No different digital camera firm has managed to show a product into a life-style model fairly the way in which GoPro has, which is likely one of the causes we’ve personally been utilizing their merchandise since 2010 (holy moly, greater than 13 years now).
And whereas we love nearly all the things concerning the enterprise and the gear they make, we’ll even be the primary to confess that some fashions aren’t as revolutionary as others.
That hasn’t stopped us from personally reviewing every new collection when it hits the cabinets although, and this yr is not any completely different.
We put our GoPros by way of hell. Snowboarding, scuba diving, mountain biking and simply usually pushing them to their limits by way of our jobs as journey content material creators.
The latest digital camera is now out within the wild and naturally we couldn’t wait to attempt it out.
2024 MASSIVE UPDATE – It’s that point of the yr once more and the newest digital camera has simply dropped! Take a look at our trustworthy GoPro HERO 13 Black Overview!
So in our skilled GoPro HERO11 Black overview we dive deep into what units this digital camera other than its predecessor, the way it performs in the actual world and whether or not or not GoPro have missed the mark.
Our Trustworthy GoPro HERO 11 Black Overview
Final yr’s slogan for the GoPro HERO 10 was ‘A New Period’, and this yr GoPro have opted to go along with ‘Lastly to 11’. Fairly becoming for the eleventh collection in what has turn out to be a little bit of a legacy.
However honestly what actually issues what they’ve carried out this yr is healthier ‘the GoPro Expertise’.
You see in 2023 the brand new digital camera has a spread of reasonable enhancements, which we’ll get to shortly, however the actual spotlight is that all the things simply works, effectively, nicer.
There’s the brand new bigger sensor, 10-bit color and buttery HyperSmooth 5.0 with 360 diploma horizon lock (how the hell they make it so clean is past us, however we’ll take it).
These items alone imply the GoPro HERO11 Black is superior over the ten, however that’s not what makes the GoPro Expertise a step above anything they’ve carried out.
They’ve additionally launched a brand new lighter model dubbed the HERO 11 Black Mini, which is nearly nearly as good as the primary digital camera however with no few options corresponding to LCD screens.
When you’re right here, take a look at our GoPro HERO 12 overview!
GoPro have actually tapped into the creator market now, with out forgetting their core origins for journey athletes and normal journey photographers/videographers, by endeavouring to make all the taking pictures, modifying and importing workflow as seamless as attainable.
Did they pull it off? Let’s discover out in our GoPro HERO11 overview!
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The Newest Options
GoPro have managed to introduce a complete bunch of latest options that make the newest digital camera a pleasure to make use of in any situation, whereas additionally ticking just a few bins for professionals on the market.
- New bigger 1/1.9″ Sensor
- 8:7 side ratio
- Automated Spotlight Movies
- 10-Bit Color (lastly!)
- HyperSmooth 5.0 + 360 Diploma Horizon Lock
- 27 megapixel nonetheless photos
- HyperView
- As much as 5.3k TimeWarp 3.0
- Evening Results (we love this)
- Enduro Battery
- Body grabs – 27MP from 5.3K 8:7 video
After which all the very best options that we noticed on the ten, corresponding to:
- 5.3K 60fps
- 4K 120fps
- 2.7K 240fps for 8x slo-mo
- 33 toes (10m) waterproof straight out of the field
- Voice management
- LCD full-colour entrance show
- LCD full-colour actual display
- 1080p Livestream and Webcam with HyperSmooth 5.0 video stabilization
- RAW Images in all modes
- Non-compulsory modular equipment corresponding to Max Lens Mod, Media Mod, Gentle Mod and Show Mod
New Bigger Sensor
The largest improve on the GoPro HERO11 Black is the brand new, bigger 1/1.9″ sensor.
With this monster sensor squeezed into the tiny digital camera we are able to now shoot utilizing a new 8:7 side ratio, which captures an enormous perspective permitting for every kind of crop components in publish.
In reality, it’s a 16% improve in vertical subject of view over the earlier digital camera.
GoPro know that just about all the things getting shared today is shifting to vertical features, like what we discover on Instagram and TikTok, however native width content material like on TV and YouTube isn’t going wherever.
So relatively than having to decide on whether or not you shoot in panorama or portrait mode, you need to use the 8:7 side ratio on the bigger sensor which supplies loads of room for cropping later with out shedding any picture high quality.
This additionally introduces the larger 27MP display grabs, and a brand new immersive digital lens referred to as HyperView, which is ideal for these POV (point-of-view) motion thots.
