GoPro - GoPro MAX

I would avoid GoPro Hero 10 or beyond. Those are the only Hero cameras I have experience with and they're a huge PITA especially for motorcycling. It either doesn't turn on, doesn't record, or records with no audio ALL THE TIME. If you happen to notice it's not turning on, then you get to pull over, take your helmet off, unmount the camera, and fiddle with it until you figure out what's not working. Usually requiring you to remove and reinsert the battery. It's the most frustrating thing ever on a bike and I'd argue dangerous since you're preoccupied with the camera instead of your ride. I tried working with a Hero 10 and 11 for over 2 years before I swore them off forever. I recently switched to Insta360 and couldn't be happier. The Insta has literally not one time malfunctioned or not recorded when I pressed the button. I also have an old DJI Osmo Action that never had reliability issues. I would say any Osmo Action gen or the previous gen Insta360 (R One or something like that I cant' remember the name) would do the job well. If part of its job is dashcam you might also consider a 360 camera. You'll have way butter luck catching incidents with it than a regular action cam. I also have a GoPro 360 MAX camera. Unlike the Hero cameras, it's been great. It's still glitchy at times but nowhere near the regularity of the Hero cameras. It's kind long in the tooth now too so you may be able to find them on a good deal somewhere.

Whatever you do avoid GoPro Hero cameras. They are and have been riddled with reliability issues for years and it doesn't appear they care to fix it. The MAX 360 for whatever reason doesn't seem to be affected and has been a good camera for me but, I will never give GoPro another dime of my money because of their arguably criminal neglect of Hero cameras. I've been running an Insta360 Ace Pro for about 6 months now. It's never once crapped out on me. Turns on and starts filming every time I press the button which is much more than I can say for Hero cameras. It's never overheated (it gets pretty hot and humid in the summer where I live) and has comparable battery life to the GoPro Heroes I've used with the Enduro battery. That's not to say Insta360 is perfect by any means. They've had internal moisture issues with the new Ace Pro 2. I've also heard great things about the DJI Osmo Action cameras. I still have an original Osmo Action and it worked great. I haven't used it in a long time though and I have no fist hand experience with the newer models. I would love to test how the DJI wireless mic integration works on the new models though and have been considering picking one up for that alone. Another thing to consider is a 360 camera. They provide the most flexibility by far. You can make "360" style videos or you can crop in the POV so that it looks like a normal action camera. If you're on a budget and can only have one camera I'd probably go the 360 route.

GoPro 360 max. Update the firmware with GoPro labs beta and bump up the bitrate to 90. It helps provide better reads for plates. I’m still playing with different bitrates to see what is better and in what light conditions. I’ve also found if I upload a video into a Chatbot it does an okay job helping to extract plates. It’s hard though when the sun is on the horizon hitting me from the side when being passed. But that isn’t often. Extreme battery that it comes with is fine. I get about an hour on 360. Haven’t tried it in winter yet so we will see. I mount my 360 on my helmet. Tried handlebars and it’s not as good for a full 360. Haven’t mounted on a bar on the back but it’s something I’m pondering (less likely to forget about camera on my head).

Well the 360 would make sense when surfing, however under water footage will suck. For these purpose anything from the Hero 10 would get you there. The 8:7 ratio would help framing your shot on the surfboard, so I'd recommend going for the 12 or 13.

Picked it up on preorder right away. I have a scratched Max 1. I wonder if they’ll warranty replace with a max 2 now

Wow. I am willing to bet you’ve never done a side by side comparison or gopro, insta360, and dji. It has NOTHING to do with influencers. It has to do with GoPro quality and functionality compared to the their competitors. I started on GoPros with a Hero Session 4 (small cube camera). I loved it. After a while i bought GoPro 8. The resolution was an upgrade and still enjoyed using it. But cracks started appearing in my enjoyment. Battery life was horrible. I had to buy 3 extra batteries (off brand) with a charging case that allowed “action” with my action camera. The chargers that come with GoPro dont allow that. Overheating was also an issue. Then i got a GoPro 10. I used both together to get varying shots like outside car / inside car simultaneously. The 10 would shut off automatically when i placed it on the bumper of my car. Still have idea why. Its an action camera, it shouldn’t do that. Overheating on the 10 is WAY worse. And battery life is terrible. Bought 3 more (off brand) batteries with same “action” charger. Then i bought a Max 360. Absolute trash. The color was horrible. The bit depth was so bad a blue sky looked like it was “printed” from a 1990s printer. I used it for like 6 months then sold it. Since i bought that 360, they have been “announcing” a new 360 for over 5 years. Still hasn’t happened and the competition has not only come out with better 360 cams, but taken the market lead away from GoPro. About 7 yrs after buying my GoPro 8 the 2 batteries that came with it failed. They deformed and expanded out of their case. One was in the camera at the time and luckily i was able to get it out before it caused damage. Now 4 yrs after buying GP10, one of the original batteries deformed. Now I stopped using the ones that came with it and have 2 enduro batteries and 3 of the off brand (Telesin) batteries. So my love of GoPro has gone from a high point to ultra low because of the companies lack of quality(overheating, bad batteries, etc), and not keeping up with the competition.

