An action camera for the social era



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The first and, in my opinion, the best update of the Hero 7 Black is a better stabilization (that GoPro calls HyperSmooth). Sony introduced optical stabilization in its action cameras in the fall of 2016; GoPro followed Hero 5 shortly thereafter. The big difference was that GoPro was using electronic stabilization (EIS) rather than optics. This difference is important because optical stabilization occurs at the source (the lens), while the EIS is performed inside the camera. Purists tend to prefer anything that does not change the image once captured. This was confirmed, but the fact that the stabilization of the Hero 5 was better than nothing, but still caused visible artifacts (Jell-o effect), usually on the edges of the scene.

Things got better with the Hero 6, but there were still some problems, usually when you make sudden movements (a common occurrence with an action camera of course). Enter the Hero 7. The bad news (sorry, purists) is that GoPro stays true to EIS. The good news is that it's a solid improvement over the Hero 6 and better light-years than the Hero 5. GoPro (predictably) claims that EIS has advantages over OIS: With EIS, the software has more room to maneuver.

The stabilization of the Hero 7 works by using the predictive knowledge of the GP1 processor of the GoPro. The camera preempts your senses and keeps the image free from jolts and jolts. Without a doubt, it is much improved and something that will save hours of footage from hitting the trash. I've tested the Hero 6 side by side with the Hero 7 in a number of situations (walking, skateboarding, etc.), and the Hero 6 is prone to occasional jerks that give the impression of an excessive correction and some jitter.

These same movements do not appear in the Hero 7, but there is still a natural movement that you will not find with a gimbal (it's a positive or a negative depending on the "look" you want ). In the end, the movement is expected if you are active; a gimbal can soften things in a way that is not natural. With the two cameras mounted on a skateboard, riding a slightly bumpy concrete, the Hero 6 had a noticeable "roar", the Hero 7 had always some (thanks physically) but the resulting video is much easier to watch.

Why is this my new favorite feature? Because this one thing – shaky pictures – is really the ideal solution between a OK shot that you could share with your friends and something that looks smooth and ready for the whole world. There are also more specific benefits. I have long wanted to be able to do something simple: walk with a GoPro and wear a lapel microphone. This is a basic task, but for which the camera has not really been designed. With the Hero 7, for the first time, I think they've succeeded. You might not want to do that exact thing, but the fact that you can is a good indicator that things have improved here.

All this makes the GoPro much more versatile. If you manage to take a good shot just with the GoPro in a handful, you no longer need to fumble with gimbals (or carry them with you). Since you can turn on the GoPro and start recording with one touch, you can be much more spontaneous, with the chances of finding you with something very useful.

If you like shooting in "Linear" mode (which corrects the "fisheye" effect), stabilization is even better. HyperSmooth is most effective when the image is cropped (as in linear mode). This happy coincidence means that your shots are both more stable and less distorted – hard to challenge (though not everyone is a fan of crops).

GoPro calls HyperSmooth "like a gimbal". The idea is that you can drop your hand stabilizer. This is true in most cases, the internal stabilization will be sufficient. But comparing it to a cardan could even be short. There is something robotic about how gimbals glide and launch, which is not always ideal for action sequences. In addition, we can all agree that do not Having to mount a gimbal on your noggin is good for everyone. You may think that stabilizing your iPhone or Pixel is pretty good, but your phone does not like water or shout. Hero 7 may be the device you use most often in a number of scenarios.

Thinking of mobile users, it's time to talk about the next major update to Hero 7: live streaming. You have been able to manipulate a video stream from a live GoPro over the Internet for a while, but it was limited (or laborious). Now, it's as simple as launching the GoPro app on your phone and clicking a button. Right now, you are limited to Facebook or RTMP (which can be streamed to YouTube, etc.), but other native options are coming.

This one is potentially a big problem. Live video is a feature that pops up everywhere, and before the Hero 7, GoPro was probably not your first choice. Now that it's a native feature, and considering the rough nature of the camera, you can expect to see a wave of people exposing their vacations, their adventures and their travels in real time. Of course, you can already do it with your phone, but again, you can not place your phone almost as many places as you can on a GoPro. Unfortunately, you always do need your phone … so no live photos yet (although this is not the case) impossible), but the next time you go out for a day on the trail or on horseback or a green session, you can transmit it to the world in real time from the point of view of your helmet, your car or your equine friend.

It is worthwhile to return quickly to stabilization; both make a good team. The GoPro Hero 7 can now face your phone as the camera of choice. Previously, you might have been stuck with your phone for its connectivity (and convenience), but the Hero 7 Black offers enough versatility to free your phone (which stays safely in your pocket). A dedicated camera for field reports, live streams and action streams is probably better than just relying on your valuable phone.

If I have made some comparisons with your phone here, it is because there is something of a theme. People have long wondered "why use a GoPro when I have a good camera in my phone", and the company seems to respond with the Hero 7. This brings me to a new feature called "TimeWarp ".

You've been able to shoot time-lapse videos with a GoPro since, essentially, forever. It was great for static shots (think of people rushing to a sidewalk). If you wanted to film one while moving, it was a little risky to see how that could happen. TimeWarp solves this problem. If you know the HyperLapse of Instagram, you will be at home here. In short, it adds stabilization to a time-lapse for smooth, fast videos. It's great to show more banal parts of your adventure (a long hike) in short bursts. I've tested it on the tracks of a track at Yosemite, and it's a fun, simple and effective way to add variety to your footage.

As with regular break times, you can adjust the "speed" (picture interval), just with TimeWarp, you select how much you want to change (5/2/10/15 and 30 times the normal speed). At first, it's a bit weird. The camera looks like a recording (a full red dot on the screen), but the timer follows its path because it shows you the length of the resulting video and not the time required for it. save (which makes more sense). of course). You may never need TimeWarp, but there will be many people who will want to add to the toolbox.

I've hinted in the intro that there were not many new modes of shooting. TimeWarp could appease video enthusiasts, but for the crowd of photographers, there is SuperPhoto. The hyperbolic name is really code for "best" HDR. This, along with stabilization, is a feature that has already been used in various forms (WDR in Hero 5 and HDR in Hero 6). This time, it claims a whole new way of overlaying / processing your images – mapping local tones rather than mapping global tones, to be precise.

What this means for you, is that your final image includes more details in areas that the old method could have removed during treatment. I have tested it in a number of situations and the difference is clear. I shot trees at Yosemite with the sun behind them and, despite this, the bark details are visibly sharper than on the same picture with the Hero 6. Similarly, a picture taken of Berkeley across the bay in San Francisco much more definition on the sun-drenched water and the rocks in the foreground than those that the older brother could collect.

Other photographic enhancements come in the form of a timer where you want it (to the left of the screen), so you can better compose yourself for selfies (or family portraits) by the fire). There is also a remodeled zoom slider. Digital zoom is still a slight compromise in terms of image quality, but it's nice to have a simple tool to crop your images from the camera itself.

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