GoPro HERO 11 Assessment – Is it Value Upgrading in 2025?

Yearly this motion digicam firm tries to vary the sport, however did they pull it off main into 2023? And extra over, is it value shopping for in 2024? We’ve been busy placing the brand new digicam to the take a look at to deliver you our complete GoPro HERO 11 overview! We dive into the brand new options, what they’ve improved (and what they missed) and provides our trustworthy opinion on whether or not the GoPro HERO11 is well worth the improve over earlier fashions.

No different digicam firm has managed to show a product into a way of life model fairly the best way GoPro has, which is likely one of the causes we’ve personally been utilizing their merchandise since 2010 (holy moly, greater than 13 years now).

And whereas we love nearly all the pieces concerning the enterprise and the gear they make, we’ll even be the primary to confess that some fashions aren’t as revolutionary as others.

That hasn’t stopped us from personally reviewing every new collection when it hits the cabinets although, and this 12 months is not any completely different.

We put our GoPros by means of hell. Snowboarding, scuba diving, mountain biking and simply typically pushing them to their limits by means of our jobs as journey content material creators.

The latest digicam is now out within the wild and naturally we couldn’t wait to strive it out.

2024 MASSIVE UPDATE – It’s that point of the 12 months once more and the newest digicam has simply dropped! Take a look at our trustworthy GoPro HERO 13 Black Assessment!

So in our professional GoPro HERO11 Black overview we dive deep into what units this digicam other than its predecessor, the way it performs in the true world and whether or not or not GoPro have missed the mark.

Our Trustworthy GoPro HERO 11 Black Assessment

Final 12 months’s slogan for the GoPro HERO 10 was ‘A New Period’, and this 12 months GoPro have opted to go along with ‘Lastly to 11’. Fairly becoming for the eleventh collection in what has develop into a little bit of a legacy.

However honestly what actually issues what they’ve completed this 12 months is healthier ‘the GoPro Expertise’.

You see in 2023 the brand new digicam has a spread of average enhancements, which we’ll get to shortly, however the true spotlight is that all the pieces simply works, properly, nicer.

There’s the brand new bigger sensor, 10-bit color and buttery HyperSmooth 5.0 with 360 diploma horizon lock (how the hell they make it so clean is past us, however we’ll take it).

These items alone imply the GoPro HERO11 Black is superior over the ten, however that’s not what makes the GoPro Expertise a step above the rest they’ve completed.

They’ve additionally launched a brand new lighter model dubbed the HERO 11 Black Mini, which is nearly pretty much as good as the primary digicam however with out a few options corresponding to LCD screens.

Whilst you’re right here, try our GoPro HERO 12 overview!

GoPro have actually tapped into the creator market now, with out forgetting their core origins for journey athletes and common journey photographers/videographers, by endeavouring to make the whole capturing, modifying and importing workflow as seamless as attainable.

Did they pull it off? Let’s discover out in our GoPro HERO11 overview!

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The Newest Options

GoPro have managed to introduce an entire bunch of recent options that make the newest digicam a pleasure to make use of in any state of affairs, whereas additionally ticking just a few packing containers for professionals on the market.

(When you’re , you may as well try our detailed HERO10 overview from final 12 months.)

Listed below are a number of the new and main options of the HERO 11 Black. It’s not a full revamp of the earlier mannequin, however the modifications which can be there are fairly important.

I’ll go into extra element on a few of them beneath in our GoPro HERO 11 overview.

• New bigger 1/1.9? Sensor
• 8:7 facet ratio
• Automated Spotlight Movies
• 10-Bit Color (lastly!)
• HyperSmooth 5.0 + 360 Diploma Horizon Lock
• 27 megapixel nonetheless photos
• HyperView
• As much as 5.3k TimeWarp 3.0
• Night time Results (we love this)
• Enduro Battery
• Body grabs – 27MP from 5.3K 8:7 video

After which all one of the best options that we noticed on the ten, corresponding to:

• 5.3K 60fps
• 4K 120fps
• 2.7K 240fps for 8x slo-mo
• 33 toes (10m) waterproof straight out of the field
• Voice management
• LCD full-colour entrance show
• LCD full-colour actual display screen
• 1080p Livestream and Webcam with HyperSmooth 5.0 video stabilization
• RAW Photographs in all modes
• Non-obligatory modular equipment corresponding to Max Lens Mod, Media Mod, Gentle Mod and Show Mod

New Bigger Sensor

The largest improve on the GoPro HERO11 Black is the brand new, bigger 1/1.9? sensor.

