8.11.2018

You can imagine how happy I was to see that a couple of weeks after I got my GoPro Hero6 they released the new Hero7 Black and superseded it even before I'd had a chance to try it out properly. Of course the Hero6 is still a fantastic action camera and it doesn't seem like the replacement model, the Hero7 Black, is that much different. There are a few new features in the 7 including a live-streaming option, even better image stabilisation at the highest resolutions and vertical portrait-format shooting option, but the underlying engine and the overall video quality seems to be very similar. I've had a bunch of action cameras over the past few years and while some of the other brands offercapable enough devices but they don't have the entire ecosystem that seems to exist around GoPro with a broad range of accessories for almost every filming situation available at a range of prices from over-priced (like official GoPro accessories) to budget-priced.The GoPro Hero6 is a solid little gizmo that feels heavy-ish for its size but also feels very well made and this model is weatherproof even without adding extra watertight cases. There are two trapdoors, one on the bottom for the battery and memory card and one on the side concealing the mini HDMI and USB-C ports and being watertight the trapdoors can be tricky to open. You charge the battery using the USB-C port and the cable you'll need is included but a mains adaptor is not. Note that with the outer shell fitted (which is included in this pack) you don't get access to the USB-C port to charge or power your camera - there's a cutout in the shell for it but you can't actually use it. While charging and filming no less than three little LEDs, on the front, the back and the base of the camera, light up so you can see your camera's current status from almost any angle.There's a mini screen on the front of the camera which indicates the current video settings and remaining battery and storage. Personally I mostly check the larger touchscreen on the back, but it's handy in certain filming situations. The touchscreen takes up most of the back of the camera and is clear and can be cranked up bright enough for outdoor use, though keeping it low helps spare the battery. Despite the small size the touch controls actually work pretty well and GoPro have kept things simple and you can quickly change your video or still settings, access and manage previous recordings and of course monitor your current recording.As ever you have a good range of video settings to play with and some effective time-lapse and photo-burst techniques. The available video resolutions go from 720 to 4K with variants including 4K 4:3 and 2.7K 4:3 and you can choose between various frame-rates although the fastest are only available at the lower resolutions. You also get three field-of-view options, so if the standard wide-angle setting is too extreme you can tighten the shot up a bit and minimise the characteristic wide-angle-action-cam look using the 'Linear' setting but these options are only available at HD resolutions. All of this is easily changed just with a couple of taps on the touchscreen and you're spared the endless scrolling through menus you get with some devices.There are also a pair of GoPro app's for your smartphone (iOS and Android) that extend the functions of your camera, although all the main settings and features are accessible on the camera itself. The main GoPro app can act as a remote video monitor and controller for your GoPro allowing you to see what you're filming from a reasonable distance away. Note the connection between camera and smartphone is via the GoPro's own wi-fi hotspot, so you have to remain within its range. You can also transfer captured footage from camera to smartphone but you'll need a good amount of storage space on your phone and some patience because it's a slow process, although the 5GHz wi-fi option available in the 6 speeds it up a bit.The main GoPro app works in tandem with the GoPro Quik app which can take your footage and analyse it picking out the most dynamic parts which it then auto-edits into a kind of action-replay video. Again this isn't the fastest process, depending on your smartphone, but the results are really fun and it even picks out an appropriate piece of license-free music from the Quik library and then edits your footage in sync with the music, all without you having to do anything. The results can be hit or miss but it's really fun and if you want to tweak (or even completely re-edit) the footage yourself, add titles, special FX and a commentary then you can do that too - all on your phone. The resulting video can then be saved in a high quality format or compressed and uploaded to your favourite social media service. It's the best auto-edit app I've tried and will even work with non-GoPro footage, so it's worth checking out even if you don't get a GoPro.The Achilles heel with this (and most) GoPros is the battery life, which like previous GoPros is really quite poor. You're going to want a second (or third or fourth) battery to carry around with your GoPro and maybe an external battery charger or power-bank to keep them topped up. You get a decent length of filming time, long enough to capture most sequences you'll want, but as soon as you switch on extra features like the wi-fi hotspot or voice-control the battery life plummets. Be careful to switch off voice control when you don't need it or you might find you pick up your GoPro in the morning expecting a full battery only to discover you'd left voice control on overnight and the battery is totally depleted - like I did.The video footage it can produce is amazing in the right circumstances, if you're shooting in bright sunlight in a relatively low-texture environ like on the ocean or a snow-covered mountain then it's stunning. If you shoot in more dimly lit or visually textured settings like a forest then it does look a bit gritty and the compression artefacts are more visible, but that's true of many video cam's. Really the only negative aspects are the battery life and the price but otherwise GoPro clearly know what they're doing, and with other brands you don't get access to the whole ecosystem of expertise and accessories that exists around GoPro.

