GoPro HERO 11 Assessment – Is it Value Upgrading in 2023?
No different digicam firm has managed to show a product into a life-style model fairly the best way GoPro has, which is among the causes we’ve personally been utilizing their merchandise since 2010 (holy moly, greater than 12 years now).
And whereas we love virtually every thing in regards to 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 sequence when it hits the cabinets although, and this 12 months isn’t 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.
So in our professional GoPro HERO11 Black assessment we dive deep into what units this digicam aside from 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 sequence in what has change into a little bit of a legacy.
However honestly what actually issues what they’ve accomplished this 12 months is best ‘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 every thing simply works, nicely, 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 easy 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 accomplished.
They’ve additionally launched a brand new lighter model dubbed the HERO 11 Black Mini, which is sort of nearly as good as the principle digicam however with out a few options corresponding to LCD screens.
GoPro have actually tapped into the creator market now, with out forgetting their core origins for journey athletes and basic journey photographers/videographers, by endeavouring to make the whole capturing, enhancing and importing workflow as seamless as attainable.
Did they pull it off? Let’s discover out in our GoPro HERO11 assessment!
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The Newest Options
GoPro have managed to introduce an entire bunch of recent options that make the most recent digicam a pleasure to make use of in any situation, whereas additionally ticking just a few packing containers for professionals on the market.
- 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 pictures
- HyperView
- As much as 5.3k TimeWarp 3.0
- Evening 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
- 1080p Livestream and Webcam with HyperSmooth 5.0 video stabilization
- RAW Pictures in all modes
- Non-compulsory modular equipment corresponding to Max Lens Mod, Media Mod, Mild 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 will now shoot utilizing a new 8:7 facet ratio, which captures an enormous perspective permitting for every kind of crop components in submit.
The truth is, it’s a 16% improve in vertical subject of view over the earlier digicam.
GoPro know that just about every thing getting shared today is shifting to vertical points, like what we discover on Instagram and TikTok, however native width content material like on TV and YouTube isn’t going wherever.
So fairly than having to decide on whether or not you shoot in panorama or portrait mode, you should utilize 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 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, various and top quality powerhouse.
HyperView Digital Lens
Utilizing the whole 8:7 ratio on the brand new sensor, we will now use HyperView, which GoPro claims provides an ‘ultra-immersive’ video that most closely fits motion POV, large selfies and enormous areas in tight areas. Suppose structure.
There’s additionally an replace within the pipeline that may enable customers to leap into the GoPro Quik app and alter between all of the digital lens choices after the actual fact. So you’ll be able to depart 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 common person 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 price the identical as a home deposit) has, processes about 16.7 million colors.
That giant enchancment signifies that the colors you see in your movies are extra like what you see with your personal 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 in addition spills out throughout images.
HyperSmooth 5.0
We’re going to allow you to in on a 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 primarily 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 characteristic 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 appears to be like prefer it was shot in a automotive rolling down a freeway.
HyperSmooth 5.0 now works in all digital lenses, and features a characteristic referred to as Linear + Horizon Lock.
This makes use of the processor to find out what stage the horizon is on, after which retains your shot in that place, even when you rotate your digicam a full 360°.
One of many very first guidelines you study in composition is to at all times maintain 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.
The Enduro Battery
GoPro quietly launched the Enduro Battery in 2022, however now it comes normal 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 situations.
Simple vs Professional Controls
When GoPro first launched video presets it was a Godsend. We actually use them a number of instances each single shoot they usually save us a lot time and complications.
Nonetheless for the common person, it may be a bit overkill. Most individuals don’t must commonly bounce between 4k 30fps broad to 4k 120fps linear then to 4k 60fps Superview between pictures.
Most customers even have the identical 2-3 issues they use time and again. Maybe one video mode, one picture 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’.
Decide what you need – picture, video or TimeWarp – and GoPro will choose one of the best settings for the scenario. Sort of like utilizing Auto on a contemporary digital digicam.
Nearly each journey we go on world wide we’ve individuals come as much as us with a model new GoPro and ask if we might help them with their settings. We get it – when you’re not a professional, digicam settings are extraordinarily complicated,
Now you’ll be able to simply swap over to ‘Simple Controls’ and by no means fear once more.
New Evening Results
We love love love night time pictures. We’ve written extensively about astrophotography, lengthy exposures and how one can use mild to color onto a scene.
