Story By: Erin Zollars and Sol Tucker
Photos By: Sol Tucker
Alexandria, VA–
We must admit it has been quite a bit of time since we have ventured away from using the assets of Canon and Nikon for any of our staff members, but on a recent Celebrity Golf outing to Puerto Vallarta, we decided to see what all of the hype behind the GoPro Hero 6 Black was all about. So many new capabilities over previous cameras, still makes this one of the best values at $499.
When you take a trip anywhere that involves action, whether its playing golf or taking a swim on the beautiful Mexican Coast lines all around Puerto Vallarta, you need something that brings the heat from all angles and the Hero 6 does just this. You can even talk to it. That’s right, voice controlled commands give this an added feature that previous cameras just did not have.
Like most previous Hero cameras such as the 5, the Hero 6 is a mostly rectangular design, a couple of inches wide and not much more than an inch tall. From the front, it’s the camera lens that’s most prominent, sitting in its protruding square home alongside the monochromatic secondary display.
On the top, you’ll find the usual shutter/record button, denoted by the red ring logo, while the Mode/Power button lives on the right edge (when looking from the back).
There are four main ways to control the new GoPro camera: using buttons; using the touchscreen; with voice control; or via the associated app.
Most think of the GoPro as being predominantly a video camera, but with the Hero 6 the stills photography has seen a huge improvement in overall quality thanks to the new custom GP1 processor.
This processor means all photos now have a much better dynamic range, and, for the first time, HDR capabilities (that is high dynamic range, used to auto-balance peak highlights and shadows). That means photos in general pop with a lot more color and contrast, but without being over saturated, too bright or too dark in any one area. Details seem that little bit clearer than from the Hero 5, and images are more lively overall.
When we took photos at least 5 to 8 feet under water in a clear infinity pool the images seemed crystal clear, a drastic improvement from any of the other cameras we have owned such as the Hero 3+ BLACK or Hero 4 editions.
GoPro has done an excellent job of getting this camera to the level both consumer and professional photographer can appreciate. We love the new angles you can create and the blacked out housing comes standard giving it a rugged look in all conditions.
Make sure you order the dual charger and carry an extra battery. We did notice on the hottest days, battery drain is a little faster than normal in certain conditions. Some of the previous models had issues with overheating in high temps, but this one seemed to perform well and also takes on humid conditions without a lot of fogging that is experienced by DSLR cameras from drastic temperature changes.
If you’re looking for the absolute best action camera, with the most user-friendly interface and widest range of optional accessories, then the GoPro Hero 6 has to be at the top of the list.
While this is the most expensive GoPro Hero to date, it is one of the most versatile cameras we have seen and will serve the purpose as an all around addition to anyone, consumer to professionals.
GoPro Hero 6
MSRP $499
Dual Battery Charger $49.99