28.8.2018

I shoot a lot of video for my YouTube channel and recently made the step up from 1080p to 4K. This has prompted me to finally bite the bullet and get another GoPro. I had a GoPro Hero 3 and this caused me no end of problems so it has not been an easy decision to buy this camera. I have spent a lot of time researching this and most people comment on the outstanding video quality it produces. I have added my own video to this review, but Amazon will compress it, so unfortunately you will not be able to see the 4K video I recorded. If you want to see this, please search for my channel.The first point that I want to make, is how stingy GoPro are with the attachments that come with the camera.Inside the box I found, the camera, a battery, a frame with a mounting clip attached, two self-adhesive mounts (one straight and one curved), a USB to USB C cable and a completely useless set of instructions. I would have expected way more than that, had I not known beforehand what was included. The instructions are basically a set of diagrams showing how to fit the camera inside the frame, where to place the battery/micro SD card, where to place the charging/data cable, the power and shutter button locations and how to mount the camera onto a helmet. I will include a photo of them.I charged the battery, turned the GoPro on and then began to follow the set up instructions displayed the touch screen. This started well and then went horribly wrong. I tried to follow each prompt, I don’t know whether it was just me being daft or a problem with the program, but I managed to get myself in a real muddle. It ended up with the camera asking to connect to my phone with the GoPro app. I did this and after that things settled down a bit. Connecting to the app was very easy and the first thing it did was update the camera software, which was also very easy. After a little experimentation I figured out how to operate the camera and once I had done that it was very easy. I think GoPro need to look at the set up process. I would like to think that I am pretty good with these types of devices.The camera is an absolute joy to use once you figure it out and there are some very cool features. Voice commands allow you to record, stop recording , turn the camera on, turn the camera off, and lots of other functions and these work right from the start. I have had several instances when the camera has switched on whilst I have been talking or listening to the TV though.So what about the video – well it is very good. I have only used 4K, but it is impressive. This camera has video stabilisation too and it is the best that I have seen, almost as good as mounting it on a gimbal. It will only work up to 4K 30fps though and you lose 10% of the wide angle picture. Stabilisation is not available at 4K 60fps. The colours are lovely and vibrant; the video is sharp and very pleasing to the eye.This camera is waterproof; you can take it into the water without a waterproof case. This is only an advantage if you are into water sports or wish to use the camera in the pouring rain. The down side of this is that the microphones also need to be waterproofed and this has resulted in a huge loss of clarity on the sound. Just like placing the older cameras into waterproof cases did. In all fairness it is not as bad as that, but there is a significant drop in sound quality because of this. You can get an external microphone adapter, but as with all of GoPro products, this is expensive and third party products are not available.So I love the video produced by the GoPro Hero 6, but it is let down by the microphones. I think it is overpriced and does not come with enough equipment. However, there is no doubt that this is the camera that all the other cameras are judged against and that is for a good reason. If you want the best, you will just have to grit your teeth and get over the price and lack of gear. It is a GoPro after all!