With this monster sensor squeezed into the tiny digicam we are able to now shoot utilizing a new 8:7 facet ratio, which captures an enormous perspective permitting for every kind of crop elements in put up.

In actual fact, it’s a 16% enhance in vertical subject of view over the earlier digicam.

GoPro know that just about all the pieces getting shared as of late is shifting to vertical elements, like what we discover on Instagram and TikTok, however native width content material like on TV and YouTube isn’t going anyplace.

So fairly than having to decide on whether or not you shoot in panorama or portrait mode, you should use the 8:7 facet ratio on the bigger sensor which supplies loads of room for cropping later with out shedding any picture high quality.

This additionally introduces the larger 27MP display screen grabs, and a brand new immersive digital lens referred to as HyperView, which is ideal for these POV (point-of-view) motion thots.

This, matched with the revolutionary GP2 processor launched on the HERO10, makes the brand new GoPro HERO11 Black a flexible, numerous and top quality powerhouse.

HyperView Digital Lens

Utilizing the whole 8:7 ratio on the brand new sensor, we are able to now use HyperView, which GoPro claims provides an ‘ultra-immersive’ video that most accurately fits motion POV, large selfies and enormous areas in tight areas. Suppose structure.

There’s additionally an replace within the pipeline that may permit customers to leap into the GoPro Quik app and alter between all of the digital lens choices after the actual fact. So you possibly can go away it on one setting and never be kicking your self later.

10-Bit Color

That is a type of upgrades that will get skilled creators further excited. However that doesn’t imply it’s past the typical consumer both.

GoPro have lastly jumped over to true 10-bit color processing. What does that imply precisely?

10-bit color has over 1 billion shades of color in its information.

8-bit, which is what the previous GoPro (and most video cameras that don’t value the identical as a home deposit) has, processes about 16.7 million colors.

That giant enchancment implies that the colors you see in your movies are extra like what you see with your individual eyes, with extra vivid particulars, much less color banding and smoother gradients.

Consider it like excessive dynamic vary content material.

This color improve works on all video settings, together with TimeWarp and Time Lapse, and likewise spills out throughout pictures.

HyperSmooth 5.0

We’re going to allow you to in on a little bit secret.

HyperSmooth, which was first launched on the GoPro HERO7, is why we vlog on GoPros as a substitute of our very costly Sony cameras.

HyperSmooth basically removes the necessity to use a gimbal, and when you’ve seen it in motion you’ll surprise why anyone offers with shaky footage anymore.

If GoPro did completely zero enhancements to this function on the GoPro HERO 11 Black version, no one would thoughts as a result of it’s already so good.

However nope, they needed to go and improve to HyperSmooth 5.0, which is even higher. You possibly can actually go path working and the footage seems prefer it was shot in a automotive rolling down a freeway.

HyperSmooth 5.0 now works in all digital lenses, and features a function referred to as Linear + Horizon Lock.

This makes use of the processor to find out what degree the horizon is on, after which retains your shot in that place, even in case you rotate your digicam a full 360°.

One of many very first guidelines you be taught in composition is to all the time preserve your horizon straight, and now you by no means have to fret about it.

There’s additionally an all-new ‘AutoBoost’, which acts like a dynamic adjustment in real-time if the digicam detects further shaky actions.

Click on right here to learn extra about tips on how to take higher GoPro pictures in our final information.

The Enduro Battery

GoPro quietly launched the Enduro Battery in 2022, however now it comes commonplace with the GoPro HERO11, and we’re all for it!

It’s a extra highly effective battery in the identical measurement that provides 38% extra battery life and higher efficiency in chilly circumstances.

Simple vs Professional Controls

When GoPro first launched video presets it was a Godsend. We actually use them a number of occasions each single shoot they usually save us a lot time and complications.

Nevertheless for the typical consumer, it may be a bit overkill. Most individuals don’t have to usually bounce between 4k 30fps vast to 4k 120fps linear then to 4k 60fps Superview between photographs.

Most customers even have the identical 2-3 issues they use time and again. Maybe one video mode, one photograph mode and one TimeWarp mode.

For many who don’t need to overburden themselves with buttons and settings on the fly, GoPro has heard you and now launched ‘Simple Controls’.

Choose what you need – photograph, video or TimeWarp – and GoPro will choose one of the best settings for the state of affairs. Sort of like utilizing Auto on a contemporary digital digicam.

