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Would hindsight be useful to capture those road cycling near misses?
Leave the GoPro on the bike. Don’t worry so much about the battery…if you get a near miss car, you have 30 seconds to hit record. Would that work?
Definitely for near misses – perfect for that actually.
How much battery does Hindsight use, ie how long will battery last while in Hindsight mode?
It’s virtually identical to recording mode from a battery standpoint (per GoPro’s own admission here). The trade-off though is that you don’t have to sift through footage.
One thing to bear in mind, if you want to submit footage to the police you have to submit 2 minutes before the incident and 2 minutes after (at least here in the UK). Looks like hindsight only goes up to 30 seconds.
Assuming this could be changed by a firmware update though. A 2 minute buffer would be ideal for doing this in the UK.
I doubt that it’s just a firmware feature. I think it’s also limited by the memory, as I assume the camera doesn’t constantly record to a card.
How sad that you even think that way. People almost looking for an incident to film.
No, it’s just that us cyclists (and pedestrias) are tired of being hit and killed by drivers not paying attention, and then having no repercussions for it.
Ray,
I watched your video and decided to get it. I thought your readers might be interested to see that if they order the bigger deal bundle, it actually comes packaged differently, with the case having a different padding arrangement (that is kind of more useful). Here it is:
Agreed, might have to set it to record though as no guarantee i’ll be able to hit record in the incident that harms me.
Perhaps GoPro Hero10 or the competitors could introduce a ‘save hindsight on impact’ feature like some dash cams save/flag clips post crash or during unattended vehicle interference.
Great Work!
Do you know how Velon make the Cycling Videos from TdF or other Races?
Have the Gopros they use there on the Bikes also Scheduled and Duration Capture available with a special Firmware?
It’s actually as simple as they tell the riders to press record when they think something interesting might be coming up (such as a certain part of the course).
I had always wondered as well and one day asked the crew. I was like…huh…well…that’s both disappointing and amazing at the same time.
But, I agree that scheduled capture would make a ton of sense here.
“exterior size stays the same” Not really it’s much bigger and alot heavier!
Definitely. My brain without coffe.
Probable typo here
Weight seems unlikely:
“ – Increased camera weight by 125g to 159g”
As ever, thanks for the review
Thanks!
Own a Hero 6. 7 and 8 weren’t interesting enough for me (except for the stabilization), but the second screen on the Hero 9 might make me buy a new one after all, if my”government” gives me her blessing.
On a side note (well, question): is there any official comment/statement from Garmin, whether they abandoned their Action Cam section? I always wanted to see new Virb(s) competing with GoPro.
At least DJI has started with Action Cams too, but more concurrence is better for customers.
I’ve heard from Garmin support that Garmin has exited the action camera market. I’ve never seen anything official though.
One of my local stores just put the Virb Ultra 30 on clearance for $86. At that price, it was worth picking one up.
Quick question: do the filters and attachments that went over the lens of the 7 fit over the lens of the 9? Thinking of whether I need to hold on to my ND filters and red underwater lens or let them go when I craigslist the 7…
Research pays off. The Verge says Hero 7 ND filters will not fit on the 9. Wishful thinking on my part.
Thanks for another phenomenal review.
In all your testing of GoPros including the new Hero 9, have you ever seen value or need in the additional protective casings (outside scuba)? I’m not sure if you did any durability testing on the new removable lens.
No, honestly never bothered using one (aside from sometimes covering the camera pre-release). They’re crazy durable.
I think if you’re using a GoPro in a hard-ball sport (e.g. field hockey, cricket, baseball) then mounting a GoPro in a case and on a flexible mount gives it a better chance of surviving being hit by a 60mph+ ball – I doubt a naked GoPro would survive that on its own.
Hey Ray!
Great video! The amount you condense into such a short video reflects a ton of effort. Much appreciated!
I look forward to your deep dive. I am a subscriber for a reason!
I have the original GoPro, so this is going to be a HUGE upgrade for me! I am really motivated to try to record videos for Fulgaz.
As I prepare my order, I have two questions:
1) Does the existing GoPro remote work with the 9? Do you recommend it?
2) It is not clear how the media mod or max lens mod would affect my cycling videos. Thoughts?
The remote does not work with the Hero9 – there will be a new remote sometime in the future.
So the Hero 8 battery will only work with Hero 8s? While I appreciate a longer battery life, this is not a welcome trend to have to buy new batteries every release.
Correct, Hero 8 battery not compatible with Hero 9. Though, the Hero 8 shares the battery with the Hero 5/6/7/8.
What dual mount are you using? Any chance you’ll review/list the mounts you use?