This, matched with the revolutionary GP2 processor launched on the HERO10, makes the brand new GoPro HERO11 Black a flexible, numerous and top quality powerhouse.
HyperView Digital Lens
Utilizing all the 8:7 ratio on the brand new sensor, we are able to now use HyperView, which GoPro claims provides an ‘ultra-immersive’ video that most closely fits motion POV, huge selfies and enormous areas in tight areas. Suppose structure.
There’s additionally an replace within the pipeline that may enable customers to leap into the GoPro Quik app and alter between all of the digital lens choices after the very fact. So you’ll be able to go away it on one setting and never be kicking your self later.
10-Bit Color
That is a kind of upgrades that will get skilled creators further excited. However that doesn’t imply it’s past the common person both.
GoPro have lastly jumped over to true 10-bit color processing. What does that imply precisely?
10-bit color has over 1 billion shades of color in its knowledge.
8-bit, which is what the outdated GoPro (and most video cameras that don’t price the identical as a home deposit) has, processes about 16.7 million colors.
That giant enchancment implies that the colors you see in your movies are extra like what you see with your individual eyes, with extra vivid particulars, much less color banding and smoother gradients.
Consider it like excessive dynamic vary content material.
This color improve works on all video settings, together with TimeWarp and Time Lapse, and likewise spills out throughout images.
HyperSmooth 5.0
We’re going to allow you to in on slightly secret.
HyperSmooth, which was first launched on the GoPro HERO7, is why we vlog on GoPros as a substitute of our very costly Sony cameras.
HyperSmooth basically removes the necessity to use a gimbal, and when you’ve seen it in motion you’ll marvel why anyone offers with shaky footage anymore.
If GoPro did completely zero enhancements to this function on the GoPro HERO 11 Black version, no person would thoughts as a result of it’s already so good.
However nope, they needed to go and improve to HyperSmooth 5.0, which is even higher. You’ll be able to actually go path operating and the footage seems prefer it was shot in a automobile rolling down a freeway.
HyperSmooth 5.0 now works in all digital lenses, and features a function referred to as Linear + Horizon Lock.
This makes use of the processor to find out what degree the horizon is on, after which retains your shot in that place, even should you rotate your digital camera a full 360°.
One of many very first guidelines you be taught in composition is to all the time hold your horizon straight, and now you by no means have to fret about it.
There’s additionally an all-new ‘AutoBoost’, which acts like a dynamic adjustment in real-time if the digital camera detects further shaky actions.
The Enduro Battery
GoPro quietly launched the Enduro Battery in 2022, however now it comes normal with the GoPro HERO11, and we’re all for it!
It’s a extra highly effective battery in the identical measurement that gives 38% extra battery life and higher efficiency in chilly situations.
Straightforward vs Professional Controls
When GoPro first launched video presets it was a Godsend. We actually use them a number of occasions each single shoot they usually save us a lot time and complications.
Nonetheless for the common person, it may be a bit overkill. Most individuals don’t have to repeatedly bounce between 4k 30fps large to 4k 120fps linear then to 4k 60fps Superview between photographs.
Most customers even have the identical 2-3 issues they use again and again. Maybe one video mode, one photograph mode and one TimeWarp mode.
For many who don’t need to overburden themselves with buttons and settings on the fly, GoPro has heard you and now launched ‘Straightforward Controls’.
Choose what you need – photograph, video or TimeWarp – and GoPro will choose the very best settings for the scenario. Type of like utilizing Auto on a contemporary digital digital camera.
Virtually each journey we go on world wide we’ve got individuals come as much as us with a model new GoPro and ask if we may also help them with their settings. We get it – should you’re not a professional, digital camera settings are extraordinarily complicated,
Now you’ll be able to simply change over to ‘Straightforward Controls’ and by no means fear once more.
New Evening Results
We love love love evening images. We’ve written extensively about astrophotography, lengthy exposures and use mild to color onto a scene.
Nonetheless it is a fairly superior type of images, and it could possibly take a whole lot of trial and error to dial in the proper settings.
Be careful world, as a result of right here’s one of many new options we’re most enthusiastic about on this GoPro HERO11 Black overview – Evening Results!
There are three all-new time lapse presets that are designed to make capturing evening scenes ridiculously simple.
These are all robotically carried out for you, that means you’ll be able to concentrate on creating artwork with out the concern of heavy publish manufacturing.
Gentle Portray
Use lengthy publicity images to create brush stroke results with transferring mild, corresponding to waving a head lamp or fireworks.
