GoPros have gained more and more ground in the past few years, giving a new feel to video recording on the move and capturing dynamism in the most personal manner. Over the years, the GoPro series hasn’t seen much change to the general idea that the original device brought to the market. However, with the release of the GoPro Hero4 family – Black, Silver and White – in October 2014, this has changed quite a bit.
The Hero4 family consists of the three different models mentioned above, with performance and price differences between them – the Black version is the top specification model while the White version comes at the cheapest price you can get as far as GoPros go. All of the models can host microSD cards – the Black and Silver versions can hold cards of up to 64 GB of space, while the White model can only support cards that go up to 32 GB.
Main Features for the GoPro Hero 4
Some changes that have arrived for all of the Hero4 products are the addition of both WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity in their construction and finally, better battery life and housing. The physical design of the cameras is a little stronger as well, having got rid of the difficult to deal with back doors now sporting a spring-based mechanism for opening them.
Dimension-wise, there is no change whatsoever in the size or weight of the Hero4 models in comparison to the older Hero3. So any cases or mounts that you previously used for your GoPro will fit the new acquisition perfectly. One last thing deemed worthy of mention on the Hero4 is the addition of touch-screen display included in the Hero4 Silver model.
Performance of the GoPro Hero4
Considering the speed at which the new Hero4 can shoot at – of up to 120 frames per second on White and Silver, and 240 frames per second on the Black – slow motion recording is amazingly smooth. However, the top fps you can get will cost you on image quality, making you downgrade all the way down to 480p if amazing slow motion is what you are looking for.
Photo capturing modes also received a facelift, now including Single Shot Mode, Continuous – either as long as you hold your finger on the button or until 30 photos are taken at the frequency you want them to, Burst – shooting up to 30 photos inside a second, Time Lapse Mode, Night Photo and Night Lapse – same as regular Time Lapse except it takes on features that make lighting better in pictures shot at night.
For the Black and Silver models only, the GoPro Hero4 comes with a mobile app, allowing you to control the camera through your smartphone and upload or sync your data with your handheld device. This is all done through the new addition of WiFi to the Hero4, that will create a network for your phone to connect to.
After a few initial setup steps, you’ll be ready to go, the app settings giving you full control of how you want to shoot using your GoPro. Live streaming is also possible via the same mobile application.
Video Recording with the GoPro Hero 4
The Black model is the one that has come up with most upgrades in comparison to older models, being able to not only record 4K video at 30 frames per second, or alternatively 1080p in 120 frames per second and the intermediary option of 2.7K video at 50 frames per second. This is a considerable upgrade from the Hero3 that although had the 4K video capability, it could only record in 15 frames per second, forcing you to trade quality for motion clarity.
Another nifty feature that makes the video editing and revision post-recording a breeze is the highlight tag feature that allows you to mark a particular moment while shooting by the press of the WiFi button. This will make it easier for you to find the marked moment easier upon importing the video using the GoPro Studio software application afterwards.
As I mentioned earlier, the Silver model is the only of the Hero4 family that includes a touch screen. In previous GoPros, you could opt in to attach an LCD screen to the back of your device but it would definitely encumber the device and give it a clunky, burdened feel.
The Silver Hero4 however has this feature embedded into the camera itself, without taxing on size at all. Now, while you won’t be getting the 4k video at 30 fps feature, but at a 15 frames per second just like the Hero3, a lot of the pro features that you’d get on the Black version will be able to be found on the Silver as well.
Wrapping Up…
Between the Black and the Silver, the choice stays between truly professional video shooting and opting for the really useful touch screen which makes not only viewing possible while recording, but also gives the Hero4 easier controls via the display rather than having to operate the camera through the side buttons or the tiny LCD.
The White version of the Hero4 is not that long of a shot from the Hero3 / Hero3+. While you’ll probably be getting the most recording time done with it in comparison to the other two models, quality will not be as amazing. It only has a 5 megapixel zoom, unlike its 12 megapixel siblings. However, it will only cost you roughly $130, while the Silver and Black jump the $399 and $499 bars respectively.
