GoPro has officially announced the long-rumoured Hero8 Black – price tag $399/£379 and a release date of October 15 – which builds on its video capabilities and some of GoPro’s signature technologies.
Boasting the same traditional body design, the GoPro Hero8 Black uses a 12-megapixel sensor that can record 4K (3840 x 2160) footage at 60, 50, 30, 25 and 24fps in 16:9, as well as 4:3 4K at 30, 25 and 24fps. Slow-motion fans will appreciate its 2.7K at 120 and 100fps capability.
The Hero8 Black can also record 2.7K in 16:9 at 60, 50, 30, 25 and 24fps, or50, 50, 30, 25 and 24fps 4:3 footage.
You can also record super slow-motion movies at 240 or 200fps in 1080p, 960p or 720p resolution. This allows users to produce 8x slow-motion movies.
GoPro Hero7 Black users will no doubt clock that these are the same frame rates and resolutions available in their action camera. Despite the rumours of 4K at 120fps, GoPro has stuck to the Hero7’s capabilities and saved the big upgrades to some of its core technologies.
HyperSmooth 2.0
Along with expanded video capabilities, GoPro has integrated its HyperSmooth 2.0 stabilisation technology into the Hero8 Black. HyperSmooth, which debuted a year ago in the Hero7 Black, is advanced image stabilisation technology.
Like previous versions of GoPro’s EIS, it aligns your frames to take out the bumps and wobble that come from handholding a camera. But what HyperSmooth does differently is it analyses the content of your footage and processes the frames matching the content.
In the GoPro Hero7 Black HyperSmooth is available in 1080 at 60fps and then turns to standard stabilisation at 120fps. There is no stabilisation at 240fps. Shooting in 4K, the Hero7 Black offers HyperSmooth stabilisation at up to 60fps.
With HyperSmooth 2.0 GoPro has tweaked its algorithm to enable its EIS to expand its availability in all resolutions and frame rates.
What’s more, GoPro has added the ability for HyperSmooth to auto-correct your composition and level off your horizon. There’s also a new Boost function.
GoPro has somewhat cryptically said HyperSmooth 2.0 has “multiple levels of stabilisation.” We are speculating that this means GoPro has expanded its axes of stabilisation from three to five axes so that it now includes yaw, pitch, X and Y, as well as roll.
TimeWarp 2.0
GoPro has also revamped its TimeWarp technology in the Hero8 Black. Debuting as well in the Hero7 Black last year, TimeWarp is essentially a stabilised time-lapse mode that smooths out your motion to produce more fluid movements through time.
You can adjust your speed and aspect ratio, and in TimeWarp 2.0 GoPro has added tap-control speed ramping capability to this effect.
Digital Lens
The Hero8 Black debuts a new digital lens. What this means is that the GoPro Hero8 Black can now offer four different focal length ranges from which to shoot. These are SuperView, which is 16mm; Wide, which is 16-34mm; Linear, which is 19-39mm; and Narrow, which is 27mm.
The focal ranges available within the Wide and Linear options are likely down to different resolutions being available.
LiveBurst mode
LiveBurst mode is another new feature to the Hero8 Black. LiveBurst mode enables users to capture 1.5 seconds of footage before and after you hit the shutter. This allows you to choose your favourite shot from 90 still images. Or you can share a 3-second 4K video clip.
Night Lapse Video
GoPro has also introduced a new Night Lapse Video mode that shoots low-light time-lapse videos in 4K, 2.7K, 1440p or 1080p, promising ‘epic detail.’
Is the GoPro Hero8 Black waterproof?
Yes. Like previous iterations of the popular action camera, the GoPro Hero8 Black is waterproof down to 10 metres.
Can the GoPro Hero8 Black live stream?
Yes. Like the Hero7 Black, the GoPro Hero8 Black supports live streaming. You can live stream videos at up to 1080p resolution.
Other key GoPro Hero8 specs
The GoPro Hero8 Black retains a lot of the signature features that users love, such as voice commands and an ever-widening ecosystem of accessories.
You’ll also find the same touchscreen capabilities, built-in mounting, SuperPhoto and HDR modes, as well as RAW shooting ability.
GoPro Hero8 Black Audio Improvements
GoPro has revamped the three microphones one the Hero8 Black body. The front mic has been wind-optimised to reduce noise, while all three mics have had high-fidelity audio improvements.
Audio also gets a boost by using the new Media Mod unit, sold separately.
GoPro has also launched a range of new Mod accessories that allow vloggers and other enthusiasts to expand the Hero8 Black’s capabilities depending on their needs.
GoPro Media Mod
Priced at £79.99, GoPro’s new Media Mod delivers shotgun-mic directional audio performance and features two cold shoe mounts for additional accessories, such as the Display Mod and Light Mod below. It also features Type-C, HDMI and 3.5-mm external mic adapter ports.
GoPro Display Mod
Also priced at £79.99, the Display Mod is a folding front- or rear-facing 1.90-inch display that attaches to the top of the Media Mod. This enables vloggers to more easily frame their shots. It also folds down and out of the way when not in use.
GoPro Light Mod
Priced at £49.99, the Light Mod is wearable and mountable, as well as waterproof down to 10 metres like the Hero8 Black itself. The Light Mod can mount to the Media Mod or attach directly to a GoPro mount. It also comes with a diffuser to soften lighting when filming with HERO8 Black.
We suspect the Light and Display Mods are just the first in what will be a new range of GoPro accessories.