GoPro on Tuesday announced two new cameras, the $399 HERO8 Black and the $499 HERO MAX.
GoPro CEO Nick Woodman said in second quarter earnings report, when it said revenue sank 4.7%, that the company is "on track" to be profitable during the second half of this year. The new and more expensive cameras, which sit at the high end of GoPro's portfolio, could fix that, but only if people buy them.
The HERO8 Black is 14 % lighter than the current HERO7 Black and has a 12-megapixel camera sensor with improved HDR, which will improve pictures and video in low-light areas. It has new HyperSmooth 2.0 video stabilization to help smooth out bumpy video, wind-noise reduction and can shoot 4K video in addition to slow-motion video.
The HERO MAX has two lenses and can record sharper 5.6K video in 360-degrees. A a new Max SuperView ultra-wide camera mode for fitting more of the scene into pictures and videos, can livestream in 1080p and offers an option that lets people automatically backup videos and photos to the cloud. It also has six microphones, which GoPro says will offer the "best stereo sound ever" from one of its cameras.
GoPro also announced three modular add-ons for the cameras. There's an $80 Display Mod with a 1.9-inch display that can fold to the front or back of the camera and help you better frame your pictures and videos. A $50 waterproof Light Mod and a Media Mod, which lets you attach both the Display Mod and the Light Mod to the top of your GoPro. The picture at the top of this story shows what those mods look like when attached tot he HERO8 Black.
Both cameras are available to preorder Tuesday. The HERO8 Black will ship on Oct. 15 and the HERO MAX will ship on Oct. 24.
