The ultimate mirrorless camera for bloggers on the move – GoPro Hero 11 Black Content Creator Edition
GoPro Hero 11 Black Content Creator Edition was launched on 14 Sept 2022 in India. It was clearly targeted towards the ever growing tribe of Reel makers which is the most competitive market segment in India.
After experimenting with a few such options for camera manufacturers, thetimelock finally decided to take the plunge and try out the action camera as a blogger and photographer. That was around two months back and the GoPro now has become the preferred camera of our choice. Here is why the GoPro scores above all.
Capabilities of the GoPro Hero 11 Black Content Creator Edition
- A battery backup that can last almost five hours with the Volta Hand Grip. Sufficient for those long trips. Recharging both the grip and GoPro will take close to three hours max.
- Volta remote capabilities enables control over the GoPro for quick shooting both still and video. You can also switch modes using a separate button.
- Perfect point and shoot capabilities even in low light.
- Volta works as a mini tripod.
- Time Warp, Slow Motion, Light panning, Star light trails, cinematic mode, night photo, burst mode and so many more. GoPro has really put in all the effort to get the latest version upto near perfection
- Media mod gives a better voice recording capabilities with a front and rear mic.
- Media mod also gives capability to mount two additional devices and three ports for USB-C, mic port and HDMI out.
- Light mod gives a nifty option for dark conditions
- Media mod provides all round protection to the GoPro
Other options for travel bloggers
When the first version of GoPro was launched in 2004, it was a 35 mm film action camera. But it was only in 2010 with the HD Hero that GoPro reached 1080p recording mode. By 2012 the action camera had taken the form what it is today with that tiny rectangular package with Black Edition as the highest specs. Then in 2019 with the Hero 8 and the newly introduced media mod, GoPro finally made something was caught the attention of vloggers. This edition also improved the Hypersmooth which was introduced with the Hero 7. While all this was going on there was no other brand or model which specifically catered for the travel bloggers. So they had to make use of a host of modifications and jugaad stuff. Some of them mounted the tiniest point and shoot on gorilla tripod and then took selfies shots. While others stayed with the trusted mobile with a selfie stick.
Today we have products like Nikon Z30, Sony ZV series, Canon EOS M50 and finally the DJI Pocket 2 which is a formidable challenger to the GoPro.
Why the GoPro Hero 11 Black works for travel bloggers
GoPro Hero 11 Black mounted on a Volta grip fits in the tiniest of the sling bag or waist pouch. That leaves your hands free while walking. Mobile phone which is the most handy for travellers can easily slip into any of the pockets while all the other things can go into the sling bag. That still leaves one hand free for the point and shoot camera which travel bloggers often carry.
GoPro is ready to click or shoot as soon as it is switched on. Point and shoot capabilities are what travel bloggers mostly seek. Action on the streets cannot wait. You can configure a custom setting each depending on what scenario you have to shoot. You are ready in seconds. The small size of GoPro ensures that it can manoeuvre easily in the tiniest of spaces too.
Hero 11 captures images in 24 Megapixel and videos in 5.3K at 60 FPS. That is quite formidable. It can shoot RAW, HDR and SuperPhoto. You can immediately transfer the pictures and video to your smartphone or in my case it is the iPad Air.
Media Mod gives great audio recording capabilities so that you don’t need to have an additional external mic.
What might not work for you
Shot in 5.3K the GoPro in Indian conditions can shoot for about 16 minutes till it switches off due to overheating. While it is still long time for many, you might want to check this point.
HyperSmooth on Auto Boost works in daylight. It is basically digital stabilisation. So it won’t work in low light. Here is why and how can you work around the problem.
While walking on the streets, there will be a slight but visible up and down movement of the camera. This cannot be eliminated completely. Of course the option is to use a gimbal, But what is the point of using a gimbal with a GoPro.
If you are that type of photographer who is love with the lenses then forget about the GoPro. It has static aperture and the smallest lens as per your fascination. Use the GoPro as a secondary camera.
Happy Street Shooting!!!
These are the images which GoPro Hero 11 Black is capable of.
