What is it? At first glance, GoPro's Hero 6 looks just like the Hero 5. The lifestyle camera is exactly the same size, comes in the same black case, and fits all of the GoPro accessories you already own. But as the saying goes, it's what's inside that counts, and that's certainly the case with the Hero 6. It boasts superior technology thanks to something called the GP1, a chip that improves image quality, adds a nifty zoom feature, and handles low light conditions better. But the Hero 6 is all about stabilisation, and that's where it excels.
How does it work? Much like the Hero 5, but better. The GoPro has always been designed for those who want to boast about their outdoor exploits. But you don't need to be a skydiver or big-wave surfer to make the most of it. I recently travelled to Melbourne with my son and we had a lot of fun filming in and around the city's skyscrapers, bridges and trams. Thanks to Quikstories, an app that makes mini movies out of your footage, it even made even the boring stuff - like looking for coffee and pastries while walking through the city's famous food laneways - seem like an epic experience.
What's the best feature? Its stabilisation for sure. Using just a handheld mount, we quickly perfected making sweeping shots that looked like epic movie moments shot from giant crane rigs. "It looks more natural, more real," explains Summers. GoPro readily admits the "3-axis" stabilisation system is so good you don't really need the Karma Grip, an advanced mount released with the Hero 5, with the Hero 6. Unless you're trying to become the next James Cameron, that is.
And what's the worst?The Quikstories app isn't quite as streamlined as it could be. I've had connectivity issues when it comes to downloading the footage for editing. That may, however, have been because of the crap hotel Wi-Fi we had in Melbourne. And you'll need to put in some time to perfect the art of editing your footage down into mini movies. But once you've got your head around it, it's pretty simple.
