The best in class gets better
Images, and the devices that capture them, are my focus. I've covered cameras at PCMag for the past 10 years, which has given me a front row seat for the DSLR to mirrorless transition, the smartphone camera revolution, and the mainstream adoption of drones for aerial imaging. You can find me on Instagram @jamespfisher.
The GoPro Hero10 Black looks a lot like the Hero9, but rolls video with more pixels and double the frame rate, making it the company's best action camera yet.
GoPro is hitting a 10th-generation milestone with its annual action camera update this year. And while the Hero10 Black ($399 with a one-year GoPro subscription) is a decidedly more evolutionary update than the revolutionary Hero9 was, it's a better camera for it. The form factor remains the same, so the Hero10 works with Hero9 accessories. More importantly, the video engine has been updated for 5.3K60 and 4K120 capture, aided by superlative stabilization. Its slim design and wide lens make it a favorite for POV action shots, and it works well for live streaming and as a webcam. Although it costs more than the previous model, it's the best GoPro yet, and our Editors' Choice winner for action cameras.
Editors' Note: This review was updated on 3/31/2022 to add information on the Enduro battery, Volta handle, and Creator Edition bundle.
Last year's Hero9 delivered the first significant update to the line's physical design since the Hero5. The slightly larger frame, color front-facing display, and support for Mod accessories continues here, with some welcome refinements.
On the outside, the front-facing display has a higher frame rate, for a truer preview of your footage, and the touch screen works like a charm. (GoPro fixed the Hero9's initially hit-or-miss touch interface via a firmware update.)
And while you can't see the changes to the removable lens cover, it now has a fluorine coating to slick away water, and promises to be better protected from scratches. It's removable, so you can replace it if you drag it across asphalt. And it works with the ultra-wide angle Max Lens Mod, a $100 add-on that broadens the camera's view.
Inside, there's a new image sensor and processor, one that doubles the Hero9's capabilities for slower slow-motion footage, to the tune of 240fps at 1080p, 120fps at 4K, and 60fps at 5.3K. The GP2 processor makes the higher frame rates possible, and is able to more smartly apply noise reduction for better results in dim light.
The Hero10 is a very small camera, palm-sized at 2.8 by 2.2 by 1.3 inches (HWD) and light at just 5.4 ounces. Integrated mounting clips attach to a selfie stick (for vloggers), tripod, or mounting accessory. The small size, tough chassis, and 33-foot waterproof rating have made the series a favorite for mounting to persons, pets, and all sorts of vehicles.
The lens comes into play there, too. Its ultra-wide view is made for close-up action shots, and GoPro has developed its video processing to a point where you can set the view to a more moderate wide, distortion-free setting without any real worry about loss of quality.
On-camera controls are pretty basic. Record is prominent and right on top, and there's a button on the side to swap between modes. Voice commands are available, too—you can tell the Hero10 to start a video, take a picture, or record a time-lapse, and the camera bleats out a loud, affirming beep to let you know it's complied. (You can turn the beep off if you're using the camera in a quiet location.)
The touch-screen interface is useful, too. It supports swipes and taps to change between modes and adjust settings. There's also a level of customization—you can set up to four shortcut buttons in each of your presets, and you can make as many of those as you'd like.
The Hero10 ships with the same 1,720mAh battery as the Hero9. Here it powers the Hero10 for about 45 minutes of 5.3K60 or an hour of 4K60 video. Overheating can be a concern for long-form recording, however. The camera cuts off after about 25 minutes of 5.3K capture and 35 minutes of 4K60 in room temperature conditions.
You can sidestep the issue by powering the GoPro via USB-C for long takes, or dropping to a lower frame rate. In our room temperature tests, the Hero10 records continuously until its battery depletes at 5.3K24, close to 90 minutes of running time. Using the camera in different environments also influences heat—air will cool the GoPro when it's mounted and in motion, and snowboarders don't really have to worry about overheating at all.
Spare batteries are available for $19.99. GoPro also sells the Enduro battery for quicker charging and more power efficiency. It didn't do any better than the standard battery in terms of heat, but it does run longer—it's good for about an hour of 5.3K60, 15 minutes better than the standard battery.
The Hero10 also works as a webcam. It plugs into the USB port on a PC or Mac and works with the GoPro Webcam Utility software. I plugged the camera into my MacBook and was able to use it for Zoom, Google Meet (using Chrome—Safari doesn't work with external cameras), and OBS.
Streaming is at 1080p, with your choice of a wide, medium, or narrow view. HyperSmooth stabilization works for streaming now, a feature missing from older GoPros. You also won't have to worry about battery life when using the webcam feature—my laptop's USB port provides enough power to run and charge the Hero10.
Vloggers are sure to see the Hero10 as an attractive, go-anywhere camera. The digital stabilization is good enough to skip the need for a gimbal, and the Media Mod ($79.99) add-on is available with a better quality microphone as well as a 3.5mm input for wireless lavs or another type of external mic. The Media Mod also includes cold shoe mounts for accessories, including the $49.99 Light Mod, a small rechargeable video light you can use to brighten dark scenes and add some fill in mixed lighting.
