A lot is riding on the new GoPro MAX2 as competition increases across the 360 camera market. Will the numbers — 8K, 10-bit, 300 Mbps — and those twist-and-go replaceable lenses be enough to ensure success?
Here's a coincidence. We were clearing out the archives this morning to add new content (we have a 10,000 article limit. Yes, 10,000...) and we came across this from October 2012: A heroic leap forward: GoPro's new 4K Sports Cam. The Hero3 featured 4K at a less than stellar 12 fps, but we were excited because everything about the Hero3 was twice the capability of its predecessor. "Twice the resolution, and twice the framerate - not to mention twice the low-light performance. All of which adds to the evidence that camera technology is improving exponentially," we wrote.
13 years later and what do we have? The top of the range GoPro 8K MAX2 360-camera and the tiny LIT HERO 4K camera that weighs just 93 grams / 3.28 oz and will capture 4K60 at $100 less than the Hero3 cost at launch in 2012. And we also have a company that is in increasing need of a success. To put it succinctly: Revenue is down, sales are down, and competition is up.
An optional GoPro Labs firmware update unlocks bitrates up to 300Mbps and additional advanced settings.
Audio is handled by six microphones that record in 360, with Bluetooth functionality, audio field-of-view, 360 stereo, and wind-noise reduction. Ambisonic audio support is planned at some unspecified point down the line.
The MAX2 includes new in-camera POV and selfie video modes for direct capture without editing. Sixteen dedicated mounts and accessories allow for invisible mounting and a variety of 360 perspectives.
It captures 29-megapixel 360 photos that can be fully edited in the accompanying GoPro Quik app. The app also provides AI object tracking and MotionFrame editing for 360 content. Subscribers also have access to unlimited cloud storage and can edit their footage in the cloud.
The camera is waterproof, features a low-profile design, and power is supplied by a 1960mAh Enduro battery designed for cold-weather use. GoPro says it is also the only 360 camera with built-in GPS.
The MAX2 is, of course, not the first 8K 360 action camera. Both the DJI Osmo 360 and the Insta360 X5 are 8K, but GoPro insists it is the only 'True' 8K camera as its rivals count the redundant pixels in the overlap used for stitching. This, GoPro says, means the MAX2 has 16-21% more resolution than the competition.
Whether that will be enough to move the dial on consumer sentiment is unknown. But where the MAX2 has a significant advantage, especially over the Osmo 360, is with the ability to easily swap lenses. As long as the optics are high quality too, that's a definite strength.
Its audio capabilities look strong too, ambisonic will be a definite USP, the 300 Mbps bitrate is a standout, and there is potential for that cold weather performance to also edge ahead of its rivals. Against that you have to balance the fact that that 29MP stills performance in particular is weak. It's different, but is it different enough is the question, and brand loyalty has been tested of late.
Here though is where we do have another key difference: MAX2 is available for pre-order today for $499 on GoPro.com, $50 less than its rivals (though that advantage may not remain for long ahead of some expected discounting). Shipping of preorders and global on-shelf availability at retail stores will begin on September 30.