![]() The user interface is the exact same as the Hero5/Hero6 Black, but tapping on some settings loads menus with a just a single choice where the other cameras had many. All the buildings are still there, but many of them are simply empty. Trying out the Hero after using one of its more capable siblings feels like returning to your hometown after being away for a while, only to find everyone has closed up shop. However, dumbing down the features while using the same touch-based interface has created some oddities. Leaving in voice control was also a good move, letting you say things like “GoPro, start recording” while bombing down a hill on your bicycle when you’d rather not take your hands off the handlebars. The built-in screen means the Hero is much more approachable to novice users than the Session cameras were, and it offers the same touch controls as the Hero5/Hero6 Black. The thing we were most disappointed to find lacking in the Hero is ProTune. Advanced functions might be gone, but all of the ease-of-use features have been left intact. The company made informed decisions about what to skimp on and what to include. We may lament the loss of the Hero5 Session, but the smartest thing GoPro did with the new Hero was ensuring it was narrowly tailored to a specific type of user. The Hero5 Session was a good complement to the Hero5/Hero6 Black, offering advanced users a cheaper option for a second camera. That camera offered many things not found in the new Hero, including ProTune and 4K resolution. What makes the Hero’s limitations a bit more disconcerting is that the Hero5 Session - which was selling at the same price - is no longer available (it can still be found in retailers, but GoPro has removed it from its official products page). Our experience with other GoPro cameras has taught us that setting the camera to slightly underexpose leads to better results on bright, contrasty days - this is something you just can’t do with the Hero. While we don’t expect Hero users to care as much about a flat profile, we definitely would have appreciated having the option to set exposure compensation. On other cameras, ProTune enables advanced exposure controls and the option to pick a flat color profile better suited for postproduction. The thing we were more disappointed to find lacking in the Hero is ProTune. High-contrast edges will have visible halos around them if you zoom into the image, although this isn’t an issue when viewed at smaller sizes. Still photos offer more resolution than video, but suffer from the same compression and sharpening artifacts. On a smaller screen, like a smartphone, it would be really difficult to notice a difference between the Hero and the 4K-shooting Hero6 Black. However, this looks to be more of an issue of heavy-handed compression and digital sharpening rather than a lack of pixels. If you’re viewing footage at 100 percent on a computer, you’ll definitely notice some softness and lack of fine details. The Hero6 Black definitely has better stabilization thanks to its GP1 processor, but we’re glad to see any sort of stabilization on the new Hero.Īs for video quality, it really isn’t bad. It appears to be the same stabilization as the Hero5 Black, cropping the field of view by 10 percent. ![]() The Hero also maintains image stabilization, another great feature for beginners who are less likely to be using a gimbal. GoPro’s latest camera is its least exciting, but that’s kind of the point. Connectivity is also the same, with USB-C, HDMI, and both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. It has the same two-button interface, front LCD information display, and rear touchscreen. It uses the same rubberized, matte-gray body that’s waterproof down to 33 feet without the need for an underwater case. The Hero looks identical to the Hero5/Hero6 Black cameras. Design, specifications, and image quality While at times we found its limitations to be frustrating, more often than not, we appreciated its simplicity. The Hero represents a carefully curated selection of features designed to get you up and running as quickly as possible. The GoPro Hero isn’t the camera for power users, and current Hero Black-series owners may find it difficult to integrate Hero footage with those from the more advanced siblings, but first-time action camera buyers and casual users will find a lot to love. It lacks the high-end specifications of the Hero6 Black, and is even outclassed by 2016’s Hero5 Black, but at $200, it brings core aspects of GoPro’s current Hero family to the lowest price yet. It’s a no-frills action camera that emphasizes simplicity and ease-of-use over raw power, and it bears an equally no-frills name: Hero - no number, no color. GoPro’s entry-level camera for 2018 is its least exciting to date, but that’s kind of the point. Interface has basic options from Hero5/Hero6 Limited resolution and frame-rate options
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