What exactly has changed with the GoPro Hero 11 Black, the company’s newest and best action camera, when it looks precisely like the previous model?
KEY LESSONS
- Despite having similar looks and chassis, the GoPro Hero 11 Black and Hero 10 Black differ in that the Hero 11 has added features including a hydrophobic lens coating and an Enduro battery.
- With its new 8:7 sensor, the Hero 11 Black offers a variety of video and picture cropping choices. Additionally, it has the capacity to capture 10-bit colour for high-quality video.
- The Hero 11 Black boasts extra features including 360-degree horizon locking and long-exposure night shooting settings, as well as better stabilisation thanks to HyperSmooth 4.0. At a reduced price range, the Hero 10 Black nonetheless continues to deliver superb image quality and stability.
The Hero 11 Black, GoPro’s current flagship, shares a same design with the Hero 10 Black, which it replaced. Considering that both share the same chassis as the Hero 9 Black, not much seems to have changed at first appearance.
However, when you consider what each camera is capable of, GoPro really offers a lot of capabilities that can sway you towards the most recent model.
You’re at the perfect place if you’re looking to upgrade or are considering purchasing your first action camera. We’ve side-by-side compared the models to discover whether one is worth your hard-earned money. Let’s get going.
Specifications, availability, and cost
In September 2021, the GoPro Hero 10 Black was introduced, and it has been on the market ever then. A little over a year later, in September 2022, the Hero 11 Black went on sale and is now accessible everywhere.
Both cameras had MSRPs of $499.99 at launch, or $399.98 with a GoPro membership. However, since then, there have been decreases. The Hero 10 Black is now available for $349, while the Hero 11 Black is now available for $399 without a subscription.
battery, software, and design
There isn’t much to discuss in terms of outer look. With the Hero 11 Black, the only modification is that “11” is now printed on the side. As a result, both cameras include front and back screens, fold-out mounting tabs, and removable lens covers.
The Hero 11 Black now features the hydrophobic lens coating that was first introduced with the Hero 10. In the larger scheme of things, it’s a modest change, but it really significantly improves your footage, especially if you frequently film water or snow sports.
GoPro’s Enduro battery, which was offered as an add-on for the Hero 10 camera, is already included with the Hero 11. This battery employs a different chemistry than the normal battery but has the same capacity. This allows it to survive longer, especially in cold locations.
The Hero 11 also introduces significant changes to the menu system. It now comes with Easy Mode, which promises to make things easier for beginning users. Simply choose the optimum battery life or the finest quality in this mode, and the GoPro will take care of the rest. Of course, the new camera still has complete manual settings, and activating Pro Mode restores the wide options to which GoPro customers are used.
picture and video recording
It’s not nearly as obvious how the Hero 10 and 11 vary from the Hero 9 and 10 in terms of visual specifications. However, in our judgement, this generational shift frequently brings about changes that are more relevant to the outcomes.
The Hero 11 has a new 8:7 sensor, which is the largest modification. This unique aspect ratio—almost square—is uncommon on most cameras. Although you probably won’t employ an 8:7 format for final delivery, the new sensor opens up a lot of highly intriguing and practical possibilities.
First off, shooting in an 8:7 aspect ratio enables you to post-production trim You may compress your video without losing quality 1:3, 16:9, and 9:16 for YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, respectively. For content producers that work across many platforms, it is really useful.
The HyperView digital lens might possibly be produced by GoPro thanks to the new sensor format. Similar to SuperView, but with substantially more height and breadth collected, this produces a very wide field of view (FOV) with a lot of distortion. It works really well with cycling films that are mounted on the chest since it captures a lot more of the surroundings and gives the impression of speed.
Additionally, the Hero 11 can record in 10-bit colour, which is a game-changer for anyone who enjoys colour grading their video. It’s more of a professional function, so casual users won’t likely get much from it, but for those that can, it’s a significant improvement.
We also get a small increase in photo resolution thanks to the bigger sensor. Compared to the Hero 10’s 23MP photos, the Hero 11 produces 27MP images. But more importantly, photographs make use of the complete 8:7 sensor, giving you the same cropping options as 8:7 films. Again, ideal for those who love social media
Features and stability
When GoPro released the Hero 11, they once again took things to the next level. The Hero 10 Black’s HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilisation was the best we’d ever seen on an action camera.
When the GoPro senses significant shaking, it will automatically and seamlessly zoom in to the clip to provide extra stabilisation. It functions really well and is unquestionably the greatest in-camera stabilisation we’ve tested. However, depending on how much smoothing you want, the Hero 10 is still excellent.
Another trick that the 8:7 sensor has up its sleeve is that it supports 360-degree horizon locking. On earlier cameras, the Max Lens Mod was the only way to accomplish this. In contrast, the Hero 10 Black can only tilt for a maximum of 45 degrees before giving up.
The Hero 11 also includes some fantastic long-exposure night shooting options. Our fave is the new light painting option since it’s entertaining to play about with and immediately makes an animation of your sparkler or torch-drawn artwork.
Conclusion
Your demands determine the ideal camera for you. For us, the increased expense is definitely worth the added functionality that the 8:7 sensor unlocks. We particularly appreciate the versatility of the full-frame clips and the new HyperView lens.
On the other hand, the Hero 10 Black delivers the same frame rates and resolutions as the Hero 11 and continues to capture absolutely outstanding images with exceptional stabilisation. However, if you like that FOV, it’s important to know that SuperView is accessible on the new model at higher frame rates.
At full retail price, we’d advise choosing the Hero 11, but if you can find the Hero 10 for a good deal, it’s still a top-notch action camera that’s well worth snagging.
See more: Click here