14.10.2017

The GoPro Hero 6, the successor to the popular Hero 5 released in 2016.The H6 is a greatly improved version of the H5, with more advanced specs and an all new G1 processor specifically for GoPro. The new processor brings a variety of benefits including advanced image stabilisation, higher framerate recording and an improved touchscreen UI. The addition of a touchscreen to the H5 seemed great at the time but with the slower processor and less than perfect interface, I found myself using the app or front screen more often than the touchscreen itself.The H6 improves on this durastically, providing smooth and easy to navigate settings, making the camera UI much simpler to use.The touchscreen appears more responsive and the animations are much more smooth.Next, the improved resolutions and recording modes. The H6 offers a variety of new modes including 4K60, 2.7K120 and 1080p240. The image clarity is great as always. With the new frame rates you can now slow 4K footage to 50% and 2.7K to 25%, 1080p can also be slowed to 13.3% but with 1080p the image quality is greatly reduced with high amounts of aliasing present.2.7k120 should now be the go-to resolution for sharp, high resolution and slow motion footage. The clarity is brilliant and even when compared to 2.7K30 footage, they are indistinguishable from each other. In contrast when playing back 1080p240 against 1080p30 the difference is clear with the 240fps footage being much more distorted with artifacts and aliasing (However the quality difference is improved compared to the H5).The colours produced by the camera are greatly improved and appear more vivid and life-like. Colours are sometimes too saturated even when in Protune mode, something that can be changed in firmware. Sharpness is good and videos are crisp and clean. Video quality is noticeably clearer and overall better compared to previous camerasOther improvements include advanced image stabilisation, marketed as 'gimbal like'; surprisingly living up to marketing hype. The footage produced looks 'mostly' incredible. The movements are fluid and very steady, smoothing out shake and wobble from videos. The stabilisation is totally different to the type used on the H5 as images are rock solid and very smooth. However the gimbal-like stabilisation can make footage look jittery and can make jarring motions, totally defeating the point of video stabilisation. This mostly seems to happen when moving from a bright open area to under tree cover. This does again appear to be something that could be improved on in software updates.The camera is still waterproof to 10m without a housing, making it suitable for use in the sea, pool or just for general use in poor weather. The camera is compatible with the same H5 waterproof supersuit housings, this provides waterproofing up to a depth of 60m.The integrated 2.4/5.0GHz WiFi can transfer files much faster to mobile devices, making video editing with Quik more efficient. Live video transmission also appears to have improved as a result, showing images with much less delay on the GoPro app therefore making framing shots easier to do.Battery life is good but due to the higher framerate video, slightly reduced over previous models. With 4K60 lasting anywhere from 35-55 mins in my testing. Lower resolutions such as 1080p60 can provide battery life of around 90 mins. Charging is done again via USB-C and can take anywhere from about 40-65 mins. The batteries used are also the same 1220mAh as used with the H5, 3rd party batteries are still not supported.Overall, a brilliant GoPro perfect for action sports enthusiasts and families alike. With the more powerful processor, improved resolutions, enhanced UI and the same mount compatibility; it's a perfect camera for any occasion.

22.11.2017

I've been using my GoPro mainly for cycling (both long cycle rides and my commute) but also holding it by hand to film my kids doing various things like cycling or playing in the park.The main thing a camera needs to get right is the image quality. Here the Hero6 does extremely well. I was very impressed with how good the videos and still images looked. Moving from light to dark and going from facing into the sun to moving to shadow were all dealt with well. The range and depth of colour of videos and stills are great.The feature that really blew me away though was the image stabilisation. When attaching the Hero6 to my handlebars via a k-edge mount the results I got were really amazing.There was almost no sign of vibration in the resulting video. Even when hitting potholes and bouncing around the stabilisation copes very well and the videos look relatively smooth. The biggest test for image stabilisation was when I ran with the Hero6 in my hand. Here there were definite sign of stabilisation taking place. There were odd artefacts on the periphery of the image that seemed to shift as I moved, however considering I was swaying all over the place as I ran, the video was surprisingly watchable.Pairing the camera with a phone is fairly easy and useful. It allows you to get a live view via your phone which is handy when setting up shots/scenes where you're not behind the camera. Once you've recorded you can also watch the videos back through your phone and take still images and short clips up to 30 seconds. Taking screen shots and clips has been great. Within minutes of finishing a ride I'm able to send these to friends or upload to Instrgram or Strava without the need to be with a laptop.I record most of my video at 1080p at 60fps. The still images I'm able to take from this I think are really good (see attached images).Despite the positives of the camera, I do have a few complaints:Voice control just doesn't work consistently enough when you're in an environment which has even moderate background noise. When on a cycle ride I found it failed to recognise voice commands over half the time.Auto detection of whether the camera is upside down or not is also very hit and miss. My k-edge mount allows me to mount the camera upside down to hang below the handlebars. I found around half of my videos from my first few rides didn't have the video the right way up. There also seems to be no way to correct this in the app or the camera once the video has been recorded. To address this I've turned off auto-detection and just set the camera to record upside down.Battery life really is quite bad. I find 1 hour of recording is about all I can get from 1080p at 60fps. This is with all the extras like WiFi turned off (I only had image stabilisation running) I have a 2nd batter, the portable battery charger, and a power brick which allows me to regularly swap batteries for a fully charged one while on longer rides. Still, I wish the battery lasted a bit longer.Summary:Pros:+ Great image quality+ Fantastic image stabilisation+ Quick and Easy to view videos and take clips and stills on your phone+ Loads and loads of accessories+ Removable battery+ Nice form factorCons:- Voice control is hit and miss- Auto detection of the camera's orientation is also hit and miss- Battery life is poorOverall:Really good action camera with brilliant image quality and fantastic image stabilisation.