That’s what I was confused about. The Max 1 came with lens protectors. I used them exactly one time because of the artifacts you’re describing here.

I love my X4 and i've had no issues whatsoever. Its definitely not the same quality as my Ace Pro 2 but it's still quite impressive as a 360 camera. I also had the gopro max for 5 years and also the X3 for a while, and the X4 is simply so much better than them both. The ability to zoom in on subjects in 8k is also much better than the X3. i've been more than happy with my battery life. Although I generally turn it on and off as needed and am not running it for hours at a time. i did pick up a spare battery but rarely use it... just my two cents.

I like it much for skydiving for its form factor. I assume DJI one is similar, but I had Max 1 for so long, gonna be an easy switch to Max 2. I also have X4 just to fool around

Yeah. Hero 10 has an issue that after charging it might end up with red light, and you have to remove battery. And yes. I did have issue with Max not recording as well. As I understand Max will record POV and 360 at the same time. Which is nice. But at this point, I don’t really care if it will not record one jump. Other people will have videos as well. Usually jump in the groups.

The hero 11 when i had it before always worked and the quality was awesome. Concrete cooked mine so i got a max 360

I don’t have answers to all your questions since I only own the Max 1, but my recommendation would be to just try it out yourself. If you’re ordering from Amazon, their return policy is really good. Also, I’ve noticed that a lot of YouTube reviews these days feel more like paid ads than genuine opinions kind of like modern-day billboards for companies.

I can't believe the sensor size is still the same as the ancient original Max. Big disappointment...

I use my max 1 for car footage on track. Is the max 2 that much better than the max 1?

Ja ich! Ich wette die Fanboys werden meinen Bericht nicht mögen aber ich habe die Max 1 geliebt und mir meine Videos der Max 2 leider auf einem 65 Zoll TV angeschaut. Hier mein Erfahrungsbericht: https://www.jens360.com/post/gopro-max-2-die-gopro-max-2-ist-ein-desaster

As others said any GoPro from 11-13 (I would even say starting with Gpro 9) would work. I would also recommend the gorpox Max (360) great for something like shark cage where you can re-fesme the video later....just keep in mind 360 is a pia dealing with file sizes and whatever you do don't scratch the lenses

Upgrading from GoPro Max 😅

I've had * Hero 3 White * Hero 4 Silver * Hero 7 Black * Max (1) * Hero 12 Black and I still have all but the 3 white. The 3 white was the only 'bad' one I think, one where the camera really didn't live up to the hype for me and hence I upgraded quite quickly. As for my favourite? In the context of when they came out the 7 felt the most incredible, it really was a big jump with the stabilisation. But I probably shot most of my coolest footage on either the 4 Silver or the Max, just because of the time in my life I was using them and the novelty of 360 footage at the time.

The x5 doesn't shoot in real 8k,though, and isn't much better than the Max in video quality in the end result. So I've stayed with my max. But hope a max2 might move the needle.

I'm feeling pretty good. The weather's nice. My commute was better than average. Oh the GoPro Max 2? Preordered 2 days ago. Honestly even if it's exactly the same quality as my GoPro Max, the durable and replaceable external lenses pushed me over the edge. The prior Max would scratch if you looked at it funny and then you had to do the replacement process. I'm expecting the footage will look better than the original Max, I'm just saying even if it was the same it'd be worth half it's price just to not have to replace the whole camera every time it's accidentally set down without covers. We'll see how much better the 8k is than the 4k, might be great. Any increase in resolution will be nice for reframing. Because I'm on Gopro's $49/yr subscription, I got $100 off. The subscription's a great thing for that discount and more importantly the fact that I can set the cameras to upload their footage to the cloud and then clear their memory card. It's a nice set-and-forget process that just happens when I plug the camera in to charge. I run [this command](https://github.com/dustin/gopro) periodically on my computer to download all the footage from the cloud so I have a local copy. As far as I know the DJI and Insta do not have this kind of auto-upload-and-clear feature (I could be wrong). Nothing in the review videos I've seen so far pushed me to break out of that ecosystem, and GoPro is good about not overhyping their camera's specs or quality. I like shooting 10-bit log at high-bitrate on the Heroes, and will continue that practice with the labs firmware.

