Whenever a promising pov camera hits the market, Reviewers position it as, “The camera that just might knock GoPro off its pedestal!” There’s a reason these guys have stayed on top for so long. Actually, a lot of reasons, most of which are embodied in the Hero4 Silver.
Let’s begin with the footage–the camera captures great high-definition and slow-motion frames. As with all the cameras we tested, the GoPro can be used to take stills–in this case at 12 megapixels, with a burst mode boasting 30 frames per second, as well as time lapse, night photo, night lapse and continuous modes.
The Hero4 does a good job of managing changing light conditions, thanks to its Auto Low Light feature, which adjusts frame rates on the fly. But the feature that most obviously sets the new Silver apart from past GoPro models is its built-in touchscreen, which makes adjusting the camera settings and playing back videos ridiculously simple. When you’re quick-draw capturing shots on the fly, simplicity is priceless. You can also take advantage of the GoPro app and the camera’s Bluetooth/wi-fi capabilities to control the camera and play back videos on your smartphone or tablet.
GoPro offers a wide range of mounts and there are a staggering number of aftermarket options as well, so affixing this thing to any part of your bike (or yourself) is a breeze. While the camera isn’t waterproof on its own, you can take it 131 feet below the waves when it’s tucked in its case. Finally, if you’re all about micro-managing your footage, GoPro’s Protune setting lets you get all Francis Ford Coppola and fine-tune your raw footage in post production. The Hero4 Silver isn’t cheap; then again, it’s a hell of a lot of camera.
PRICE 400$
