Hype about GoPro's latest HERO4 action camera has almost stolen the limelight from the company's all-new budget action camera – the £99 / €124.99 / US$130 / AU$169 HERO.
The entry-level HERO offers 1,080p HD recording at 30fps or 720p footage at 60fps and, like the other cameras in the range, comes with GoPro's rugged skeleton case (rated fully waterproof down to 40m). Stills can be captured at five megapixels, via the wide-angle lens, with timelapse and burst functions built in.
You even get the new automatic light mode as featured on the top-end HERO4 Black, meaning you'll be able to move between bright and dark environments without having to adjust your camera.
The 111g HERO should also be easier to use than the previous GoPro, thanks to a new dedicated button that allows quick access to the camera settings. Similarly, a new QuikCapture mode allows the device to power on and start recording automatically with the press of a single button. Press once to record video, press and hold for two seconds to capture Time Lapse photos.
There's still an in-built microphone and storage isn't an issue – the HERO will accept microSD cards up to 32GB.
So, what are we missing out on with this one? Well, there's none of this Ultra HD 4k stuff going on here and there's no fancy screen to review your footage. You won't find WiFi or Bluetooth functionality either, but for a lot of people that won't be an issue.
What may be more of an issue is the fact that the camera appears to be integrated into its housing, so you'll want to look after that lens. Unlike GoPro's other cameras, the HERO's battery is built-in, so you lose some convenience too.
We think this is the action camera that many have been waiting for, and once they go on sale on 5 October, we reckon they could well be pretty difficult to get hold of!
Included in the box
- Integrated camera + housing (rated waterproof to 40m)
- Built-in battery
- Skeleton backdoor
- Curved adhesive mount
- Flat adhesive mount
- Quick-release buckle
- USB cable