Correction, it is just the max. Not max 2. Max 2 has not come out yet.

As a fellow snowboarder, for snowboarding gopro max is way better, but make sure you are comfortable snowboarding with a selfie stick because that is where the max’ strength/best view is. There is more post production work required with 360, but the video you can make are leaps and bounds better/easier than anything on a regular gopro attached to a head or chest or wrist or even a selfie stick.

Depends what you will do. If scuba diving, you need to make sure to use a non 360. Other activities you can use a 360/gopro max.

The Max will get everything happening around you rather than only when it’s pointed at. An Insta360 will do the same. New Max coming soon.

I second this about GoPro. I so regret buying a GoPro max a few years ago. I am technically inclined, and I have spent DAYS of my life trying to get GoPro files to play nice with other software. Not. Worth. It. If I was going to buy another one, it would be the new insta360x4

If you just want a 2d video, you're fine with GoPro. I was referring more to the 360 videos and telemetry data. Getting a 360 video to be editable in another program is almost impossible. And extracting the telemetry data (speed, acceleration, gps, lean angle, etc). There is a guy from Spain I think who sells a few programs, all for several hundred each, to extract the data.

I will say that trying to get Gopros to work for me has been one of the most frustrating experiences of my life. Essentially, GoPro is like Windows. Nothing works, its buggy as hell, and essential feature are limited. I fly an airplane and I have been trying to implement a safe way to record onto multiple gopros. Everytime I come up with a solution after hours of thinking, it turns out to be not possible. My current failed solution is to use GoPro labs to set the cameras to power trigger on and off with usb. Set duration to 5m and have a relay set to 5.5m that powers the cameras off. The 5m video will save and I will just loose the 30sec video which is fine. I will then be able to record in 5m increments which is exactly what I want. However, this does not work on the Max. It only works on every other GoPro model since 8. On the Max the only way to set a duration is to schedule a time (Go Pro thinks this give the same result as setting a duration - did I mention Microsoft-like stupidity in decision making?). I have no idea what time I may want to record so the Max's scheduled duration is useless to me, and really just kind of a dumb feature. I could get the Remote just for the Max, but then I am fiddling with more than just one switch while I am flying. I also can't repair cameras with the Remote - it only reconnects to the one camera when powered back on and I cannot get out of the plane in mid air to repair everything. Dash cams lack stabalization so that will also not work. Insane that there is no solution as I am sure others are trying what I am. Motorcyclist have the same need to pair multiple cams. Airplanes however, will not work via wifi given all the interference. It has to be wired in most cases. The only option is to fiddle with GoPros while flying and there are more and more plane crashes as a result of this. FlyGirl is likely one who was fiddling with her cameras before crashing and killing her and her father, among others. I imagine GoPros moronic decision to make multi-cam use impossible(it can only re-pair with one camera) has also killed a few motorcyclists. Go Pro software is buggy garbage and their decision making horrendous. DJI or Insta, both have more solid software and better touchscreens, will hopefully give consumers all that they want. We just have to wait. For some reason no one sees multi-cam usage as being a need but I gaurantee you the demand is only going to grow. GoPro sucks!

I'm really waiting to see that low light performance compared to the Insta. As a year round bike commuter using the Max as a dashcam, people in cars still try to kill me when it's dark during my commute, they aren't compassionate enough to wait for summer. That makes resolving details a lot harder October through March.

Yeah I think my mix paralysis has more to do with my own mental dispositions than a general state of things. I'm on GoPro Max and I've heard that Insta's tools are better.

Well count me as another vote against GoPro Max. My personal experience is that it's an inferior device.

Unfortunately i bought an x4 just before the x5 came out. It is still within the return window. Should I return it and get the x5 for $150 more? Prior to the x4 i was using a gopro max and the main reason I changed to x4 was battery life and easier editing workflow. I have been pleased in both regards.

360 history so far has been Max, X3, X4 and X5. Really liking X5 and find I am using it for more than just running biking and hiking, which is my usual 360 usage. If I did not have X5 I would seriously consider Max 2, generally trust GoPro more than other brands for color science and reliability. I don’t see any significant benefits for Max2 over X5 and one major downside (wireless mic integration for X5 is excellent). Max 2 will appeal to loyal GoPro users who are either upgrading from Max or are jumping on 360 for the first time. I am a loyal GoPro user but moved to Insta360 for 360 cameras when X4 came out, after that X5 stepped up the performance considerably over the original GoPro Max. So for now I’ll watch from the sidelines.

my max is incredible and i’m a moron — the stabilization is incredible and for live music (i’m usually filming myself from the ground in wide or super wide ) and it’s the coolest coolest footage — plus the microphones do a pretty great job

A 14 won’t be out this year. And likely not until at least Spring. If you need it, just get the Max.

