GoPro Hero 11 Black Review: Upgraded in 2022?

The GoPro Hero 11 Black is the latest offering from the renowned action camera manufacturer GoPro. As technology advances and new models are released, assessing whether the latest iteration is worth the upgrade becomes essential. This review aims to delve into the features, performance, and improvements of the GoPro Hero 11 Black edition and determine if it is a worthy investment.

Compared to its predecessors, the GoPro Hero 11 Black is anticipated to offer improved image quality, video stabilization, and sophisticated shooting modes. For action fans, explorers, and content creators alike, it promises to give breathtaking images, fluid footage, and an immersive experience. The GoPro Hero 11 Black is built to endure the rigors of outdoor activities with a concentration on taking high-quality photographs and movies in complex settings.

This review will evaluate whether the GoPro Hero 11 Black lives up to the hype and offers enough upgrades to warrant an upgrade from previous GoPro models or to enter the GoPro ecosystem for the first time by looking at its design, technical specifications, enhanced features, and user feedback.

Specification

The GoPro Hero 11 Black is a feature-packed action camera with impressive specifications designed to capture stunning visuals and deliver a seamless user experience. Let's explore its key specifications:

• With video resolutions of up to 5.3K at 60 and 4K at 120 frames per second, the GoPro Hero 11 Black captures excellent clarity and detail.
• The GoPro Hero 11 Black's 23.6-megapixel sensor produces photographs that are vivid, lifelike, and accurate in their details.
• The camera uses cutting-edge HDR technology to improve image quality by reproducing contrast and detail even in difficult lighting conditions.
• Whether filming handheld or while mounted on equipment, GoPro's HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilization reduces camera motion and vibrations to provide stunningly smooth footage.
• To produce appealing time-lapse videos with natural and enticing visual effects, TimeWarp 3.0 offers dynamic speed adjustment and stabilized motion in GoPro Hero 11 Black.
• Advanced wind noise reduction on the GoPro Hero 11 Black ensures crisper audio recordings even in windy settings.
• Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless networking options are available on the camera GoPro Hero 11 Black, enabling easy content sharing and mobile app remote control.
• GoPro Hero 11 Black gives users flexibility for various shooting situations and is compatible with a wide selection of GoPro accessories, including mounts, grips, and external microphones.

What has changed in the GoPro Hero 11 Black

A few months after the release of the GoPro 10, the GoPro Hero 11 was released for the adventurous. Let's talk about the new features inside the camera first, and then we'll discuss the design and other aspects. The new 8:7 sensor for GoPro Hero 11 is the first and most noticeable upgrade. This introduces a peculiar but helpful aspect ratio for those who make videos. The GoPro Hero 11 can take photographs and videos of a higher caliber and with better composition thanks to the improved sensor. Regarding the reasoning for this aspect ratio, GoPro believes it enables you to capture more and crop it to suit your needs, whether for TikTok, Instagram, or YouTube videos.

Another benefit of the upgraded sensor is a broader field of view for more immersive films. The digital lens of the GoPro Hero 11 can deliver footage up to 16:19 for immersive viewing. In addition, the GoPro Hero 11's upgraded sensor allows for sharper and clearer 27 MP photos compared to the Hero 10's 23 MP.

The GoPro Hero 11's ability to record in 10-bit color is another notable upgrade. This is a much-needed boost for professionals who desire to further color grading. Naturally, 10-bit color offers more flexibility in color editing and correction. However, be warned that to perform the post-processing correctly, you will need a more powerful PC than usual.

The HyperSmooth 4.0 stabilization feature on the GoPro Hero 10 was hailed as a significant advancement. With the addition of HyperSmooth 5.0, Hero 11 advances the situation. When it notices shakiness, HyperSmooth cleverly zooms in. The Hero 11 does quick work of stabilizing shaky footage by zooming in.

For those who are unaware, horizon locking ensures that the horizon remains flat or balanced when the camera is tilted in different directions. Entire 360-degree Horizon Locking is now possible with the GoPro Hero 11 Black, allowing you to tilt your camera in any direction while the horizon stays constant. This way, HyperSmooth 5.0 engine improves productivity and undoubtedly aids in creating reliable videos.

The GoPro Hero 11 also includes three new night settings to enhance Time Lapse experiences in addition to these remarkable features. The stunning Star Trails feature records light trails across the sky by using the stars and the movement of the Earth. The Vehicle Light Trails feature allows you to use nighttime traffic for trails, and the Light Painting mode assists you in creating brush stroke effects with moving lights.

Design

The Hero 11 is the newest action camera from GoPro, but that doesn't imply it has any remarkable improvements in design from its previous variant. Hero 11's minimal to nonexistent design tweaks serve to confirm that. The GoPro Hero 11's exterior is almost identical, except for an 11 printed on the side. The camera has a small, rectangular shape similar to the Hero 10 camera.

It has a body that is matte black all the way around. You naturally get two screens, one for each point of view on the front and rear of the camera. The camera has the same basic design, mounting tabs, and side covers aside from that. Continuing the theme, the Hero 11 has an improved Enduro battery but has the same GP2 processor as the Hero 10 model. It was once a separate accessory but is now a part of the package. GoPro has improved the chemistry, so the battery should last longer even though the capacity is the same at 1,720 mAh.

The Hero 11 maintains its small design for portability. This allows you to easily carry the camera everywhere by slipping it into a pouch or sling bag. You can carry the Hero 11's compact profile in your backpack or tuck it inside your luggage. The Gumby mount was sufficiently portable, although carrying it can be awkward. The Hero 11 provides a few design advancements overall. But if you're buying it for the features, go right ahead.

