- Table of Contents
- Intro
- Our Verdict
- Test Results
- Differences
- Deals
- Discussions
The GoPro HERO8 Black is a compact waterproof camera designed for action video. It's easy-to-use, well-built, and feels quite durable. With an impressive video stabilization performance, your videos are mostly free of camera shake even if you're moving quickly while filming. However, its video quality isn't the best and there's some visual noise present, especially if you're filming in low-light conditions. That said, the companion GoPro app makes it easy to control this camera from your phone, which is handy if you have it strapped on a helmet.
Our Verdict
The GoPro HERO8 is poor for travel photography. There isn't an autofocus system to help you take clear pictures. Even though this camera isn't intended to be used for this, it has a decent image quality, so photos don't have a lot of visible noise, but they aren't very sharp. On the upside, it's well-built and very portable.
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Well-built and portable design.
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No autofocus system.
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Disappointing battery performance.
The GoPro HERO8 is acceptable for landscape photography. Even though this camera isn't intended to be used for this, it has a decent image quality. Photos don't have a lot of visible noise, but they also aren't very sharp. Its built-in lens doesn't offer a lot of flexibility, especially in low-light conditions, and it doesn't have an autofocus or manual focus assistance to help you track moving subjects. It's also not meant to be used as a handheld camera, and can be a little uncomfortable to use in this configuration.
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Well-built and portable design.
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Waterproof.
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Small screen can make it difficult to see what's being displayed.
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Disappointing lens.
The GoPro HERO8 is mediocre for sport and wildlife photography. This camera lacks an auto-focus system, and it doesn't take very detailed photos. However, even though it isn't intended to be used for this, it's well-built, and it can shoot at high continuous burst speeds, helping you capture clear images of fast-moving athletes.
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Well-built and portable design.
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No autofocus system.
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Small screen can make it difficult to see what's being displayed.
The GoPro HERO8 is passable for vlogging. This portable camera is easy to carry with you, and it does a great job stabilizing video for a clear shot while you're walking and recording. Its lens also has a wide field of view. Unfortunately, there's some visual noise present when you record video in 4k or FHD, and it doesn't have a face-tracking or autofocus system to help you track moving objects or people.
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Well-built and portable design.
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Visual noise affects FHD and 4k video quality.
The GoPro HERO8 is sub-par for studio video. It doesn't have an autofocus system to help you get a clearer shot. Also, its video quality isn't very impressive in 4k or FHD, as there's some visual noise present, especially in low-light environments. On the upside, there isn't a limit on how long you can record videos.
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Well-built and portable design.
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Visual noise affects FHD and 4k video quality.
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No autofocus system.
The GoPro HERO8 is excellent for action video. This compact, waterproof camera is very easy to bring on-the-go, and it does an impressive job stabilizing video for a clear image even if you're moving quickly, like during extreme sports. Unfortunately, its FHD and 4k video quality aren't the best, so there may be some visual noise present, especially in darker settings.
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Well-built and portable design.
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Waterproof.
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Visual noise affects FHD and 4k video quality.
- 4.5 Travel Photography
- 7.0 Landscape Photography
- 5.6 Sport & Wildlife Photography
- 6.0 Vlogging
- 5.8 Studio Video
- 8.7 Action Video
- Updated Jan 04, 2022: Updated 'Max Aperture (Full Frame Equivalent)' and 'Max Focal Length (Full Frame Equivalent)' to 'N/A'.
- Updated Nov 09, 2021: Updated 'Sensor Size' to show 'Unspecified' since GoPro doesn't officially advertise sensor size.
- Updated Oct 14, 2021: Added additional information to 'Screen' section about the second front-facing screen.
- Updated Oct 13, 2021: Updated score to show N/A for 'Image Stabilization' test due to limits in test methodology for this camera.
- Updated Oct 06, 2021: Updated 'Clean HDMI Output' and 'Advertised Max Chroma Sampling Over HDMI' fields to show 'No HDMI'.
- Updated May 07, 2021: Competed retests and corrected input errors in 'Ergonomics & Comfort', 'Screen', 'Sensor', 'Battery', 'Shooting Speed', 'Image Stabilization', '4k Video Stabilization', '4k Video Quality', 'FHD Video Stabilization', 'FHD Video Quality', and 'Inputs / Outputs' boxes.
- Updated Feb 08, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Feb 08, 2021: Early access published.
Test Results
- Rubberized plastic casing surrounds front of camera and lens; back end made of hard plastic
- Hinge covering the battery/SD card feels sturdy and closes tightly
- GoPro HERO8
- Mount part 1 (GoPro side)
- Mount part 2 (object side with a sticker to install)
- USB-A to USB-C cable
- Stickers
- User manual
- It's intended to be used as an action camera, but can be used to take photos/videos handheld
- Can change settings using the touchscreen or via the GoPro app on your smartphone
- Buttons are hard to press
- Easy to change settings by mistake with touchscreen
- Menu is simple and easy to navigate
- Menus are the same on the camera and the GoPro app
- Guide Mode is available for additional information about settings and features
Update 10/14/2021: Added additional information about the camera's second front-facing screen.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'Screen Max Brightness' test result has been updated. The score for this section has changed.
This camera has a small additional screen on the front that displays information like shooting mode, battery life, and remaining SD card storage space.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'Tested Firmware' field has been updated.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'Use When Charging' field has been changed from 'No' to 'Yes' to reflect that the camera can be used to take photos and record video while plugged into a power source.
Update 01/04/2022: Since GoPro doesn't officially advertise the sensor size of its cameras, we've updated the 'Max Aperture (Full Frame Equivalent)' and 'Max Focal Length (Full Frame Equivalent)' to 'N/A'.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'High Speed Continuous' and 'Low Speed Continuous' fields have been changed from '14 fps' to '30 fps' to reflect that the camera has been retested using its 'Burst' mode. The 'Buffer Empty Time' field has been updated from '0 s' to '6 s' to reflect that the camera takes time to save and store image files following a 30 fps burst.
Update 10/13/2021: We've updated the score to show N/A because our current methodology can't adequately score the image stabilization features of cameras with limited slower shutter speed settings. Note, though, that this camera still has stabilization features and the score is not representative of how these features perform in actual use.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'In Body Image Stabilization' field has been changed from 'Yes' to 'No' to reflect the fact that this camera only has a digital stabilization feature.
Update 10/06/2021: Corrected 'Clean HDMI Output' and 'Advertised Max Chroma Sampling Over HDMI' fields to show 'No HDMI'.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'In Body Image Stabilization In 4k' field has been changed from 'Yes' to 'No' to reflect the fact that this camera only has a digital stabilization feature.
Update 05/07/2021: The '4k Test Scene Extract' image was subjectively reevaluated, and the camera's score has been updated.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'In Body Image Stabilization In 4k' field has been changed from 'Yes' to 'No' to reflect the fact that this camera only has a digital stabilization feature.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'FHD Test Scene Extract' image was subjectively reevaluated, and the camera's score has been updated.
Update 05/07/2021: The 'Bluetooth' field has been changed from 'No' to 'Yes' to reflect that the phone relies on Bluetooth to share images with smartphones, but uses Wi-Fi for remote live view shooting and recording.
Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The GoPro HERO8 comes in one color variant: black. You can see the label for the model we tested here. Some manufacturers also sell this camera with some extra accessories, like a head strap, extra rechargeable batteries and chargers, a handler, and an adhesive mount, but we don't test for these.
If you come across another variant of this camera, let us know in the discussions.