GoPro Hero 9

[WattsUpDude]

I think I put this on another thread but not here. So much fun!

 

[Prairie Dog]

Hey all:

I made my first GoPro purchase. I'm a bit of a camera/photography/videography enthusiast but I never really saw much value in GoPro cameras. I am however a DJI fan and have been using the Osmo Action Camera for every ride for about a year now. I've had a few cheap action cams over the years and never used them much because the shakiness was nauseating. When the DJI Osmo Action came out, I had to make the purchase after watching this comparison video by iPhonedo.

So now I have the GPH9 Black. It's good. I really like the colors it produces. It's bright and saturated. I'm not very well-versed in color grading so it's good enough for me. I love the loop function for commuting which acts exactly like a dashcam (will create multiple video files until the card is full at which case it will start over-writing the oldest file). It's a function that was not present in the Osmo Action so I had to delete junk files every couple days even on a relatively big 256GB card. The stabilization is a toss up between the GPH9 and DJI. The GoPro seems to handle the "yaw" axis better than the DJI, which is important when it's mounted on handlebars. It also retains a wider field of view than the DJI while stabilization is active. Where it falls short of the DJI is on stabilizing sudden small impacts like streetcar tracks and rolling off the driveway. I'm hoping this is not a deal breaker when I take the bike on more technical singletrack. I didn't do any side by side shots but I've memorized the route and how the DJI behaves when in that location.

There are dozens of other things I'm leaving out but hopefully this helps other riders who are considering the camera for commuting and recreational uses.

And here's a 2 minute clip from the commute in this morning:

I'm definitely keeping a close eye on the GPH9 based on your review. It's also worth noting that GoPro claims that battery performance in cold weather for the 9 is much better than in previous models. Not sure about that but I would also look into fitting it with a neoprene/foam cover to help shield it on winter rides.

 

[WattsUpDude]

I'm definitely keeping a close eye on the GPH9 based on your review. It's also worth noting that GoPro claims that battery performance in cold weather for the 9 is much better than in previous models. Not sure about that but I would also look into fitting it with a neoprene/foam cover to help shield it on winter rides.

For my commuting uses, it's plugged into the USB port on my Yamaha's display. When I'm on my analog bike, I have a 3500mah USB battery in a bar bag just in case. Weather around here is relatively mild only going into the mid-30*s F once in a while.

The current bundle now comes with an extra battery, grip and swivel clip for the same money I spent on it. I think it's a good deal.

I was finally able to buy the Max Lens Mod. The first batch was sold out in an hour. Hopefully, I'll get it for the weekend ride and will share some clips.

 

[Prairie Dog]

Thanks for the tip with regards to having a power bank on hand. I would likely be using my Garmin out-front mount and would see how that works. The camera would be installed on my non-powered MTB for now until next spring when I bring the e-bike out of storage. Look forward to the Max Lens clip.

 

[Ravi Kempaiah]

My GoPro 9 arrived a few days ago and I will share some videos in the coming weeks.
The stabilization is what attracted me the most. It is far superior to previous generation GoPros.

 

[WattsUpDude]

My GoPro 9 arrived a few days ago and I will share some videos in the coming weeks.
The stabilization is what attracted me the most. It is far superior to previous generation GoPros.

If you're interested at all, you may want to purchase the Max Lens Mod right now while it's still in stock. It's $70 if you bought the bundle with subscription. It was out of stock for almost a month after the initial batch. It's been going in and out of stock over this past week.

 

[WattsUpDude]

DadBiking. Now with Max Lens Mod. Will do a longer edit at some point but wanted to put this one together quickly.

 

[Johnny]

I am planning to get GP 8, is GP 9 worth the extra over 8 ?

Saw a comparison video on youtube of 8 and 9 and 7 , 8 and 9 seemed very close.

 

[WattsUpDude]

I am planning to get GP 8, is GP 9 worth the extra over 8 ?

Saw a comparison video on youtube of 8 and 9 and 7 , 8 and 9 seemed very close.

Image quality is definitely pretty close. I chose the 9 for the horizon leveling feature and the Max Lens Mod utility. If you don't need all that, you'll be very happy with any of them. Or the DJI Osmo Action cam which I really like, too.

 

[6zfshdb]

I am planning to get GP 8, is GP 9 worth the extra over 8 ?