Virtually each journey we go on world wide we’ve got individuals come as much as us with a model new GoPro and ask if we will help them with their settings. We get it – in case you’re not a professional, digicam settings are extraordinarily complicated,

Now you possibly can simply swap over to ‘Simple Controls’ and by no means fear once more.

New Night time Results

We love love love night time images. We’ve written extensively about astrophotography, lengthy exposures and tips on how to use mild to color onto a scene.

Nevertheless this can be a fairly superior type of images, and it might probably take a whole lot of trial and error to dial in the proper settings.

Be careful world, as a result of right here’s one of many new options we’re most enthusiastic about on this GoPro HERO11 Black overview – Night time Results!

There are three all-new time lapse presets that are designed to make capturing night time scenes ridiculously simple.

These are all routinely completed for you, that means you possibly can give attention to creating artwork with out the fear of heavy put up manufacturing.

Gentle Portray

Use lengthy publicity pictures to create brush stroke results with transferring mild, corresponding to waving a head lamp or fireworks.

Star Trails

The earth rotates across the solar (sorry flat-earthers), so if you take consecutive pictures of the celebrities you’ll discover they’re slowly transferring throughout the sky.

Star Path mode turns that rotation into unbelievable star trails in a single click on. To offer you context, for us to do that manually takes many hours of capturing, modifying, stacking and mixing in Photoshop (in addition to a loopy highly effective and costly laptop computer) to attain the identical impact.

Car Gentle Trails

Set your GoPro up on a bridge over a freeway or within the median strip of a busy road, click on the button and watch the headlights of vehicles burn themselves into your shot.

Belief us, it seems superior.

GoPro Quik App

Whereas not a brand new function and never immediately associated to the HERO11, we are able to’t actually do our GoPro 11 overview with out speaking concerning the app that goes together with it.

The GoPro Quik app is a type of apps that simply appears to have a endless listing of instruments and functionalities, and someway it makes all of them good.

You possibly can management your digicam utilizing your smartphone as a distant.

You possibly can import your footage wirelessly.

You possibly can edit your pictures and movies with one click on of a button.

In actual fact you possibly can even make full-on YouTube or Instagram/TikTok movies proper within the app.

And in case you join the GoPro Quik Subscription, the app will auto-upload your footage to the cloud so you possibly can clear the SD card and preserve capturing with out shedding your footage.

There’s additionally rumours or a brand new function coming quickly the place GoPro will use AI expertise to make spotlight reels of your footage within the cloud. Who wants a video editor, huh?

The GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini

Do you bear in mind when GoPro introduced out the Session, a miniature model of the already ridiculously small GoPro?

It was marketed as a extra moveable, easy digicam for entry-level creators with much less options and energy.

Nicely now the crew at GoPro have reintroduced one thing comparable with the GoPro 11 Black Mini.

It’s mainly a barely watered-down model of the GoPro HERO 11 Black digicam, with out the LCD screens and as a substitute having twin mounting fingers on the backside and again of the physique.

It’s aimed for new-to-GoPro customers, individuals who mount their cameras to their helmets and anybody who finds the present GoPro mannequin too giant.

In fact this implies it’s a little bit bit cheaper too, which is all the time a giant plus.

Ought to You Get the GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini?

This isn’t a GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini overview, however we’ll let you already know our ideas right here anyway.

Until you fall into one among these classes:

• You all the time go away your GoPro in your helmet
• You by no means use an LCD display screen
• Finances is tight

Don’t fear about shopping for the HERO11 Mini, and as a substitute spend a little bit bit extra money and get the total HERO 11 Black.

Why? Nicely not having an LCD display screen sucks. You possibly can’t body your photographs correctly (until you’re utilizing your telephone as a dwell view) and you’ll’t overview your footage on the fly.

You need to use the little display screen on high to test your digicam settings, however these should be customised utilizing the GoPro Quik app fairly than on the fly.

Possibly our opinion will change down the street, however for now we imagine it’s 100% value simply getting the full-size digicam.

The ‘Mods’ – Media, Max Lens, Show and Gentle Mod

When GoPro launched their Mods it was a type of ‘appears cool, however I’ll by no means use it’ sort of merchandise. Not less than to us anyway.

Nicely that’s all modified now. We not too long ago purchased the Media Mod for the HERO10, and now utilizing it on the HERO11, and are a lot happier with the audio enhancements.

GoPro has all the time been identified for the plethora of epic GoPro equipment (try our favourites in that put up) you should use with them, corresponding to mounts to place your digicam on absolutely anything.