Nonetheless it is a fairly superior type of pictures, and it could actually take a number of trial and error to dial in the correct 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 assessment – Evening Results!
There are three all-new time lapse presets that are designed to make capturing night time scenes ridiculously straightforward.
These are all mechanically accomplished for you, which means you’ll be able to concentrate on creating artwork with out the fear of heavy submit manufacturing.
Mild Portray
Use lengthy publicity images 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 whenever you take consecutive images of the celebs you’ll discover they’re slowly transferring throughout the sky.
Star Path mode turns that rotation into unimaginable star trails in a single click on. To present you context, for us to do that manually takes many hours of capturing, enhancing, stacking and mixing in Photoshop (in addition to a loopy highly effective and costly laptop computer) to attain the identical impact.
Car Mild Trails
Set your GoPro up on a bridge over a freeway or within the median strip of a busy avenue, click on the button and watch the headlights of vehicles burn themselves into your shot.
Belief us, it appears to be like superior.
GoPro Quik App
Whereas not a brand new characteristic and never instantly associated to the HERO11, we will’t actually do our GoPro 11 assessment with out speaking in regards to the app that goes together with it.
The GoPro Quik app is a type of apps that simply appears to have a unending 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 images and movies with one click on of a button.
The truth is you’ll be able to even make full-on YouTube or Instagram/TikTok movies proper within the app.
And when you join the GoPro Quik Subscription, the app will auto-upload your footage to the cloud so you’ll be able to clear the SD card and maintain capturing with out shedding your footage.
There’s additionally rumours or a brand new characteristic coming quickly the place GoPro will use AI know-how to make spotlight reels of your footage within the cloud. Who wants a video editor, huh?
The GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini
Do you keep 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.
Effectively now the workforce at GoPro have reintroduced one thing comparable with the GoPro 11 Black Mini.
It’s principally 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 massive.
In fact this implies it’s a bit bit cheaper too, which is at all times a giant plus.
Ought to You Get the GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini?
This isn’t a GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini assessment, however we’ll let you realize our ideas right here anyway.
Until you fall into one in all these classes:
- You at all times depart your GoPro in your helmet
- You by no means use an LCD display
- Price range is tight
Don’t fear about shopping for the HERO11 Mini, and as a substitute spend a bit bit extra money and get the complete HERO 11 Black.
Why? Effectively not having an LCD display sucks. You possibly can’t body your pictures correctly (until you’re utilizing your telephone as a reside view) and you may’t assessment your footage on the fly.
You need to use the little display on high to examine 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 highway, however for now we consider it’s 100% value simply getting the full-size digicam.
The ‘Mods’ – Media, Max Lens, Show and Mild Mod
When GoPro launched their Mods it was a type of ‘appears cool, however I’ll by no means use it’ sort of merchandise. No less than to us anyway.
Effectively that’s all modified now. We just lately 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 at all times been identified for the plethora of equipment you should utilize 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 component to how we seize scenes.
The HERO11 is identical measurement because the earlier two cameras, and so the mods that match them additionally match the brand new digicam which is implausible.
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 best than the digital model of HyperView.
The Mild Mod illuminates your face when capturing in low mild, or can be utilized for mild portray.
And the Show Mod provides a display, however until you want one thing greater 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 Digicam Any Good Within the Actual World?
Alright, we get it. Tech specs are cool and all, however you need to know if the digicam truly work in the true world?
Sure the characteristic 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 truly performs like a moist towel.
By no means worry, buddies. We’ve your again and have been tremendous busy throwing the digicam into every kind of conditions as a part of our assessment of the GoPro HERO11 Black.
The preliminary setup of the digicam was very fast and straightforward. Flip it on, choose 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 may be very quick and responsive, and after 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 found out a strong contact display that simply works.
We then instantly switched to the brand new 8:7 facet ratio and began capturing some 5.3k video.
It’s exhausting to inform on the little display, however we may see much more of the scene. It was solely after we imported the footage into Adobe Premiere Professional although that we may actually see simply how rather more vertical room we needed to play with.
Seeing as content material is all about vertical Instagram Reels and TikToks, that is very helpful characteristic.
HyperSmooth 5.0? Yea it’s loopy good. I took the digicam for a run down the seashore and it was as easy and buttery as ever.
The brand new 360 diploma horizon stage lock labored fairly nicely too in linear mode.
