The GoPro HERO10 Black is the newest addition to the vast collection of HERO action cameras. And today, we’re offering our GoPro HERO10 Black review to discuss everything about it.
This product is the most powerful and polished GoPro around, and that’s because of its new GP2 processor. However, this is just a relatively simple upgrade over its predecessor – the HERO9 Black.
But with the HERO10 Black, performance has proved to be efficient, and that goes for its functions as well. And the most notable upgrade is its doubled framerate.
With that, continue reading our GoPro HERO10 Black review to learn more about it. But first, let’s see what’s inside the package.
GoPro HERO10 Black Packaging
Our GoPro HERO10 Black arrived in a cool and premium-looking cardboard package that sports a slightly wavy background design. The front displays a huge and boldly-written “10” at the centre, and below is an image of the camera itself.
Under the image, you’ll find icons displaying the product’s key features. On the upper-left corner of the box, you’ll find GoPro written there. The box’s side displays the other features of the GoPro HERO10 Black which is pretty convenient.
Inside the Box
Of course, we won’t miss out on checking the package’s contents for our GoPro HERO10 Black review. So here’s what you’ll find in the box once you get your hands on it.
Other than the HERO10 Black camera, you’ll find a rechargeable battery, curved adhesive mount, and a mounting buckle. The package also comes with a USB-C cable, camera case, plus a thumbscrew.
GoPro HERO10 Black Review – Design and Functionality
The latest HERO10 Black that we’re discussing in our GoPro HERO10 Black review, looks similar to the popular GoPro HERO9. Their only obvious difference is that the GoPro logo beneath the front screen has a natty-blue shade. It also goes for the annotation, “10 Black”, which is on the side.
Compared to its older sibling, the GoPro HERO10 Black’s body is much darker. Specifically, it’s more of a black shade than dark graphite.
On other parts of the camera, the similarities continue. Its battery compartment, 1,720 mAh Lithium battery, USB-C charge port, and battery lid sport the same elements as the HERO9 Black. Technically, their batteries are interchangeable, and the charge time is similar as well.
You’ll even find flip-down fingers for mounting the camera, and these too are similar to the HERO9 Black. Another good aspect of the HERO10 Black is that it’s backwards-compatible with years worth of GoPro mounts.
The control buttons of the GoPro HERO10 Black are similar to the HERO9 Black’s. You’ll find a side mode and power button, as well as a top-mounted record button. These are glove-compatible and rubberised which is a pretty convenient aspect, in our opinion.
And although the GoPro HERO10 Black’s removable main lens cover is visually-identical to the HERO9 Black’s, it still functions differently.
The GoPro HERO10 Black’s lens cover features a hydrophobic, water-shedding glass that’s highly scratch-resistant with lesser ghosting.
According to the company, you can easily swipe away any fingerprints that may appear on it. As for water, when it beads up, it will simply slide off instead of smearing on the surface.
While inspecting the product for our GoPro HERO10 Black review, we saw that the touchscreen interface went through improvements too. It became more responsive compared to the HERO9 Black, and it features a new wired data transfer option for phones.
Moreover, GoPro also included a couple of under-the-hood image quality improvements like local tone mapping and enhanced low-light noise reduction.
As a result, you’ll find a couple of little improvements to its video quality. However, do note that the GoPro HERO10 Black can only do so much due to its little image sensor.
Key Features of the GoPro HERO10 Black
Increased Speed with Ease
The GoPro HERO10 Black offers faster speed and ease of use with the new GP2 processor. It lets you shoot 5.3K video with doubled frame rates and take 23MP photos. Plus, it offers enhanced low-light performance and features HyperSmooth 4.0 video stabilisation which you can use in different modes.
Also, HERO10 is connected via cloud storage so once you charge it, your footage automatically gets uploaded to the cloud.
Take 5.3K60 + 4K120 Videos
Ultra-sharp 5.3K video resolution is what this product offers, and that’s a surprising 91% over 4K. It also comes with enhanced low-light performance and 19.6-megapixel frame grabs from videos which is pretty neat.
Enhanced GoPro Processor – The GP2
The company’s new processor, which is called the GP2, offers a number of notable improvements to the HERO10. And in fact, it’s definitely worth the upgrade.
The GP2 is the very first upgrade to the company’s processor since the launch of their HERO6. GoPro added the extra processing power to work, allowing the HERO10 to do more even with the same image sensor as the HERO9.
23 Glorious Megapixels
The GoPro HERO10 Black is claimed to be the best camera from GoPro. Because of its 23 glorious megapixels, you can capture beautiful photos from places only a GoPro camera can go.
HyperSmooth 4.0
Another notable feature that we’re discussing in this GoPro HERO10 Black review is the HyperSmooth 4.0.
This is GoPro’s most advanced stabilisation technology of GoPro’s software. It offers increased horizon levelling from 27 to 45 degrees to correct your shots. It maintains the horizon level from a full 45-degree tilt which is an upgrade from the HERO9’s 27-degree tilt.
The electronic video stabilisation of this technology sets GoPro apart from its competitors. It’s also the reason why the company’s HERO series is everyone’s favourite action camera.