A Bluetooth handle and tabletop tripod combination, the Volta ($129.99), is also an option. It supports Bluetooth and USB-C wired connection to the Hero10, and offers Record and Power/Mode buttons on the handle. We like that it converts to a tabletop tripod, and has a standard 1/4-20 socket to mount to a larger tripod or longer selfie stick. The Volta is suitable for use in rainy weather, but isn't submersible. We're not as sold on the integrated USB-C cable—it's a convenient way to use the Volta's internal battery to power the Hero10 longer (up to four hours of 4K), but it's short and gets in the way. With Bluetooth you don't need to use the cable when your GoPro is charged—we wish GoPro had gone with a less obtrusive fixed cable or used a removable cable instead.
A bundle option is available for vloggers. The Creator Edition includes the Media Mod, Light Mod, Volta grip, and camera, so you aspiring YouTubers can get them all together with a single purchase. It's priced at $784.95 without a GoPro Subscription, but as with the Hero10 itself, you get a discount if you add the GoPro service—getting the bundle with the GoPro service cuts its costs to $581.96.
GoPro's pricing strategy makes the Hero10 Black a better value if you buy it along with a year's worth of service. You get the camera and a year of service for $399, otherwise the camera costs $499 on its own. It makes the bundle a no-brainer for all but the most subscription-averse. The service automatically renews(Opens in a new window) at $49.99 a year, so remember to cancel if you don't want to use it beyond the included year.
We think it's a worthwhile add-on for anyone who uses their GoPro a lot. It puts all of your GoPro footage in the cloud with unlimited storage, opens up some premium editing templates in the Quik app, and lets you buy GoPro accessories at a discount. You'll also get a discount on replacing your GoPro if you manage to destroy it, and a platform for live streaming.
Automatic cloud upload is a subscription-dependent feature of note. You can set up your Hero10 to automatically offload footage just by plugging it in to charge, leveraging the speed of your home Wi-Fi network to do so. It takes some work away—you won't have to worry about managing memory cards and shuffling files from one device to another for editing.
Some things work fine without an account. You can still pair the GoPro with your smartphone or tablet and offload footage to the Quik app for on-the-go edits. The Wi-Fi transfer is speedier now, and for the first time the camera offloads footage to a mobile device via its USB port. If you've filled up a memory card, it's worth it to use the cable connection.
The Hero10 has a new sensor with more pixels than the Hero9, but the move from 5K to 5.3K capture isn't the headliner here—it's the jump in frame rates. It's able to push 60fps at 5.3K and 120fps at 4K, twice as quick as the Hero9.
High frame rate video is desirable for capturing action, as motion is captured more fluidly, for more lifelike (but less filmic) visuals. You'll also have the option to adjust playback speed—it's possible to get a four or five time slow-motion effect with 120fps footage. Fast motion is an option, too—you can use the Hero10 for time-lapse video, and stabilization works well, so time-lapses with movement look great.
The camera supports a laundry list of resolutions and frame rates. Pretty much everything you expect is included; 5.3K at 24fps is missing at launch, but is coming in the November firmware update. Video is tunable beyond just frame rate and resolution—you can adjust color, sharpening, and the like.
To help sort things, it's a good idea to save presets for your most-used settings. You can make as many as you'd like, each with its own unique bank of video quality settings. I tried several different resolutions and frame rates, but left other settings alone while using the camera. If you want to take more control over color, a lower-contrast flat profile is an option.
The Hero10 can also snap still shots. You can use it in photo mode and net 23MP photos in JPG or Raw DNG format. The in-camera GPS automatically adds location metadata to stills. Pulling individual photos out of video is an option, too—each frame of 5.3K video nets a 16MP photo with a 16:9 crop, and you can pull 8MP images from 4K video.
The combination of stabilization and high frame rates sets the Hero10 apart from cameras with bigger sensors and swappable lenses. Whether mounted or handheld, HyperSmooth lives up to its billing.
There are alternatives out there if you don't need to record at higher frame rates or simply put a bigger priority on video quality. The Sony RX0 II ($700) is a small camera that can go places others can't, but its 1-inch sensor is better suited for cinema. Likewise, the Insta360 One RS is available with the same type of sensor, but is limited to 30fps video.
We're happy to see GoPro continue to push its platform forward, even in the face of dwindling competition. The Hero10 Black ups the top resolution, doubles frame rates, and offers other welcome upgrades. It's a more refined version of last year's Hero9, with support for all of the same add-on accessories, with only a $50 increase in price. All of that makes the Hero10 Black our Editors' Choice winner among action cameras.
If you want to spend less, the Hero8 Black is still on sale. It doesn't have a front-facing color screen or support for the Max Lens Mod, but it rolls quality, stabilized 4K footage, for around $279 (with a subscription). We also like the DJI Osmo Action as a budget option; it's now on sale for around $200, and nearly as good a camera as the Hero8.
The GoPro Hero10 Black looks a lot like the Hero9, but rolls video with more pixels and double the frame rate, making it the company's best action camera yet.
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Images, and the devices that capture them, are my focus. I've covered cameras at PCMag for the past 10 years, which has given me a front row seat for the DSLR to mirrorless transition, the smartphone camera revolution, and the mainstream adoption of drones for aerial imaging. You can find me on Instagram @jamespfisher.
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