GoPro Hero 11 Camera UI/UX

The GoPro Hero 11's user interface is substantially the same as the Hero 10's. With convenient menu buttons for everything, the overall menu design is straightforward. You have standard sliders available when you want to change FOV modes. Other choices, such as changing video modes and altering image settings, are easily accessible and arranged logically. Overall, even for beginners, the GoPro Hero 11's user interface is straightforward and uncomplicated.

When it comes to shooting, GoPro has simplified things. An entirely new Easy Mode is now available for the Hero 11. For newcomers, the change is a welcome one. Easy Mode gives customers the option of either the Highest Quality or More Battery Life. After that, the camera will change all the other settings, and you can start shooting the video, which is the most important part. Luckily, the Hero 11 camera still has a Pro Mode for professional photographers.

New Larger Sensor

The bigger 1/1.9" sensor in the GoPro Hero 11 Black offers improved performance. It is a considerable upgrade. The new sensor's ability to shoot in an 8:7 aspect ratio provides a broad viewpoint and various cropping options in post-processing. Compared to its predecessor, it additionally broadens the vertical field of view by 16%. This allows for the transition to vertical features for platforms like Instagram and TikTok while continuing to support native-width content for platforms like TV and YouTube. The camera's bigger sensor enables 27MP screen captures and introduces the HyperView immersive digital lens, which is ideal for point-of-view action images. The GoPro Hero 11 Black provides adaptability, diversity, and excellent quality when combined with the potent GP2 processor from the Hero 10.

HyperView

With the GoPro Hero 11 Black, a unique digital lens called HyperView was introduced. It uses the camera's robust sensor to capture video with a highly tall aspect ratio of 8:7. The produced video, however, is then shown in a more conventional 16:9 aspect ratio. This allows users to take pictures with a broader field of view than the standard Wide lens, which makes it perfect for taking pictures of large landscapes or gatherings of people.

It's crucial to remember that HyperView functions best when the camera is held level, and the subject is kept in the middle of the frame. There may be apparent warping or distortion at the margins of the frame, which can get worse if any adjustments are made to the camera angle or subject placement.

Slow Mo Affect

The GoPro Hero 11 Black can capture slow-motion footage at 240 frames per second (fps) at 1080p resolution. This means you may slow your footage by up to 8x, which is fantastic for recording fast-paced action.

You must pick the "Slow Motion" mode in the camera's settings to capture slow-motion footage. The frame rate that you wish to record is then yours to decide. Slow-motion video can be a terrific method to catch subtleties that might go unnoticed. For instance, you may utilize slow motion to record the flutter of a hummingbird's wings or the collision of a soccer ball with a goal.

The Enduro Battery

Compared to regular GoPro batteries, the Enduro battery provides superior performance and longer runtimes for the GoPro Hero 11 Black, even more than Hero 10 Black. It allows you to record more footage without being concerned about running out of power, thanks to a runtime of up to 40% longer in mild conditions. The battery's enhanced cold-weather performance is instrumental in chilly conditions. It is also dust- and water-proof to increase its durability and protection. The Enduro battery, which has a capacity of 1720mAh, is a dependable option for consumers looking for the best performance out of their GoPro camera. It can be purchased separately or in a package with the Hero 11 Black or Hero 10 Black.

Easy and Pro Control

On GoPro cameras, two modes let users adjust their settings: Easy and Pro Controls. You can easily select from three well-liked shooting settings using Easy Control, such as Highest Quality, Extended Battery, and Longest Battery. All the other settings are adjusted automatically based on the selected mode. You can edit your footage as you wish as Pro Control provides access to the camera's settings individually.

Easy control is a fantastic choice for a quick way to start using your GoPro camera, especially as a beginner. If you want more control over your film and the ability to adjust the settings to your taste, Pro Control is a better option.

GoPro Quik App

With the help of the free smartphone app Quik, you can edit and share your GoPro footage while on the go. The program automatically generates highlight videos using artificial intelligence. However, you can also manually edit your footage using various tools. The ability to build a private "Mural" to store your best photos is only one of the many organizing and sharing tools Quik offers.

The app is compatible with all GoPro cameras and is accessible on both iOS and Android devices. Quik is an essential app for any enthusiast of action cameras and a terrific way to quickly and easily edit your GoPro footage.

Price

The Go Pro Hero 11 Black retail price is around $399 on Amazon in the US and Rs. 50,499 in India. On the official GoPro website, an optional accessory package is also available for around $549.99 without GoPro Premium and an additional $399.99 with it. Besides, you may have a peek at the Hero 10 Black from the previous year if you're prepared to go past the "NEW" label. The GoPro Hero 10 bundle just costs around $384.99 and includes a 64GB SD Card, a dual battery charger, and an additional battery. However, given that the GoPro Hero 10 costs almost the same as the new model, it makes more sense for beginners to begin with the more recent model and test all the new capabilities.

Conclusion

After extensive testing and close examination of all the new capabilities and the product's build quality and usability, we can rate GoPro Hero 11 Black a solid 9/10. The GoPro Experience has improved steadily over time (no more freezing, yes!) and is currently one of the most pleasant cameras on the market. We also advise acquiring a GoPro cloud storage service subscription if you get the GoPro Hero 11 Black. This will help you capture and store more photos and videos and even share them conveniently on the go.