GoPro - HERO7 Black

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.

Reliability, price to performance proposition. At first when I got the Hero 7 Black, I thought the same. Great image, great stabilization, set your expectations correctly and it will do the job it was designed for. . .and then the over heating, cpuffy batteries, app connectivity problems, features missing from previous iterations, glitchy cameras turning off randomly, not recording or saving the file, freezing, very expensive and inferior two 35

I think the way to look at it, is that GoPro was so far ahead for so long, there was no real competition for them for over a decade. Even DJI had GoPro mounts built in when the Phantom 1 came along. Historically, GoPro perfected their 1080P then moved to 2.7k on the Hero 3 Black. They had the best 4k on the Hero 4 Black. Then they made the whole camera waterproof and added the built in touchscreen on the Hero 5 Black, then they went 4k 60 with moderate stabilization on the Hero 6 black, built a tiny camera on the Session 4 and 5. With the Hero 7 black, they finally got stabilization in camera that started to compete with 3 axis gimbals. On the 8 they had the mount built in so you didn't have to have a frame and changed to a larger form factor with the Hero 9 black and got resolution to 5.3k. They perfected features like Timewarp and Hyperlapse where all the work was done in camera instead of post. They made GoPro labs available for most of their cameras and gave amazing levels of customization that no other cameras have even to this day. Then they really started to stagnate and features were more incremental and evolutionary rather than revolutionary. Sure they had the 8:7 sensor and got video resolution up to 24.7 megapixels, but they still use a tiny sensor and low light performance is still very bad. They also had to deal with the rise of DJI and Insta360 who started to release competing products. Dji matched 10 bit the same year as GoPro, The Action 5 and Ace Pro 2 use much larger sensors and do much better in low light. GoPro was late to the party with magnetic mounting systems and Insta360 even put 8k into their Ace Pro versions. Insta360 has the Ace Pro Line, their Go series mini camera and even had the modular R series which could be an action cam or a 360 camera. In the time since GoPro released the Max, Insta360 has released 5 consumer grade 360 cameras that get better each year and now do 8k. We have no idea when the Max 2 will be released. GoPro stock is hovering around 50 cents a share and the market cap of the entire company is only 75 million dollars. It used to be almost 11 billion dollars, so it is 145 times smaller than it was shortly after the company went public. They have had to lay off staff and that has a huge impact on R&D. They are clearly falling behind competitors with no real path forward. Depending on which site you listen to, they rate the probability of bankruptcy at 33 to 62% in the next 24 months. That is not the sign of a healthy company. They botched the launch of their Karma drone and ceded that potential marketplace to DJI in the process. The reality is that the DJI and Insta360 cameras do a lot of things better and much easier. Low light is a real thing for a lot of people and the Action 5 and Ace Pro do a very good job in the space and GoPro isn't on the same playing field. I love the new GoPro lens system, but I am an advanced user and have been using ND filters, Anamorphic lenses, and macro lenses for years with the GoPro. The new anamorphic lens is great because it does the desqueeze of your footage automatically in camera. What is annoying is that they announced the lens in September of 2024 and I was finally able to get it 7 months later. GoPro is a great camera, but for many people who never touch labs, don't care about 10 bit or color grading, never do reframing 8:7, like to shoot in lower light conditions, or won't spend the $129 on an anamorphic lens, the GoPro is not really the camera for them. Insta360 are releasing much better cameras each year and GoPro is falling further behind. I really want GoPro to come back strong, but I fear they don't have the finances to compete unless they have an absolutely amazing technical breakthrough in the action camera space.

I wouldn't necessarily say hate. But I'd switch to DJI I think when I need a new one. My gopro's have always been buggy, the app sucks and never connects and I had a waterproof one die on me and somehow leak. So I don't trust them being waterproof. DJI seems better in low light and I kind of preffered the image. Though saying that I saw a blind test of gopro, dji and Insta360, and surprisingly I still liked the gopro image a tiny bit more. But for being consistently buggy (freezing up, randomly shutting down - always at the worst moments) I'd rather swap and try out a different brand at least for the next one. But Gopro's don't seem to have had any major upgrades in a while. I still have my 7 and 9.

Objectively the 7th gen gopro looks better. But that makes sense. Less distortion and the GoPro is able to utilize its full resolution for the image. I’m not sure if action mode means single lens mode, but by the images you provided I wouldn’t say the X5 is better. The edges of the X5 image is incredibly soft. A bit disappointing considering that GoPro is now up to the hero 13 and releasing the hero 14 this September (2025). I still think insta360 is the leader in consumer 360 products. But if you’re not interested in reframing a standard action camera will always perform better.

