GoPro HERO10: Revolutionary Action Camera or Pimped GoPro HERO9?

A short while back, Team PhotoBite took a retrospective look at the GoPro HERO9 and gave an outline of our thoughts on what might make for the most desirable improvements with the forthcoming GoPro HERO10. It looks like some of our hopes and predictions came true but with that said, there are still some additions that still elude the new action camera.

First off… They finally did it! Since the GoPro HERO6, which landed way back in 2017, the GoPro has been rocking the same processor chip, [the GP1] and after years of adding larger sensors, more processing and functionality to the device, it eventually became too much for the chip to handle. As we mentioned in our GoPro HERO9 film, this was our main bugbear with the device. Now, the GoPro HERO10 has arrived with a brand new, [and significantly more powerful] chip that will reset the clock on these action cameras, resolving any issues around feeling super sluggish, laggy and bug filled while in use.

This bump in power not only means that the latest device is now much more usable, fast and snappy to use, but it also gives a frame rate doubling to most shooting modes as, proving that the chip is definitely up to the task with the latest camera.

For example, where the GoProHERO9 could record 5K 30p, the GoPro HERO10 can now record 5.3K 60p with the previous 4K 60p now boosted to 4K 120 and the historic 2K 120 now a whopping 2K 240!

The new camera from the action camera titans houses the same 23.6MP sensor from the previous iteration. It’s just using more of it whilst giving a bit of a bump to photo resolution, [now that resolution is now available in all the photo modes and not just the RAW mode BTW].

At first glance, the exterior design on the new model is identical to the GoPro HERO9 in every way, except for the fact that the logo is now blue. The lens, however, has enjoyed a significant update, now boasting a hydrophobic coating, it stops water droplets getting stuck to your lens and potentially ruining your shoot. Let’s face it, we all know how easy it is to forget to wipe it after having dunked it into the swimming pool/sea etc.

There are a number of quality of life updates to the software and app experience, such as the ability to use a cable to download to your phone, which is so much better and faster. This update is also available for the HERO9.

The Live Streaming function now applies full Hypersmooth stabilisation, making it more comparable with the kind of footage you would expect from the regular filming settings. On the subject of Hypersmooth, the new camera also got another update to its Hypersmooth stabilisation. The GoPro HERO9 demonstrated incredible smoothing and it was surprising to see that GoPro had managed to improve it further, but improve it further they did!

Perhaps the biggest point to make is how the Horizon levelling can now level up to a whole 45 degrees in every mode, so the camera can be completely diagonal with footage remaining completely level. That’s nuts.

A lot has been done to the tone mapping under the hood of the new device, giving much better low light performance. You can clearly see the results of this in the camera’s 4K modes, producing much less noise and much less detail lost with any sudden changes to light

Overall the GoPro HERO10 is being very warmly received at PhotoBite Towers. The controversies around the GoPro HERO9 had definitely painted the brand in a negative light for many. Had they lost their way? Had the products peaked? Well, we guess not as the new model finally gives kudos back to the cameras once more. The HERO10 really is very good indeed.

However, with that said and whilst the new chip and framerate boosts are nice, the new GoPro HERO10 is essentially the GoPro HERO9 in every way but with new components that can actually make use of its sensor and features. In terms of revolutionary new features, there aren’t many. More like upgrades to existing ones or perhaps you could argue, features the cameras should have had a long time ago.

As we mentioned in our GoPro HERO9 film, we were hoping to see an actual log-style format to be added to some of the video modes. This would have allowed video editors to take so much more control of the colours and the look of the footage in the edit.

We made the point that ‘10’ is a big number to live up to and if GoPro launched the HERO10 in a half-assed way, it would be a huge missed opportunity for the brand to recover its credibility and its fans. It's true; the GoPro HERO10 is, without any doubt, one of the greatest action cameras in the current market but, [and especially with competition hotting up for the likes of DJI and Insta360] the new camera should really be landing as a truly exciting, feature-rich and boundary-breaking device. What we have is a fix that has delivered the camera that the HERO9 should have been.
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