Is it time to upgrade your beloved GoPro Camera yet? We say yes, and here are 11 reasons to Upgrade your GoPro Hero7 Black to GoPro Hero11 Black. You’ll be glad you did!
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Differences Between GoPro Hero7 and GoPro Hero11 Black
It’s not easy to drop nearly $1000 on a new camera (Australian Dollars). That’s with a couple of genuine accessories thrown in of course.
Especially since the GoPro Hero7 Black, released in September 2018, is still essentially an awesome camera in September 2022 when the GoPro Hero11 Black was released. Let’s look at the main differences that excite me, which can also be seen on the GoPro Comparison chart.
- Faster processor – GP2
- Better Stablalisation – HyperSmooth 5.0
- Horizon Lock
- Better Low Light Video
- More Megapixels on Photos
- 5.3k Video
- Automatically Update to the Cloud
- Better Battery
- Better color via 10-bit processing
- Creator Pack
Now let’s look at a blow-by-blow account of the reasons I believe it’s time to upgrade your GoPro to the stunning new GoPro Hero11 Black, in order of highest to the least Wow factor.
#1 GoPro Creator Edition
The GoPro Creator Edition has been around for a couple of GoPro versions now, but it was not available in the GoPro Hero7 Black. Basically, the Creator integrates 4 main components:
- GoPro Hero11 Black Camera
- Media Mod
- Light Mod
- Volta Hand Grip
Each component included in the creator addition is amazing in its own right, but the most exciting part upgrade for me is the Audio Jack included on the Media Mod. What this means is that finally, you can mount an external microphone directly to your GoPro for amazing audio. No more clumsy adaptors. Yay, about time, GoPro!
#2 Hypersmoooth 5.0 Video Stabilisation
Although the original Hypersmooth released on the GoPro Hero7 Black in 2018 is still amazing after quite a few years, there is no denying that the Hypersmooth 5.0 is incredibly better. Every year hyper smooth video stabilization gets better and better, and after 4 years this difference is significant.
And the auto boost Hypersmooth allows you to set and forget, and let GoPro do all the figuring out on how much stabilization to add.
#3 Horizon Lock
This pairs amazingly well with the Hyper smooth video Stabilization. I have always struggled with keeping the horizon level with the small form factor of the GoPro Action Camera. And leveling in post-processing on the computer is a pain in the butt. Fear not, it’s all automatic now.
#4 Better Battery Life
The new Enduro 1720 mAh battery is a HUGE jump up from the GoPro Hero7 Black battery, which was only around 1240 mAh. But the Volta hand grip is a game-changer.
The Volta gives an extra 4,900 mAh of battery power on top of the Enduro battery. So it is like having 3.8 batteries or probably about 5 times better battery life than the GoPro Hero7 Black. Amazing!
#5 Load Automatically to the Cloud
The last time I subscribed to GoPro Cloud and Quik was about 5 years previously. It was very clunky at the time, and difficult to justify. But loading to the cloud from the GoPro Hero11 Black is automated and has come a long way.
Yes, I am committing to an annual subscription of around $70 Australian per year, however, I believe the value will be definitely there. And my plan is to fully utilize the Quik app on my iPad Pro to produce videos since it has also reportedly come a long way.
No more juggling between the Photos app, iCloud, and dropbox. I’m looking forward to the one-stop-shop approach of GoPro.
#6 Stylish Form Factor
My vlogging setup on the GoPro Hero7 Black was very effective, but not very aesthetically pleasing (check out the feature image). And a bit on the fragile side – it was a homemade vlogging rig after all!
But the stylish form factor of the GoPro Hero11 Black Creator Edition is solid, functional, and stylish. Everything you need, including lights, sound, tripod, and better power are all integrated into one compact vlogging rig.
#7 Colour Grading
I always like a vibrant color grading on my produced videos. Nothing too technical, just vibrant and saturated. This was always an issue with the old GoPro Hero7 color grading, and I also always needed to do some computer color enhancements.
Not anymore, thanks to the new vibrant setting on the GoPro Hero11 Black. I have little doubt that this is greatly assisted by the new 10-bit processing power.
Photo of the Day: SUP with it, Autumn 🍂 Kaede Ogasawara snapped this shot on a crisp morning in Japan with #GoProHERO11 Black.#GoPro #SUP #Reflection #Fall #Autumn #FallColors #Foliage pic.twitter.com/k53G6xvSBf
— GoPro (@GoPro) November 21, 2022
#8 User Interface
The user interface on the GoPro Hero11 Black is far advanced from the GoPro Hero7 Black and offers a large range of new features. I am excited to work through all the new features available. There is a lot more opportunity now to have auto settings, meaning fewer mistakes.
#9 Volta Control Panel
I love the control panel on the Volta Hand Grip. I love how it’s so simple to use, and how you can stop//start recording, and toggle through the different modes. For me, this is a big deal.
#10 Light Mod & Low Light Video
I have never had a light mod on any of my GoPros. Combined with the more powerful chipset, this gives much more versatility in low-light shooting. Watch out for some GoPro night footage, something which was completely unheard of on the GoPro Hero7 Black.
#11 Easy Charging
A single USB cable will now charge both the Enduro Battery and the Volta battery pack all in a single charge. Now that is convenient! No more juggling around multiple batteries, battery chargers, and cables.
So Much To Love About the GoPro Hero11 Creator Pack
Did I tell you that I’m a big fan of the Creator Pack with the GoPro Hero11 Black? Seriously, this is the action video camera and vlogging camera I’ve been dreaming of for years. There are actually a few more great reasons to upgrade, here are just a few which excite me:
- 5.3k video
- GoPro Hero11 Black reportedly does not freeze like previous GoPro Cameras
- The versatility of hot shoes on the Media Mod pack
- Much better high-resolution still photos
- High-resolution photos from video
- Some interesting light effects – starlight, car light trails, light painting
- 8 x Slow Motion
It’s Time To Upgrade to GoPro Hero11 Black
So have I convinced you to upgrade to the awesome GoPro Hero11 Black Creator Pack yet? There is so much to like, especially when doing a massive upgrade from the GoPro Hero7 Black. And you might even get a good price on eBay for that old GoPro Hero7 Black, because it’s still a great Action Camera!
By the way, check out our guide for recommended GoPro Hero11 Black Accessories. Whether you are doing travel videos or epic action, Happy Action Cam Shooting!