You are supposed to remove the front lens cover from the GoPro when you put it into the waterproof housing. It’s not going to fit if you don’t remove that. If you are looking at the GoPro from the front, twist the square lens cap cover hard to the left. It should unscrew off. Then it will fit inside of the housing. At least, that’s how it works on my hero seven black. Source: I’ve used a hero 7 black for many years

Please don't buy a cheap camera, if you can find a second hand GoPro for around 100 I'd recommend the Hero 7 Black, its still an awesome camera and you might find one within your budget.

I'm tired of gopro 7 freezing It's time for something new. What would you choose? I'm wondering about insta 360 x4/x5 or Dji action 5 pro

I really like the roughness of the video without stabilization. Gopro 7 black 👇 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqhUueecWwM](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DqhUueecWwM) It's quite a small thing that Insta360 go 3s. Hmm...

Gopro 7 black edition is the sweet spot, good stabilisation, 4k, and a screen built in. Nothing needed after that. They were bound to be doomed, unless free edit features , cloud etc.

Newer gopros have horizon stabilisation. A 360cam would fit your need, but kinda sacrifices the durability. What resolution/framerate are you running for it to overheat? I run my 7black in a diving case with some holes drilled for ventilation, and charge it with a usbc powerbank on a loooong cable. Also a good sd card would help with overheating a bit. And that thing never overheated, even outdoor in sun (for a while, when i overheat the cam would too).

Most of action cam users will still use their phones for recording and night time photography and let's be honest, it's not something you normally carry with you 24/7 and rather use it on particular occasions. I still have my GoPro 7 black used occasionally until I bought insta X4. This thing covers me for me the next 5+ years snowboarding, bike riding etc. There's no real NEED to upgrade each year guys. There's only WANT.

I’m in the U.S. I’m currently bidding on a Hero 7 black on eBay for $70. I have a cheaper action camera but it’s not great. It’ll get us by but it’s not very reliable.

Certainly which i own, 7 black one

I use a 7 black and it’s never overheated in the dive case. Buy what you can still afford after buying a case and good dive light

look at accessories you need (extra batteries, software for editing, good SD cards, mounts, I'd use a cheap dive case) to see what you must add to the camera cost, then buy the newest one you can afford as long as it has image stabilization- hypersmooth. I have a 7 black I use to film skiiing and it's great. I imagine you need a strong wifi signal to stream anything so probably won't work on a mountain (not sure).

I've only used the 7 black. Other than it freezing while recording video, only the audio is captured. I now use an external battery and it works fine. I just bought a insta 360. I haven't used it enough to compare. I hope it resolves the current problem with running the 7 off the battery.

I have a bunch, GoPros all the way back to the original, ace pro, insta 360 1 RS (2 of these, they are really good), osmo action 4 and 5. The 1 RS is my favorite but the ace pro is more than enough for most people. Honestly, a GoPro 7 black is more than enough for most people. That’s the iteration that got image stabilization that was actually useful. Don’t sweat the specifics. Just get whatever is in stock near you and go ride. I use mine for all kinds of shit, but the one that lives on my helmet is a GoPro 10.

Kung second hand, don't go lower than a Hero 7 Black for GoPro. Huwag yung Silver versions, stick to Black. Exception sa rule neto ay yung Hero 5 Session dahil sa form factor. Osmo Action 1 is good contender din. Not as wide as the GoPro pero goods yung stabilization. Brand new, stick to GoPro, DJI, and Intsa360. Serviceable naman yung quality ng mga SJCam at Akaso pero hahanapin mo pa din yung linaw at wide fov.

https://preview.redd.it/alulv1hmfq2f1.jpeg?width=3484&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4ea76fe87daf3004c56e8b06c81c8862b22625f7 Gopro Hero 7 black

Doing a chill fatbike ride later today. Should be able to do a side by side comp off the front of my handlebars then as I think I have mounts enough to make that happen. I'll be interested to see what I get there. In deeper shadows, the old GP has a habit of going very mushy.

I've had a couple of GoPros and they've worked flawlessly on everything from countless mountain bike rides to snorkeling all over the world. I still have a 7 Black because it just wont die.