I use essentially this metal mount: link to amzn.to
I got mine off of Ali Express or something a few years ago, but basically the same as above except mine can’t rotate (that looks neat!). I tried the plastic ones, they just have too much bounce. The only minor thing I do with mine is stick a tiny piece of napkin/whatever rolled up between the cameras so there’s no bouncing of the cameras against each other. There’s only about a 2-3mm gap, so with some really hard whacks, they can touch, this keeps them from doing that.
Thanks, Ray, terrific as always! I do feel for all the Hero 8 owners who splurged on the (then) new batteries, Media Mod, etc., only to have none of it carry over less than a year later. I suppose now I can justify an updated PC to effectively edit 5K as well? No, no, wait, 5K monitor is another few thousand. That $400 camera just turned into a $5k all-up tech upgrade. Love it, always an excuse for more toys. Order placed, can’t wait to play…
Wait….are you saying I can justify a 5K monitor now? And if I buy two, can I justify to The Accountant a 10K monitor? Asking for a friend!
Looks sadly at Hero8 without a removable lens. One bad scratch and you need a new camera.
New battery, but will an old battery still work? Assuming of course that all battery dimensions got larger and a little well-placed padding can snug an old battery into the new larger space. I mean why let extra batteries go to waste.
So…it’s funny, it actually does work if you can find a creative wedge. I just tried it. Using a Hero 8 battery I stuck it in and held it in with my finger, and sure enough, it powers up. It tells you to use a real GoPro battery, but after that warning (same as 3rd party batteries), t’s seems to work/record normally.
Of course, I have no idea if that’s going to cause other issues, but my guess would be we’ll see a battery shim at some point then on Amazon or what-not for like $5. Just a little bracket would work.
Neato!
Ben & Jerry’s in The Netherlands? How is that possible?
Yup, Ben & Jerry’s is throughout Europe, though the selection varies widely by country, and is always *FAR* less than a typical US grocery store.
That said, they’ve upped their game in the last year or so here in Amsterdam, and I can get most of the flavors I lke.
Is the battery door any easier to open?
Nope, just as miserable as before. :)
Even more critical to know – is the battery door for the 9 a new size? In other words, do the 3rd party doors for the 8 (with USB power cut-out) fit the 9?
Sadly it’s a bit chubbier. So we’ll have to wait for those companies to offer Hero 9 doors. I’ve gotta imagine it won’t take long.
Hindsight is better described as a DashCam Mode than TiVo I think.
I will buy the Hero 9 because of that: Using it as a dash cam for f…king German cardrivers almost killing me.
I really like the feeling of the mirror missing the drop bar of my bike.
Yeah, it’s tricky. With aDashcam mode it’s always recording and then overwriting itself. Whereas in this case you’ve only got that 30-second window to hit the record button.
But, for what you’re describing, like Michael noted at the top – it’s perfect for that. At least, for near-hits. Now, for actual hits that’s where it’s messy (both literally and figuratively), because it’s unlikely you’d remember/get to the button in 30 seconds to hit record after being hit.
:-/
Maybe we can convince GoPro to use the accelerometer to trigger a safe of that file.
Like incident detection on the edge.
Hi Ray,
1) considering that Hero 9 is bigger than Hero 8 – does it mean that all mods that connect to it physically are not cross-compatible?
2) Is there a point for a Media Mod on Hero 9 considering that it has a front-facing screen?
Indeed, the Media Mod doesn’t fit now. The Light mod still works, and since the Display Mod never shipped, I believe off-hand that’s cross-compatible.
The main reason for the Media Mod is the extra connectors and mics (and improved mic on the Hero 9 version). For the display mod, they say it’s more about getting a bigger screen. I think it’ll appeal to some, but not as many as with the Hero 8.
Hi Ray,
Looks like GPLama needs to go out and buy the latest Gopro again!
I still wish they would update the Hero Session, nonetheless I have ordered the 9.
As always, thanks for providing the skinny on all the details and putting it in a format we can understand and follow.
Thanks for the insight! I hope firmware updates will resolve some small issues I had.
so the Product header is just wrong?
link to gopro.com
Header stating Hero 9 – 5, compatibility list is Hero 9 only.
100% wrong. It’s a physically bigger battery, definitely doesn’t fit into the hole. Trust me, I’ve tried. I show comparisons in the video under the battery section. Off-hand I’d say it’s 1.5mm wider, 1.5mm taller, and 3mm or so longer.
Hi Ray,
Any wisdom on the reality of computer needs to effectively edit 5k footage from this without getting frozen footage or hours and hours of processing time for short recordings?
It’s honestly not bad. I’m able to edit it on my 3 year old MacBook Pro in Final Cut Pro just fine. :)
dcrainmaker, you are causing me to loose sleep, I get up early to check to see if your hero 9 in depth review has been posted. Looking forward to the review.
