actioncamera
Latest
DJI's Osmo Action camera is down to $250 at Amazon and Best Buy
The dual-screen 4K device is a solid competitor to GoPro.
GoPro will make 'most' of its US cameras outside of China
China and the US may have declared a tariff truce (however tentative), but GoPro isn't taking any chances. It's moving "most" of its US-bound action camera production out of China by summer 2019 to reduce the effect of any potential tariff increases. The decision will help diversify manufacturing "regardless of tariff implications," the company said, and shouldn't cost much when it already owns its manufacturing equipment and just needs to switch facilities.
DJI leak reveals teeny-tiny Osmo Pocket gimbal
DJI looks set to unveil a tiny gimbal-based action camera that will compete with the GoPro Hero 7, according to several leaks. Called the DJI Osmo Pocket camera, it will supposedly pack a 1/2.3-inch sensor that shoots 12-megapixel stills and 4K video at up to 60 fps. There's a touchscreen on the back to control the camera and monitor the live feed, along with smartphone support via an all-new app called DJI Mimo.
GoPro Hero 7 Black review: An action camera for the social age
Ever wondered why GoPro's flagship camera is called "the Black" but has always been silver or gray? Well, with the Hero 7, the company has righted that wrong. Cognitive dissonance aside, there are a few other things fixed with this year's update, but the big question is: Are they the issues that matter to you? If your frustrations center around shaky footage or wrangling your videos onto social media, then yes. If you were hoping for a laundry list of new video modes then, maybe not so much (4K/60fps is still the max). There is a little something here for everyone, though, and -- importantly -- it keeps the $399 price tag of the Hero 6 it replaces. The question this time seems to be: Can it replace your phone (camera)?
GoPro unveils three Hero 7 cameras starting at $199 (updated)
The leaks were true, and then the subsequent leaks covered nearly everything else. GoPro has unveiled the Hero 7 action camera family, and the focus this year is on the basics -- that is, an easy-to-understand lineup of cameras that take better shots. The highlight of the bunch is undoubtedly the $399 Hero 7 Black (which we've just reviewed), whose in-camera HyperSmooth stabilization is billed as good enough to rival the rock-solid footage you'd get using a gimbal. We're not convinced it's that good in practice, but it's certainly a perk. Accordingly, there's a TimeWarp feature that behaves like a souped-up version of Instagram's Hyperlapse, turning your bike ride or diving session into a smooth seconds-long clip.
GoPro Hero 7 leak hints at steadier action shots
'Tis the season for major device leaks, it seems. Austin Mittelstadt has posted photos of a store display that spills the beans on GoPro's unannounced Hero 7 action cameras. The leak shows a cam that looks similar to the Hero 6 on the surface, but promises "gimbal-like" image stabilization that's smoother than what you get with its soon-to-be-outdated precursor. There's also a hint at a shakeup in product strategy, for that matter.
Hot Wheels' GoPro toy car captures sweet shots of your lil' stunts
How much do you love Hot Wheels? So much that you spend your days wishing you could ride that loop-the-loop yourself? Probably not, but Mattel has your back regardless. It just trotted out a Hot Wheels Zoom In car with a slot designed to accommodate one of GoPro's Hero5 and Session action cameras -- yes, you too can document your plastic track racing with a camera that costs exponentially more than the $1.09 vehicle underneath. If you've ever wanted to combine the thrill of first-person stunts with the fear of trusting an expensive gadget to the whims of physics, your dream machine is here.
GoPro's latest trade-in program will take any digital camera
GoPro really needs you to buy its action cameras, and it's trying an uncommon take on a familiar strategy to make that happen. The company has introduced a TradeUp program in the US that gives you a discount of $50 on a Hero 6 Black or $100 on a Fusion if you trade in your old digital camera... no matter who made it. So long as the camera was worth at least $99.99 when new, you'll get that same discount. You'll clearly get more value out of this by trading in a point-and-shoot or early GoPro instead of a DSLR, but it's a good way to get rid of a device that would otherwise gather dust in the closet.
GoPro's $199 Hero action camera is meant for newcomers
GoPro's action camera lineup has skewed toward the enthusiast side for a while -- you get a Hero6 because you intend to document your bike rides and surfing expeditions. Now, however, GoPro is ready to court more first-timers. It's releasing a $199 Hero (no number, just "Hero") meant for beginners and occasional users who'd rather not spend a fortune and passed on the similarly priced but relatively niche Hero5 Session. There's no 4K or similar high-end features (you're limited to 1440p at 60 frames per second), but GoPro is betting you won't mind.
GoPro licenses camera tech to other companies amid sales struggles
There's no question that GoPro is hurting: sales are struggling, its drone plans are dead and it's not clear that the company can survive purely on sales of action cameras like the Hero6. What's it going to do? Offer its technology to other companies, apparently. GoPro has unveiled a licensing deal that lets Jabil use its camera lens and sensor tech for a wide range of products. The two aren't specific about what this will involve, but Jabil sees uses in everything from law enforcement (think body cameras) through to videoconferencing and self-driving cars. Yes, the tech that documents your mountain bike trip could also drive you across town some day.