11.7.2018

I love this camera and have been very pleased with it during a recent three week road trip in the USA during which I used it extensively and shot hours of footage, filling three memory cards. My reason for selecting the GoPro was because I wanted a simple to use, good quality camera with a minimum of accessories. I don't actually use it for what it is intended as an action camera, rather I used it as a straight forward video camera for recording my holiday so I am probably not who these cameras are aimed at. For me, regular camcorders and SLR cameras are just to big to lug around all day, I just want something small, easy to set up and use giving good quality footage and this camera fits the bill.The only thing I really missed was a zoom but that was my choice, not a fault of this camera and where necessary I have cropped in during editing as a compromise. I did consider a rival before I bought this but it was more expensive and did not have an integral screen, something that I have experienced on another camera where you need a phone or an accessory and I find that real nuisance, so a GoPro it was. The stabilisation is so-so, not as good as a gimbal or optical image stabilisation but nevertheless it works reasonably well. The camera works best in good light where the video quality is superb, low light reveals its shortcomings, just don't expect the stabilisation to be much good. I liked that I could just press one button to turn the camera on and start shooting although there is less of a time lag if you have it switched on ready to go. I kept mine on a 'shorty' at all time and it was great, I could use it as a tripod for time-lapse, as a selfie pole or just as a handle and it fitted easily into my bag or pocket. The touch screen works well and learning the menus and what it will do was a fairly painless experience. I did have a couple of freeze ups when I was first trying it out but had no problems when using it in anger. This may be because I was using the recommended memory cards so perhaps those who have been getting these problems, which seem to be fairly common, may be using cards not on the recommended list, just a suggestion. I have to say I am amazed at how few memory cards are on the recommended list and this is something that GoPro should be looking at but no doubt aren't. One issue I am looking for a solution to is wind noise. I will fit some fluffy windjammers next time I film outdoors in a breeze as the wind noise reduction is poor on this camera. This camera isn't perfect so I keep on looking for one that is knowing that such a beast exists only in my mind. I know GoPro has its knockers but I can only speak as I find and I don't regret buying this camera. In a nutshell, a nice simple to use camera that produces good quality footage and met my expectations, hence the 5 star rating.

31.7.2018

The image quality is outstanding and tha camera is really well-made. I would have given it 5 stars if it were not for a slightly awkward user-interface. If you can, it is far easier to adjust the settings using your phone.I've read some debate about whether the Hero6 is worth the extra money over the Hero5. If this is your first GoPro, as it is for me, and you can afford it, go for the 6. If you already have a 5, I suspect it is not worth upgrading.Things I like - the build quality, the stunning images, the fact you can use it under water without a special case, the tiny size, the really good image stabilisation, the colour rendition, the ease with which it communicates with your phone by wifi,

2.9.2018

Conclusion- Only buy this camera for purposes similer to mine, or for action video only, look for other options if other applications are needed.I bought this mainly to use as a gutter vac camera, i was attracted to this product because of the stabilised footage and its small size and weight, as when a camera is on a pole 25 to 30 foot high at a shallow angle, all of the above qualities are very important. (and yes i do stream footage live to my phone at that height)The footage, (with all the shake that is expected in such circumstances) is mind blowing due to its stability which does work live, this is very helpful. i have to watch the footage live as i work and it makes my job much easier as is can see what im working on even in shaky situations.

25.1.2018

Got my Hero6 In November ready for a 5 week trip to Vietnam and I couldn't be happier with its performance.This camera has incredible image quality especially at 4k 60fps. 2.7k 60fps was the go to resolution for me however simply because EIS is available on this setting.The in-built stabilisation is the best I have ever seen in a camera. considering the camera's size and the fact that the stabilisation is electronic, I am baffled at how GoPro have achieved gimbal like performance!Low light performance is good but you need to fiddle with the settings, AUTO will give you incorrect white balance and ISO. So in this respect a software update is needed.The higher framerates are an absolute dream.

