In the action camera world, the biggest name finally dropped their latest product. The GoPro Hero 6 Black is now shipping worldwide today and you can already check with your retailer if they already have it in stock. But before you drop that Hero 5 Black and go for the latest, it is best that you learn more what this newest action camera can do that the Hero 5 does not.
Indeed, it is the question you need to ask as at first glance the Hero 6 does not look different from the Hero 5 externally. It does have the waterproof case as well as it shoots 4K video, but this time the 4K footage gets recorded at 60fps for better and smoother footage.
But for those who want more leeway in editing the action, especially for slow motion scenes, then they can be much more happy with the new features in the video capture. Apart from the 4K 60fps, it does 120fps at 2.7K, and 240fps at 1080p. The higher frame rates allow for even smoother videos.
The Wifi connectivity has improved as well, at 5GHZ, can allow faster file transfer to your smartphone provided you have the GoPro mobile app installed. Other features are linear zoom and a new HDR move to replace the WDR that is a feature of the Hero 5 Black.
What is even more important here is that GoPro has put its own sensor into the Hero 6 Black. With the GoPro GP1 chip, the company pulls itself out of using the Ambarella imaging chips that are much in use in action cameras and camera drones. According to the company, the GP1 offers better dynamic range, extensive manual controls, enhanced color reproduction and better low-light performance.
There is also an improvement in image stabilisation but it is still digital at six axes (Hero 5 has 4 axes), but we would prefer optical stabilisation than digital.
So already convinced that the Hero 6 Black will be your next action camera? Well, you can if you are willing to shell out US$499.00, which makes it US$100 more expensive than the Hero 5 Black. If you are having budget problems then you might just want to get the Hero 5 Session and it is capable and more compact action camera.