GoPro Hero 6 Black Review (Pros + Cons)

A little tech review

My camera obsession just seems to grow and grow constantly, it isn't even healthy anymore how much I dream of getting the shots *just right* or to be able to create the shot that has been buzzing about in my head for weeks/months. This is how the GoPro ended up on my radar. With my holiday quickly approaching I realised *oh fuck* my current camera (The Olympus Pen E-PL8 - Review Here) was far from convenient for the kind of shots I wanted to take. I needed something waterproof. Something that could go to Siam Park, be next to the pool. Something with kick-ass quality yet durable. 

Insert the GoPro. I was all ready to buy one, after spending HOURS watching reviews, videos, first impression videos, looking at specs, adding it in and out of my amazon basket... you know, the typical big spend behaviours. But then very luckily my friend already had one. She very kindly let me borrow it for the week I was away, giving me the best of both worlds, being able to take the shots I want to take, while being able to try out the camera and see if I want to make an investment in the best one, without having to splash out cash. *YAY* 

I loved using the GoPro while I was away, it really did help to capture moments I would never have been able to capture without it, and I will always be thrilled with the pictures and the videos I brought home with me. While on holiday I shared a lot of the content I captured on Instagram, and a lot of questions were asked about the GoPro or how I was managing to get the shots, so I thought I would answer the majority of questions in a post. The pros and cons. 

P R O S : 

Life Proof - water, dirt, slime, paint. This camera can handle the mess life throws at you, and this to me is the biggest advantage. Being able to jump into a pool, to be able to go down a waterslide or through mud and grime, and for it to still be shooting and capturing life without having to worry. The GoPro is WaterProof up to 10m and can be extended with casing if necessary. 

TEENY size - The GoPro is TINY. On first impressions, it seems way too small to be able to capture video in the way that it can. It has a tiny enclosed lens and a touchscreen. It is really unimpressive looking at it, but do not let it deceive you. Like a little ninja. 

The Attachments - With the GoPro being so small the benefits with that is you can get pretty much any and every attachment for you or your bike, car, boat, tripod, you name it - there will be a GoPro attachment to suit. I opted to use my Manfrotto mini tripod or the harness I borrowed alongside the GoPro - this was ideal for Siam Park. I wore the GoPro the full days at Siam Park, it was comfortable - and most of the time I didn't even think about it - until I was ready to watch the footage and have a giggle. It was completely hands-free and problem free, even AJ wore it without bothering. 

Video Capabilities - HOLY CRAPBALL. Seriously this just explains my love for this camera, without a doubt. It can shoot in 4K at 60fps, which is ideal for slower paced high-quality video footage, but I shot in 1080p at an incredible 240fps - you can see every movement, every water splash, every air bubble, every detail of the video. Leaving me to take stills from the videos which are crystal clear, or create super incredible slow-mo videos which will have you shocked at the quality. I am beyond impressed with this, and it makes me squeal in excitement to do more with this little cam. All the photos you see on my instagram, or on this post have been taken from a video. Just look at the detail. It is INSANE. (yes I am so geeky right now) 

WiFi Compatible - I love being able to use my phone to control the GoPro, or to be able to move footage from the GoPro to my phone to edit or upload, it just makes life super simple. 

Stabilisation - The Hero6 has an updated inbuilt video stabiliser to ensure a smooth video. This is definitely something I have noticed when watching back the content. The video footage could have easily been jittery or unsmooth, but instead, it seems to be a dream to watch and smooth even on water slides. 

C O N S : 

Video Size/Download Time - Due to the quality of the videos, the file size is pretty gigantic. That means when you are downloading videos from the GoPro to a phone it can take what feels like forever - and be prepared to have zero storage space on your phone because the footage will take up ALL of it. This isn't a deal breaker though, because the quality wouldn't be there if the file size was smaller, but just be prepared to spend a lot of time downloading content. 

The App - I do like the app, it works well. But there are issues with syncing. It really isn't the easiest. To the point I had to call support, change all the settings, it was a pain. But once it is hooked up it seems to not be an issue after that. 

Crashing - on occasion, the GoPro would refuse to do anything I wanted it to, swap the modes, turn off. It seems to have a mind of its own. It wasn't something that happened all the time, but it does happen on occasion. 

Battery Life - It isn't the longest. Be prepared to buy additional battery packs if you are expecting it to last a whole day - on an upside to this, the battery does charge really quickly, so if you have a portable charger, it won't take long to recharge. 

Unable to Preview High-Quality Files - once the quality is above a certain size, the app will not allow you to view the footage without downloading the full file first. It can be frustrating when you just want to view the file on a larger screen to see if the content is what you are looking for. The GoPro does alert to this when selecting a higher quality, but still - it's annoying. 

 Overall, after using the GoPro Hero 6 Black for a week, I would without a doubt spend £399 on one for myself, the quality is incredible, and unbeatable for a camera of the same size and durability. Worth every penny if this is the type of content you would like to create.

Have you used a GoPro before? Would it be something you would purchase? Let me know in the comments below! 

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*These items were sent to me for review but has in no way altered my opinion on them, and all words are my own unless stated otherwise (usually in quotes!)

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