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OFFICIAL: GoPro Hero 4 Thread

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GoPro has officially revealed its latest addition to the Hero series, with the GoPro Hero 4 set to be released on October 5. The new model will come in three different varieties; the top-of-the-range Black version, mid-range Silver version and the stock standard Hero 4 version.

NEW SPECS AND FEATURES

GoPro Hero 4 — Black

At the top end is the Hero4 Black edition. At $639, it’s the most expensive piece of hardware in the new line-up, but also the most serious. It shoots 4K video at 30 frames per second—the previous-generation GoPro Hero3+ Black could also do 4K, but only at 15fps. Dial it back to 1080p, and the GoPro Black can shoot at 120fps, so you can savor the memories of your near-death experience in buttery smooth slow motion. It has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for connecting to a phone or a GoPro remote, and GoPro says its new audio capture system will deliver better quality than the Hero3+ Black—that is, if it’s not wrapped in the waterproof case, in which case it’s still limited to clicks and rumbles.

GoPro Hero 4 — Silver

Taking one step down, the $509 Hero 4 Silver maxes out at 1080p resolution at 60fps, but offers something that’s more useful to the average user: a built-in touchscreen display. This makes framing and reviewing shots much easier, where once viewability was only achievable by buying extra accessories or pairing the camera to a phone. While it lacks the extensive image quality of its superior model, the Silver version is expected to appeal to the average action-adventure audience.

Standard Hero 4

The newest “cheap” camera from the company is simply called the Hero. It maxes out at 1080p resolution at 30fps, and if you want to shoot in 60fps, you can only do so at 720p resolution. Also, it only shoots 5-megapixel stills. However, it’s cheap—only $169. It works with all of your existing GoPro mounts, remotes, and accessories, and like the other cameras from the company, it’s waterproof and tiny. It would make a great starter camera for a kid, a back-up camera for pros, or just an awesome POV camera for people who can’t spend as much.

As customary with a new GoPro release, the company has focused on increasing the general image quality achieved and further enhancements have been made on ensuring better quality in low-light.

PRICING

GoPro Hero 4 Black — $639.00 AUD
GoPro Hero 4 Silver — $509.00 AUD
GoPro Hero 4 Standard — $169.00 AUD

 
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I like the little button on the side that lets you flag interesting bits while you’re shooting them to speed up editing later.

 
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I like everything about it… Except for one… The price..
but video quality, and framerates at x resolution blow other camera’s out of the water. so I guess you get what you pay for. I’ll have to pick one up in a year or so when it’s cheaper and I can justify it cost wise over my little sony HDR 30V

 
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iamaperson - 30 September 2014 10:42 PM

I like everything about it… Except for one… The price..
but video quality, and framerates at x resolution blow other camera’s out of the water. so I guess you get what you pay for. I’ll have to pick one up in a year or so when it’s cheaper and I can justify it cost wise over my little sony HDR 30V

I assume you are talking about the Black?  What a bummer they didn’t put the touch screen on it.  Maybe that would have killed the battery too fast?  Will be interesting to see what sort of street prices we can get.

 
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iamaperson - 30 September 2014 10:42 PM

and framerates at x resolution blow other camera’s out of the water.

Do you really need this?

 
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ozgirl - 01 October 2014 12:15 PM
iamaperson - 30 September 2014 10:42 PM

and framerates at x resolution blow other camera’s out of the water.

Do you really need this?

1080p at 120 fps is very nice for slo-mo.  I find myself using a lot of slo-mo, even in my crappy family snow holiday videos.  Being able to do 30fps at 4k is also nice, but a few years before most of us punters would really be wanting it.  It kinda seems like they’re positioning the Black as a pro or pro-sumer device.

 
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Your vids (with slow-mo are fine!)

 
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ozgirl - 01 October 2014 12:42 PM

Your vids (with slow-mo are fine!)

maybe I should get one of these, then?

Polaroid Cube

 
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Sqeeeeeellllllllll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 
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mm yea I suppose that most of the new features are more aimed at pro’s like shredbots so they can make things like this:


but even better

the 4k 30FPS draws me in, because it seems really cool, but then again I don’t actually know anyone that has a 4k monitor, adn well 4k recording is pointless on a non 4k display… maybe in a few years it’ll be cool (SD cards will be bigger by then too, which will be handy considering 4k video uses over 1 Gig a minute as far as I can tell, I’m sure gopro has some fancy compression to briong it down a touch but, It can’t be kind on the SD cards still)

 
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iamaperson - 01 October 2014 08:28 PM

the 4k 30FPS draws me in, because it seems really cool, but then again I don’t actually know anyone that has a 4k monitor, adn well 4k recording is pointless on a non 4k display… maybe in a few years it’ll be cool (SD cards will be bigger by then too, which will be handy considering 4k video uses over 1 Gig a minute as far as I can tell, I’m sure gopro has some fancy compression to briong it down a touch but, It can’t be kind on the SD cards still)

The way I see it, it’s usually pointless in outputting any 4k edits if you’re only releasing them on the web.

If you’re editing for a 1080p vid though, I think 4K is really nice and crisp once you’ve downscaled it in your editing program. So it has benefits there, but it also gives an editor some really nice flexibility with adjusting composition and framing by zooming or cropping the video in post without getting that pixelation / quality loss.
So you can really get creative with the shots you film, rather than having the whole edit in wide-angle.
I think it’s worth it just in that sense, as well as that buttery 1080p @120 fps!

 

 
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-Editing 4K video-

Ask yourself what computer/software can handle 4K?
To begin; you will need speed and capacity.
eg: MacPro internal SSD will handle 4K but only hold about 1min of 4K video (not MacBook Pro) MacPro price starts at $4,000 - but to edit 4K video you would purchase the $12,000 model.

External storage;
Big SSD’s would be the answer or network drives (on a high speed connection). You will need very deep pockets!
I guess you would have deep pockets anyway if you’re interested in 4K because you must already own own a 4K monitor to view it.
A 4K monitor that is BIG -not some 28” wanna be- I’m talkin +100” Seriously this is 4K we are talkin about!

There are so many other issues with 4K like Hz rate, colouration, scaling… 4K has many bugs to be sorted out before it’s useful.

GoPro Black is ABSOLUTELY made for pro users and nobody else.

Needless to say many prosumers and consumers will get swept up in the hype and buy GPblack anyway.


I doubt GoPro actually shoots true 4K; the wholesale price of a 4K image sensor (on it’s own) is above the price of GoProblack.

 
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Urn I call bulshit… On everything you said

 
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trolling much??