GoPro has officially announced the new Hero 7 line of cameras, coming in White, Silver, and Black variants. They go on sale next week on the 27th of September and are available for $199, $299, and $399, respectively. With the Hero 7 Black being the highest end variant, powered by the custom GoPro processor, it features 4k Video capture at up to 60 frames per second, super slow motion and a host of new features like live streaming, a hyperlapse mode and all new digital image stabilization that you have to see to believe.
Like their predecessors they are all waterproof, have voice control and have touchscreen control LCD’s and can automatically back up footage via WI-FI to GoPro’s Cloud based subscription service.
The top end Hero 7 Black bears many similarities visually to its predecessors, the, the rubbery black exterior now has the name tag emblazoned on the side. The User interface has seen some new tweaks but is largely similar to anyone who has used a Hero 6 or Hero 6 Black. Thanks to being the exact same dimensions as their predecessors the Hero 7 lineup is fully compatible with older mounts and accessories, they even use the same batteries too.
The Hero 7 Black also has top-of-the-line specs. It shoots 4K video at up to 60 frames per second, 2.7K at up to 120 fps, and 1080p video at up to 240 fps. It captures 12-megapixel photos, with the option to shoot in RAW. It has Wi-Fi, GPS, face/smile and scene detection, and can filter out wind noise.
Hypersmooth takes that electronic stabilization — which, simply put, is performed by cropping in slightly on the image and warping the edges to compensate for shake — and builds on it by using GP1, the extra RAM, and the camera’s internal sensors to make real-time predictions about how the camera is about to move.
The two cheaper options, Silver and White, aren’t as capable, and they don’t use the GP1 chip. They also have integrated batteries
The Hero 7 Silver is relatively similar to last year’s Hero 6 Black, with the ability to shoot 4K video at 30 fps and 10-megapixel photos. It has limited slow-motion abilities, though, topping out at 60 fps overall. The Hero 7 White is even more limited; it maxes out at 1440p.
All the new cameras can shoot and store vertical photos and videos, a clear attempt to encourage users to work GoPro into their Instagram routines. It’s the same with a new “short clips” feature, which lets users cap videos at 15 or 30 seconds. The interfaces have also been streamlined. The biggest change is the ability to swipe left and right to switch between shooting modes.
