GoPro Hero7 Black

It's been less than a year since we saw a new flagship GoPro, but the company isn't one to rest on its laurels. A scant 11 months after releasing the Hero6 Black, the company is reconfiguring its action camera lineup. Sitting at the top is the Hero7 Black ($399), which adds stabilization to additional video modes and can stream video to the net via your cell phone's data. It's not as big a step forward as the Hero6 was, but it's a better camera for the same price, and earns our Editors' Choice recommendation.

Back in Black

The Hero7 Black's biggest cosmetic change is its color. Despite the Hero5 and Hero6 both earning the Black designation from GoPro, those cameras were decidedly gray in finish. The Hero7 Black is, well, black. A dark matte finish sets it apart from the Hero7 Silver ($299) and Hero7 White ($199).

Aside from the color, the form factor is identical to GoPros dating back to the Hero5 generation. It measures 1.8 by 2.6 by 1.4 inches (HWD), weighs just 4 ounces, and features a rear touch LCD. It's waterproof without a case, rated to go as deep as 33 feet (10 meters) underwater.

The tiny form factor allows you to place the camera in places others can't fit, and the rugged build means you won't have to fret over putting it in more dangerous situations. There is no standard tripod socket or other mounting tool built into the camera itself, but GoPro includes a mounting cage with a connector that works with its extensive line of mounts. Two stickie mounts and a standard foot to latch into them are included, but it's easy to find both first- and third-party mounting solutions for sale.

The rear display is 2 inches in size, measured diagonally, and is sensitive to touch. GoPro doesn't list the panel resolution, but it's bright and crisp to the eye, and can be viewed from extreme angles without loss of clarity. It's your main window to the world, as it shows the view from the camera's lens, and is also what you'll use to adjust settings. There is a secondary monochrome display on the front, next to the lens, that shows you the current mode, recording status, battery life, and memory card capacity. Blinking red lights on the front, bottom, and rear provide additional visual confirmation of recording status, and the GoPro beeps when it stops or starts a clip. You can turn the beep off, or adjust its volume.

There are a pair of control buttons—Record on the top and Mode on the left side. You can use those to start or stop recording, or to switch between video, still imaging, or time-lapse recording. You can also turn on voice control, and give commands like, "GoPro, Take a Photo," or, "GoPro, start time-lapse." The voice control system works quite well; it was responsive and able to understand commands with consistency in testing.

The touch LCD is your main control interface. The screen is small, but icons are big enough for even clumsy fingers to tap correctly. There are swipe gestures to switch between the live feed, menu, and playback. If you've only used an older, screenless GoPro, you're in for a nice surprise—the camera is much easier to configure and use thanks to its touch interface.

Videos are stored on microSD memory; the slot is accessible via the same bottom compartment that holds the battery. A removable door on the side covers the USB-C and micro HDMI ports. An internal GPS automatically adds location information to images and video. Battery life isn't quite as good as the Hero6. When we tested it last year we were able to record for about 86 minutes at its top 4K 60fps resolution. The Hero7 netted 70 minutes in the same test, and in real world use managed closer to 45 minutes of recording before batteries needed to be swapped.

Software Support

You can certainly offload your footage to a computer and edit in your application of choice. But if you're not a savvy video editor, GoPro helps make your life a little easier. Desktop software for macOS and Windows is available for editors who prefer to work on a laptop or desktop. You can also get the GoPro app for Android or iOS if you prefer a tablet- or phone-based workflow.

The phone app supports automated editing—GoPro calls the feature QuikStories. It identifies and selects highlights in your video footage and cuts them together, complete with music and transitions. The Hero7 adds face and smile detection, to better identify the parts of your video where it looks like you're having a good time.

You will need to get videos over to your phone first, of course. It's easy to fill up a big memory card when recording at 4K, so GoPro has added a new feature to the camera, Short Clips. When enabled, the GoPro cuts off video clips after 15 or 30 seconds automatically. You'll know the feature is on as a red border progresses around the LCD's edge, like the snake in the classic computer game, fully bordering the edges at the end of the set interval.

Still, we would have liked to see GoPro add wired connectivity for transfer. The 4K files are so big, and with the latest phones offering insanely fast processors and half a terabyte of onboard storage, it seems like a missed opportunity. The Rylo 360-degree video camera has a completely phone-based workflow and can also fill up a memory card quickly. It's bundled with a cable to connect it to a phone for speedy file offloading—why can't GoPro do the same?

The GoPro app now supports live streaming to Facebook, Twitch, YouTube, Vimeo, and a few other services. You'll need to keep the camera connected to your phone via Wi-Fi to make it work, which means you'll need to use your cellular data plan for streaming. You have the option of 480p if you want to conserve data, or 720p if you've got plenty of bandwidth to spare.

