GoPro Hero 10 Black Review: Faster all-round performance, same awesome little rugged body

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Starting with the Hero 6 Black in 2017, GoPro has switched to using its own custom processors in its cameras. The Hero 6 wasn’t a complete overhaul of the Hero 5 Black, but the processor, the GP1, allowed GoPro to push the camera resolution, frame rates, and image stabilization to higher levels, which are continued until last year’s awesome Hero 9 Black. Apparently GoPro has reached the limit of what the GP1 could do, for the Hero 10 Black, the GP2 has arrived.

A processor upgrade in and of itself won’t be too exciting for most people. It’s what the GP2 can do or, more precisely, what you’ll be able to do with the Hero 10 thanks to the GP2 that’s exciting. Let’s start with resolutions and frame rates. With Hero 10 Black you can shoot videos on:

5.3K (5.312×2.988 pixels) at 30 or 60 frames per second 4K at 24, 30, 60 or 120fps 2.7K at 60, 120 or 240fps1080p at 30, 60, 120 or 240fps

Hero 10 has a wide range of resolutions and frame rates.

Josh Goldman / CNET

GoPro also includes the option to shoot in 5K (30 or 60fps), 4K (60fps) and 2.7K (60 or 120fps) with 4: 3 aspect ratio. Why would you want it instead of 16: 9? The higher frame allows you to capture more vertically, but even with such a high resolution, you can extract frames from video for 19.6 megapixel photos from 5K 4: 3 video. The frames of the 5.3K video will be 15.8 megapixels. You can also take 23 megapixel photos in JPEG or raw.

With the Hero 9, I started shooting a lot more 4K videos, but I really wanted to shoot at 120fps. With Hero 10, you can do it and the results are excellent. It’s not great for battery life, and neither is 5.3K at 60fps. But it’s worth it to be able to slow down the action. My clips rarely last more than a minute or two (GoPro claims 50% of videos shot with its cameras are under 25 seconds) and I was able to capture quite a lot with two battery packs recording at 5K30.

Does the GoPro Hero 10 Black overheat?

The camera heats up when recording at 5K and 4K120. I didn’t experience any overheating but, again, my clips rarely last longer than 2 minutes and I don’t leave both displays on all the time while recording. If you’ve used its best settings in hot or hot weather and held the camera steady, I’m sure you can have the Hero 10 turn off or freeze. Shooting short clips will help prevent the camera from overheating while recording.

Another tip: You may need to upgrade your microSD card if you’re upgrading from an older GoPro camera. When I started testing, I used a Samsung Evo Select card that I regularly used on the Hero 9 Black with no problems. While I initially had no problems with the Hero 10, when I started recording at 5.3K60 I received a warning that my card was too slow and I would need a faster card – V30 or higher – to maximize performance.

The Hero 10 uses the same battery as the Hero 9.

Josh Goldman / CNET Even smoother stabilization at all resolutions

HyperSmooth 4.0 is GoPro’s name for its highest level of image stabilization in the Hero 10 Black. It is available at 5.3K30, 4K60, and 2.7K120, although there is stabilization at other resolutions and frame rates as well. I’ve tested stabilization on a few rides at a theme park, water park, biking and just walking and the results have been nothing short of stellar.

HyperSmooth 4.0 also gives you horizon smoothing with a tilt limit of up to 45 degrees; that’s a maximum of 27 degrees in the Hero 9. Stabilization is also available when streaming live with the Hero 10, which is great if you’re doing something like walking and talking to it.

The 5.3K video is crisp and detailed, even in mixed indoor and outdoor lighting in theme and water parks. It records at a relatively high bit rate of 60 megabits per second. GoPro says you should see improvements in outdoor scenes in low light and twilight and dusk, but the low-light videos indoors were soft and noisy. However, that’s not unusual for a small 23.6 megapixel sensor.

Same tools, same design

The Hero 10 has a new hydrophobic lens cap.

