The GP2, which is essentially the engine that powers the entire camera, has been upgraded (finally!) in A New Era. The GP2 on the GoPro HERO10 brings significant improvements in areas such as frame rates and overall performance, while general features such as photo and video modes remain largely unchanged from the previous model.
The second slogan in GoPro HERO 10 is ‘Speed with Ease,’ which isn’t as catchy or inspiring as ‘A New Era,’ but is entirely justified given how much better and smoother the new camera performs.
The Most Recent Features in GoPro Hero
When comparing the GoPro HERO10 to the GoPro HERO 9 Black action cameras, a New Era of GoPro HERO has arrived, which means a slew of new features and upgrades. Here are some of the GoPro Hero 10 Black’s new and notable features. This year’s practical changes aren’t as numerous as in previous years, but the quality of improvements and technological upgrades is incredible.
- GP2 processor upgrade
- 5.3K 60fps
- 4K 120fps
- 2.7K 240fps (eight times slow-motion, ideal for action scenes!)
- Photos with a resolution of 23MP
- Stabilization of images with HyperSmooth 4.0
- Angles were increased to 45 degrees using in-camera horizon levelling
- 3.0 TimeWarp
- Improved LCD full-colour front display with more fluid live preview
- Improved LCD full-colour real-screen touch sensitivity
- Image captures
- Frame grabs: 19.6MP from 5.3K 4:3 video and 15.8MP from 5.3K wide 1080p video Livestream and webcam video stabilisation with HyperSmooth 4.0
- RAW photos with a resolution of 23MP in all modes
- New scratch-resistant removable lens cover with water shedding and reduced ghosting
- Modular accessories such as the Max Lens Mod, Media Mod, Light Mod, and Display Mod are available as options.
In addition to the standard features and shooting modes introduced with the HERO 9 Black, such as:
- 3.0 TimeWarp
- Improved HDR SuperPhoto
- Night time-lapse video
- Capture of Schedules
- Capturing Time
- Fingers folded (removing the need for a frame)
- Mode LiveBurst
- RAW images in all modes
- Without a dive housing, it is waterproof to 10m.
- GPS
- Voice command
- USB Type C Charging
- Memory card Micro SD
- This year’s battery life is slightly better.
- Integration with the GoPro HERO Quik App is seamless.
- The same excellent user interface
GP2 Processor Upgrade
- The all-new GP2 is by far the most significant upgrade to the GoPro Hero10 Black! The GP1 has been available since the GoPro Hero6 was released in 2017, which is a very long time in the world of technology. It felt like an eternity.
- Even though the GoPro HERO9 finally revealed a new, upgraded 23-megapixel sensor last year, using the old processor limited it to only 20 megapixels. All of that has changed, with the GP2 proving to be well worth the wait and finally making full use of the new image sensor’s capabilities.
- In comparison to the GoPro HERO9, the GoPro HERO10 Black now has double the performance and frame rate in all higher-resolution video modes. It is now twice as smooth to review footage and use the live preview on the front LCD screen, and the rear LCD touchscreen interface is incredibly responsive.
- It is 30% faster for wireless transfers and includes a new wired transfer mode that is 50% faster than the previously improved wireless version. Because of advanced local tone mapping and 3D noise reduction, the GP2 processor provides much higher levels of detail.
- GoPro HERO 10 significantly improves video stabilisation in HyperSmooth 4.0, even expanding the in-horizon levelling mode to 45 degrees! To top it all off, it’s simply much, much faster to use. It launches faster, starts taking photos and videos faster, and the touch sensitivity is more responsive.
- Essentially, the GP2 makes it perform as the GoPro HERO camera users have always hoped for.
Improved Video Frames
- If there’s one thing you can count on from GoPro HERO, it’s that each new camera will have faster video frame rates.
- The GP2 processor in GoPro HERO 10 has increased frame rates across the board, and the highest resolution has increased from 5k to 5.3k video (that’s 15.8 million pixels). That means you can shoot 5.3k video at 60fps or 4k video at 120fps.
- Is that still insufficient? Then reduce the resolution to 2.7k and shoot at 240fps for an absurd 8x slow motion. The significance of this is that you can now down-res your 2.7k video to full HD at 1080p for cleaner, sharper footage, or use the higher resolution to heavily crop into your image without lowering quality when exporting. When experimenting with film creativity, whether you’re shooting sports, lifestyle, travel, pets, or automotive, you’ll find these higher frame rates difficult to resist which makes the experience with GoPro HERO 10 amazing.
Image Quality
- As previously stated, this camera sensor debuted with the GoPro HERO9, but due to the GP1 processor, it was not used to its full potential.
- The GP2, on the other hand, allows you to fully utilise the tiny action camera’s 23-megapixel photo resolution. However, if you’re a professional user, we recommend shooting in RAW mode to get the most out of the GoPro HERO 10’s 23-megapixel image quality.
