bYx Optics

2023: Will I Upgrade to GoPro 12?

It has been speculated that the new iteration will be released in September. But, will I upgrade?

I have upgraded my GoPro for every model since GoPro 7. I found that GoPro 11 is already solid and GoPro form factor is just perfect when recording while travelling. The only thing that will persuade me to upgrade to GoPro 12 is if it has at least a one-inch sensor or natively uses a linear lens (or perhaps a mod lens).

GoPro Hero11 Black has a 1/1.9″ sensor with dimensions of 6.40 ? 5.60 mm and sensor area of 35.84 mm?.

Update

The new version was released on September 6, 2023. From the look of it, I will NOT make an upgrade as most of the upgrades are on the internal software. Same processor and the same sensor.

Sony Carl Zeiss Sonnar T✻ FE 55mm F1.8 ZA

This is one of my favourite lenses for portrait photography and also for general photography. It is also quite compact and doesn’t leave a big footprint in my bag. I also like this lens due to its weight and I can handheld when recording videos.

I like this focal length more than the 35mm as the angle of view is a bit more “tight” hence reducing the surrounding “noise”. It also works fine for product photography when I could not quickly get the Sony FE 50mm F2.8 Macro.

But, I find that it is not a “fast” focussing lens. I missed a lot of shots because it was taking some time. But, the thing that I really dislike about this lens is the purple fringing (chromatic aberration). A very strong one even! Check the photo below and it was just annoying.

I like the bokeh produced from this lens. The subject and the plane separations are really good as well. I find that f/2.8 is the best aperture setting for my camera. But my interview video recording works nicely at f/1.8.

I acquired this lens in March 2022 and it is one that travelled with me the most and always is in my bag (even my I don’t plan to use it, you just don’t know when you might need it). But of course, 50mm GM F1.4 is on the list 🙂

Aperture range: f/1.8 to f/22
The angle of view: 43°
Minimum focus distance: 50 cm
Maximum magnification ratio: 0.14×
Filter size: 49 mm
Dimensions (ø × L): 64.4 × 70.5 mm
Weight: 281 g

GoPro Hero 11 Black

At one time (2023), I have had GoPro 7, 8, 9 and 10 at once. Then I decided to sell GoPro 8 and 9. Trying to sell GoPro 7 as well. Only been utilising GoPro 10. Then with the new sensor dimension and with the promise of a better HyperSmooth 5.0, I upgraded to GoPro 11 in May 2023 and sold my GoPro 10 in June.

I found that this model with the new Enduro battery lasts longer than the normal blue battery. The “QuikCapture” function is also snappy! This function allows you to turn on the GoPro and start recording immediately by pressing the record button. The subsequent press stops and turns the camera off. This function lets you capture a moment as soon as it happens.

It is an “action” camera and is meant to be. But, I am not really using this for the intended “action”. I found it useful as the lens has no moveable parts, therefore I can be quite rough with it. It is tiny, and can easily pack into my winter jacket. Also, it works great in waterproof housing and taking it under the water.

Despite my dislike for the distorted lens (fisheye), I have to live with it. I took videos in 8:7 resolution to avoid cropping and upscaling. Similar to photos! But still, from time to time, I’d switch to linear as editing videos/photos to remove the distortion just made the visual look even worse. When using 8:7 the only “lens” available is Wide, which is the native view. Other digital lenses like Linear are cropping at the centre and upscaling to match the set resolution.

GoPro processor has a better distortion “correction” when set to Linear, as neither Final Cut Pro nor Lightroom can correct the distortion similar to when using the Linear lens.

Dimensions (W×H×D)	71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6 mm
Weight	154 g
Image Sensor	1/1.9″ CMOS
Processor	GP2
Max Video Resolution	5.3K 8:7 (5,312 ? 4,648)
Colour	10-bit
Max Photo Resolution	27.13MP (5,568 ? 4,872) from previously 23MP
Battery Size	Enduro 1,720 mAh

GoPro Labs

With a faster processor and seems rather quick, I upgraded to GoPro Labs firmware. I have tested this before, but it slowed down my GoPro unit, hence restored to the original firmware.

I changed the bitrate to 190 Mbps, the maximum shutter speed to 1/200 per second, the file name to include the date and time and some other changes. So far, everything work is just perfect!

