HERO 11 Review Best for underwater shooting
GoPro has just announced its latest model, the HERO 11 Black. The ever-popular action camera manufacturer has bought some significant upgrades over previous models with new aspect ratios, an all-new sensor, and a heavier focus on social media sharing – especially on short-form video platforms for TikTok and Instagram’s reels feed.
It comes in two sizes, the regular HERO 11 Black size and the HERO 11 Black Mini.
We’re going to take a look at all of these new features and discuss whether the GoPro HERO 11 Black is a worthy upgrade from the HERO 10 and how suitable it is as an addition to a regular camera or if it could even replace a regular camera in certain situations.
Go Pro 11 Review
Quick Specs
- 27MP
- 5.3K60 / 4K120
- Digital Lenses: Hyperview, Superview, Wide, Linear & Linear+Horizon Lock
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9, 4:3, 8:7
- In-camera horizon lock
- Hypersmooth video stabilization
- H.265 (HEVC) video file format
- 10-bit HEVC
- Up to 120 MBPS
- 8x slow-mo at 2.7K
- Up to 2x touch zoom (GoPro HERO 11 Black only)
- Looping video (GoPro HERO 11 Black only)
New Sensor
One of the biggest changes from the HERO 10 to the HERO 11 is the new sensor. It’s a type 1/1.9 8×7 (6.4 x 5.6) sensor, which means an almost square aspect ratio, a significant change for a camera known for its wide-angle aesthetics.
This change is because the 8:7 aspect ratio allows for photos and videos to be cropped into a vertical video, maintaining a tall, full-height image that gives you the full range on the top and bottom.
You can, of course, use more traditional aspect ratios like 16:9 and 4:3 if you prefer to stick to what you know with the GoPro HERO 11.
Aspect Ratios
If you shoot in the 16:9 aspect ratio, you get three different fields of view, or “digital lenses”, as GoPro calls them. First, you get the regular “wide” field of view, then “superview”, and finally “hyperview”.
The “wide” field of view is very similar to the field of view in most other GoPros. A great all-around versatile mode for capturing actions.
The “superview” mode makes use of the new sensor and the additional range on the top and bottom of the frame to give you a wide-angle shot, but with more on the top and bottom.
“Hyperview” is a new, very wide angle that uses the sensor’s full height and squashes it down into a 16:9 aspect ratio making shots look incredibly wide and allowing you to get as much in the frame as possible.
Video Quality and Stabilization
The 5.3K60 video footage is as sharp and detailed as you’d expect from a GoPro.
You can shoot high-quality videos with the HERO 11 Black. In 4K120, the footage retains a lot of its sharpness but can be slowed down to get that smooth slow-mo 120fps that we all know and love.
It’s important to note, that higher resolutions and frame rates (like 5.3K/60p) use a codec that may not be readable by some computers.
If you find your footage to look pixelated straight out of the camera, you’ll want to re-export it in H.264.
The stabilization is where the GoPro really shines and stands out above its competitors.
With Hypersmooth video stabilization turned on, you can easily strap the camera to a helmet or chest strap and run or bike along rough ground and get super smooth footage.
Horizon Lock
GoPros have had a horizon-level feature in them for a while now. It helps keep the horizon level when the camera is moving around a little.
It does a good job, but is limited in its effectiveness when you begin moving the camera around a lot.
The all-new horizon lock on the GoPro HERO 11 literally locks the horizon in place, even if you rotate the camera 360 degrees.
It’s like having it attached to a gimbal that can rotate 360 degrees; the picture stays the right way up perfectly.
This is possible thanks again to the new, almost square sensor, which enables it to retain the same aspect ratio regardless of its orientation.
This could turn out to be one of the HERO 11’s biggest selling points.
GoPro HERO 11 Black for Underwater Video
The GoPro HERO 11 is waterproof up to 33ft/10m (both the HERO 11 regular and mini) straight out of the box, which is great for snorkeling and other watersports or situations where you expect the camera to get wet.
There’s no need for an additional housing if you’re not planning on going deeper than 33ft./10m.
However, if you plan to dive deeper than 33ft./10m with the GoPro HERO 11, there will undoubtedly be plenty of underwater housings to choose from once the camera is released in late October.
There is even the possibility that HERO 10 housings will be compatible with this new release since the body size and shape are largely the same as its predecessor.
In fact, the initial reports we have from our customers suggest that Hero11 Black cameras are compatible in HERO10 Black housings.
The HERO 11 can capture stunning underwater video that competes with anything big rig setups can do, especially considering the price point.
The action cameras have gotten so good that Bluewater Travel has been running dedicated GoPro video and photo workshops which have been a massive success.
While stabilization isn’t as important underwater as it is topside, being able to shoot 120fps means you can slow your footage down and get that cinematic feeling which is an excellent way to capture underwater footage.
Or, if you want to slow your footage down even more, the 2.7K/240P mode lets you do so and still captures an incredible amount of detail and retains a lot of sharpness.
GoPro QR Codes from Bluewater Photo
GoPros are great compact underwater cameras. As we’ve already mentioned, you can get high-quality photos and videos from them, but the downside is that you can’t access the settings while underwater because of the touch screen.
To solve this issue, Bluewater Photo now has QR codes in stock that allow you to hold them in front of the camera to change to one of the pre-made video settings. Click here to check out the new GoPro QR codes
More Reading –
3 Tips for GoPro Underwater Video
The GoPro HERO7 is one of the most popular cameras for shooting underwater video. Compact size, incredible resolution, a variety of framerates, an LCD display, and an affordable price in relation to other video systems have all helped GoPro earn this position in the market.
GoPro Hero cameras can shoot macro, wide-angle, and anything in between, and can be used in ambient light, with underwater filters, or with video lights.
This versatility makes the GoPro a great option as a primary video tool or as an accessory to larger, more manual video systems.
In this tutorial we take a look at three tips for improving your underwater video in-camera, no matter which GoPro model you’re shooting.
If you are knew to the GoPro, be sure to check out our beginner’s guide to GoPro underwater video.
These tips will help you shoot with the Paralenz Dive Camera as well.
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1. Keep Steady
The concept seems simple, but it’s very easy to forget that we’re filming video during the most exciting moments underwater. Because the GoPro has such a wide field of view and automatic settings, divers often take for granted that we’ll get the subject in the frame and lose focus on the fact that we are trying to record the best video clip possible.
This is totally fine for casual videographers, but a serious video shooter will remain cognizant of the final product they want from their GoPro, remaining as steady as possible to produce a well-composed and shake-free video clip.
Yes, this concentration on keeping the camera steady takes away from the experience with the subject, but this is the tradeoff as a beginner.
Experienced videographers will slowly learn to blend their experience with the animal and capturing exceptional video into one seemless process.
One trick to recording steady GoPro footage is to use a wide GoPro tray and handle setup. I have often dived with the rig below on my BCD to shoot video in between DSLR still photos.
This is my tray and handle setup, cobbled together from Ultralight Control Systems components. Having a wide rig keeps the camera much more stable in the water.
Stay Tuned
