GoPro launches updated Hero4 Black and Silver video cameras

GoPro have today launched the Hero4 video camera which introduces a raft of updates and new features including higher video and audio quality. They're offering three versions, a new entry-level £99 Hero, Hero4 Silver costing £289.99 and the high-end Hero4 Black priced £389.99.

The top-end Hero4 Black introduces 4K video recording at 30fps and 1080p at 120fps, which the company claims is twice the performance of its previous Hero3 video camera. The audio quality has been improved as well with a redesigned audio system that is claimed to provide twice the dynamic range of the previous model. Despite all these changes battery life is claimed to be the same, though battery life was never that great with the previous GoPro.

Along with improved video quality, there are plenty of new features and modes. The novel “HiLight Tag” lets you easily tag key moments in a video record using the WiFi button. There is Time Lapse, letting you shoot 12MP photos in set time intervals from 0.5 to 60 seconds, Night Photo which should provide better performance in low light conditions and Time Lapse which lets you set long exposure times.

Providing quicker shooting potential is the QuikCapture feature. You can power the Hero4 Black straight up with a single button press and start recording instantly.

An updated user interface is aimed at making it easier to control the camera. The Protune feature allows more manual control over the settings including ISO, white balance, exposure settings and more. That’ll appeal to professional film makers increasingly the GoPro as part of suite of tools with much more advanced control.

Bluetooth connectivity has been added as well as WiFi to make it easier to share with other compatible devices.

One notch down is the Hero4 Silver. It doesn’t offer the same high quality video recording of the Black, with video quality limited to 4K video at 15fps, or 1080p at 60fps. That's the same as the old Hero3. Instead the changes on the new Hero4 Silver have focused on ease-of-use, and the biggest notable change is the new built-in touch display.

The Hero4 Silver does share many of the new features and settings that appear on the Black though, including Time Lapse, Night Photo andNight Lapse modes, HiLight Tag and Bluetooth connectivity. Protune is also a feature of the Silver camera.

Finally, GoPro have replaced the old White model with the new entry-level Hero, which will cost just £100 and shoot at 1080p at 30fps, or 720p at 60fps. The camera and waterproof case are now seamlessly integrated however and that means a built-in battery as well.

The new cameras are available on 5th October. More at http://gopro.com