I've had a GoPro Hero 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, and 10, as well as the Max. I've go over 2,000 skydives with GoPros on my helmet, including world records and jumps into the Blue Hole in Belize. I've taken them to every continent (including Antarctica) for running and scuba diving and overall travel. So I use GoPros a lot, and I use them in environments that are pretty tough on them. One thing that's been annoying is the heavy push to GoPro subscription. Their cloud storage is just awful. The money is better spent on something like Dropbox or Box. Their software has been pretty terrible too. Hardware wise, they've been hit or miss. Sometimes it's software, sometimes it's hardware. They can corrupt video files, do a weird "gets hot after charging and locks up so that you have to pull the batteries", they can stop mid recording. All of that with the proper recommended cards. Some have just been lemons, probably a bad solder or heatsink contact. Sometimes it's fixed in a firmware upgrade. They're notorious in the skydiving community. "Did you get it?" "No, it stopped recording 5 seconds in." "It froze up". That kind of thing. Not all the time, not even frequent, but enough that it's annoying. And each model seems to have their own little quirks. My Hero 7 and 10 has been solid for the most part. My 9.. not as much. My Max is a piece of shit. My next 360 camera will absolutely not be a Max, and probably won't be whatever they come out with next. My next action camera probably won't be a GoPro.

My Max wasn't the most reliable thing. Sometimes it would lock up while off, so pressing the button to record wouldn't do anything, I would have to pull the battery to reset it. It would also do the same "charging crash" my Hero 10 does sometimes, where it would get really hot and drain while plugged in instead of charge, and I'd have to pull the battery again. More than one skydive I've not recorded because of that on the Max. I just stopped using it for most jumps (than and dealing with the footage was a pain).

There are some jumps I just really want to have, like special jumps, world records, that kind of thing. It's hard to trust the Max. I did recently do a jet jump out of Perris DC-9 and it worked OK.

I've got a bunch of other cameras in my life, and the GoPros are the only ones where when I press the record button, I'm not sure it'll actually do anything.

If it’s your first action camera, I typically recommend a regular action camera ( not a 360 camera) Most people will find the editing process and the quality of the 360 camera to be a pain, where as a regular action camera is just easier to use and much higher resolution. If you really need a specific 360 type shot, then maybe it’s worth the effort. I think 360 cameras are good additions if you already have a regular action camera and people seem to like the insta 360 x4. I have the GoPro max and it’s fine but I still use my GoPro 12 way more

I have the GoPro Max since many years and love it. The Inta360 options are all objectively better performing, but there's a couple reasons why I'm never changing to Insta360: - The GoPro is just cheaper: Buy it directly from GoPro and you get a pretty big discount with their annual subscription. - If I destroy my GoPro (as long as I don't lose it), I can have it replaced for 100 bucks. - The protective lenses for the GoPro, while crap quality compared to the Insta360 ones, are also very cheap. - With the quite cheap annual subscription, I can store unlimited video in the GoPro cloud (I've already got terabytes upon terabytes on there, it would cost a fortune to store that any other way). I'm just waiting for the damned GoPro Max 2 that is FINALLY supposedly supposed to release this year.

The Max has been VERY good to me over the years

I’ve had mine for a couple weeks and have had no issues. Recorded from full battery until 0% with no heat issues (was on a motorcycle) picture is great. I’ve had the original Max for years, so pretty used to the workflow. I closely looked at all 3 current 360 cams and I think the Max 2 is the best

Was hoping more from GoPro. Was expecting good low light capability as I shoot primarily in dark environments. I switched from the original GoPro Max to X5 and the experience has been great, full editing features in mobile and desktop app with no paywall. Still staying with Insta360 for now.

I don't think insta 360 makes good cameras. I just like that form factor. My first GoPro was the session. It wasn't the best camera but my Hero 12 and Max don't fill what it could.

I recently used my GoPro Max while fly fishing, it's nice to get the 360 view and different angles of the river, shore, fisherman and if fishing becomes catching the camera is always pointed in the right direction. Not a fan of the editing process though.

I only have the Max, Max 2 is the new one. Mine does 360 and standard video. It mounts the same way as all GoPro cameras, so a mount kit has a lot of different options. I use a lot of sticky mounts for mountain biking and skiing, but also a chest mount. One that may work the best would be the bar mount-I use it on handle bars, seat posts and ski poles-it would easily mount on a fishing rod.

GoPro 360 works fine mounted 5’ up my lines

I loved my fusion, I like the 360 but I feel the fusion had better quality