GoPro Hero4 Black Review: The Best Action Cam Gets Upgraded

The main difference between a normal camera and an action camera lies in its form factor. The action camera can be placed on a surfboard out on huge waves, strapped onto dogs, ceiling fans and flying drones without the risk of damage. In fact, they are made for such purposes, where the use of a normal camera will be bizarre and impractical.

The GoPro is a tiny box like action camera with an amazing picture quality and other features added by GoPro and other third party companies. There are two models: the GoPro Hero4 Black and the GoPro Hero4 Silver. There are subtle differences between the two. The Silver costs a 100 dollars less than the Black, as the Black one has additional features and a faster processor. It has the best video quality and more shooting options, as it supports a wide range of mounting options.

The History

This series of action camera has been in existence since the year 2004. The GoPro Hero range of action camera has been the capture of adventure sports since that time. Initially the photographs used to be captured on still shots on 35mm film. GoPro can be called a pioneer of sorts of the action camera. The years hence has only resulted in advancement of the original idea.

The Exterior

The main aspect of the exterior of action camera is that it should be inconspicuous. Therefore the core design and the ergonomics haven’t seen much change throughout the years. Its dimensions can be measured as 41X59X30mm. The camera weighs 88g with the exclusion of its waterproof cover. After the cover is added on, it weighs around 152g.

A small LCD is located at its left side and the lens protrude from the front. Next to the LCD, there are two LED indicators- the top one blinks blue to indicate the WiFi signal and lower one shows the camera status and also works as the battery indicator. The power up button is located beneath the LCD and it also can change the modes.

There is another camera status indicator located on the rear of the action camera and a port, for the purpose of accessorizing the camera with an external LCD monitor and LCD Touch BacPac.

The right side plays host to the Micro-HDMI port, Micro-USB Port as well as the MicroSD card slot and a speaker. The battery door is at the bottom, a tiny slip of paper which is attached to the battery to pull it out.

The Interior

This action camera is equipped with a 12 megapixel 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor as well as an F2.8 aperture ultra wide angle lens. It can capture 4K (3840X2160) footage at 30fps and also shoot 1080p video at up to 120fps and 720p footage at 240fps. It has a mono microphone for the purpose of recording audios, plus there is a provision of an optional 3.5mm input accessory for a better external mike if required. For recording better audios, there is an added integrated analog-to-digital converter present.