The rumor mill has been abuzz with a new GoPro camera set for the unveiling, and now GoPro has confirmed those rumors with the introduction of not just one but three new GoPro models made for three different markets.
GoPro's newest flagship, the GoPro Hero4 Black, is obviously the star of the show. The top-of-the-line action camera looks pretty much like the Hero3 Black introduced last year, but it has the powerful features professionals have been clamoring for, including support for 4K video at 30 frames per second and 1080p video at a whopping 120 frames per second. Users can also shoot 2.7K at 50 frames per second. The previous Hero3 had 4K support, but with only 15 frames per second, the Hero3 is pretty much useless when it comes to 4K as it does not meet the industry standard of 30 frames per second.
"A common pain-point is deciding between capturing video or photos of an experience," says GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman. "Each frame of 4K30 video is similar to an 8.3 megapixel photo. The result is that users can simultaneously capture eye-popping 4K30 video and impressive 8.3 megapixel photo-like stills at 30 frames per second when using Hero4 Black."
The Hero4 Black, however, isn't cheap. As the most powerful action camera available to date, this device comes with a $500 price tag, something that only hard-core users and professionals are willing to shell out for a rugged camera that takes stunning videos of daredevils and their death-defying stunts. For the average user, the Hero4 Silver, which takes $100 off the Hero4 Black's price, could be more attractive.
The Hero4 Silver, like the Hero3 Black, doesn't offer 4K support but allows users to shoot high-definition videos at 60 frames per second. It can also support 2.7K at 30 frames per second and 720p at 120 frames per second. However, the Hero4 Silver has a touchscreen display, something that is not found on the Hero4 Black, and could prove to be useful for users who do not like fiddling with the Hero4 Black's buttons to select their options. The display also allows users to frame their shots better and play them back right after taking them.
Both the Hero4 Black and Hero4 Silver come with a few interesting features, such as Protune, which allows users to manually tweak color, sharpness, ISO limits, exposure and other settings. They also have Night Photo and Night Lapse, features that let users take better-quality images in low-light settings and shoot time lapse videos with an exposure setting of up to 30 seconds. GoPro also redesigned its audio systems that allows its latest cameras and claims that the new audio systems will allow the cameras to capture sound at two times the dynamic range of the Hero3.
At the lowest price tier is the GoPro Hero, a $130 action camera that GoPro calls "the perfect entry-level camera." GoPro Hero comes with a built-in waterproof housing and can shoot high-definition 1080p videos at 30 frames per second and 720p at 60 frames per second.