Star Trails
The earth rotates across the solar (sorry flat-earthers), so whenever you take consecutive images of the celebs you’ll discover they’re slowly transferring throughout the sky.
Star Path mode turns that rotation into unimaginable star trails in a single click on. To offer you context, for us to do that manually takes many hours of taking pictures, modifying, stacking and mixing in Photoshop (in addition to a loopy highly effective and costly laptop computer) to attain the identical impact.
Car Gentle Trails
Set your GoPro up on a bridge over a freeway or within the median strip of a busy avenue, click on the button and watch the headlights of vehicles burn themselves into your shot.
Belief us, it seems superior.
GoPro Quik App
Whereas not a brand new function and never instantly associated to the HERO11, we are able to’t actually do our GoPro 11 overview with out speaking concerning the app that goes together with it.
The GoPro Quik app is a kind of apps that simply appears to have a unending checklist of instruments and functionalities, and one way or the other it makes all of them good.
You’ll be able to management your digital camera utilizing your smartphone as a distant.
You’ll be able to import your footage wirelessly.
You’ll be able to edit your images and movies with one click on of a button.
In reality you’ll be able to even make full-on YouTube or Instagram/TikTok movies proper within the app.
And should you join the GoPro Quik Subscription, the app will auto-upload your footage to the cloud so you’ll be able to clear the SD card and hold taking pictures with out shedding your footage.
There’s additionally rumours or a brand new function coming quickly the place GoPro will use AI expertise to make spotlight reels of your footage within the cloud. Who wants a video editor, huh?
The GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini
Do you bear in mind when GoPro introduced out the Session, a miniature model of the already ridiculously small GoPro?
It was marketed as a extra transportable, easy digital camera for entry-level creators with much less options and energy.
Effectively now the workforce at GoPro have reintroduced one thing comparable with the GoPro 11 Black Mini.
It’s principally a barely watered-down model of the GoPro HERO 11 Black digital camera, with out the LCD screens and as a substitute having twin mounting fingers on the backside and again of the physique.
It’s aimed for new-to-GoPro customers, individuals who mount their cameras to their helmets and anybody who finds the present GoPro mannequin too massive.
In fact this implies it’s slightly bit cheaper too, which is all the time a giant plus.
Ought to You Get the GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini?
This isn’t a GoPro HERO 11 Black Mini overview, however we’ll let you already know our ideas right here anyway.
Until you fall into one in every of these classes:
- You all the time go away your GoPro in your helmet
- You by no means use an LCD display
- Funds is tight
Don’t fear about shopping for the HERO11 Mini, and as a substitute spend slightly bit extra money and get the full HERO 11 Black.
Why? Effectively not having an LCD display sucks. You’ll be able to’t body your photographs correctly (except you’re utilizing your cellphone as a dwell view) and you may’t overview your footage on the fly.
You need to use the little display on prime to verify your digital camera settings, however these must be customised utilizing the GoPro Quik app relatively than on the fly.
Possibly our opinion will change down the highway, however for now we imagine it’s 100% price simply getting the full-size digital camera.
The ‘Mods’ – Media, Max Lens, Show and Gentle Mod
When GoPro launched their Mods it was a kind of ‘appears cool, however I’ll by no means use it’ form of merchandise. No less than to us anyway.
Effectively that’s all modified now. We just lately purchased the Media Mod for the HERO10, and now utilizing it on the HERO11, and are a lot happier with the audio enhancements.
GoPro has all the time been identified for the plethora of epic GoPro equipment (take a look at our favourites in that publish) you need to use with them, corresponding to mounts to place your digital camera on absolutely anything.
The Mods are a bit extra high-level than the usual mounts you get, however for any severe content material creator they actually do add a complete new factor to how we seize scenes.
The HERO11 is identical measurement because the earlier two cameras, and so the mods that match them additionally match the brand new digital camera which is implausible.
The Media Mod provides a bi-directional microphone, chilly shoe mounts, USB C output and a 3.5mm microphone jack, and is now our go-to setup for vlogging.
The Max Lens Mod makes the digital camera lens ultra-wide natively, which is healthier than the digital model of HyperView.
The Gentle Mod illuminates your face when taking pictures in low mild, or can be utilized for mild portray.
And the Show Mod provides a display, however except you want one thing greater than the front-facing one, it’s a bit redundant now.
If you happen to’re going to purchase only one Mod to go along with the GoPro HERO11 Black, get the Media Mod.
Is the Digicam Any Good Within the Actual World?