Sharp, Smooth Video

Last year, the Hero6 Black came with two big upgrades to video—the ability to record 4K at 60fps, and vastly improved digital stabilization—but the two didn't work together. The Hero7 Black adds stabilization to its top resolution and frame rate, but it doesn't extend to the fastest frame rates at lesser speeds. The improved system—GoPro calls it HyperSmooth—is available at every 4K setting, at 2.7K and 1080p at speeds up to 60fps, and at 720p 60fps when shooting in the 16:9 aspect ratio. When shooting at 4:3, HyperSmooth is available at 2.7K and 1440p at frame rates up to 60fps.

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GoPro is famous for its ultra-wide, near fish-eye angle of view. If you roll footage in 4K that's what you'll get. But opting for lower resolutions opens up medium, narrow, and linear angles of view. We shot our main test footage (above) at 4K 60fps, but we did switch to the distortion-free linear setting for the 1080p stabilization comparison below.

The system works quite well, and having it added to 4K60 footage is a boon for action videographers who prefer the smooth look of 60fps capture, and the ability to slow it down to half-speed for a modest slow-motion effect. For stronger slow-motion, you'll need to drop the resolution a bit. You can roll at up to 120fps at 2.7K, but without stabilization. The frame rate goes as high as 240fps at 1080p and 720p, again without stabilization, but GoPro's less effective, Standard stabilization system is available at 1080p120. It removes minor jumps and jitters, but doesn't have the same floating-on-air look as HyperSmooth. Take a look at the footage below, shot at 1080p at 60, 120, and 240fps, to show the difference in quality beween HyperSmooth, Standard stabilization, and no stabilization at all.

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In addition to landscape video footage, the Hero7 features an orientation sensor to better facilitate portrait (vertical) video recording. If you want to add GoPro footage to your Instagram or SnapChat stories it's a useful feature, but we recommend sticking to the traditional landscape format for a better viewing experience on a television. The GUI changes orientation when you switch to vertical recording, as does the front monochrome LCD.

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In addition to video, HyperSmooth stabilization is now available when recording time-lapses. GoPro calls the feature TimeWarp. It works very well, netting moving time-lapses with smooth transition of motion from frame to frame. It's certainly more effective for moving subjects than the standard time-lapse mode. Don't take our word for it—take a look at the clip above, shot with TimeWarp, versus the one below, which is a standard time-lapse.

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Still imaging is similar to the Hero6. The Hero7 captures 12MP images in your choice of Raw (DNG) or JPG formats. Raw images require some processing before sharing—Adobe Lightroom Classic is the most popular software for photographers working in Raw format. If you opt for JPG capture—it's the default and is what you'll want to use for easy sharing without the need for image processing—an improved image processing engine generates what GoPro has branded as SuperPhoto. The camera applies HDR tone mapping when appropriate, and also localizes noise reduction. If you want to take advantage of SuperPhoto you'll need to turn off Raw capture, so it's more of a tool for JPG shooters than fans of Raw capture.

Hero7 Black vs. the Hero7 White and Silver

We've not yet had a chance to try out the Hero7 Silver or White, but do know what you'll miss by opting for a lesser-priced GoPro. The big omission is HyperSmooth—the White and Silver models support digital stabilization, but we expect it to be closer to the Hero7 Black's Standard stabilization setting in effectiveness. The Silver and White models also omit live streaming.

Slow-motion isn't as extreme with the lower models either. The Silver shoots at up to 30fps in 4K and 60fps in 1080p; the White doesn't have 4K, but does record 1080p at 60fps. Neither supports the 120 or 240fps you get with the Hero7 Black. Still resolution is also a little less, 10MP instead of 12MP.

Neither model offers TimeWarp support, and basic time-lapse is also limited. It's only available at 0.5-second intervals with the Silver and White models, where the Black lets you set a 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, or 60-second delay between exposures. Finally, the Hero7 Silver does have GPS, like the Black, but the White does not.

GoPro Goes Anywhere

The GoPro brand is almost synonymous with its small, go-anywhere, survive-anything action cameras. And while the Hero7 Black's upgrades are more evolutionary than revolutionary, it's still the best video camera offered by the company to date. Video stabilization is improved, and now works when recording 4K video at the top 60fps frame rate. Software improvements make the automated editing system work better—the ability to automatically limit the length of video clips certainly makes transferring clips to your phone less of a chore.

There are cheaper action cameras out there. We like the YI 4K+, which sells for about $100 less and also support 4K at 60fps, but it isn't bundled with the same level of software, and its digital stabilization isn't on the same level as the Hero7. You also have to put it in a case to make it waterproof. But if you're more interested in size and video quality, without as much concern for ruggedness and stabilization, it's a good alternative.

The Hero7 Black replaces the Hero6 Black as our Editors' Choice. While it's improvements aren't groundbreaking, they're palpable. If you bought a new GoPro just a year ago you'll probably want to skip this upgrade—unless stabilization at 4K 60fps is a must-have—but if you've got an older model, now might be the time to consider moving to the latest and greatest.

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