What just happened? GoPro on Tuesday introduced its latest flagship action camera. With the new Hero8 Black, GoPro is taking some risks which the company hopes will pay off in the form of increased sales. Here's what's new this time around.
For starters, the GoPro Hero8 Black is a frameless affair. That means it is designed to mount to brackets and the like without the need for a separate plastic frame attachment. As a result, it is slightly thinner than the Hero7 but is also just a tad wider and taller.
Another change you'll notice is that the camera's lens has a lower profile than before although unfortunately, GoPro was only able to achieve this by switching to a fixed (non-removable) lens.
Something else you're likely to notice right away is GoPro's new HyperSmooth 2.0 image stabilization system. Building on the introduction of HyperSmooth 1.0 with last year's Hero7, revision 2.0 is earning high praise from early reviewers. It works across all resolutions and frame rates, churning out "buttery smooth" footage recorded on some of the rockiest terrain you're likely to encounter.
Other enhancements and new features include improved audio with enhanced wind suppression, customizable mode presets with four new settings - standard, action, slo-mo and cinematic - and TimeWarp 2.0, a feature that lets you seamlessly transition from timelapse capture to real-time capture mid-shot.
GoPro also introduced a series of modular accessories designed to improve various aspects of the Hero8 Black. There's the media mod ($79.99) for "professional-grade audio," the display mod ($79.99) which adds a selfie screen and the light mod ($49.99) to enhance lighting.
GoPro's Hero8 Black is available to pre-order from today for $399 with the first batch of shipments scheduled to go out the door on October 15. It'll be available in retail stores starting the week of October 20, we're told.
GoPro mods, meanwhile, won't be available to pre-order until December - no word yet on whether or not they'll launch in time for the holidays. If so, they could make some great stocking stuffers for those looking to transform their new GoPro Hero8 Black into a production powerhouse.