- No, the GoPro HERO10 Black is not a replacement for a professional-level mirrorless or DSLR camera. However, for 90% of users, this is more than enough.
Low-Light Enhancements
- This isn’t necessarily something that ushers GoPro HERO into a “new era,” but it’s been a major annoyance for us for years, and we’re glad they’ve fixed it. When shooting on bright, sunny days, GoPro HERO photos and videos have always looked great. However, they frequently fail in low-light situations such as dawn, dusk, or indoors.
- That’s no longer an issue, thanks to the GP2 processor enabling the new sensor’s capabilities in more lighting conditions. Noise and grain are less of an issue now, and details are fantastic even in low light. It may seem insignificant, but it was something we wanted to emphasize in our GoPro HERO10 review.
4.0 HyperSmooth
- GoPro HERO nearly killed their own product when it introduced HyperSmooth, its own version of digital image stabilisation, into the GoPro HERO7.
- It has gotten better and better over the years, and the latest upgrade, HyperSmooth 4.0, takes it up a notch again. The video footage is just as buttery smooth as HyperSmooth3.0, except that the in-camera horizon* levelling has been increased to cover 45 degrees instead of the previous 27 degrees.
- In GoPro HERO 10, HyperSmooth 4.0 now supports 5.3k30, 4k60, and 2.7k120 resolutions and frame rates, bringing near-perfect image stabilisation to much higher resolutions and frame rates, even when performing shaky activities like mountain biking, running, or skiing.
Better Overall Performance
- This is a broad topic, but the GoPro HERO10 actually feels and performs like a high-end camera in 2023!
- In GoPro HERO 10, Aside from the massive 2x frame rates that are now available, the camera starts up much faster, which means you can start recording those epic moments sooner. Wireless transfers are 30% faster, and a new wired transfer mode makes them 50% faster.
- The touch screen is much smoother and more responsive, which was our main complaint with the GoPro HERO9. While it looked great, the touch screen was extremely difficult to use. On the GoPro HERO10, this is no longer an issue. It may have taken more than a decade of versions, but the GoPro HERO10 Black finally meets professional expectations in terms of day-to-day performance.
Media, Max Lens, Display, and Light Modifications
- The camera itself is excellent, but what has always distinguished GoPro HERO from other companies is the sheer number of accessories that can be attached to them, allowing you to use the camera in virtually any situation you can imagine.
- Aside from the dazzling array of random accessories such as suction cups, selfie sticks, dive housings, clamps, helmet and board mounts, and a plethora of others, it’s the ‘Mods’ of recent years that have helped transform GoPro HERO cameras into a versatile beast. The GoPro HERO10 is compatible with the same Mods as the GoPro HERO9, so if you already have some, you can use them on the GoPro HERO10.
- The Media Mod in GoPro HERO 10 transforms the camera into a fantastic vlogging camera by adding a bi-directional microphone, cold shoe mounts, USB C output, and a 3.5mm microphone jack.
- The Max Lens Mod converts the already-wide camera lens into an ultra-wide lens, allowing you to capture more of the scene in selfie mode without sacrificing image quality.
- Then there’s the Light Mod in GoPro HERO 10. (which, surprise, adds a light) for shooting indoors or at night, and the Display Mod, which adds another screen so you can see yourself, though the latter is now kind of obsolete thanks to the front-facing LCD screen.
Some Not-So-Good Features of GoPro HERO
- The audio comes first when counting the dislikes in GoPro HERO 10. To be sure, a world-class microphone isn’t going to be built into a camera this small. However, when vlogging with the front-facing microphone, the audio is still slightly tinny and not ideal in high-wind or crowded environments. (Alprazolam)
The Media Mod greatly improves this, but we still wish you didn’t have to buy an extra accessory to have a feature like being able to plug in an external microphone.
It’s not a deal breaker, but it’s something we hope to see improved on future models.
- The GoPro HERO 10 also lacks optical zoom, which is a disadvantage.. You can use the digital zoom and switch between SuperView, Wide, Linear, and Narrow digital lenses, but there is no optical zoom. We’d like to see at least 2x optical zoom built in, because sometimes you just want a different perspective for your shots than the standard GoPro fish-eye look.
There is a Max Lens Mod that widens the field of view, so we wonder if GoPro HERO can create a switchable lens that crops in at some point. However, at this point, you are limited to digital options.
Conclusion
The GoPro Hero 10 Black is one of the most versatile cameras on the market, offering extreme speed and ease of use. The GoPro HERO10 Black shoots 5.3K video at higher frame rates, 23MP photos, improved low-light performance, and game-changing HyperSmooth 4.0 video stabilization in all modes thanks to the revolutionary GP2 processor. Furthermore, the GoPro HERO10 is cloud-connected, so your footage is automatically uploaded to the cloud the moment you charge it.