The Mods are a bit extra high-level than the usual mounts you get, however for any severe content material creator they actually do add an entire new ingredient to how we seize scenes.

The HERO11 is similar measurement because the earlier two cameras, and so the mods that match them additionally match the brand new digicam which is incredible.

The Media Mod provides a bi-directional microphone, chilly shoe mounts, USB C output and a 3.5mm microphone jack, and is now our go-to setup for vlogging.

The Max Lens Mod makes the digicam lens ultra-wide natively, which is healthier than the digital model of HyperView.

The Gentle Mod illuminates your face when capturing in low mild, or can be utilized for mild portray.

And the Show Mod provides a display screen, however until you want one thing larger than the front-facing one, it’s a bit redundant now.

When you’re going to purchase only one Mod to go along with the GoPro HERO11 Black, get the Media Mod.

Is the Digital camera Any Good Within the Actual World?

Alright, we get it. Tech specs are cool and all, however you need to know if the digicam really work in the true world?

Sure the function upgrades are respectable, and also you’re already contemplating whether or not or not it’s value getting the 11.

However stats on paper don’t imply something if the digicam really performs like a moist towel.

By no means worry, mates. Now we have your again and have been tremendous busy throwing the digicam into every kind of conditions as a part of our overview of the GoPro HERO11 Black.

The preliminary setup of the digicam was very fast and straightforward. Flip it on, decide your language, join it to the GoPro Quik app in your telephone, do an replace and away you go.

Then it’s time to truly use the rattling factor.

The LCD contact display screen may be very quick and responsive, and once we did a side-by-sude comparability with the HERO10 we didn’t discover a giant distinction in comparison with the previous digicam.

In comparison with the 9 although, it was night time and day, and we’re so glad that they’ve lastly discovered a stable contact display screen that simply works.

We then instantly switched to the brand new 8:7 facet ratio and began capturing some 5.3k video.

It’s onerous to inform on the little display screen, however we might see much more of the scene. It was solely once we imported the footage into Adobe Premiere Professional although that we might actually see simply how way more vertical room we needed to play with.

Seeing as content material is all about vertical Instagram Reels and TikToks, that is very helpful function.

HyperSmooth 5.0? Yea it’s loopy good. I took the digicam for a run down the seaside and it was as clean and buttery as ever.

The brand new 360 diploma horizon degree lock labored fairly properly too in linear mode.

10-bit color was an enormous, huge enchancment over the HERO10, however fact be informed we don’t color grade our footage that closely anyway.

So whereas we do now use 10-bit color for all of our photographs (which matches what we shoot on our Sony A7iv too), we’re in all probability not utilizing it to its full potential.

At our core, we’re photographers, and we’re happy to say that in our GoPro HERO 11 overview we’re very glad with the standard of photos the little digicam produces, and the way far we are able to push the edits in put up manufacturing with out shedding high quality.

We tried HDR, SuperPhoto and Uncooked, however have determined to simply all the time persist with Uncooked.

We additionally went and located some rock wallabies close to the boat pier and tried out Auto, Uncooked Burst Mode to see the way it carried out.

The pictures – incredible.

The lag time although whereas the digicam buffered the photographs was painfully sluggish. This might in all probability be diminished although by utilizing a sooner velocity SD card, so we’ll report again sooner or later once we improve this.

We’re but to make use of the brand new Night time Results correctly, however have a giant journey arising very quickly the place we’ll be capable of take a look at this out. Keep tuned for an replace.

General the GoPro HERO11 Black has been a pleasure to make use of, and it’ll now have a everlasting place in our digicam bag on each journey and shoot we go on.

What We Don’t Like

We’re all the time trustworthy in our gear write-ups, and being an trustworthy GoPro HERO11 Black overview we really tried our greatest to seek out one thing improper with the digicam.

Why? Nicely nothing might be excellent, and we don’t need you as our trusting reader to assume we’re simply going to reward all the pieces that’s on the market.

So with that being mentioned, is it an ideal digicam?

No. However GoPro are getting shut to creating one.

One function we actually want that they had have included was an optical zoom.

We love the long-lasting GoPro perspective, but it surely’d be good if we might seize a 2x or 3x optical zoom as properly to get nearer to our topics and create some lens compression.

Maybe this could possibly be rectified sooner or later with a switchable lens? There’s the Max Lens Mod, why not have a Zoom Lens Mod too?

The audio with out the Media Mod isn’t nice, however in case you’re not vlogging this isn’t a giant deal.

Aside from that there actually isn’t something main that we dislike in our GoPro HERO 11 Black overview.

