When I was in the hospital in January 2020 after they told me that my tumor was inoperable I decided to start vloging my experiences. But I did not have any camera and pretty soon I decided that my cellphone camera just was not cutting it. It always went to refocus mode when trying to film even the smallest clip.
So, for some time I've wanted an action camera so I thought this is the time to buy one.
I ended up buying the GoPro Hero8 Black and I've used it for 6 weeks both on my adventure bike, when walking, when running, when filming indoor talking head stuff and filming our cats. So I thought it was time to summarize a review of what I like and what I do not like about the camera.
Battery time
Ok, this is my first action camera and the first time I've used a dedicated video camera in over 15 years? Honestly, I thought that the batteries would last longer, i.e. active recording time.That was my first reaction... Turns out I did not need to worry. But just in case, always bring an extra. I haven't checked exactly but it drains about half a battery on my walks if I record the whole thing so a total of around one hour of battery when filming 1080p/60fps. I always carry a backup just to be sure as I tend to forget to recharge them when I get home.
External battery charger is on my buy list but for the moment I just plug the USB-C into the camera and charge them one by one
Focus
It just does it. Never had 'refocusing' blur on the GoPro.Audio quality
The internal microphone picks up pretty much every sound around you. But I don't know how else they would have done it. But not good enough for me, so I ended up buying an external microphone. At first I thought about the GoPro media module that would allow for recording directly to the camera. After some more research I decided against that approach due to the media module killing the weather resistance of the GoPro Hero 8 as it requires the battery flap to be removed. And I do a lot of walk and talk stuff outside, even when the weather goes ugly. So an external microphone it was for me. It records to my mobile phone and I can sync the sound later when editing the video.Video quality
1080p/60fps
So far I've recorded everything in 1080p/60fps.What I like is how good the stabilization works. As I wrote above, I do a lot of walk and talk shots with the GoPro Shorty and the stabilization just works. I even found that it could handle running parts quite good.
Stabilization when mounted directly to my bike is smooth, can't see and extra movement. Almost a little boring.
Video example of Cycling with stabilization on.
Video example of indoor with bad lighting on a tripod
4K/60fps
As my computer does not have a 4K display and some render times are over 2 hours today for 1080p I've opted out from using 4K as for now.But it is good to know that the camera supports it when the day comes for a new computer : )
Buttons
It has 2.It should not be so hard.... Right?
But the power button also changes between record film, take a photo or do a timelapse. And if you are not paying very close attention you might just screw that up.
After failing totally with this once I figured that the start/stop filming button also starts powers the camera on in the last mode it had so it feels a lot safer to use. And also pay attention to the icon on the front screen, it gives a hint of what mode you are recording in.
But yeah, one 30 minute video lost to this and I started wondering if this is a good design or not. It could be a little harder to change the mode. I mean, it is something that you would want to do deliberately, not by accident. Like switching from 1080p to 4K, you use the touch screen and it is no hassle. Let the power button be on/off and recording button be start/stop. Can't stand double purpose buttons.
GoPro Mounts and Accessories
To get something more out of the GoPro, you will need mountsThe GoPro Shorty
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| GoPro Hero8 Black on a GoPro Shorty standing on a table |
I have it with me when I go on walks
I ended up changing the included screw to a standard GoPro thumb screw. The original was just too hard to get to.
The good:
- Super small, fits in my jacket pocket with the camera on
The bad:
- Does not have a quick release system. I.e. thumb screw on and off
- Original screw was not a thumb screw
The GoPro Chesty
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| GoPro Hero8 Black mounted to a GoPro Chesty |
This is the second piece of original GoPro accessories that I own. I mainly use it for cycling videos as it shows a more bike inclusive perspective than the QuadLock Pro mount at at the front of the bike does.
The good:
- Sturdy
- Comfortable and can be adjusted to fit tight
- Quick release system
The bad:
- Have not found anything that I don't like about it yet.
QuadLock Pro Front Mount with GoPro Mount
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| GoPro Hero8 Black mounted to the QUadLock Pro Front Mount |
As said before, this can become quite boring if you only film that view but a nice addition to other angles.
The good:
- Simple mount for both your phone and GoPro
- Does not have a quick release system. I.e. thumb screw on and off
- No thumbscrew included
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Disclaimer
I bought these products myself and this is my opinion on them. I am in no way affiliated with the manufacturer of this product. I like to link to other sites and I am not paid for that. Feel free to share on social media if you found anything in this post helpful! That would mean a lot for me!
I bought these products myself and this is my opinion on them. I am in no way affiliated with the manufacturer of this product. I like to link to other sites and I am not paid for that. Feel free to share on social media if you found anything in this post helpful! That would mean a lot for me!
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