Our Gopro Hero10 action cam review, from a motorbike riding perspective.
Long-term viewers will remember I thought the Sony X3000 was a better action cam many
years ago.
But we think Gopro has been the industry standard for at least six years now.
As usual, we will cover what we like about the Gopro Hero10, then what we don't like.
And should you buy this action cam?
The main changes from the previous Hero9?
A significantly faster processor.
Improved horizon levelling.
Much better touch screen.
No lagging in the menus.
The lens cover repels water.
It's a fraction lighter.
Better low light performance.
All of these changes are good from a motorbike perspective.
If you use 4k resolution, then 120 frames per second is brilliant for slow motion.
The horizon levelling now works up to 45 degree angles, instead of 27 degrees on the previous
model.
The touch screen and menu system works much better than the Hero9, a real bonus when you
stop riding briefly to change settings.
What are the features we really like?
Gopro has really nailed the stabilisation.
They claim it has improved, but last year's model was so good we can't really pick the
difference other than the horizon levelling.
It works brilliantly whether you are riding over rough terrain, or walking around to film
the action.
Gopro has a Superview setting, a huge feature for riders.
The camera digitally manipulates the footage to increase vertical coverage.
This means you see the horizon and handlebars, and positioning the camera is not so critical.
See the difference with the standard wide view?
It's far less immersive when you rarely see the handlebars.
There are almost no glitches or problems with the Hero10.
In the past, Gopro has often been accused of releasing cameras too early.
Buyers encountered multiple problems and had to wait for updates to fix them.
The good news?
It seems the only real issue with the Gopro 10 was overheating and an update was quickly
released to fix the problem.
The audio has been very good on recent models.
The wind reduction feature works quite well.
I actually record all my narrations using the Gopro now.
Tweaking the EQ in post-production always delivers great results.
Video quality?
It's the industry standard, at least for action cams.
I usually use Gopro's Protune setting.
This provides a high quality file which can then be adjusted in post-production.
I usually add sharpness, saturation, and adjust the colour curves.
However, like any action cam the Gopro is limited by it's small sensor.
The quality can drop rapidly in low light conditions, or when you have a lot of contrast
with sun and shadows in the forest.
The range of mounting options for the Gopro is huge.
Our favourite is the Dango chinbar mount.
It's easy to remove and hold in your hand... even when riding.
What don't we like?
The Gopro10 still freezes for no reason.
This might only happen twice on each ride, but it's annoying when you have to stop and
remove the battery to force a reset.
I have encountered this on every Gopro model from 3 to 10.
You can reduce the frequency with various tips.
But it seems to be a built-in flaw to the operating system.
Fortunately the battery door is much easier to open on the Gopro Hero10.
The 9 model had a terrible door that often needed a screwdriver to force it open.
And that's the only issue I have with this new model.
I did google around.
Despite the firmware update, some users still say they can overheat the camera when filming
long clips at maximum resolution in warm weather.
But I have never encountered this with years of using various Gopro cams in summer temperatures.
The price.
Personally I don't think the price is bad given the quality of this action cam.
However, if you don't need the best quality and performance, there are plenty of budget
alternatives out there.
This leads us into should you buy this camera?
If you want the industry standard for motorbike riding?
Yes.
What if there is a discounted Gopro Hero9 available?
Personally, I would still choose the 10.
There are a significant number of improvements to make it worth the extra money.
What action cam do you use?
Is it working well for you?
Let us know in the comments.