As we get closer to what is expected to be a GoPro Hero6 Black release date on 28 September, yet another image of the new action camera has appeared online.
The new images supposedly came from a tipster who spotted them at a Best Buy store in Canada, where someone photographed a display showing the new action camera in situ and sent them in to The Verge.
Based on the side view of one of the images The Verge reports that the GoPro Hero6 Black will be able to record 1080p video at 240 frames per second. And the new GoPro may very well be capable of this. The Hero5 Black can record 1080p at 120fps, so the jump to 240fps would seem logical.
However, the ‘leaked’ image of the packaging looks rather fake to us.
When you view the image of the packaging at 100% there is a lot of pixellation around the 240fps specification.
When you modify an image you get areas of digital distortion within it. When you reduce the Levels in Photoshop this becomes a bit more visible. But for a more accurate view you can run an image through the free FotoForensic tool and run an Error Level Analysis, or ELA, which highlights the different areas of compression within an image.
These are typically giveaways of digital trickery. As you can see in the ELA below, there is a different level of compression around these headling-grabbing specs on the packaging in the image sent to The Verge.
Conversely, here is an ELA of an image I shot at the weekend. Note the even levels of compression across the frame.
Now, an ELA test isn’t conclusive evidence that an image was faked. But it does indicate areas where editing has been done and suggest an image should at least be scrutinised.
The Verge also states that the images show that the GoPro Hero6 price tag is CAN$649. This would translate to a GoPro Hero6 price tag of $530 in US dollars and roughly £400. But nothing in the images we can see indicates this price tag. We can see a price tag for the Hero5, but nothing on the Hero6.
Last week another leaked image of the GoPro Hero6 Black revealed that it will also be capable of recording 4K video at 60fps. But as far as we can tell, that image looks genuine.
UPDATE
App developer and GoPro fan Konrad Iturbe has been in touch to state that a trusted source says the 1080 at 240fps specification is legit. He also passed on a new image that’s emerged on Reddit, showing the spec listed on a GoPro Hero6 Black flier. Which looks pretty convincing (see below).
In separate GoPro news, The Verge also reports that GoPro is shifting away from its long-time Ambarella processors and adopting a new custom processor called the GP1 for the Hero6 Black.
The Verge states that the GoPro Karma stabilizer grip will also receive an update when GoPro makes its announcement. The new version is believed to add more options, including a joystick for aiming the camera.