I've got an insta360 one x2. Looking to upgrade and debating between max 2 and the x5. The X2 has been a great camera but the newer models have better image quality and I'm always worried that I'm gonna crack the lens -- not good for an action cam. As for night-time footage, my X2 was always horrible. Modern cell-phone (2d) cameras are SO much better at night that I stopped trying to use it since night-time image quality was more valuable to me than the 360 capabilities. Also -- sometimes I look back on videos that I made with my "old" hero 7 black camera and the images always looked so good -- better than my x2. I don't typically mess with the camera settings because whenever I do, it seems my changes often make things worse. Both the max 2 and x5 are gonna be much better than my x2 -- but definitely considering the Max 2 and wondering if my "out of box" image quality for daytime videos will be better. Lastly -- never felt great buying products from China-based companies if/when I had a good alternative from a US company so I want to spend with GoPro if they'll do the job for me.

My Hero 7 Black has been through snorkeling in Hawaii, outdoor expeditions in Alaska, and 18 mile hikes up Half Dome and back... for years... Like any piece of tech, YMMV and your individual use and care will largely impact lifespan. I baby my cameras in dive housings and clean everything thoroughly after exposure. I alternate batteries and I store inside padded cases and backpacks.

1. All GoPros only have a wide angle lens. Every other "lens" is a software setting. 2. The Hero 5-7 Black models all use the same case because they're the same dimensions (I have a Hero 5). Which specific Hero 7 model do you have? Are you buying the official GoPro case? The best way to improve the lens is to get physical lens attachments like the Backscatter Flip system.

What about issues with the cameras crashing? I have a GoPro 7 a friend gave me and I do want to upgrade at some point but my biggest issue is with the crashes causing me to lose footage. I've heard is still an issue on the new cameras plus overheating problems. The 7 doesn't overheat luckily but it's annoying resetting it once or twice a day if I'm filming. And I'm using the recommended SD card. 

Does this firmware help the older models? I have a go pro 7 that has a crashing problem. Probably once or twice every few hours of filming, usually after you start or stop a video it will crash. I'm using the suggested SD card. 

Even a gopro 7 is pretty good but I would recommend getting a used 9 as it has 4K 60FPS and uses the same accessories as the newer models incase you upgrade.

A GoPro 7 or 8 then. I don't recommend less know action cameras brands like Akaso, not terrible but not great either. Sound quality is really bad and the image stabilization performance is inferior compared to the GoPro or the DJI Action cameras.

7 was a big improvement for sure and the last to work with the gimbal. Big downfall was that it overheated with ease.

I don’t have a preferred brand. I had the Hero 5, 7, and 11. I decided this time to try something different. I can totally acknowledge that the Hero 13 maybe better than its predecessors. I don’t think you can go wrong with either camera for the average user.

Within reason, whatever you've got. I had a GoPro 7 for years and took that thing around the world. It never let me down. We've now upgraded to DJI Action 5s. They're great, but not *that* much better. Horizon leveling is great and all, but the 7 still took good video.

I use a GoPro Hero 7. https://www.instagram.com/riderofcopenhagen

I treat my cameras as true action cams - almost everything I shoot is downhill‑mountain‑bike POV (with some snowboarding stuff in the winter). My two kids and I rotate between two GoPro Hero 7s and a Hero 11, and in bright daytime conditions the footage is consistently crisp. I also own an Insta360 One X2 and X4; they’re great for occasional 360‑degree shots (especially when we’re filming the kids in the snowboard terrain park), but their image quality still lags behind the GoPros in the daylight settings we ride, in my opinion. Lots of sponsored “reviews” frame these cameras as vlogging rigs, which shifts the conversation toward low‑light performance and front‑facing features. That’s useful if you’re shooting downtown at midnight, but for daytime action sports I’d rather see companies double down on ruggedness, stabilization, and ease of use than chase vlogging use cases. Bottom line: today’s action cams are all solid, yet GoPro remains my default. I’m still curious about the DJI Osmo Action 5, though. I’d like to see whether DJI can match the reliability I’ve come to expect from their drones.

I used the hero 7 for a few years and recently got 3 hero 9’s for $90 each. Never had a problem with them.

Honestly, disappointed. The sensors are so small. They are the same as my hero 7. You can't beat physics. But I'm waiting to see some more comparisons. Especially with low light footage. I do mountain biking and am often under thick Forrest cover.

I got a DJI action cam 5 and kind of regret it. The widest view is not wide enough when chin mounted. The quality is fantastic, and it easily pairs with the DJI wireless mic so you can pick up the motor without any wind. But its widest POV is really narrow. I miss the super wide view of my Hero 7, and might just go back to that and sell the DJI.

If you get a used GoPro, Hero 5 has image stabilization, but not at 4K resolution and it was marginally effective. Hero 6 has image stabilization at 4K, but it didn't work very well on all axis. Hero 7 and later finally have functional "HyperSmooth" image stabilization on all resolutions and all axis.

