GoPro is like the Apple of the action sports camera world, just when you think you’ve got the whole camera line up, boom, they update it again and there goes your savings account.
Camera geeks and adventure seeks (see what we did there) will be squirming on their commuter train seats this week with the launch of the new HERO8 BLACK, Mods and MAX.
They’ll have to squirm just a little longer as the products have been announced but not available until mid to late October.
Check out the specs below and it will be worth the short wait.
GoPro MAX 2019 (AUD$899.95)
The crew at GoPro say this is like having three cameras in one. It’s like a cleanser, toner, moisturiser in the one bottle. Does that even exist? Genius, idea.
But I digress. The MAX is waterproof to 16 feet and it can be used as a single lens max stabilised HERO camera or a dual lens 360 camera or a vlogging camera. See, that’s three.
The camera includes Max Hypersmooth, in-camera horizon levelling, Max TimeWarp and Max SuperView – GoPro’s widest, most immersive field of view ever. The MAX allows innovators to capture spherical images and videos at 5.6K.
There’s four digital lenses and the ultra immersive Max Superview option, PowerPano for 270 degree distortion free panoramic photos, six mics to capture true to life 360 degree audio plus directional audio so you can prioritise the sound from either side of the camera. Helloooooo vlogger. Add 1080p Live Streaming and GPS to capture your location, altitude and speed.
You can pre order it now and then get your hands on this baby after October 24 when it hits the stores.
The HERO8 Black (AUD$599.95)
8, really we’re up to 8 already. I can’t keep count, but then I don’t know any creatives who are good with numbers. But I know plenty that are good with a camera and they’re going to love the number 8 when they get their hands on this edition.
So the blurb says that the camera offers unparalleled performance with next-level video stabilization with HyperSmooth 2.0, upgraded audio, customizable capture presets and a streamlined design. Translated? No more nasty bumps and jumps in your footage and no need for a gimbal.
Oh, and it looks good externally, it’s not always what’s on the inside that counts. There’s a frameless mounting design with built in folding mounting fingers and it’s 14% lighter. Plus the lens is now 2x more impact resistant than before.
The new camera also features TimeWarp 2.0, which auto adjusts to your speed and can be slowed to real time with a tap – perfect for hyperlapse-style videos with unparalleled stabilisation. Ok, now I’m freaking out.
Add 10 capture presets, live burst and SuperPhoto with improved HDR for 12 MP photos in serious detail. Footage is Pro Quality 4k60 and 1080p240 and 8x slo-mo ultra high frame rate. Did we mention you can capture night time lapse? You can also live stream and go hands free with 14 voice commands.
Shipments for the HERO8 Black preorders start from October 15. That’s only 12 days away or you can wait until October 20 when it will be available in retail stores.
The HERO camera will also support a range of accessories (available from December) that will deck the unit up so you can become a one man/woman production powerhouse band.
Media Mod: The $139.95 AUD Media Mod delivers shotgun-mic directional audio performance and features two cold shoe mounts for additional accessories along with Type-C, HDMI and 3.5- mm external mic adapter ports.
Display Mod: The $139.95 AUD Display Mod is a folding front- or rear-facing 1.90-inch display that attaches to the top of the Media Mod. It’s the perfect size for both framing up vlogging shots and folding down and out of the way when not in use.
Light Mod: Waterproof to 10 metres, wearable and mountable on gear, the $84.95 AUD Light Mod is the world’s most versatile light. The Light Mod is ready to brighten any scene, whether mounted to the Media Mod or attached to a GoPro mount, and it comes complete with a diffuser to soften lighting when filming with HERO8 Black.
The GoPro Million Dollar Challenge
The GoPro Million Dollar Challenge is also back, now featuring HERO8 Black and MAX. Open exclusively to owners of HERO8 Black and MAX, the Million Dollar Challenge will award an equal share of $1,000,000 USD to entrants whose video clips are included in the GoPro Million Dollar Challenge video that will be released in late January 2020.
Entries will open on 1 October and close on 12 January. Capture raw video and submit at gopro.com/milliondollarchallenge.