10-bit color was an unlimited, 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 pictures (which matches what we shoot on our Sony A7iv too), we’re most likely 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 assessment we’re very glad with the standard of pictures the little digicam produces, and the way far we will push the edits in submit manufacturing with out shedding high quality.
We tried HDR, SuperPhoto and Uncooked, however have determined to simply at all times 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 images – implausible.
The lag time although whereas the digicam buffered the pictures was painfully sluggish. This might most likely be diminished although through the use of a quicker pace SD card, so we’ll report again sooner or later after we improve this.
We’re but to make use of the brand new Evening 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 at all times sincere in our gear write-ups, and being an sincere GoPro HERO11 Black assessment we truly tried our greatest to seek out one thing flawed with the digicam.
Why? Effectively nothing could be good, and we don’t need you as our trusting reader to suppose we’re simply going to reward every thing that’s on the market.
So with that being stated, is it an ideal digicam?
No. However GoPro are getting shut to creating one.
One characteristic we actually want they’d have included was an optical zoom.
We love the enduring GoPro perspective, but it surely’d be good if we may seize a 2x or 3x optical zoom as nicely to get nearer to our topics and create some lens compression.
Maybe this may very well 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 when you’re not vlogging this isn’t a giant deal.
Apart from that there actually isn’t something main that we dislike in our GoPro HERO 11 Black assessment.
But when we discover something as time goes on we’ll make sure you 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 assessment, and until you’re very acquainted with the previous fashions you might be left questioning what the distinction is between the latest variations.
The HERO11 has a variety 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?
27MP + SuperPhoto and all RAW modes |
23MP + SuperPhoto with HDR |
20MP + SuperPhoto with HDR |
|
In-Digicam with 360° Angle and Horizon Lock |
In-Digicam with 45° Angle |
In-Digicam with 27° Angle |
|
1.4″ Coloration LCD with Smoother Reside Preview |
1.4″ Coloration LCD with Smoother Reside Preview |
||
2.7″ Coloration LCD with Improved Contact Sensitivity |
2.7″ Coloration LCD with Improved Contact Sensitivity |
||
Media Mod, Max Lens Mod, Show Mod, Mild Mod, Volta |
Media Mod, Max Lens Mod, Show Mod, Mild Mod, Volta |
Media Mod (HERO9 Black) |
|
1080p with HyperSmooth 5.0 |
1080p with HyperSmooth 4.0 |
||
Is it Value Upgrading?
You’ve virtually made it to the tip of our GoPro HERO 11 assessment, and also you’re nearly able to both make the leap and make investments, or stash your money for one more day.
So what do you have to do, particularly when you have an older model already? Is it value upgrading to the HERO11?
You Don’t Have a GoPro
When you’re out there to 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.
Regardless of your fashion, whether or not its basic journey, motion sports activities, way of life, underwater (keep 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 take into account 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 pleasing to make use of a GoPro.
You Have a GoPro HERO9 or Earlier Mannequin
When you’ve got 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, you need to.
The HERO11 takes the legendary cameras to an entire new stage, 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 principally a complete new digicam in comparison with the 9, and when 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 simple 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 continues to be rocking an iPhone 8.
That being stated, when there’s a big improve or a brand new characteristic that may make our jobs and lives simpler, we fork out the money and are at all times grateful we did.
Is the HERO11 Black a big improve over the HERO10 although?
Probably not.
In fact the brand new bigger sensor is superb. 8:7 facet ratio is extraordinarily helpful. 10-bit color is one thing professionals have been screaming for. And the Evening 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 regularly repurpose footage for YouTube and Instagram in several codecs.
It additionally makes framing pictures lots 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 you’ll want to rush out and promote your previous digicam simply but (until in fact GoPro are doing a loopy sale on the 11).
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 when you actually simply purchased a ten, don’t get upset and throw it away. It’s nonetheless a tremendous digicam, and so long as you might be having enjoyable getting on the market and capturing content material, it’s extra about creativity than gear anyway.
Remaining Verdict – 9/10
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 assessment. When you’ve got any questions please depart a remark under and we’ll reply them as quickly as attainable.
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GoPro HERO11 Black
After in depth in-the-field testing, we break down each spec, new characteristic and comparability with earlier fashions in our sincere GoPro HERO 11 assessment.
Execs
- New, bigger 1/1.9″ sensor
- 8:7 facet ratio
- 10-bit color
- Wonderful construct high quality
- Quick, responsive processor
Cons
- Native microphone may very well be higher
- Nonetheless no optical zoom