Sorry!
Working on HRM-PRO review for the next few hours for today. Then maybe GoPro tomorrow, got another thing that goes tomorrow though that’s gonna take time. So, Monday at worst?
So many things in the hopper!
I still can’t find any in-depth review…
All good stuff, cheers.
Can the front screen be turned off? (battery save and stealth mode, crazy if not!)
How does plugging an external battery function?
Is it water proof or rain proof?
Does it charge the internal?
usb C connection I guess.
and generally is this a do-able mounted on the bars of a bike and then cabled to an external battery hidden elsewhere, in a rain-proof kind of way?
Thanks:-)
Yup, the screen can be turned off. There’s four modes:
A) Off
B) Simple status like old ones
C) Full width/shot view
D) Center-zoomed shot view
The unit is waterproof to the same as past GoPro’s (10m I believe off-hand), via USB-C you can charge and use an external battery, but it’s a pain with the batter door. There was a 3rd party battery door I’ve used in the past which has a hole in it, but it’ll take a bit for that to become available for the Hero 9 probably.
For the last one, realistically not without that door. Else the battery fill fall out when the door is open (and thus not rainproof either. With the door is light-rain-friendly.
Thanks4reply. I guess I could buy an extra door drill a cable hole and glue a water proof cable cover around the hole. I will not be taking my bike under water, so it does not have to be perfect.
Looking at the locking mechanism of the door right now. I don’t think that drilling a hole is an option. The port is very low in the body and the spring-hook part of the door is right dead in front of it. We’ll see how the 3rd party companies will get around that.
Anyway it’s a bummer to open every time I need to charche/dowlnoad :(
I don’t see the dropbox or google drive footages link. is it still uploading?
For anyone interested, I had an incredibly long conversation with GoPro Support on pricing.
Their current offer (at least in the US) is for $349 you get Hero9 + 1 Year Subscription (i.e. $300 camera + $49 subscription). However, this really only applies to new subscribers. If you are a current subscriber, you get the camera for $349, but you do not get a 1 year extension to your current GoPro subscription.
Personally, I think this is misleading on their website and a bit of a bum deal for existing subscribers… yes still better than full price… but I for one was hoping the deal would extend my end date out 1 year. Sadly, it does not.
Yeah, it seems a bit odd. When I go to their UK website, it shows a price of £329 including the subscription/£429 without. There’s a button underneath saying “Already a subscriber? Login to get your discount”, but logging in still gives you exactly the same options/prices.
Yeah, same experience in the US. Just be aware that if you are a subscriber and add the deal to your cart it will add:
Hero9 $300 (sorry I only know us pricing)
1 year subscription $49
SD card (extra deal at least in US)
Total $349
But when you get to the checkout screen, they “sneakily” remove the 1 year subscription and increase the Hero9 to $349.
The total price is the same ($349), but the 1 year is gone. My hour long chat with support trying to explain this and say I should get a 1 year extension to my subscription went no where. Maybe they will at least update their language to actually say 1 year for new subscribers only.
I think you can just cancel your current subscription and then just re-buy it with the bundle. I didn’t try doing this on purpose. I happen to have recently cancelled my GoPro+ subscription a couple weeks ago (after forgetting to do so after the free trial period for the past year so I guess their ploy worked). I got charged $300 for the GoPro, and then was separately billed $49 for the 1 year subscription.
I’ve read all the specs that I can find on this 9.
Nah, I’ll sit this one out. My Hero 8 works just fine. The battery is only a little bigger on the 9, not enough to justify forking out another $500 just for that. 5k is totally not worth it. Touch screen on the 9 is just as bad on the 8. 9 is slower than the 8. The 9 and the 8 get freaking hot BECAUSE the limit of how fast one can write to the micro SD bus.
I’ll wait till the micro SD standard increases before I guy again.
Good review, i am interested in overlays data. Is similar to the Garmin virb ultra?. Is a remarkable feature over the hero 8?. Thanks
gopro posted manual to hero 9. link to gopro.com
My question is, if you just had one camera to do it all would you go with the gopro hero 9 or the insta360? I got a hero 8 a month ago and right after that saw a lot of stuff about the insta360 and was wondering if that would be better. Then when i say the hero9 launched i took the hero8 back and got my money back. Got to love a 90 day satisfaction guarantee. But the question still remains!!
I really would buy one, if there would be a possibility to use my Fenix 6 as a remote. I own an old Garmin virb and waited a long time to replace it with a new up to date Garmin Camera model, but it seems, that Garmin left the market? Have you heard something about that?
