GoPro has announced the latest-generation Hero action camera, with refinements that should be welcome to motorcyclists looking to record their ride.
Since the action camera boom began about 10 years ago, one of the biggest peeves for users has been shaky video. In-camera image stabilization goes a long way towards solving the problem, and that’s why Sony was able to take a big chunk out of GoPro’s market when it introduced its own action camera line; at first, Sony had superior image stabilization. GoPro fought back by introducing image stabilization to its previous generation of action cameras, and has improved the system on the just-unveiled Hero6 Black.
Also very important for motorcyclists looking to record their ride: the new Hero6 will shoot ultra-fast 4K/60fps footage. Users can dial that back for 2.7K/120fps or 1080p/240fps, for those smooth slow motion shots (in-camera image stabilization doesn’t work at those speeds). The company claims the processor in this camera is twice as fast as the Hero5, and as a result, GoPro was able to pack in more features: more voice control options, better touchscreen controls, improved wi-fi connectivity, better low-light and bright-light performance, with sharper colours and better contrast.
There are two apps to help you share footage from your camera. The updated GoPro app helps you control your camera’s settings just like before, and there’s a new QuikStories app that helps you swiftly edit video on-camera. This way, you can share footage without access to a computer, which is a helpful feature in a world where laptops and desktops are losing ground to smartphones and tablets. It’s an especially helpful feature if you want to quickly edit a video during a ride or a road trip, without returning to your computer at home base.
The GoPro Hero6 Black carries a $650 price tag in Canada. Find more details at GoPro’s website.