Leeming LUT

I have started exploring “Color Grading” using Final Cut Pro to grade my drone videos recorded in D-cinelike. Then I began to grade my videos which were recorded in “Flat” colour and “Native” white balance. The result was not amazing but I can see that I can improve myself and the look is just better than the “Natural” colour profile.

I explored YouTube looking at comments about Native white balance and stumbled upon a post and he recommended I check his post using Leeming LUT. Not long after, I was AUS$50 poorer. The file was sent to my email the next morning.

Left: Flat/AWB/Sharpness=Low/Noise Reduction=1/WIDE=1/LOGB=400.
Right: After Leeming LUT Pro III – GoPro 11 – Wide Gamut log400 has been applied.

Applying the Leeming LUT Pro Quickie – Neutral Film 102 gives more contrast and the colour looks almost natural.

It looks like I need to explore more and see if it is really worth spending for the LUT. Now, I missed the “vibrant” looking colour and the vibrant blue sky 🙂

Video & Full-frame Camera

I have relied on GoPro Hero 11, DJI Pocket 2 and Sony ZV-1 to record video clips (as of June 2023). GoPro was quick and handy. DJI Pocket 2 stabilises footage with the built-in gimbal. Sony ZV-1 with a larger sensor captures sharper clips. If I were to rank them, the ranking would be in reverse order.

GoPro took the most clips so far as I set the top button as a single button to start/end recording. DJI Pocket 2 is very useful in darker areas, for example inside an airport terminal where GoPro struggles with Hypersmooth stabilisation. These two work nicely for impromptu videos. Also great while walking. But they both suffer from the overexposed situation due to small sensors. The things that I dislike the most about GoPro are the lens distortion (fisheye effect). While for DJI Pocket 2 is the gimbal situation, it just couldn’t read your mind which direction to move!

When it is on a tripod, then Sony ZV-1 is the one I would go for. Or when I do not need to move around a lot (like being outdoors, constantly moving). Recording conversations, cooking, lunch and snow, this camera is just the one to go to.

I have been using Sony α7R III to capture videos but because it is quite heavy and with my shaky hand, the videos are normally a bit jerky. Things changed in April 2023, when I used this camera in addition to Sony FE 20mm F1.8, upping the ISO to 2000 `and managed to capture an outdoor Easter procession.

Afterwards, I’ve been recording talking heads, comparing the Sony ZV-1 and Sony α7R III. I started to really love my full-frame camera now. The object separation is much better and it handles low-light way better.

I may not have solved the jerkiness, but I started to live with it. Instead of recording in a rush, I take my time. Instead of recording all in one go, I only record what I need. Sony α7R III may not be the best but it works! I just need to develop myself and gain more skills.

Eriksvej, Roskilde
6 June 2023

GoPro Hero Black Comparison

Model	7	8	9	10
Photo (JPEG)	12MP	12MP	20MP	23MP
Photo (RAW)	–	–	23MP	–
Video 16:9	2.7K60	4K60	5K30 4K60	5.3K60 4K120
Video 4:3	2.7K60	4K30	4K30	5K30 4K60
TimeWarp 16:9	–	–	4K30	4K60
TimeWarp 4:3	–	–	4K30	4K30
Horizon Levelling	–	–	28º (5K)	27º (5.3K)

Photo resolution. 20MP: 5,184×3,888. 23MP: 5,568×4,176.
GP9 does cropping for JPEG and RAW outputs.
Video resolution considers only linear lens and the maximum available fps.
Horizon Levelling is in HyperSmooth Standard.
microSD card: up to GP9 is Class 10 or UHS-1 and GP10 is v30 or UHS-3.

I have been using GoPro 7 (2019), 8 (2020), 9 (2021) and now 10 (2022). I noticed that the improvement curve has peaked and the only thing it can push now is increasing the megapixel. For photos, 23MP on GP9/GP10 seems enough already. But higher video resolution does not equate to better video quality either. I upgraded to GP10 for its 4K 120fps and also for the 5.3K 60fps.

GP7 and GP8 use Sony IMX277, which is a 7.85 mm diagonal (type 1/2.3) CMOS image sensor that has an effective 12 megapixels. GP9 and GP10 use Sony IMX677, which is a 7.85 mm diagonal (type 1/2.3) CMOS image sensor that has an effective 23.91 megapixels.

The plusses
– GoPro has a small body, is light and fits into my palm and jacket’s side pocket.
– QuikCapture feature is fantastic.
– It is easy to be taken along for diving.
– The GoPro + clip is perfect to be hanging, holding or standing on anything.