30.9.2017

I only had this for 1 day. But I thought I share my experience for those looking to upgrade or have been holding out on the 5 for this.I own the 5, i'm looking to sell it now after comparing with 6. The GoPro Hero 6 Black improved on the criticisms of Go pro 5, with 60fps recording at 4K. In low light the 6 is much brighter, improved image stabilisation, and faster footage transfers. The only issue is the £160 price hike.Sure the stabilisation is digital and not optical but it's certainly better than 5. I also have a gimble. If you don't film in low light I would suggest to get the 5 and the spare cash to get a Karma GoPro Karma Grip - Black.Sure the iPhone 8 plus has optical image stabilization 4k 60fps but that starts at £799.

8.10.2017

* Please note that I purchased this from Amazon.com, not Amazon.co.uk.I have owned action cameras, but this is the first GoPro I have purchased.After using it all week, here's my thoughts on it.Pros-------* Video footage is excellent* Lots of different frame rates and resolutions* Touchscreen menu is easy to use* Camera is small and light* GoPro app is good* Huge amount of accessories available for itCons-------* Battery life is terrible* Audio is really poor - the mics are too sensitive so you get lots of handling noise* Only way to improve audio is to buy the official adapter at £49.99 which is half the size of the action camera itself* 4K recording modes have limited frame rate and shooting

24.12.2017

I bought the hero 6 black from a retail store and after 6 days i had to return it for a refund,the screen kept freezing on me and each time i started it up it defaulted to the start up page language time date etc, well i carried on using it just leaving it on but the battery drained on me,then i could not shut it off and had to take the battery out.I did download the update but it never did any good, i can not see how go pro can make a camera that works so bad.Please don't get me wrong the photos and the videos were excellent in all formats but it did keep going wrong.I am now back with my old go pro 4 hero and i am very happy with it,

14.3.2018

I have had many camcorders through the years, but this is my first GoPro. I am very impressed.I was considering buying a dashcam, but none came close to this video quality. The stabilisation in HD resolution is also quite incredible.I am also surprised at how effective the time lapse mode is. I did not expect that from an "action cam"I had hoped more for its low light performance since it has quite a large lens.And under strongly coloured lights (e.g. music venue) the white balance compensation does all sorts of wierd things.To correct that I need to start learning the 'Protune' options.My biggest disappointment was that the second unit that I bought locked up most times it was turned on (as many others have experienced).

28.8.2018

I have been using GoPro cameras for several years and several months ago also bought the Karma Drone to use with my Hero 5.I should have done a little more research on the improvements on the Hero 6 before buying it.Still no 4K Linear video and thus my 4K drone videos still have the goal fish bowl look about them.Linear is only available in 2.7KIt has HEVC codec for smaller file sizes (if your editor likes it) but it only uses it in 4K mode and has no user option to let you pick H264 or H265.It does have some better features including improved electronic image stabilisation but if you have the Karma Grip or using the drone the better stabilisation is not a feature you need.I am now hoping the Hero 7 model (if we get one)

11.10.2018

Really impressed with this camera. Bought this as I wanted a small action camera to go alongside a drone to make videos and take photos. They are so small even mounted on the gopro shorty it can fit in your pocket, it is waterproof to a 10 metre depth which is great fun in the pool on holiday. There is a downside which I have not resolved yet and that is when filming in the higher resolution and higher frame rates my laptop will not play them. So just be aware if you want to film in 4K you need to find a workaround or have a top of the range laptop. Also having trouble connecting to the app on my phone or tablet, again I think it's an issue with the processor on my phone or tablet not being fast enough.

3.7.2018

Good quality camera but once the SD card gets more full the video clips it stores become jumpy and the the sound cuts as it jumps when replaying the clips. I use it as a dashcam on short journeys to and from work so I just make sure to delete older files from the SD card every second day.Another problem is it doesn't always switch off. The instructions say nothing about how to switch it off and a video online said to hold the mode button for 1-2 seconds and the camera will switch off. Yeah it does sometimes but not always. It seems to be a hit or miss that I get the thing to switch off and I can sometime waste around 2-3% battery power just sitting trying to get the thing to switch off.

GoPro HERO6 Black - Reviews

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