than just change for the sake of change. This package so far adds up to a powerful and competent device, but GoPro has packed in even more, with Hindsight and Scheduled Capture tools. The latter is excellent for time-lapse shots – just set and forget.

That is, if you press the shutter and release it right away, it will take a single photo. If you press the shutter and hold it down, it will take a sequence of continuous photos. It can shoot at either 3 or 30 photos per second, depending on the lighting conditions. Here’s a master list of the Protune options in the photo mode and how they compare to previous models.

No zoom means you can’t shoot insects or get a closer look at intriguing landmarks off in the distance. GoPros shine while it records your activities during the day or in brightly-lit rooms. However, their performance starts to degrade as soon as there isn’t enough light. Unfavorable weather conditions like dark clouds cause the color palette to become cooler and add a blue tint to the footage. Shooting past sunset or indoors with little light produces videos with lots of noise and detail loss.

The overall build quality – as you'd expect – is excellent. Rubberized industrial corners blend into unmarkable matte plastic, while critical areas such as the battery cover and mounting tabs are comfortingly solid alloy.

You can offset this by bringing a portable light or flash, but these take up space, and the results are never as good as shooting in sunlight. Even though they come closest to perfection, GoPro cameras do have a few shortcomings you should be aware of. These aren’t deal-breakers, but you’ll want to take them into account before buying.

The app will even enhance the video by adding royalty-free instrumental music to it. You can make minor tweaks to the final result or share it right away. Using your smartphone and GoPro’s excellent app is another streamlined way of control. The app connects to your camera through Wi-Fi and has a live view of what the GoPro sees.

I love my Hero 8, but I miss the overlays (can’t do it in VIRB Edit because usually I use TimeWarp). All words, images, videos and layout, copyright Gordon Laing. After a few weeks of testing the camera, and taking it on some runs, including a 30-mile run on the Appalachian Trail, I have to say it’s one of the more significant upgrades GoPro has made. The Hero 8 and Hero 7 move down in the lineup as mid-tier and entry level cameras respectively. The Hero 9 Black sees the return of a replaceable outer lens element, making the camera more durable.