GEAR MINI TESTS
The latest GoPro Hero8 action cam, the newDJI Ronin-SCmotorised gimbal, a fast Sigma standard zoom andManfrotto camera slider put to the test
WORDS ADAM DUCKWORTH
GOPRO HERO8 BLACK £379/$399 gopro.com
SPECIFICATIONS Sensor: 12-megapixel CMOS Focal length: 15.1-24.4mm Media: Micro SD (maximum 256GB ) Video formats: 3840x2160p 24/25/30/50/60 fps (78 Mb/s MP4 via H.264/AVC or H.265/ HEVC, 2704x1520p/1920x1440p 24/25/30/50/60/100/120fps (MP4), 1920x1080p 24/25/30/50 /60/100/120/200/240fps (MP4) ISO: 100-6400 Still images: 4000x3000 pixel JPEG Audio: WAV LCD: 2in, 320x480 pixels Connections: USB-C 3.0 Dimensions (WxHxD): 62x32x45mm/2.4x1.3x1.8in Weight: 117g/0.26lb GoPro has tweaked its colour science and auto white-balance, with the result being more realistic skin tones and an overall punchier, more contrasty look that most consumers will like straight out of camera. There is also a flat profile. When shooting in 4K or 2.7K, you can shoot at 100Mbps in HEVC h.265, which packs in a lot of data. We found best results at the 2.7K setting in 120fps; recording can be slowed down for super slow-motion and still use HyperSmooth stabilisation. If you don’t want slow-motion, the 4K/30p in 4:3 with HyperSmooth is superb. AD PROMOVIEMAKERRATING: 9/10 Themost popular GoPro gets even better with image stabilisation that’s just stunning Pros: Small, light and affordable Cons: No replaceable lens cover anymore
The Hero8 is sleeker than the older Hero7, and the base attachment now folds flat. GoPro says the lens has twice the impact resistance, and there’s a redesigned battery door, too. The camera records in up to 4K 60p or 240fps in HD for super-slow motion, and the field-of-view choices have also been updated to four modes: Narrow, Linear at 24.4mm, Wide at 16.5mm, and SuperView at 15.1mm. The widest settings give the tell-tale fisheye look that so many people associate with GoPro footage, so it’s best used sparingly if you are trying to mix it in to conventional footage. Controlling the Hero8 is done via the touchscreen, and there are also 15 voice commands. We might just be old-fashioned, but we preferred to use the camera in normal, horizontal configuration as a POV action camera, as we suspect that most pro filmmakers will.
The GoPro is without doubt the most popular video camera in the world today, almost exclusively bought to make point-of-view videos so the general public can record their adventures and post them on social media easily and quickly. That connectivity, ease of use, incredible image stabilisation and affordability means they’re also an extremely useful addition to the kitbag of real filmmakers. The new Hero8 Black is the latest, top-end GoPro camera, the key benefit of which is its incredible new HyperSmooth 2.0 image stabilisation. This produces smooth, gimbal-like movement at all frame rates. You can set different levels of stabilisation, including Boost, which does crop the image slightly but gives incredibly smooth footage. Not all stabilisation options are available in all resolutions, though.
ABOVE The new GoPro Hero8 Black is the action camera king
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PRO MOVIEMAKER SPRING 2020
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