GoPro's Plus service will replace your busted camera
GoPro has amped up its Plus subscription in a big way. The offering, which was mostly a back-up service for your photos and videos, now comes with device replacement for the same price. GoPro says if you break your camera, it'll replace it for you with no questions asked -- so long as you only go in twice per 12 months of subscription. If you break your GoPro a third time within a year, you're on your own... and you probably need to think of a way to keep your camera safer when you go on your wild adventures.
GoPro cuts nearly 300 jobs as it quits making drones
GoPro still isn't in the best of health, and that's leading it to make some tough decisions about its future. The action camera maker has confirmed that it's cutting nearly 300 jobs (from 1,254 to "fewer than 1,000"), and is exiting the drone market entirely. The Karma drone was the second most popular drone in its price class, GoPro said, but it faced profit margin problems in an "extremely competitive aerial market. Combine that with a "hostile regulatory environment" in Europe and the US, and the market is expected to shrink to the point where it's "untenable" to compete.
GoPro Hero 6 review: Slow-mo, stabilization and subtle refinements
If you look at the GoPro Hero 6, it's nearly impossible to tell it apart from the Hero 5, even on close inspection. The older, silver GoPros used to have the model number marked in black text on the front. The only way to tell the most recent cameras apart is small gray-on-gray text on the left side of the camera, and the word "power" on right (replacing "mode"). I even have to hold the camera up to the light to make sure the tiny number 5 isn't a 6 (and vice versa). But use the Hero 6 for more than a few minutes, and the improvements become apparent. There are three standout features that I think make the world of difference between these otherwise-identical GoPros. Here's what they are and why they matter.
The Hero 6 and 'GP1' is GoPro's chance to grow again
"When I first was listening to our team's desire to make a chip, I felt a bit of anxiety, like, are we getting a bit ahead of ourselves? This might be beyond what our capabilities are," Nick Woodman, GoPro founder and CEO, told me in a rare break from his boyish bombast.
GoPro Hero 6: 4K 60 FPS, better stabilization and HDR photos
When GoPro hosts an event in the fall, you get no prizes for guessing what's coming. CEO Nick Woodman just revealed the Hero 6 here in San Francisco, to no one's surprise. What is surprising (if you ignored the leaks) is that the new camera has one big, largely invisible change: the image processor (which GoPro is calling the GP1). We'll get to why that's important in a bit.
GoPro's Hero6 camera may feature 4K 60 FPS recording
GoPro is inching toward profitability, and its new Hero6 Black might finally bring the action-cam maker into the black. Spotted by a Photo Rumors reader, the camera will apparently capture 4K 60 FPS video (the Hero5 was 4K 30 FPS) from its 12 megapixel sensor. That's according to a photo of what looks like final retail packaging. Other than that, there are about as many new details as there were when CEO Nick Woodman confirmed the Hero6's existence in February.
GoPro bets its near future on the Hero6 and Fusion cameras
Ever since becoming a publicly traded company in 2014, GoPro hasn't had the most positive financial results. The camera maker has been struggling to be profitable, as shown by its past few quarterly earning reports, but its future isn't completely bleak. Today, GoPro exceeded Wall Street expectations, thanks to $296.5 million in revenue during Q2 2017, versus the roughly $270 million the market anticipated -- it's also a huge jump over the $220.8 from the same quarter last year. That said, GoPro still isn't profitable, since it reported yet another revenue loss. This time however, it was $30.5 million, which is much less than the 91.8 second-quarter loss in 2016. In other words, at least it's moving in the right direction.
GoPro QuikStories automatically creates a sweet edit for you
If you've spent more than five minutes on social media recently, you'll know that "stories" are the hot new currency. Sharing your day with your followers keeps you and your friends coming back for more. While stories have largely been the realm of apps like Instagram and Snapchat, GoPro recently decided it would toss its hat into the narrative-telling ring with "QuikStories."
The best action camera
By Ben Keough This post was done in partnership with The Wirecutter, a buyer's guide to the best technology. When readers choose to buy The Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, it may earn affiliate commissions that support its work. Read the full article here. After spending 20 hours testing the latest action cameras (building on the hundreds of hours Wirecutter staffers have spent with action cameras over the past three years), including hiking through the rain, attaching them to cars and bicycles, and even mounting them on a dog playing on a beach, we think the GoPro Hero5 Black is the best action camera for most people.
GoPro's $100 accessory puts Karma's gimbal (almost) anywhere
When GoPro launched Karma at the end of the last year, company CEO Nick Woodman was keen to point out that it's "So much more than a drone." That statement was mostly referring to the bundled handheld grip, which uses the stabilizer from the quadcopter, bringing smooth video to ground-based activities as well. Now, there's a new member of the Karma family, with the self-explanatory name of "Karma Grip Extension Cable." The accessory (pictured on the left, above) brings the gimbal's video-smoothing skills to even more points of view. Albeit at a price.
