Action cameras and building things in parts. GoPro’s latest attempt to beat the DJI Osmo Action and the Akaso Brave 7 LE includes a front display for vloggers and taking selfies, high-resolution photos and video grabs, and, most importantly, a removable lens cover. This makes it compatible with GoPro’s new Max Lens Mod, but the Hero9 Black’s best features are its great stabilization, clever time-lapse modes, and higher resolutions, which make it pricey but worth it despite being bigger than previous models.
Specifications
- Waterproof Action Camera with Front LCD and Touch Rear Screens
- 5K Ultra HD Video
- 20MP Photos
- 1080p Live Streaming
- Webcam
- Stabilization
Where to get GoPro HERO9 Action Camera?
[content-egg-block template=offers_logo hide=price]Here’s the good news first. The new 1.4-inch color screen on the front is a great feature for vlogging. It isn’t touch-sensitive, which is a good thing because if it were, your memory card would quickly fill up with lots of bad shots. It does, however, give you a live video preview of your scene and some useful shooting info.
Since the screen is square, it isn’t quite as good as the side-hinged screens on cameras like the Sony ZV-1 or the smartphone screens on gimbals like the DJI OM 4. The Hero 9 Black only gives you a rough idea of what your shot will look like. The Hero 10 Black gives you a full live preview of your shot. It’s enough to make sure that at least your face is in the picture.
Even though there are a lot of similarities between the Hero9 Black and the Hero8 Black, they look different. It’s bigger in every way, measuring 71x55x33.6mm and weighing 158g, which is a bit of a surprise, but it’s not fat. Most of the reason for this is that the Hero 9 Black has two new displays. On the back, the only change is a bigger 2.27-inch display. That’s 16% bigger than the Hero8 Black, a little bit bigger than the Akaso Brave 7 LE, but a little bit smaller than the DJI Osmo Action. Even though this touchscreen is bright enough to use even in bright sunlight, it is not as responsive as it could be.
Add-on accessories, which GoPro calls “Mods,” still work with the Hero8, but since the shape has changed, you’ll need to buy new ones. For $79.99, you can add a Media Mod frame to improve the sound and two accessory mounting shoes. There is also an add-on with a bigger LCD screen (2 inches) and a built-in light.
The Hero9 also works with the Max Lens Mod ($99.99), a new add-on lens. The conversion lens makes the angle of view wider, up to 155 degrees, and adds support for horizon lock in all stabilization modes. With it on, you can keep your horizon straight even if the camera is on a plane doing a barrel roll, as GoPro showed in some sample footage. We haven’t been able to try out the lens yet.