When you think GoPro, you probably picture someone doing flips on a dirt bike or catching air on some big waves. Yet, is GoPro Hero 11 Black only for those of us with an extreme lifestyle?

Well thanks to GoPro, this old extreme fan gets to try it out & see how far GoPro has come with since my Hero 3 back in my skateboarding days; & if the GoPro Hero 11 Black is more than just an extreme lifestyle camera

What has Changed Since ‘A New Era’?

When it comes to tech, we always seem to look at the previous version & see what has been changed & if it is enough to purchase the new ones or take advantage of the cheaper price for the older version!

It is weird, as I have always told people that I do not do this…. Or so I thought. But the first thing I did was check to see what the specs/ upgrades to the GoPro Hero 11 were. As I almost brought the GoPro Hero 10 as it is an amazing little unit. I wanted more flexibility when filming videos at convention or collecting B-roll with out having to carry around my Canon M50 Mark II.

Here are some of the new and major features of the HERO 11 Black:

• New larger 1/1.9″ Sensor
• 8:7 aspect ratio
• Automatic Highlight Videos
• 10-Bit Colour (HUGE)
• HyperSmooth 5.0
• 360 Degree Horizon Lock
• 27 megapixel still images
• HyperView
• Up to 5.3k TimeWarp 3.0
• Night Effects
• Enduro Battery
• Frame grabs – 27MP from 5.3K 8:7 video

As well as the best features that were kept from the GoPro Hero 10:

• 3K 60fps
• 4K 120fps
• 7K 240fps for 8x slo-mo
• 33 feet (10m) waterproof straight out of the box
• Voice control
• LCD full-colour front display
• LCD full-colour real screen
• 1080p Livestream and Webcam with HyperSmooth 5.0 video stabilization
• RAW Photos in all modes

Design

The GoPro Hero 11 & GoPro Hero 10 may look the same in every way, except the number on the side. The same elegant matte black finish that extends around the body with two displays on each the front and back of the camera.

The same GP2 processor from GoPro Hero 10 has not changed, but the GoPro Hero 11 does come with an upgraded Enduro battery; an optional extra for the GoPro Hero 10. The Enduro battery comes with the same 1,720mAh capacity, but GoPro has upgraded the battery internal chemistry to help it last longer.

Overall, the design of the GoPro Hero 11 remarkably…. the same but with a new battery.

Camera UI/UX

GoPro Hero 11 is UI is quite simple & easy to use. A neatly organised and easy to navigate menu with a simple slider to change your field of view, video mode options or adjusting your image setting. And given the size of the rear screen, even my sausage fingers were about to easily navigate it without any issue.

Though I think new GoPro users should not have an issue with the GoPro Hero 11 UI, they have added an all-new Easy Mode. Easy Mode lets the users choose from either the Highest Quality and More Battery Life. This allows the GP2 processor to make the adjustments for you & you focused on the most important bit, getting amazing video!

Camera Performance

I have not covered heaps of the additional features of the GoPro Hero 11, but that is about to change. As this is where GoPro’s main focus was for the GoPro Hero 11, Camera Performance. And to be fair, I love that they have done this. As too often I see companies trying to change the look, or size, or color without changing the performance of the product.

As previously mention, GoPro is know for being an adventure camera. It’s able to flip, kickflip or speargun without missing a beat. But quite often with all this activities, that beat can be shaky or jittery footage that even for the best editor can be an issue. HyperSmooth 5.0 changes all that & I must say, is worth the price of admission itself.

**Not me walking through the bush, as footage was lost due to a boiling hot coffee bath for my SD card**

Even walking through the bush on my bush walk, I was blown away by the difference with the stabilization on. It was night & day! Then if that wasn’t enough, at in the 360 Horizon Lock, which locks…. well the horizon, so any movement of the camera won’t tilt the actual video footage & keep in perfectly in line. For our adrenaline friends, these two things alone will clean up your shots & take your footage next level without the need for fancy editing tricks. What is better than amazing footage, amazing professionally looking shot footage with little to no additional effort.

