GoPro released the Hero “7” Black just a couple of months after I took delivery of a Hero “6” Black (reviewed earlier) … so, I had to have it if for no other reason than to see what has changed. Immediately, you notice on the side of the camera in bold print “7” so as not to be confused with the “old” model … God forbid people think you’re using the old, worn out tech of April 2018! I’m not joking that some tech sites complained there was no huge nomenclature to identify it as the newest/priciest model.
Basically, the cameras are similar in appearance, use the same accessories and are still as heavy as though it was made out of lead. But there are some very real improvements … most notably the incredible smoothness/lack of shake the new camera exhibits. The Hero 6 Black was outstanding, but after seeing the improvement, the “6” is headed to eBay. My distaste for gimbals continues unabated and this new model just hardens my opinion. A heavy, complex, expensive and cumbersome gimbal to smooth a few bumps is simply unnecessary at this point unless you’re shooting the new “Indiana Jones” movie.
GoPro does make a “Silver & White” version of this camera … but trust me on this, forget it. They are for the posers who want to flash the GoPro “image,” but don’t want to spend the bucks. In complete candor, I’m at a loss why they even make these. If poorer video quality is your goal, just buy a $35 Chinese camera. Why spend $300 for a lesser GoPro, when effectively, it’s dumbed down to the video quality of the aforementioned Chinese clone.
The new menu threw me for a loop the first few times I used it and even now, I still prefer the older menu of the “6”.
It now includes “SuperPhoto” … it applies three different technologies to produce the best still image ever from a GoPro. You really, really don’t want me to explain this in pure geek talk. Just note, it works …
It will now shoot in the vertical mode for posting on certain vanity (eg. Instagram Stories) websites.
The new “TimeWarp” will capture super-stabilized time-lapse videos while you move around. It’ll increase the speed up to 30x to turn longer shots into anything you may want to share and yet, not bore your friends. (eg. original video is 10 minutes, but is sped up to be viewed in only 20 seconds for those with millennium-short attention spans.)
The sound quality is slightly improved … due to a different waterproofing membrane primarily.
Should you want to live-stream, it’s available now, but restricted to the personal data grabbing “Facebook” & “YouTube” and a few others.
I have noticed better low-level light sensitivity, better definition and color saturation. While complained about on some websites, I’ve always thought it was better than it should be for the lenses it has.
But ultimately, it’s the impressive smoothness that leaves you amazed that you’re that good of a videographer.
I now await breathlessly for the “8”.