Nicolae Bochis · October 24, 2024 · 9 min read If you’re an aspiring photographer or videographer looking for a tool to take your creative vision to the next level, you might want to get a GoPro. This game-changing piece of technology has revolutionized the photographic industry, allowing users to capture fantastic footage from even more incredible angles.
With their lightweight and compact design, excellent picture quality, versatility with different mounts and accessories, and countless opportunities for unique point-of-view perspectives, GoPros are worth considering.
Why Go with a GoPro?
GoPro is a little technological monster. It’s packed with features that’ll come in handy if you want to capture fast-paced events like biking, running, snorkeling, or skateboarding. You can even attach them to a helmet, or hold them in your hand while out on an adventure.
They’re so small, yet powerful, that the GoPros easily win the battle over your phone’s camera. The compact design of these action cameras also makes them very convenient for your everyday needs, vlogging, and travel photography. You can even use a GoPro as a webcam!
1. Capture Still Photographs
Capturing stills is one of the most essential features of a GoPro camera. Although it’s a tiny device, it has a wide-angle lens capable of capturing everything your eye can see. It’s even capable of producing the fish-eye effect. This means you can push your creativity to new limits and produce photos more distinct than the ones taken with your phone camera. In fact, it’s more comparable to a DSLR camera than to a smartphone camera.
Although tiny, the latest Hero 11 Black has a 27MP camera. That’s much better than any other compact camera out there. Older models are also very good, as the Hero 10 has a 23MP camera, and the older Hero 9 offers 12MP.
Aside from resolution, most GoPro cameras have a SuperPhoto mode that tones your images. They come with an HDR function to balance out shadows and highlights and tone mapping enhances the contrast of the photos without making them look oversaturated.
2. Record 4K and 5K Videos
GoPro cameras are best known for making all those cool, fast-paced videos of people on an adventure fueled by adrenaline. The GoPro is a top-tier action camera that can smoothly shoot 4K videos at 40fps, 60fps, and 120fps. This is important if you want to edit your GoPro videos later without compromising their quality. But if you need to record your daily activities, a regular 1080p would be enough. GoPro will get you good results no matter which resolution you choose.
3. Hindsight Feature
The Hindsight feature of a GoPro camera starts shooting 30 seconds before you even press the record button. This is a particularly useful feature if you are shooting events. Best moments often happen quickly and you don’t want to miss a chance to capture them.
4. HighLight Feature
GoPro models Hero 4 and later have a HighLight feature that lets you replay the highlights of a long video over and over again. How? Well, you’ll be able to tag the moments in the video and it will be easier to find them and rewatch.
5. Underwater Shooting
Regular cameras need special housing to shoot underwater. That can be an additional cost and a lot of preparation work before you can dive in. With a GoPro, this is not a problem. It doesn’t have a special waterproof case because the camera body was made waterproof from the start. The lens has a special cover that lets you take your GoPro as deep as 30 meters. Go shoot some beautiful underwater landscapes or wildlife while snorkeling.
6. Design and Durability
The size and the weight of the GoPro are perfect to hold in your hand, but you can also attach it to your bike, mount it inside your car, or wear it around your neck. Once you are done shooting, you can easily store the GoPro in your pocket or a backpack.
Also, GoPro cameras are built to last. They are very durable and made of high-quality materials. The fact that it’s waterproof means the camera’s body is tightly sealed. Being in the middle of the action and shooting means you could easily have an accident and drop your camera, but the GoPro can take a beating.
7. GoPro Accessories
To attach a GoPro to your vehicle, a bike, or your clothing, you’ll need some accessories, and the GoPro has an impressive range of them. The accessories will make your life much easier, from different attachment mechanisms to gimbals, tripods, and spare battery bags. If you don’t want to break the bank on GoPro accessories, you can also look at some after-market gear and even 3D-printed equipment.
