GoPro Hero6 – The Moment is here!!!

The Hero6 is finally here and I have to say, it’s what we’ve been waiting for!!! In the following article I’ll talk about the new camera, the key tech upgrades that the HERO6 offers, why they’re important and what environments to utilize them in to take our content to the next level.

Let’s get started…

First off … don’t judge a camera by it’s cover – The external look and feel of the the HERO6 at first glance is basically identical to the Hero5. In fact it’s actually impossible to tell the difference between the HERO5 and HERO6 cameras based on appearance except for on the side of the camera where it says (HERO6). At first glance this might have you saying, “It looks like the same camera … why not change the body style?” That is until you think about the benefits of the Hero6 having the same body style as the HERO5. This being that the new camera will work with all of our Hero5 accessories including it using the same battery, lens cover, side doors, etc. This was a great move on GoPro’s part for the community of users who already own the HERO5 as all the accessories (mounts, housings, etc.) we’ve purchased in the past remain compatible with the new camera. I respect GoPro for not trying to use exterior gimmicks, every upgrade that makes this camera kick ass is where it matters most, on the inside.

Because it’s what’s on the inside that counts – A camera much like a computer derives it’s power from it’s internal hardware and with the HERO6 being powered by it’s new GP1 chip specifically optimized for the GoPro camera it’s taken the cameras image quality, stabilization and frame rates to new heights. I can honestly say the way this camera captures light and detail at higher resolutions and frame rates is not to sound cliche, a game changer

How the game has changed…

What matters most – The most important aspect of digital media is the actual visual quality the camera produces and the HERO6 has definitely taken it’s game to a new level. The way a camera handles light is probably the most important attribute and with vastly improved low light performance, richer cooler colors and epic clarity, the look and feel of the content that comes out of the HERO6 is on another level from any of it’s predecessors. Check out the sample images below … some are post processed and some are straight out of the camera so you can check the unedited quality.

What has me fired up – Now let’s talk about the area that I’m most excited about and that is higher frame rates at higher resolutions on the video side of the camera. While there are several advancements here that I’m hyped on including 4K at 60fps, 2.7K at 120fps and 1080p Superview at 120fps. The setting I’m most excited about and the one I’ve been waiting the longest for is 1080p at 240fps which offers epic slow motion capabilities. In past generations the GoPro only shot 240fps in either 720p Narrow or WVGA (640×480) making making 1080p at 240fps a massive jump so I’ll start with that and then work my way down the list.

1080p at 240fps  – I remember back in the HD2 days a legendary surf photographer telling me, “Once the GoPro can shoot 240fps at 1080p that’s when I’ll buy one because that’s what you need for true slow motion” Well the day is here and I’m kinda freaking out at the potential for capturing beautiful slow motion video of the subjects I shoot such as empty waves or action sports. So far the results I’m getting are phenomenal and this will be my go to setting with a few exceptions that I’ll cover as I go on talking about when I might choose settings like 4K at 60fps or 2.7K at 120fps etc. (See Sample Below)

4K at 60fps  – While the GoPro has offered 4K in past camera releases the frame rate was at 30fps which wasn’t conducive to slow motion without using plugins like Twixtor. At 60fps you can slow down your video to about 50% which is actually pretty decent. I’ll most commonly utilize this setting during situations when I want to shoot lifestyle or scenic shots with the highest definition or if I want there to be room for error in composition that I can later correct in post. I usually work in a 1080p project so 4K has a generous crop when imported which leaves ample room for perfecting composition, adding motion, etc. (See Sample Below)

2.7K at 120fps – This setting is kind of the middle of the road between 4K at 60fps and 1080p at 240fps offering solid slow motion capabilities at a very high res. Most commonly I’ll use this setting when I want the best of the both worlds. The ability to slow things down to about 25% and still have plenty of room to crop and perfect composition in post.

1080p Superview at 120fps – Commonly used by my friends who film skateboarding or for POV in sports like BMX. The power of superview is that it shoots in a 4:3 aspect ratio (1920×1440) and then compresses it to 16:9 (1920×1080) This basically means you get to more vertical space in your frame. Combine that with the upgrade to 120fps and this is going to be ideal for shooting up close and personal slow motion footage.  (See Sample Below)

Final conclusion – The quality of imagery the Hero6 produces is on another level and as I said at the beginning, 1080p at 240fps will be my go to setting a majority of the time. It’s what I’ve always wanted and been waiting for since GoPro first offered WVGA at 240fps and I saw the slow motion potential even at that very low res. However the other settings are very powerful and will play a key roll during my creative process when the situation calls for them.