Hero 6 if using gyroflow, otherwise the hero 7 will suffice. Hero 8 for slightly better stabilization and higher bitrate. Beyond that not even worth it imho.

Honestly your post is very true for a GoPro 3 or 4... But my 7 was already pretty good underwater. My current Gopro 12 takes pretty damned awesome pictures, especially in RAW if you know how to use lightroom. Here's a shot of some coral I took 2 weeks ago in Cozumel, with a cheap dive housing, no lights, no colour filters, depth around 12-13 meters. https://preview.redd.it/zmyqua5alcxe1.jpeg?width=5568&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0f83d23930d7b42670167f727219e85e67975a7c Even on simple jpg mode, in lineair lens, the pictures are more than decent

You’re also like 6 models behind the current one, which allows you to change lens width and you can get a waterproof case for for like $20.

The go pro 7 was released in 2018.

I really miss hero 7 with set second video mode 😭I can just record 15s or 30s instead of forgot to turn off

I have a Pocket 1 & 2 and GoPro 7, 10 and Recently Osmo Action 5. I shoot a lot of chest mount first person video and the action cameras work better for me for a couple of reason. I get better bump stabilization from the action cams ( up down when walking), I can quickly change batteries, and it’s more durable when I want to stow or deploy it. I can wear the GoPro Chesty mount over a undershirt and under a button down shirt and easily attach and detach the camera when I am ready to film.

I use GoPro 7 and I think 5 for the rear. https://youtu.be/4Dvn4o82fQA

I don't need anything better than GoPro 7. https://youtu.be/4Dvn4o82fQA

I have a dji osmo 4 and a gopro 7 and I'm happy with both

GoPro hero 7 when I remember and can be bothered to set it up. I want one of those 360s.

I've tried to defend GorPro for so long as they do have the best daylight footage and best log profile. I've owned the Hero 3, 5, 7, 10 and now the 12. The 3, 5, 7 and 10 I was happy with. But it's getting indefensible now, with no Hero 14 out this year I am every chance to jump to DJI if the action 6 is good enough. Still using the GP2 processor is a joke, it came out with the H10, it's so far out of date. Low light hasn't usually been a concern to me as much, hence never making the switch to the competition. But it does pop up on occassions in thick forest or tree coverage, basically anything other than direct sunlight, so I am starting to notice how poor it is. On top of that the screens, lack of fast charge, slow boot times for "quick capture" ... I bought the Osmo 360 and am glad, I think the overall experience is better than that with GoPro and the footage is better than anything Insta360 has ever made which is always oversaturated and over sharpened trash. Maybe I'll switch back for Max 3 in 5 years time, maybe it will have a new processor, larger sensor and better editing software by then.

The one that doesn't have glitches. From hero 7 down. The best one that I like very much si session because it was a very small camera

I have a GoPro (Hero 7), DJI Osmo 4 and Insta360. My MTB camera is the DJI Osmo. I don't see myself ever buying another GoPro considering how good the DJI and Insta's are.

The 7, felt like the biggest leap in practical use features. Then the 8 had to be the awkward transition model that I think ended up as the worst in retrospect.

How's the battery life of GP13? Does it still hot on long recordings? I have GP7 although I like it, the thing gets extremely hot and runs out of battery really quick

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.

Yeah I still have my 7. I forgot how small and light it is compared with the 8+ models.

I have a GoPro. I’m not big into filming (I’m more of a photo person). But I’ve used it to film hikes and I think it works well. I have a harness that I wear but there are other options. The fact that it’s waterproof takes away the “what if it rains” worry that I always have with my cameras.

The DJI Action 5 is next purchase for me. Unusual to have water ingress at 20. I have a GoPro 7 not rated to 20. It has been there quite a bit and is still fine.

Going to a hero 12 from a hero 7 was such a huge shock you just won't believe it. Definitely upgrade if you're running anything older than a 10. No idea about the DJI cameras, I've heard good stuff so go with either brand. I can personally vouch for the Hero 12 being a true beast of a camera.

I use P3, S24u and ny gopro 7 most. I have a dslr Pansonic G7 to but not used for a long time. My next buy i thunkwill be Action 5

This is the world we live in. When I was looking for a camera I went through this rabbit hole and figured out that 10% of the feedback and comments are from people who actually used the product and 90% were influenced by the YouTubers and other social media platforms. I still have gopro7 and I use it time to time and it does what I need it to do. Now I just buy the product I need and test it myself and 99% of the time I never had issues and if I do there’s always a return policy.

