GoPro Hero 4 Black Edition
Let there be light.
The promo video for the Hero4 begins with a voiceover: “Life is either an incredible adventure, or it’s nothing at all.” It sets the tone for the inevitably astonishing montage that is to follow, but also serves to echo the approach GoPro appear to have taken with their latest top-of-the-line camera.
It seems GoPro have thrown everything at the Hero4 Black edition, in terms of setting the standard for action cameras, a market they have rapidly come to dominate.
Doubling up
The Hero4’s predecessor was one of the first action cameras to shoot in 4K resolution. At the time it appeared to be overkill given the already impressive quality of 1080p HD footage. But now, with mediums like YouTube and an increasing number of super-high resolution devices making their way to market, GoPro appear to have again set themselves up with a handy head start over rivals.
The Hero4’s 4K resolution is impressive, and the introduction of 24fps, 25fps and 30fps shooting modes at the highest resolution – up from 15fps – will allow professional and amateur producers to do a lot more with those extra pixels (24fps and up being industry standard frame rates).
For those of us happy to stick to 1080p for the time being, the Hero4 delivers a treat. That mode now offers a 120fps option (up from 60fps), so expect to see a lot more very clear, slow motion sequences on YouTube soon.
While a lot of us are happy to just grab our camera and go, the significance of this raft of higher numbers will do a lot to push the standard and consistency of footage gathered by these cameras. GoPro deserves credit for leading from the front.
Let there be light
Low-light performance has always been action cameras’ Achilles heel. When the sun goes down, the fixed aperture of action cameras means they have less flexibility in absorbing available light. The promo video features extensive clips of night time scenes, aided by light sources such as fireworks and street lights.
Helping to achieve this is a new Auto Low Light mode that automatically adjusts the camera’s frame rate according to light conditions. And for the more experienced, GoPro have introduced ProTune, which will allow users to tune settings such as ISO, white balance and colour.
In practice, the Hero4 certainly delivers a massive improvement in low-light performance over my much loved, but comparatively antiquated Hero 2. Improvements in overall picture quality and a faster image processor help provide this boost alongside the built-in automatic mode.
The need for speed
In addition to faster processing and frame rates, the Hero4 also speeds up the interface with the GoPro app. With built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the app has always been a handy tool for lining up shots, and any improvement in the delay between the two is a welcome addition.
Altering settings has also been sped up by virtue of a button on the side of the camera which allows you to quickly change things such as frame rates or resolution.
Over-the-top?
An article in The New York Times recently suggested that GoPro’s imposing (or impressive, depending on your point of view) feature list would be a threat to less-featured but perhaps more user-friendly rivals. The introduction of features like ProTune indeed marks a move away from traditional simplicity, but it’s a reasonable progression given the ubiquity of their use by both amateurs and professionals alike.
At $639, the Hero4 Black marks an increase in the price of GoPro’s flagship. For some, that might be a little too much to justify, particularly given the glut of options available, however if you’re after the best, the Hero4 remains in a class of its own.