Alright, we get it. Tech specs are cool and all, however you need to know if the digital camera really work in the actual world?
Sure the function upgrades are respectable, and also you’re already contemplating whether or not or not it’s price getting the 11.
However stats on paper don’t imply something if the digital camera really performs like a moist towel.
By no means concern, associates. We now have your again and have been tremendous busy throwing the digital camera into every kind of conditions as a part of our overview of the GoPro HERO11 Black.
The preliminary setup of the digital camera was very fast and straightforward. Flip it on, decide your language, join it to the GoPro Quik app in your cellphone, do an replace and away you go.
Then it’s time to truly use the rattling factor.
The LCD contact display may be very quick and responsive, and after we did a side-by-sude comparability with the HERO10 we didn’t discover a giant distinction in comparison with the outdated digital camera.
In comparison with the 9 although, it was evening and day, and we’re so glad that they’ve lastly discovered a stable contact display that simply works.
We then instantly switched to the brand new 8:7 side ratio and began taking pictures some 5.3k video.
It’s laborious to inform on the little display, however we may see much more of the scene. It was solely after we imported the footage into Adobe Premiere Professional although that we may actually see simply how rather more vertical room we needed to play with.
Seeing as content material is all about vertical Instagram Reels and TikToks, that is very helpful function.
HyperSmooth 5.0? Yea it’s loopy good. I took the digital camera for a run down the seaside and it was as clean and buttery as ever.
The brand new 360 diploma horizon degree lock labored fairly effectively too in linear mode.
10-bit color was an unlimited, huge enchancment over the HERO10, however reality be instructed we don’t color grade our footage that closely anyway.
So whereas we do now use 10-bit color for all of our photographs (which matches what we shoot on our Sony A7iv too), we’re most likely not utilizing it to its full potential.
At our core, we’re photographers, and we’re happy to say that in our GoPro HERO 11 overview we’re very glad with the standard of photos the little digital camera produces, and the way far we are able to push the edits in publish manufacturing with out shedding high quality.
We tried HDR, SuperPhoto and Uncooked, however have determined to only all the time follow Uncooked.
We additionally went and located some rock wallabies close to the boat pier and tried out Auto, Uncooked Burst Mode to see the way it carried out.
The images – implausible.
The lag time although whereas the digital camera buffered the pictures was painfully sluggish. This might most likely be lowered although through the use of a sooner velocity SD card, so we’ll report again sooner or later after we improve this.
We’re but to make use of the brand new Evening Results correctly, however have a giant journey arising very quickly the place we’ll have the ability to take a look at this out. Keep tuned for an replace.
General the GoPro HERO11 Black has been a pleasure to make use of, and it’ll now have a everlasting place in our digital camera bag on each journey and shoot we go on.
What We Don’t Like
We’re all the time trustworthy in our gear write-ups, and being an trustworthy GoPro HERO11 Black overview we really tried our greatest to search out one thing unsuitable with the digital camera.
Why? Effectively nothing could be good, and we don’t need you as our trusting reader to suppose we’re simply going to reward all the things that’s on the market.
So with that being stated, is it an ideal digital camera?
No. However GoPro are getting shut to creating one.
One function we actually want they’d have included was an optical zoom.
We love the long-lasting GoPro perspective, but it surely’d be good if we may seize a 2x or 3x optical zoom as effectively to get nearer to our topics and create some lens compression.
Maybe this may very well be rectified sooner or later with a switchable lens? There’s the Max Lens Mod, why not have a Zoom Lens Mod too?
The audio with out the Media Mod isn’t nice, however should you’re not vlogging this isn’t a giant deal.
Apart from that there actually isn’t something main that we dislike in our GoPro HERO 11 Black overview.
But when we discover something as time goes on we’ll you should definitely return to this text and replace it.
GoPro HERO11 vs GoPro HERO10 vs GoPro HERO9 – What’s the Distinction?
We’ve explored all of the updates and what’s new in our GoPro HERO 11 Black overview, and except you’re very acquainted with the outdated fashions it’s possible you’ll be left questioning what the distinction is between the newest variations.
The HERO11 has plenty of main updates in comparison with the HERO10, most particularly across the bigger sensor and 10-bit color, however the engine behind it being the GP2 processor is kind of the identical.
However what about in opposition to the HERO9?