But when we discover something as time goes on we’ll make sure to return to this text and replace it.

GoPro HERO11 vs GoPro HERO10 vs GoPro HERO9 – What’s the Distinction?

We’ve explored all of the updates and what’s new in our GoPro HERO 11 Black overview, and until you’re very aware of the previous fashions chances are you’ll be left questioning what the distinction is between the newest variations.

And in addition, when you’ve got an older digicam, is it value upgrading?

The HERO11 has plenty of main updates in comparison with the HERO10, most particularly across the bigger sensor and 10-bit color, however the engine behind it being the GP2 processor is kind of the identical.

However what about in opposition to the HERO9?

Let’s try the variations in our comparability desk.

Is it Value Upgrading?

You’ve nearly made it to the top of our GoPro HERO 11 overview, and also you’re nearly able to both make the leap and make investments, or stash your money for an additional day.

So what must you do, particularly when you’ve got an older model already? Is it value upgrading to the HERO11?

You Don’t Have a GoPro

When you’re available in the market on your first ever GoPro and are questioning if that is the mannequin value shopping for, then right here’s the recommendation we give to our closest family and friends:

Sure, it’s 100% value shopping for the HERO11.

Irrespective of your type, whether or not its common journey, motion sports activities, life-style, underwater (bear in mind it’s waterproof to 10m) or capturing YouTube movies, this mannequin is fairly near being among the finest journey cameras on the market.

For these on the market that think about themselves to be a newbie photographer/videographer, you’re in luck too.

With Simple Controls and top quality built-in picture processing it’s by no means been simpler and extra pleasant to make use of a GoPro.

You Have a GoPro HERO9 or Earlier Mannequin

You probably have the HERO9 or an earlier mannequin such because the HERO 8 or HERO 7, and questioning whether or not now could be the time to improve, then our reply is sure, it is best to.

The HERO11 takes the legendary cameras to an entire new degree, and the bigger sensor matched with the GP2 processor means it’s like night time and day in comparison with the older variations.

It’s mainly a whole new digicam in comparison with the 9, and in case you’re coming from the 7 or 8 you’ll be so grateful you lastly jumped ship to the 11.

You Have a GoPro HERO10 Black

Hmm….this isn’t as easy as we thought it might be, particularly as a result of we nonetheless personal two HERO10s and love them.

We’re not the kind of individuals to go upgrading tech gear yearly. Hell Alesha remains to be rocking an iPhone 8.

That being mentioned, when there’s a big improve or a brand new function that may make our jobs and lives simpler, we fork out the money and are all the time grateful we did.

Is the HERO11 Black a big improve over the HERO10 although?

Probably not.

In fact the brand new bigger sensor is great. 8:7 facet ratio is extraordinarily helpful. 10-bit color is one thing execs have been screaming for. And the Night time Results together with 27 megapixels to mess around with is worth it.

However these aren’t issues each photographer, videographer and creator wants.

For us and the best way we use our gear, sure it’s well worth the improve, and the HERO11 is now our go-to motion sports activities digicam.

We actually just like the 8:7 ratio, as we frequently repurpose footage for YouTube and Instagram in several codecs.

It additionally makes framing photographs rather a lot simpler as you’re grabbing extra vertical area.

If that doesn’t sound such as you although and also you already personal the ten, don’t really feel like it’s essential to rush out and promote your previous digicam simply but (until in fact GoPro are doing a loopy sale on the 11).

Right here’s a straightforward breakdown:

UPGRADE IF:	I exploit my GoPro greater than 2x every week and make a good quantity of social media content material
DON’T WORRY IF:	I exploit my digicam lower than as soon as every week and don’t actually share my content material on social media

Additionally in case you actually simply purchased a ten, don’t get upset and throw it away. It’s nonetheless an incredible digicam, and so long as you’re having enjoyable getting on the market and capturing content material, it’s extra about creativity than gear anyway.

Closing Verdict – 9/10

You’ve made it to the top of our GoPro HERO11 overview, and after intense use and a severe deep dive into all the brand new options, construct high quality and ease of use, we’ve given it a stable 9/10.

The GoPro Expertise has been getting higher and higher (no extra freezing – yay!), and it’s legit one of many nicest cameras to make use of available on the market now.

When you do buy the GoPro HERO 11 Black, we additionally advocate getting a GoPro subscription to their cloud storage service too.

Thanks very a lot for studying our GoPro HERO10 Black overview. You probably have any questions please go away a remark beneath and we’ll reply them as quickly as attainable.

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