GoPro has added two new cameras to its lineup — Hero8 Black and GoPro Max — as well as modular accessories called Mods.
The Hero8 Black ($399) features HyperSmooth 2.0 video stabilization and offers improved pitch-axis stabilization. It also now supports all frame rates and resolutions. TimeWarp 2.0 auto adjusts to the operator’s speed and can be slowed to realtime with a tap. The revamped SuperPhoto feature offers ghost-free HDR action photos, and new LiveBurst captures 1.5 seconds of 12MP (4K 4:3) footage before and after the shutter. Hero8 Black also has a new wind-optimized front-facing mic and high-fidelity audio improvements.
The camera has four new digital lenses — ranging from GoPro’s patented SuperView to zero-distortion linear — and customizable capture presets for quick access to settings for any activity. It’s all housed in a frameless design with folding mounting fingers.
Hero8 Black is available for preorder now, with shipments beginning October 15.
Accessories
Hero8 Black can be turned into a vlogging or production camera with Mods, GoPro’s new modular accessory ecosystem. The Media Mod, Display Mod and Light Mod ($49.99) equip Hero8 Black with professional-grade audio, a front-facing display and enhanced lighting. The Mods enable on-demand expansion of Hero8 Black’s capabilities without losing the compact ruggedness of the Hero camera design.
The Media Mod ($79.99) features shotgun-mic directional audio and has two cold shoe mounts for additional accessories along with Type-C, HDMI and 3.5mm external mic adapter ports.
The Display Mod ($79.99) is a folding front- or rear-facing 1.9-inch display that attaches to the top of the Media Mod. It’s the perfect size for both framing up vlogging shots and folding down and out of the way when not in use.
The Light Mod ($49.99) is waterproof to 33 feet (10 meters), wearable and gear-mountable. The Light Mod is ready to brighten any scene, whether mounted to the Media Mod or attached to a GoPro mount. It’s rechargeable and comes complete with a diffuser to soften lighting when filming with Hero8 Black. Mods will be available for preorder in December.
GoPro Max
GoPro Max ($499) is a dual-lens GoPro camera. Waterproof to 16 feet (five meters), Max can be used as a single lens max stabilized Hero camera, a dual lens 360 camera or a vlogging camera — all in one. Max HyperSmooth, with its unbreakable stabilization and in-camera horizon leveling, eliminates the need for a gimbal. Max TimeWarp bends time and space with expanded control and performance over traditional TimeWarp. And Max SuperView delivers GoPro’s widest, most immersive field of view yet.
When creating 360 edits, Max users now have Reframe, the GoPro app’s new keyframe-based editing experience. Now it’s easy to quickly “reframe” 360 footage into a traditional video with super-smooth pans and transitions. Reframe matches the power of desktop 360 editing solutions, but with the convenience and usability of the GoPro app.
For vlogging, Max has four digital lenses for the ideal “look,” a front-facing touch screen for easy framing and six mics that enable shotgun-mic audio performance.
Max can be preordered now, with shipments beginning in late October.
