GoPro HERO9 Black Review: The Best of GoPro Comes at a Price

Last updated on 2022-09-21
By Yvonne

GoPro Hero9 Black Review: GoPro's Best at a PriceGoPro’s HERO9 is a powerful camera with a wide range of capabilities, however it comes with a high price and no support for older accessories. This makes it difficult to make a decision.

GoPro HERO9 Black

We like this

5K for as low as 30fps
Great stabilization
Body that is waterproof
Front-facing full-color LCD

The Things We Hate

Protective housing not required
Low light performance
Middling still image performance

GoPro HERO9Black is a top-of-the-line action camera that has excellent video quality and amazingly smooth stabilization. However, the high price tag and lack of protection housing makes it a less desirable upgrade to the HERO8Black.

The GoPro HERO9 was purchased by us so that our reviewer could test it. Continue reading to see the complete product review.

With the introduction of the HERO8 camera action cam, GoPro made the decision to create a waterproof device with a completely cageless design and built mounting hardware directly into its body. The GoPro HERO9Black takes it a step further by making the device's body larger than in previous generations. GoPro makes up the slight size difference with an array of features including lens covers that can be replaced.

Do you think it is worth upgrading to an action camera? It will likely be for a majority of users. However, it may not come without some significant premium.

Design: Bigger isn't always better

Let's get to the point: The HERO9 Black measures 2.8 x 2.2 x 1.3 inch (HWD), which is larger than that of the HERO8 Black at 2.6 x 1.9 x 1.3. It's still a small action camera for recording, but its dimensions are very similar.

GoPro's larger size allows for 30% more battery life, support for attachable lenses and an LCD front screen that displays a live preview. The HERO9 Black keeps the 'Folding Fingers" at its bottom. These tabs were introduced with the HERO8 and allow for quick mounting of the camera to start filming.

Many of the changes made to the GoPro recently were in favor of removing the protective housing. This was a requirement in order to waterproof older models. Instead, the GoPro is trying to incorporate all of these benefits directly into its body. On paper, I like the spirit of this design direction, but the truth is that the GoPro was far more secure inside the protective housing—particularly against impacts and scrapes.

You might be wondering how I could know that. It's not because when I attempted to attach the GoPro Hero9 Black to my bicycle, the camera rolled three feet and then cracked its rear screen. Do not be silly, dear reader.

GoPro will gladly sell the protective case as an accessory to your device for $50. However, this feels like an insult to a product that was previously free and cost $449.

We are pleased to offer display(s).

The HERO9Black's most significant new feature is its front-facing LCD screen. This new LCD screen is extremely useful and not something you can dismiss as just a marketing ploy.

The HERO9 Black's new display is a great tool for vloggers, and also makes it infinitely easier to take selfies. GoPro is well aware that smartphones are constantly crowded out of their cameras. Undoubtedly, their constant advancement in camera functionality and features is a safeguard.

They have their base of users who are willing to jump out of planes or mountain bike through dangerous ravines laden with sharpened knives. What about mommy bloggers? How about those 9-to-5ers who want to document their kayaking trips every year?

The new display allows you to easily use your GoPro Hero9 Black webcam in Zoom meetings.

It's easier than ever to view what you are recording and adjust your framing. This is why we prefer selfies to taking timed exposures and turning the camera upside down. Although the rear camera has better quality images, convenience wins almost all of the time.

The new display allows you to easily use your GoPro Hero9 Black as both a webcam in Zoom meetings or as the primary camera during Twitch streaming sessions. These two features alone are enough to make the purchase of the GoPro HERO9 Black much easier.

It is slightly bigger on the rear touchscreen, which makes it easier to navigate the menus and avoid getting frustrated by pressing wrong buttons.

It's the ultimate GoPro product at an affordable price.

Installation is simple and fast

It takes very little to get started with the GoPro Hero9 Black. There was one issue with setting up the GoPro HERO9 Black for the first times. It had a problem opening the door latch. The battery, microSD slot and USB-C charging/sync ports are located behind this door.

There are two options for turning on your device: the power button to the side and the record button at the top. When pressed, the recording button turns on the device and starts recording immediately—handy for when you need to jump straight into the action.

The battery takes approximately 3 hours to fully charge from full. You can do this using the provided USB-C-to-USB-A cable. If you don't have a computer, you will need to provide your own power brick.

