GoPro has released its most powerful action camera to date. The GoPro Hero 9 is wonderful in every way – good video and photo resolutions, dual (front and back screens), and a bigger battery.
Built-In Mounting with Folding Fingers, HyperSmooth 3.0 Video Stabilization, TimeWarp 3.0 Video, SuperPhoto, and Improved HDR, Night Lapse Video, Live Streaming in 1080p, Webcam Mode, HindSight, LiveBurst, Scheduled Capture, Duration Capture, Voice Control with Wake on Voice, RAW in All Photo Modes, Intuitive Touch Screen, Touch Zoom, Portrait Orientation, Rugged and Waterproof to 10m, 8x Slow Motion, Face, Smile, Blink, and Scene Detection, Exposure Control, GP1 Chip, Protune, bigger Rechargeable Battery, etc. are mentionable features of Hero 9.
Hero 9 is larger than the Hero 8 – Thicker, Wider, and Taller. With the larger size comes a larger back touchscreen which is 2.27 inches diagonally (it was a 1.95-inch display on the Hero 8). It has the same USB-C port, microSD card slot. The battery compartment on one side, along with the start/stop button on the top and the power and mode button on the side. There is also a latch like piece on one side that GoPro calls the “Drain Mic” and explained that it is designed to drain itself after the camera is submerged, which should make for clearer audio when you’re coming up out of water.
In Hero 9, GoPro brought back a feature that lets you remove the front lens cover and you can swap it with the new Max Lens mod. You can remove the lens cover with a hard twist and pull. Such a mechanism makes it easy to mount ND filters and external lens accessories.
GoPro added a front-facing screen in Hero 9 which was the most required feature for vlogging. With the addition of new screen, GoPro also bumped up the battery from 1,220mAh to a 1,720mAh. The 20-megapixel sensor can click good photos, record 5K video in 30fps, 4K video in 60fps, and 1080p video in 240fps. HyperSmooth 3.0 will provide more stabilization in the videos and Hero 9 also provides an in-camera horizontal leveling option when shooting in the linear frame.
Hero 9 provides a few new video options, namely: Scheduled Capture, Duration, and HindSight. Scheduled capture allows us to set a time and date, and the GoPro will magically turn itself on and start recording. Duration simply lets you set a fixed time to record for. If you want to record the sunrise for 20 minutes, simply dial in the time you want it to start shooting, set the duration, and relax. HindSight is an interesting feature. When activated, it records for 30 seconds on a loop before you press the shutter button.
The Hero 9 costs $449.99 or $349.98 with a one-year subscription to GoPro Plus. The price is $50 more than the Hero 8, $200 more than DJI’s Osmo Action, and $20 more than the twin edition of the Insta360 One R.