Saw a comparison video on youtube of 8 and 9 and 7 , 8 and 9 seemed very close.

I bought a GoPro 8 last spring when the 9 was just released. The 9 has a few new accessories and a better stabilization platform which didn't make much difference to me. I took advantage of the sale price on the GP 8 Black bundle. I think it depends on what type of use you plan for the product. Serious photographers may appreciate the added features but to me, it wasn't worth the extra $$.

 

[Johnny]

Image quality is definitely pretty close. I chose the 9 for the horizon leveling feature and the Max Lens Mod utility. If you don't need all that, you'll be very happy with any of them. Or the DJI Osmo Action cam which I really like, too.

I am no expert but the changeable lenses seemed like a good insurance in case the lens breaks.

From the videos I have seen, pro9 looks a bit better in stabilization but very close.
I am planning to record my rides for hobby also when things settle down I am also planning to use it to record my commutes. So I guess my use case is similar to yours. Very nice videos btw.

On the other hand Gopro 9 seems to be $400 while 8 is $250 these days. So I am thinking if the $150 difference is justified.

 

[WattsUpDude]

I am no expert but the changeable lenses seemed like a good insurance in case the lens breaks.

From the videos I have seen, pro9 looks a bit better in stabilization but very close.
I am planning to record my rides for hobby also when things settle down I am also planning to use it to record my commutes. So I guess my use case is similar to yours. Very nice videos btw.

On the other hand Gopro 9 seems to be $400 while 8 is $250 these days. So I am thinking if the $150 difference is justified.

That’s a good point. Yes, interchangeable front lens elements are a pro to the Hero 9.
I’m not sure where you’re based but in the US, the Hero 9 bundle (camera, 1-year subscription, accessories) is $349. It’s a better deal than when I bought mine since mine didn’t come with some of the accessories. You also get 30% off of accessories like the Max Lens Mod for that year of subscription.

 

[Johnny]

That’s a good point. Yes, interchangeable front lens elements are a pro to the Hero 9.
I’m not sure where you’re based but in the US, the Hero 9 bundle (camera, 1-year subscription, accessories) is $349. It’s a better deal than when I bought mine since mine didn’t come with some of the accessories. You also get 30% off of accessories like the Max Lens Mod for that year of subscription.

I am also in Bay Area, do you mind pointing out to that $349 deal? That sounds pretty good.

 

[WattsUpDude]

I am also in Bay Area, do you mind pointing out to that $349 deal? That sounds pretty good.

Here you go.

 

[Johnny]

Here you go.

Ah their own website. The device without the bundle is more expensive then .

Thank you, this deal made my choice easier.

 

[Prairie Dog]

I've had the Hero 9 under my belt for about a month now and I must say that I'm quite impressed with its overall performance. The battery lasts exceptionally well in colder temperatures and the level of stabilization that the camera offers up is remarkable. I posted this video in another thread but to give you an idea of its attributes, the footage was shot on an unmaintained trail with plenty of snow packed ruts and bone rattling icy washboard. The GP9 was installed on a regular Garmin out-front mount all fitted to the bar of my rigid Trek 970. I think that the camera handled the bumpy terrain exceptionally well.

 

[Johnny]

Impressive camera indeed, very stable. However exposure of the skies are way off as can be seen in my first ride with gopro(still ver impressive given that it was attached to my coat with the clip adapter).

I will fiddle with the settings to achieve something acceptable.

 

[Prairie Dog]

One point that I encountered was an issue with regards to panning particularly when shooting scenery. My first attempt produced a very jerky action due to the boost stabilization being turned on which, I might add, happens to work extremely well during rough ride segments. Turning it off results in a smoother movement in the event when slow swiveling is required over the horizontal plane.

 

[WattsUpDude]

Impressive camera indeed, very stable. However exposure of the skies are way off as can be seen in my first ride with gopro(still ver impressive given that it was attached to my coat with the clip adapter).

I will fiddle with the settings to achieve something acceptable.

That’s a pretty good POV on the clip! I might have to start using mine when I’m on my other ride without an attached mount.

 

[WattsUpDude]

Some of you guys have already seen this but GoPro labs has enabled a bunch of new tweaks. It opens up a lot of possibilities on how the cameras can be used.