Reviews |Possible GoPro Hero6 Black lens issue

Possible GoPro Hero6 Black lens issue

Possible GoPro Hero6 Black lens issue
Review

Earlier today I showed you how to shoot a time lapse with the GoPro Hero6 Black. The video above was actually my first attempt at a time lapse with the GoPro Hero6 Black and it raised a few interesting issues when I viewed it back on my computer.

Firstly, ignore the rotation timing of the Pixi360 for now, and have a look up in the top left-hand corner at the trees and you’ll see quite a bit of chromatic aberration. That’s the purple fringing.

It’s not great, but then the GoPro Hero6 Black – as with the GoPro Hero5 Black – uses Gorilla glass.

Gorilla Glass is ultra tough, like any advanced glass, and it gets used here because it can withstand more than most other types of glass or plastic at this sort of price range.

There is, however, a big problem: Gorilla Glass is a laminate of glass and polycarbonate. Both are tough, but the polycarbonate is prone to scratching. It’s also prone to chromatic aberration.

This type of lens is also used with Oakley sunglasses, and again it’s ultra tough. However Oakley’s are coated, and although optical quality is important, the color isn’t.

Used here on the GoPro, color and contrast are super important and the footage shows just what that new GP1 processor is capable of… but I fear that lens is going to be an issue.

This is not a new problem for lenses. Most of the major camera manufacturers hit the same issue a few years ago, as digital sensors and processors became so good that every flaw was highlighted.

While it looks like the GoPro Hero 6 Black is the best GoPro yet, it also looks like this lens comes with it’s chromatic issues. And being prone to scratches could be a real problem.

That’s not all – watch the video from beginning to end, or speed through it, and you’ll see that the footage loses contrast.

This turned out to be the lens misting up. At this point the lens had never been removed. The camera had been splashed with water, but, really, this shouldn’t have happened.

Possible GoPro Hero6 Black lens misting up

It’s still early days with my GoPro Hero6 Black test, and aside from the protective lens issues the camera is actually performing really well.

How bad is that protective lens when it comes to scratching? Very bad. I’m on my third. Wash with water, don’t wipe with hand; that’s the key.