8. Time-Lapse and Time Warp Feature
GoPro is a perfect match with a GorillaPod! Set them up together to shoot gorgeous time-lapse videos on your next vacation. Just imagine yourself watching an orange sunset while your action cam is taking the very unique footage of the setting sun.
The Time Warp feature was first introduced with GoPro Hero 7. This is an enhanced time-lapse feature. What it does is builds the image stabilization feature into the time-lapse footage. The result is the GoPro’s ability to record very stable footage even while you’re moving. Use the Time Warp to film a condensed walk-through of your home city or some exotic location.
9. The GoPro App
The GoPro App is filled with new features. It’ll allow you to update the firmware on your device and change various settings. Also, you can use the app to download all your GoPro footage to your smartphone wirelessly. iPhone users will be happy to hear that this app also saves a copy of all GoPro images in the phone’s library.
You can use the GoPro app on your phone to remotely control the camera. It even has a preview screen option. Mount your GoPro on a tripod to secure and stabilize it, and then use your smartphone to control all the settings, record, or re-watch the footage on your phone.
10. Quik App
Quik App is a second application for GoPro. It will allow you to go crazy with all the footage you downloaded on your phone. Use it to create a smart video fast, and export it to your social media immediately. Use the Quik app to edit the footage by choosing one of many styles and effects.
12. Optical Image Stabilization
With GoPro Hero 5 Black you needed a tripod or a gimbal stabilizer to film stable footage. But since the GoPro Hero 7 Black hit the market, there’s no longer a need for stabilizing accessories, unless you need them to free your hands. The built-in video stabilization in Hero 7 and later versions help you get crystal-clear footage.
13. Online Instructions
This may seem like a trivial reason to buy a GoPro, but having a treasure trove of support and tutorials will help you master it faster than any other action camera. The GoPro is an extremely popular little gadget and it’s no wonder so many people record various online tutorials on how to use it. If you are unclear about using one of the many GoPro features, don’t worry, there’s a YouTube video on it.
14. Affordable batteries
GoPro spare batteries are not that expensive at all. And since you’ll need a lot of power on your adventures, you’ll have to invest in extra batteries to ensure you can capture what you want. You can also invest in a supercharger, a GoPro wall adapter designed for charging GoPro batteries. It increases your options for charging all the spare batteries you’ll need.
15. Voice Control
You can control your GoPro by simply telling it what to do. Use commands such as “GoPro start recording”, and wait for the little gadget to start filming. This is a neat feature, especially if the camera is just out of reach while you’re recording yourself. However, be warned that the GoPro voice recognition software has difficulties understanding all accents.
Is GoPro Really That Perfect?
GoPro is a fun, versatile, beginner-friendly piece of tech, and it’s affordable. But it can’t all be that perfect. Let’s look into some of the downsides of a GoPro.
1. Mediocre low-light performance
Shooting in low-light conditions can produce grainy videos. Also, color reproduction can suffer. Although all versions, from GoPro Hero 5 Black to GoPro Hero 11 Black, and even GoPro Max, have a low light mode that you can enable, sometimes it’s not enough.
2. No Optical Zoom
There is no zoom option on GoPro cameras. You’ll have to come pretty close to your subject to get a clear shot. That’s because GoPro cameras have a fixed focal length. There is a narrow field-of-view mode, but that’s just cropping the image, not zooming in. Newer models have digital zoom, but that can result in grainy images.
3. Short Battery Life
Probably the biggest downside of a GoPro action cam is you’ll have to keep managing the battery life to get all the shots you want. It’ll work for a couple of hours in ideal conditions. That’s why you’ll have to buy several extra batteries if you plan a day-long trip.
Go on an Adventure with Your GoPro
So, is a GoPro worth it? We think so! Whether you’re looking to document your next big adventure or just want a camera that can go wherever you do, a GoPro is a great investment. And with all of the different mounting options and accessories available, you’re sure to find a setup that suits your needs. Plus, with improved image quality and new features being added all the time, there’s always something new to love about your GoPro.