Josh Goldman / CNET

Aside from the faster frame rates and higher resolutions – and the processor that makes them possible – most of the Hero 10 Black is the same as the Hero 9 Black. The design is the same except for the bright blue branding. The battery is the same, the lens mount is the same, and the front display and rear touchscreen are the same size. It will work with all the GoPro add-on Mods made for the Hero 9 like the Media Mod which gives you a shotgun microphone, an HDMI output, a 3.5mm microphone jack and a pair of cool shoes and the Max Lens Mod which plays a ultra-wide-angle lens found on the 360-degree GoPro Max camera (although support won’t be available until late 2021).

GoPro has updated the lens cap and now uses water repellent glass for water dispersion. For years I have been told that the best way to keep water away from the GoPro lens is to lick the lens. Well, those days are over because this lens cap works really well. I’ve had a number of clips ruined by a single drop of water on the lens and it just didn’t happen with the Hero 10. It won’t get rid of it 100% of the time, but the water seems to pour out extremely fast. And since the Hero 10 has the same lens mount as the Hero 9, you can get one for $ 20 to use on the Hero 9.

Live preview on the front display is smoother thanks to the GP2 processor.

Josh Goldman / CNET

All of the video tools that GoPro added with the Hero 9 are also here in Hero 10. Things like schedule and duration captures and hindsight, which stores a video buffer so you don’t lose anything before recording, are all carried over. . Check out my video for Hero 9 to learn more about those.

Basically, compared to the Hero 9 Black, the Hero 10 Black has a photo resolution of up to 23 megapixels (from 20), video resolution of up to 5.3K at 60 fps and 4K at 120 fps, and HyperSmooth 4.0 image stabilization. There are some other improvements like a smoother live preview experience on the front screen and better touchscreen sensitivity on the back, and you can now use a USB-C cable to transfer content to your phone.

The Hero 10 is water resistant to 10 meters and has built-in flip-up fingers for mounting.

Josh Goldman / CNET Should I upgrade to GoPro Hero 10 Black?

As with the Hero 9 Black, the price is a bit confusing for the Hero 10 Black. The camera costs $ 499, which is $ 50 more than the starting price of the Hero 9. However, if you buy directly from GoPro.com and sign up for the GoPro subscription service, which is included with the camera, GoPro loses $ 100, then $ 399. In Australia, the camera with a one-year GoPro subscription will retail for AU $ 599 and for 379 in the UK. Without the subscription, the camera retails for AU $ 749 and 479.

The subscription service gives you unlimited cloud backups with original quality, damaged camera replacement, discounts on GoPro accessories and equipment, and access to GoPro’s premium live streaming platform. I only used it for wireless backups because it makes sharing clips and photos easier. When you connect the camera to charge, it automatically connects to your Wi-Fi network, once you set it up with the iOS or Android mobile app, and starts the backup.

GoPro

Again, an annual subscription is included that reduces the price of the camera by $ 100. After a year, if you like the service and decide to stick with it, it costs $ 50 per year or $ 5 per month. In Australia, it’s AU $ 70 per year or AU $ 7 per month; in the UK, it’s 50 per year or 4.17 per month.

The Hero 9 and Hero 8 will remain in the lineup, along with the GoPro Max 360 camera; each of these also get a price reduction if you buy from GoPro.com and sign up for the included service.

I’ve been waiting for 4K120 video capture stabilized on a GoPro and it’s pretty cool to have it. I regularly use the Hero 9 5K video to capture still images easily, so it’s nice to have the extra resolution on the Hero 10 as well. If you already have a Hero 9 Black, though, you wouldn’t miss out on much if you wait a year to see what else. can do GoPro with the new GP2 processor. The Hero 9 is a good place to start even if you’re new to GoPro cameras. If you own a Hero 7 Black or Hero 8 Black, this might be a good time to upgrade as you will get a lot of new features and capabilities and a better design.

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