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27MP + SuperPhoto and all RAW modes |
23MP + SuperPhoto with HDR |
20MP + SuperPhoto with HDR |
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In-Digicam with 360° Angle and Horizon Lock |
In-Digicam with 45° Angle |
In-Digicam with 27° Angle |
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1.4″ Colour LCD with Smoother Dwell Preview |
1.4″ Colour LCD with Smoother Dwell Preview |
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2.7″ Colour LCD with Improved Contact Sensitivity |
2.7″ Colour LCD with Improved Contact Sensitivity |
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Media Mod, Max Lens Mod, Show Mod, Gentle Mod, Volta |
Media Mod, Max Lens Mod, Show Mod, Gentle Mod, Volta |
Media Mod (HERO9 Black) |
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1080p with HyperSmooth 5.0 |
1080p with HyperSmooth 4.0 |
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Is it Value Upgrading?
You’ve nearly made it to the top of our GoPro HERO 11 overview, and also you’re nearly able to both make the leap and make investments, or stash your money for an additional day.
So what do you have to do, particularly when you’ve got an older model already? Is it price upgrading to the HERO11?
You Don’t Have a GoPro
If you happen to’re out there in your first ever GoPro and are questioning if that is the mannequin price shopping for, then right here’s the recommendation we give to our closest family and friends:
Sure, it’s 100% price shopping for the HERO11.
Regardless of your fashion, whether or not its normal journey, motion sports activities, way of life, underwater (bear in mind it’s waterproof to 10m) or taking pictures YouTube movies, this mannequin is fairly near being one of many greatest journey cameras on the market.
For these on the market that think about themselves to be a newbie photographer/videographer, you’re in luck too.
With Straightforward Controls and top quality built-in picture processing it’s by no means been simpler and extra pleasant to make use of a GoPro.
You Have a GoPro HERO9 or Earlier Mannequin
You probably have the HERO9 or an earlier mannequin such because the HERO 8 or HERO 7, and questioning whether or not now’s the time to improve, then our reply is sure, you need to.
The HERO11 takes the legendary cameras to a complete new degree, and the bigger sensor matched with the GP2 processor means it’s like evening and day in comparison with the older variations.
It’s principally a complete new digital camera in comparison with the 9, and should you’re coming from the 7 or 8 you’ll be so grateful you lastly jumped ship to the 11.
You Have a GoPro HERO10 Black
Hmm….this isn’t as simple as we thought it might be, particularly as a result of we nonetheless personal two HERO10s and love them.
We’re not the kind of individuals to go upgrading tech gear yearly. Hell Alesha remains to be rocking an iPhone 8.
That being stated, when there’s a major improve or a brand new function that may make our jobs and lives simpler, we fork out the money and are all the time grateful we did.
Is the HERO11 Black a major improve over the HERO10 although?
Probably not.
In fact the brand new bigger sensor is great. 8:7 side ratio is extraordinarily helpful. 10-bit color is one thing professionals have been screaming for. And the Evening Results together with 27 megapixels to mess around with is worth it.
However these aren’t issues each photographer, videographer and creator wants.
For us and the way in which we use our gear, sure it’s definitely worth the improve, and the HERO11 is now our go-to motion sports activities digital camera.
We actually just like the 8:7 ratio, as we frequently repurpose footage for YouTube and Instagram in numerous codecs.
It additionally makes framing photographs rather a lot simpler as you’re grabbing extra vertical house.
If that doesn’t sound such as you although and also you already personal the ten, don’t really feel like that you must rush out and promote your outdated digital camera simply but (except in fact GoPro are doing a loopy sale on the 11).
| UPGRADE IF: | I take advantage of my GoPro greater than 2x every week and make a good quantity of social media content material |
| DON’T WORRY IF: | I take advantage of my digital camera lower than as soon as every week and don’t actually share my content material on social media |
Additionally should you actually simply purchased a ten, don’t get upset and throw it away. It’s nonetheless an incredible digital camera, and so long as you’re having enjoyable getting on the market and taking pictures content material, it’s extra about creativity than gear anyway.
Last Verdict – 9/10
If you happen to do buy the GoPro HERO 11 Black, we additionally advocate getting a GoPro subscription to their cloud storage service too.
Thanks very a lot for studying our GoPro HERO10 Black overview. You probably have any questions please go away a remark under and we’ll reply them as quickly as attainable.
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GoPro HERO11 Black
After intensive in-the-field testing, we break down each spec, new function and comparability with earlier fashions in our trustworthy GoPro HERO 11 overview.
Professionals
- New, bigger 1/1.9″ sensor
- 8:7 side ratio
- 10-bit color
- Wonderful construct high quality
- Quick, responsive processor
Cons
- Native microphone may very well be higher
- Nonetheless no optical zoom