Rumored for months now (with some erroneous details), the GoPro Hero4 has officially arrived. Coming in two different models—the Hero4 Black and Hero4 Silver—the new GoPros will crank your everyday shred videos up to professional audio and video levels.
The HERO4 Black ($499) doubles the performance of the previous Black Edition by offering 4K video at 30fps, 2.7K video at 50fps and the ultra high-speed 1080p video at 120fps. The latter speed eliminates rolling shutter in most scenarios while also allowing for slow motion effects.
One thing to note with the new ultra high definition 4K30 video mode—each frame is similar to an 8.3 megapixel photo. This means you can simultaneously capture 4K30 video and 8.3 megapixel photo-like video stills at 30 frames per second when using the HERO4 Black.
The HERO4 Silver ($399) delivers the same professional image quality as HERO4 Black, but without some of the higher performance video capture modes but still delivers 1080p60 and 720p120 video. Also, a built-in touch display has been added so you can easily frame your shots, adjust settings, and playback videos or view photos.
Both cameras take 12MP stills in addition to video, at speeds up to 30fps. Capture single photos, or choose Time Lapse mode to shoot photos automatically at set time intervals from 0.5 to 60 seconds. In order to better capture low light scenes, the Night Photo and Night Lapse modes offer customizable exposure settings of up to 30 seconds for single and Time Lapse photos—great for that Milky Way or campfire shot.
A redesigned audio system captures high fidelity sound with twice the dynamic range of previous models. When filming, the Hero4 enables you to mark key moments so you can quickly find your best clips later for easy playback, editing, and sharing.
The action cameras can connect to the GoPro App on your phone in order to control your camera remotely, view your photos and videos and share your favorites, and customize your settings (including for color, ISO limit, and exposure).
The new GoPro HERO4 line will be available starting October 5.