If I stopped this review right here, I think most would be impressed enough with the GoPro Hero 11’s upgrades to make that purchase right now. But wait there is more….For me, the biggest upgrade & the one that will set the GoPro Hero 11 into a realm that very few cameras at in, minus those worth more than a family car!

10 Bit Color……Yes, I’ll let that sink in for a second.

For many of us, our cameras (along with GoPro Hero 10) has 8 bit color. Which is still a respectable 16.7 million colors; so nothing to be sneezed at. But 10-bit takes that to over 1 billion shades of colors.

So what does this mean? That the colours you see in your videos are more like what you see with your own eyes; With more vivid details, less colour banding, smoother gradients & more professional look & feel to your videos. And from my favourite upgrade to the one that is splitting the GoPro faithful. The change of the sensor, though only a marginal change but a weird change; some might say a change of the times. The updated sensor.

Which now features an aspect ratio 8:7 & allows you to use the new HyperView to give an ultra-immersive video. Though the field of view is bigger & great for those filming in portrait mode, I don’t foresee this upgrade being a selling point to most GoPro fans. But I expect a lot of tiktokers to be picking up the GoPro Hero 11 to get higher quality footage to make those transition even more buttery smooth & crisp!

The new HyperView, I loved what they were trying to do, & for POV filming or large spaces in limited spaces I can see HyperView being a a god sent. Yet, I did find there to be a little bit of noise in the corners when filming in 8:7 HyperView mode. Though minor, it is something to be minful of.

Battery Life

GoPro Hero 11 Black comes with an Enduro battery with a capacity of 1,720 mAh. Which will last you approximately an hour when filming at 60 frames per second at 5.3k. I managed to get 61 minutes from my first use & its so nice that the Enduro Battery is no longer an optional extra.

As battery life is one of the biggest complaints about previous GoPro’s in the past, especially with the GoPro 10 when this was an option to buy, but not included. This was a great choice & one that I think many fans will be happy to see.

GoPro Quik App Experience

I’m so glad I just upgraded my phone to the Samsung S23, as I was running out of room on my old S10; due to every piece of hardware now having it’s own app. GoPro is no different; their GoPro Quik is an all-in-one control panel for the camera. Though I didn’t use it much with the GoPro Hero 11 Black, I found it a must have for the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini. But more on that in the next week or so.

The GoPro Quik allows you to view real-time footage, changed shooting and video modes, switched to the TimeWarp, edit shooting settings including resolutions and FPS. And for a small fee you can even fully edit your entire video off your phone. Which is crazy & exciting to be able to shot, edit & upload on the go.

That being said, connecting your GoPro Hero 11 Black or Hero 11 Black mini can be a little tedious. As I had to try for 5 to 10 minutes to get it to connect & then was easy to reconnect…. Most of the time. I found every 10 or 12 times I had issues reconnecting it. Though I hardly used it for the GoPro Hero 11 Black & mainly used it for the GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini, as the Quik app isn’t need for this camera.

Specifications

Dimensions (W x H x D)	71.8 W x 50.8 H x 33.6 D (mm)
Weight	154g
Image Sensor	1/1.9″ CMOS
Processor	GP2
Max Video Resolution	5.3K: 8:7 (5312×4648)
Max Photo Resolution	27.13MP (5568×4872)
Battery Size	Removable 1,720mAh Enduro Battery
Waterproof	10m (33ft)

Overall

If like me, you were excited for the GoPro Hero 11 Black to be released, because the GoPro Hero 10 would come down in price. You’d be disappointed, as for additional cost, the GoPro Hero 11 Black is worth it & then some.

The larger sensor, the HyperSmooth 5.0 & 360 Horizon Lock are worth the price of admission. But then throw in the 10 bit colour & free Enduro Battery, this becomes a must have for all adrenaline junkies & content creators alike.

Other than a little bit of noise while in HyperView & a battery that is a massive improvement on previous editions, but for most content creators might be a little light on. So I recommend picking up the Volta Battery grip with built-in 4900 mAh battery which triples the battery life of the Hero 11 Black & My next purchase.

If you want to get your hands on the must have piece of kit for 2023, check out the GoPro Hero 11 Black