Impressive Power Tools
The GoPro HERO10 features “power tools” for a better shooting experience. One of these is Hindsight, which lets you capture up to 30 seconds before hitting the record button. This way, you won’t miss anything.
Scheduled Capture allows capturing images and videos at a specific time. With this feature, you can sleep in as the GoPro HERO10 Black takes sunrise videos.
Another tool is LiveBurst, which records 45 frames in 1.5 seconds before and after your captured image. Lastly, Duration Capture allows selecting the recording time length.
Waterproof and Tougher than Ever – Dive as Deep as 33ft
The new hydrophobic lens cover of the HERO10 Black sheds water. It can also be submerged as deep as 33ft, and you won’t have to worry about any damages. That’s because the HERO10 Black is made for the most exciting adventures.
Also, water droplets won’t obscure the action and ruin the footage when using the HERO10 around water. It will capture every single moment clearly.
GoPro Subscription
GoPro’s subscription service provides you with unlimited cloud backups while maintaining the footage’s original quality. When subscribed, you can also get a replacement for your damaged camera and enjoy discounts on GoPro accessories. Additionally, GoPro’s premium live streaming platform will be accessible.
Using it for wireless backups makes sharing photos and clips easier. Plus, plugging the camera to charge automatically connects to your WiFi network. Once you set it up with the Android or iOS mobile app, it starts backing up your files.
Specifications
For this GoPro HERO10 Black review, we’re also sharing the different specifications of this camera. It comes with an integrated mounting with folding fingers, and it’s also compatible with the HERO10 Black Mods.
The camera has a 3.5mm audio mic input with Media Mod which also works for the Pro 3.5 mic adapter. Just remember that the latter is sold separately. In addition, its RAW audio capture is in .wav format.
For its connectivity, the GoPro HERO10 Black uploads instantly to the Cloud with a GoPro subscription. It also features WiFi & Bluetooth and is GPS-enabled as well.
Since it features a high-quality lens, the GoPro HERO10 Black is able to produce 23MP photos. As for videos, it offers 5.3K 60, 4K 120, and 2.7K 40 wide FOV (field-of-view).
Hands-on with the GoPro HERO10 Black
Let’s begin with its video and image quality. Both were significantly enhanced since videos topped out at 5.3K, 60 FPS, at 2.7K/240p and 120 FPS. For stills, these cranked up to 23MP which was pretty cool.
For its frame rates, the GoPro HERO10 Black’s were doubled compared to the HERO9 Black. Plus, its frame grabs were also enhanced up to one notch. Specifically, it was 19.6MP from their 5K video, then 15.8MP from their 5.3K video.
The videos of the GoPro HERO10 Black in 5.3K were undeniably sharp and detailed. That’s even in mixed outdoor-indoor lighting in theme & water parks, and the like.
The camera’s 4K/120 FPS is a great element for slow-mo tricks. For its higher 5.3K resolution, we saw that it makes a difference, especially when we focused on backgrounds. It really isn’t a game-changer, but it sure is nice to have on the GoPro HERO10 Black.
When it came to the camera’s GP2-powered updates, things simply got better, impressive to be exact.
The local tone mapping boosts the contrast in spots with low detail. Thus, it improves the impression of necessary details. Good examples here would be grass and hair; both of these usually get washed out and appear muddy in videos.
When we used the HERO10 Black with local tone mapping, it showed us more texture in videos with moving grass.
Another spot where the GoPro HERO10 Black received a boost is in its video noise reduction. In earlier GoPro models, we could remove the graininess and fix the clarity. These were mainly done to improve videos that were shot in heavy contrast situations in low light.
It’s an advanced system thanks to the new algorithm that’s present on the new chip. We saw most of the results in low light videos, nighttime city shots, and during sunsets.
We also found that mixing noise reduction with HDR tone mapping footage made challenging daytime shots look better.
This is compared to what we got from other similar products that we’ve tried.
And despite the conservative upgrades, the GoPro HERO10 Black adequately defines image quality strides that were created by HERO9 Black. Also, it’s the most user-friendly and powerful action camera you can get.
The company also upgraded their lens cover, and as we mentioned earlier, they now utilise a hydrophobic water-shedding glass which works incredibly well.
GoPro HERO10 Black Review Summary
The HERO 10 Black is GoPro’s new flagship product that offers everything that the HERO9 Black had. But since it’s an upgrade, it comes with some additional enhancements and new features. It’s faster, lighter, and more powerful with its more durable design, making it a great purchase.
If you’re deciding whether you should upgrade to the HERO10 Black or not, it all depends on what you’re doing. Getting the new model isn’t highly necessary if you have the HERO9 Black since it also offers superior performance. But of course, upgrading would be better so you can enjoy the latest features the HERO10 offers.
However, if you’re using the HERO8 or older models, the HERO10 Black is definitely a worthy upgrade.
If you’re upgrading from the HERO9, you can use its accessories with the HERO10 Black. That means, you won’t have to wait for third-party accessory manufacturers to catch up to the latest GoPro camera.
It’s also good to note that purchasing the HERO10 Black with a GoPro subscription will be cheaper than the full list price.
Overall, we were satisfied with the HERO10 Black and we highly recommend it. If you want to get your hands on this product, it’s available for purchase via the company’s official website.
