GoPro HERO7 with touch screen – Black

The GoPro HERO7 with touch screen

Familiar layout

You'll find the GoPro HERO7 with touch screen very familiar if you've used used the previous two flagship Hero models. GoPro has changed the colour this time. Before it was grey, now its black. The only other major hardware change is a redesigned microphone membrane. GoPro’s has tweaked this to improve the overall sound quality and reduce vibration sounds from bone-shaking moments like mountain biking. Otherwise, it’s business as usual, with a rubberised finish and waterproofing down to ten metres. There’s a two-inch touchscreen on the back, which  is bright and sharp enough for quick previews of your shots. On the sides you’ll find the usual, buttons for starting recordings and turning it on or off.

Software improvements

If the hardware is reassuringly familiar, there have at least been some tweaks to the Gopro Hero 7 with touch screen software menus. There are definite improvements: the new ‘short clips’ button, which lets you limit recordings to 15 or 30 seconds, is handy if you want to hand your GoPro to someone else without worrying that it’ll come back with a memory card full of accidental rucksack shots. And the move to combine all video options, including ‘field of view’ and Protune manual controls, in one menu means it’s now much easier to quickly fine-tune your settings and get creative. Overall, I found it largely fine and a vast improvement over earlier GoPros. The reality is that a camera this small will always present some usability issues – and the Hero 7 Black is still much easier to use than most other action cameras we’ve tested.

Hypersmooth

The big new feature on the Gopro Hero 7 with touch screen is what GoPro calls Hypersmooth. This is a boosted version of the already excellent electronic image stabilisation (EIS) we saw on the Hero 6. It now works during the top whack 4K/60fps recording. GoPro says it’s now effectively a virtual equivalent of its Karma Grip. Big claims indeed.

Time warp

‘TimeWarp’ is a timelapse mode that uses the Hero 7’s boosted stabilisation to shoot what GoPro calls a first-person “magic carpet ride”. A new stills feature called SuperPhoto acts as a kind of ‘super-auto’ mode. This changes your settings based on the scene. The camera’s microphone has been redesigned to improve the audio. Lastly, the Hero 7 Black can livestream via your smartphone, initially to Facebook but soon to other sites like YouTube.

Other information

Hyper Smooth  Video Stabilization - Get gimbal-like stabilization—without the gimbal HERO7 Black is rugged, waterproof without a housing to 33ft (10m) Control your HERO7 Black hands free with voice commands like “GoPro, take a photo” and “GoPro, start recording.” Live Streaming - Stream video to Facebook Live. Burst: Auto, 30/1s, 30/2s, 30/3s, 30/6s, 10/1s, 10/2s, 10/3s, 5/1s, 3/1s HERO7 Black Camera, Rechargeable Battery, The Frame (HERO7 Black), Mounting Buckle, USB C Cable (USB 2.0)