GoPro has just unveiled its latest HERO6 Black action camera in San Francisco, and will hit stores today in North America and select retailers globally. The USD499 looks identical to the HERO5 but sports enhanced internals including better frame rates and image quality, a new processor, HDR mode and faster Wi-Fi.
There’s been plenty of leaks over the past few weeks, but here are the official specs.
The biggest change is the ability to now shoot 4K at 60fps, 2.7K at 120fps and 1080p at 240fps. That means one thing: awesome slow-mo videos. Footage can be played back 10x slower for even more dramatic action.
Electronic image stabilisation, a feature introduced in the HERO5 is now much improved with six axes compared to four. Shame it isn’t optical images stabilisation, yet.
There’s also an all-new HDR mode, that replaces WDR on the Hero 5.
The new camera retains the 12MP sensor size but GoPro says it performs better in low light than its predecessor, as well as overall better image quality. Of course, it still shoots in JPEG or RAW and WDR mode.
One key upgrade is a new custom processor called GP1, created by a Socionext. Previously, GoPro cameras were powered by Ambarella chips.
“HERO6’s next-level image quality, video stabilisation and three times faster QuickStories performance makes it a powerful storytelling extension of your smartphone. It’s never been easier to live it, then share it…using a GoPro,” said Nicholas Woodman, GoPro founder and chief executive officer.
QuikStories is an app feature that lets you share short videos of your action adventures. HERO6 now shares QuickStories faster, thanks to 3x faster Wi-Fi (now 5GHz).
HERO6 Black is of course ready to take flight with the updated Karma drone, now with two new auto-shot paths–Follow and Watch. More about this later.
Specs at a glance
- Powered by GoPro’s Custom-Designed GP1 Processor
- 4K60 and 1080p240 Video
- QuikStories Enabled, GoPro App Compatible
- Most Advanced Stabilization of any HERO camera
- All-New Touch Zoom
- 3x Faster Offload Speeds via 5GHz Wi-Fi
- Waterproof to 33 Feet (10m)
- Compatible with Karma and Existing GoPro Mounts
- Improved Dynamic Range and Low-Light Performance
- RAW and HDR Photo Modes
- Voice Control in 10 Languages
- GPS, Accelerometer and Gyroscope
- WiFi + Bluetooth
Pricing and availability
The HERO6 Black is a USD100 premium over the HERO5 when it first launched, retailing at USD499.99/MYR2,399. It’s available now at GoPro.com and select retailers worldwide including Malaysia.
Glaringly missing from the line-up is a “Session” product; perhaps GoPro is leaving the HERO5 Black and HERO5 Session to fill in the blanks. It does have a new consumer 360 cam called Fusion. More about this in the next post.
