Gear Review: GoPro Hero 8 Black

Check out our review of the GoPro HERO 8 Black by Wild Earth staff member, surfer, adventurer, and all round great bloke, Kieran "Kizza" Weaver!

Gopro are the OGs and best in class action cameras, especially for the action people. This year, they have managed to squeeze in an unbeatable hyper-smooth 2.0, for buttery smooth shots in the wildest action moments. Yes, this means running up your roughest local trail, downhill biking a corrugated track or even climbing up the most rigid rock you can find. Smooooth as butter. Additionally, Gorilla Glass has also been added to the lens double the shock resistance, on top of the GoPro’s already waterproof design. As for the photo quality, GoPro has simply “Cranked up the contrast, killed the blur” and ask us to only worry about “shredding”! Jump on our website to check out additional features, including time warps and live bursts for some fancy shots. Yew!

Tips and Settings

For every day adventurers, 1080p (resolution) will provide ample clarity in the videos for sharing on social media. Frame rates of 60fps is great for general use, or if you're willing to smoothly slow mo the video afterwards, a frame rate of 120fps is plenty. Although larger video resolutions provide a more detailed picture such as 4k, they require greater memory cards, and more powerful editing software to handle; thus not suited for every day use. Recommendations for video settings have been stated below and don’t forget to experiment with different angles and digital lenses. 

Hiking/ Running: 1080p-60fps Hypersmooth boost recommended, wide lens 

Landscape: 2.7k-60fps, Hypersmooth recommended unless on a tripod, narrow lens

Biking: 1080p-60fps / 120fps for slo mos, Hypersmooth boost recommended, superview lens

Kayaking/SUPing: 1080p-60fps Hypersmooth recommended, superview or wide lens

Surfing/body boarding: 1080p-60fps / 120fps for slo mos, Hypersmooth recommended, superview lens

Ski/snowboarding: 1080p- 60fps / 120 fps for slo mos, Hypersmooth recommended, wide lens

Rock climbing: 1080p-60fps Hypersmooth recommended, super view lens

Top 5 Accessories

Chesty:
Comfortable and flexible chest mount, ideal for hiking, biking, skiing/ snowboarding or any POV footage.

Shorty:
Best handle and must have accessory for you action camera. It doubles as a mini extension pole and tripod, ideal accessory for all action seekers.

Spare Battery:
Avoid the feeling of missing the shot because the battery went flat! Get one!!!

Head strap:
Can also be worn over helmets and great for rock climbing. Provides a headlamp type POV.

Gopro sleeve and lanyard: 
Come in a variety of colours to personalise your gopro, and great to keep the gopro on hand ready to get the perfect shot.