Video quality: A slight bump

New sensor technology in GoPro Hero9 Black allows you to capture up to 5K videos at 30 frames per second. Referring to the above, 5K video is 5120x2880 pixels and 4K is 3840x2160. While many will argue that this is an upgrade just for the sake of upgrading, there are some practical benefits to recording at this resolution.

For instance, it gives you the wiggle room to crop out or zoom into the frame while still maintaining 4K resolution—very handy when you didn't get the framing of your shot quite right. The HERO9 BLACK can record 4K at 60/30/24fps, just like its predecessor.

The main problem with the 5K record mode is the 100Mbps maximum bitrate. This applies to all formats, including 2.7K/4K and 5K. Compression becomes more important than resolution. If you shoot action-oriented photography, 4K/60 is the best choice. It has twice as many frames and offers more detail than 5K/30.

Although the GoPro Hero9 Black certainly has improved video quality, don't expect miracles. However, the video quality is still affected by noise from any other than sunny weather and is susceptible to noticeable softness when watching it on a large screen.

Stabilization is a standout feature

GoPro stands out in stabilization. And let's be honest—they really need to do well here given the nature of how action cameras are used. HyperSmooth 2.0 made the HERO8 a huge leap ahead, while HyperSmooth 3 makes it a bigger leap for the HERO9. The results I got out of my HERO9 Black were amazing.

The footage was stunningly smooth, even though I rode on cobblestone paths that were bumpy enough for me to get headaches. You will be amazed at the level of stability this camera offers, compared to older cameras and even smartphones boasting about their stabilization capabilities.

The footage was stunningly smooth, even though I rode on cobblestone paths that were bumpy enough for me to get headaches.

Photos Quality: An improvement in quality

It is noticeable that the HERO8 Black's 12MP still photos are now 20MP. Although I do not take many still images with my GoPro, it is an excellent upgrade for anyone who uses the time-lapse photo mode. It's easy to take time lapses and navigate the settings.

It is noticeable that the HERO8 Black has 12MP still images and the HERO9 Black has 20MP.

There are many features to be proud of

If there's one single reason to pick the GoPro HERO9 Black over the competition, it's got to be TimeWarp 3.0—GoPro's hyperlapse function. This feature combines the best of all GoPro's strengths, including ease-of-use and rock-solid stability.

TimeWarp 2.0 was introduced by the HERO8 and includes a variety of helpful features such as automatic speed selection, and the ability tap to slow down or speed up to normal speed. The HERO9 allows you to accelerate down to 50%. This is an enormous advantage for those who are constantly on the go and want to make dynamic videos without editing.

Hindsight is another great tool. You can capture as much footage as you want before remembering to begin recording. This feature gives you a second shot with GoPro.

Prices: High-priced, but with some caveats

The GoPro Hero9 Black action camera is priced at $449. We were disappointed by the slight improvements made and the fact it does not support accessories for the HERO8 because of the body change.

GoPro currently promotes the use of its subscription program. They offer the HERO9 Black at $349 and a 1-year subscription. The subscription and camera cost $349, which is $100 less than retail. They also include an additional battery and 64GB microSD cards.

They are doing it because they have to. The GoPro subscription is a $50/yr subscription that includes unlimited cloud storage, 30-50 percent off the store, and no-questions-asked camera replacement—good for two replacements per year. If the camera gets damaged, you still have to pay an additional fee. GoPro seems to be betting that you will continue paying your subscription after one year. It seems like an easy decision to receive the $100 discount. However, it is up to you to decide if you wish to continue with another subscription.

GoPro HERO9 Black vs. GoPro HERO8 Black: Steps forward, steps back

The HERO9 Black is a HERO8 Black on paper. However, it has a few more features: smoother HyperSmooth, faster TimeWarp and 5K video. It's difficult for HERO8 Black owners to decide whether to upgrade. When it comes to taking out your wallet, the video quality is very comparable.

Things are further complicated by the fact that the Media Mod for the HERO8 isn't compatible with the HERO9—along with any other accessories that rely on the shape of the device being the same.

The HERO9 black is recommended for anyone who's making their first GoPro purchase or someone who hasn’t updated in several cycles. They will be available for at least the same price that the HERO8 and the subscription bundle. However, if you're a current user of the HERO8 Black, then I recommend that you skip this.

Final Verdict

This is the best GoPro.

The GoPro Hero9 Black action camera is an excellent choice. It improves almost everything we love about GoPro. It could be argued that the camera doesn't offer enough value for money or the accessories aren't enough, but it is the most powerful GoPro action camera available at any price.