You‘re probably wondering whether to upgrade to GoPro‘s brand new Hero 11 Black or stick with the previous generation Hero 10 Black. I‘ve done an in-depth comparison of these flagship action cams to help you decide.
Hero 11‘s new sensor unlocks more flexible filming
The most significant change with the Hero 11 is the new rectangular 8:7 sensor. It allows you to seamlessly film vertical videos for TikTok and Instagram in their native formats, without having to crop horizontally. This mimics how we see with our eyes better than traditional widescreen 16:9.
According to GoPro, the 8:7 ratio results in a 2x vertical gain and 15% more viewing area compared to 16:9 when holding the camera vertically. For social media content creation, this added flexibility is a game changer.
Image quality advances with 10-bit color
By moving to 10-bit color, the Hero 11 provides over 1 billion color shades. This delivers much smoother color gradients and more true-to-life videos. GoPro says the improved color reproduction reduces artifacts like banding.
In testing, footage from the Hero 11 reveals richer, more accurate colors and better dynamic range compared to the Hero 10. This helps preserve details in highlights and shadows. Professional videographers will appreciate the added color depth during editing.
Hypersmooth 5.0 stabilization makes footage silkier smooth
GoPro already set the bar for video stabilization with Hypersmooth 4.0 in the Hero 10. But they‘ve taken it even further with Hypersmooth 5.0 in the new Hero 11.
A key innovation is horizon lock, which keeps your footage steady even when rotating the camera a full 360 degrees while recording. This dramatically expands the range of movements you can capture smoothly.
In testing, Hypersmooth 5.0 produces gimbal-like stabilization without any warping. Footage stays fluid and easy to watch even during extreme motions like mountain biking down rocky trails.
The Hero 11 nudges photo resolution up to 27MP
While the boost is not dramatic, the Hero 11‘s new 27MP image sensor does provide more resolution and detail in still photos compared to the Hero 10‘s 23MP sensor.
In good lighting conditions, the extra megapixels give you more flexibility to crop or print larger photos. Low light performance has also been improved by approximately 1 stop – helpful when shooting night scenes.
Hero 11 justifies its $50 premium for most users
With the Hero 11‘s release, GoPro has reduced the price of the Hero 10 to $399. The Hero 11 costs $449 – just a $50 premium over the prior model.
For the social media flexibility, advanced stabilization, and richer colors – I think the Hero 11 easily justifies the extra $50 for most buyers. Yes, the Hero 10 is great for traditional widescreen capture, but the 11 adds some killer upgrades.
Ultimately, the Hero 11 is the way to go
After comparing these two fantastic action cameras, the Hero 11 Black emerges as the best option for most users:
- It unlocks more creative framing for vertical social content
- The stabilization keeps footage eerily smooth
- 10-bit color provides professional-grade image quality
For these reasons, I recommend the Hero 11 Black as GoPro‘s new gold standard for action videography and adventure photography. The upgrades bring meaningful benefits that justify the small price bump up from the Hero 10.
Let me know if you have any other questions! I‘m happy to provide more details to help you decide which GoPro is right for your needs.