I assume you are only interested in video? If not, prepare to be disappointed. Action cams make for fairly poor still image cameras, though you can pull stills from video footage and sometimes they aren't too bad. If video is your goal, look for a used GoPro. You can typically find one with a ton of accessories for almost nothing. I started with a Hero 7 and recently picked up an 11. Not much difference between the two, but I do find that the underwater features in the 11 make for better off the camera footage. There is always someone selling the previous generation because they have to have the newest one. Save the cash for divegear!

You’re observing doctor’s waiting room syndrome. Sick people are most likely to visit the doctor and the biggest queue will be for the best doctor. People post problems and complaints far more frequently than success stories, and the most popular cameras will have the most posters. Of my two, 7 and 12, the later is so much better in every way.

dont give gopro anymore $ till they release an actually good product. insta, and DJI out perform them, and they dont DELETE YOUR FOOTAGE FOR NO REASON

i've used action cameras for almost 18 years now? and ive used all the major brands, GoPro more than ANY other. and from the hero -until the 12 black every single one at one point or another simply corrupted/deleted a whole days of videos. I've used DJI cameras from their little cube thing, to teh action 3 (i dont have the latest ones) and ive not lost any video recorded. same with Insta of what ive tested (i cannot speak to the newer 360's or the newer go 3s as ive not had them in hand to test) i will not give GoPro another single $ until they figure out wtf happens where it corrupts/deletes videos. its a useless camera if it cant save a video.

Hey there! I have used a GoPro for many of my professional and recreational dives. In my experience, GoPro pros are great within 30 m and have a wide depth of field, but when it comes to color, correction and specific focus, they are severely lacking. If you are seriously interested in getting into the hobby of underwater photography, or videography, I would suggest looking at something like an Olympus tough TG – six or TG – seven. these are phenomenal cameras for the money and have all the modern features you want, including automatic white balance ability to shoot in 4K at 60 FPS, as well as having all of your standard aperture and shutter speed settings all in one convenient digital camera package. I think the TG6, which I personally use runs about $400 New. You may be able to find one cheaper used, but I would definitely recommend a housing if you are frequently taking pictures and videos beneath meters or 30 feet.

Just get a gopro. If you can't afford new, get something second hand. Anything from the 7 black onward should be good.

Get whichever Go Pro is in your price range. Anything Hero 7 and above will have hypersmooth and as long as you’re not running it at max resolution and fps it shouldn’t overheat, especially with a fan or AC on in the car. 30 fps would be my recommendation, and most should be able to handle that at 4K just fine.

Used GoPro camera 7 or higher.

Literally every post now seems to mention low light. I've never had an issue with my GoPros and I've owned every GoPro Black since the 4. Sounds like your sports don't really need low light either, so not sure what the hesitation is. I own a few DJI products as well (drone, mic mini, Osmo mobile) but I'd get a GoPro over the DJI camera for sure.

I started out with the DragonTouch 4K action camera and it was good enough. I started filming my games because I had just started playing again after 27 years away from hockey. I made friends with a few goalies I met here on Reddit who were kind enough to mentor me. Eventually, the video quality just wasn't good enough for what I needed. I invested in a gopro hero black, I believe I have the 11 or 12, and bought an aluminum case and suction mount on Amazon. The picture quality is amazing, and it makes filming and posting to youtube much more enjoyable since the footage is really sharp. Crease Quest on YouTube if you want to see the difference in camera quality. My oldest videos were all with the same camera. I tried editing and fiddling with the settings as much as I could, but when I switched to the GoPro it was a complete game changer. My home barn lets me mount the camera high inside the glass, which is why I bought the aluminum case. Other rinks I play at my son has to be behind the glass moving the camera between periods. EDIT: I also mounted a small external battery to the suction mount and have that plugged into the gopro during games so I don't run into any power issues.

I have the Hero black. Night time footage is good. However, the footage makes it look like you’re farther away from the subject than you actually are. That and it gets hot during extended replay while editing.

Many videos shown on YouTube are from the launch periods and are sponsored. Especially the DJI Action 5 was pushed pretty hard in my opinion. But they all make great videos. If you want low light performance I wouldn't go the gopro way. But in good light conditions I'd say the gopro still has the crown. For me the killer features though are 5.3k 8:7 and Gopro Labs which adds features no other action cam even comes close to. Those all help a lot for editing.

For me GoPro always had the best mic/audio balance. insta always sounded baseless and sucked at eliminating wind noise as well