GoPro has released its latest flagship action camera in the Hero 11 Black, only this time it’s also coming with an even smaller alternative. The main Hero 11 follows many of the design principles of the previous Hero 10. It doesn’t look all that different, save for the “11” emblazoned on the body.
This model also largely sticks to the same features, though certain changes under the hood mean newer ways to capture footage. It does, however, get a bigger image sensor this time, and that’s what drives much of the new feature set. It still shoots at the same 5.3K in 60fps and 4K at up to 120fps. No difference in durability, either, making the Hero 11 one of the more ruggedized action cameras out there.
What’s new with the GoPro Hero 11 Black
The Hero 11 Black still runs on the same GP2 chipset introduced in the Hero 10. It also sports a 1/1.19-inch image sensor as an upgrade over the previous 1/1.23-inch sensor. That enables the Hero 11 Black to shoot in 8:7, an aspect ratio better suited to portrait orientations and social media apps. It also raises still photos from 23-megapixels to 27-megapixels.
The newer sensor enables more flexibility to crop whatever you shoot. For example, the wide-angle HyperView can take 8:7 footage and stretch it out to a landscape 16:9 aspect ratio. This sounds very similar to how GoPro utilized its previous SuperView mode to create 16:9 or 4:3 content via cropping techniques.
The GoPro Quik app also plays a key role in this, allowing you to do the cropping there rather than in-camera. The idea is to retain the quality of the footage no matter what resolution you’re shooting in. Basically, if you wanted to post the same video in upright form to TikTok, but also in landscape to YouTube, the Quik apps makes that possible.
GoPro also says the camera’s controls will be easier to manage. They will now be split into Easy and Pro settings, catering to both novices and experienced users alike. it’s a lot like using the Auto mode on a camera where you’d rather not think about what to do.
The company also updated its image stabilization HyperSmooth to 5.0, plus three new long exposure modes within Night Effect Time Lapse. You can capture light painting, vehicle light trails, or star trails by using it.
GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini
The Hero 11 Black Mini is very much just taking what the main model has and putting it into a smaller frame. It’s almost two centimetres slimmer and 20 grams lighter than the main Hero 11 Black. With that loss of size and weight, you have something lighter to mount onto your own person.
Or you could mount it on anything else, much like you would the other Hero 11. It uses the same mounting system, and shares many of the same features. You get Easy and Pro settings modes, along with HyperView, HyperSmooth 5.0, and the night time lapse features noted earlier. You can also shoot in the same resolution.
What you can’t do is see what you’re actually shooting. There’s no screen on either side of the camera, meaning you have to use the Quik app to get a live preview. The single record button is still on the camera for quick starts and stops, but that’s it. Bear in mind also that the Mini can’t take still photos. It’s only video for this guy, unless you try to grab a still image from a video clip later on.
Coming soon
Both of these Go Hero 11 Black cameras are coming soon, as well as the Creator Edition for the Hero 11 Black, which is on back order for the time being. The Creator Edition includes the Media Mod, Light Mod, and Volta Mount on top of everything that already comes with the camera.
Check out the Go Pro Hero 11 and the latest GoPro gear and accessories at Best Buy.