@Ray:
totally offtopic, but I saw a timelapse the other day that you might like. It is a boat ride from Amsterdam to Rotterdam. A lot of the footage you will recognise from your cycling trips. What makes it special is the 30m high viewpoint.
link to youtube.com
Ok, super delayed response here Andre – but that’s crazy cool. We watched it last night, it’s mesmerizing.
What is that device on your wrist in the Footage Comparison video? (Still hope for a new garmin activity tracker to be released…)
There was a few different devices. Black ones were either the Suunto 7 or Fenix 6, orange one was the FR745. There was also probably a Polar Grit X in there somewhere.
Thanks for responding. I actually meant the device you had while you did the intro and outro from your studio. This also looked more like a tracker type device than a round watch :)
Ahh, the Whoop strap. Sorry!
Earlier versions of the GoPro had a feature where I could film normal (1080HDTV) while at the same time take full resolution (12mpx at that time) stills every few seconds. This has been removed from the later versions, but is this something that is back in the GoPro 9? I hate having to decide if I want video or proper stills.
My understanding is that was part of the earlier chipsets from a different manufacturer and is patented, when GoPro switched away from that chipset (which, is basically when all the massive stabilization gains started), they lost access to that.
Thank you for the reply. It is annoying that the feature is gone, but at least it is a good reason for it.
Hi,
when using the Gopro 9 as web cam, does it charge from the computer via USB-C or still runs on the battery?
Thanks
Uses USB-C, in fact, you can even run it sans-battery if ya want.
It would seem the 2.21 FW version has killed external Audio via the GoPro adapter, I presume the mod is the same.
From the manual on horizon leveling: Heads Up: Your footage will tilt if your camera rotates beyond 28°-45° (depending on chosen settings) while recording.
Any idea what settings impact horizon leveling? I’d really like the full 45 degree correction (for leveling out cornering on my motorcycle). I have tried different settings on mine but they all seem to tilt ~30 degrees.
I am pretty sure with the lens mode you will be able to do a full 360, may not help, but it would fix the 30 degree limit.
Hi, is the lens size for the hero 8 similar to the hero 9? If it’s not, then my hero 8 polar pro nd filter will not work with the hero 9. Not to mention, one would need to buy new dual chargers, cases and other accessories that need to go on the body of the hero 9. This might be a deal breaker for me.
can the GoPro Hero 9 recieve power/charge via USB while recording/taking photos????
Do you if it can record videos while charging. I need to make a continuous timelapse for about 7-10 days.
Yes you can.
Thanks for your reviews. You asked for Questions and I´m lucky to have some (Maybe for a new Video) ;)
Can you turn off the Displays separately (Front|Back\and both)?
Does it affect the “slow” Front Display when youre recording in 4k with disabled Backwards Display ?
Can you use the Camera when charging ?
How worse is recording in LowLight compared to the 7/8 when only having a Flashlight ? (I´m looking for a Low Light Action Camera – so am I wrong with the 9 ?)
Looking forward hearing from you.
Just treated myself to the Hero 9 – so far so good! I also have a bagful of mounts for my old Garmin Virbs. I have adapters for using the Virb on a GoPro mount but does anyone know if there are adapters to use a GoPro on a Virb mount? Thanks.
Have you seen these:
Garmin on top GoPro on bottom.
link to buy.garmin.com
This one is technically designed for the Garmin Varia Headlight, but the mount is the same as GoPro
link to buy.garmin.com
Extra adapter:
link to buy.garmin.com
Not sure if that helps
I have a bottom mount for my K-Edge computer mount, but the third link you posted looks like it will convert my other Garmin Virb mounts. Will investigate further. Thanks!
Dang, looks like that’s designed for their bike mounts. I may just buy one and see if will work got the others too.
Hi Ray,
thx for your summery on new features and comparison.
Well, could you tell us something about using Hero 9 with smart remote?
In manual is stated: “The GoPro Smart Remote (sold separately) can control your GoPro while using less energy.” (page 125)
In forum you can read it doesn’t work and there will be a new remote. Really?
With the firmware upgrade the connect option for remote has gone.
link to community.gopro.com
Best,
Oliver
Excellent review again Ray, so good that it made me decide to buy a GoPro Hero 9 Black bundle and shift away from my trusty Garmin Virb which has served me so well for 2 years.
I don’t want this to come across as a whinge, but I feel compelled to share a side of the ownership proposition that is rarely captured in the product review.
Firstly despite buying the bundle with GoPro+ I’ve been charged full price for all accessories, and although I’ve been signed up to the subscription of £49.99 a year the benefits are not linked to my account. I can’t access cheaper accessories, I can’t upload to unlimited free storage. Better still, they didn’t even send the free SD card.
Despite multiple attempts to contact support its proving almost impossible to get in touch with anyone at GoPro. I know we live in difficult times, but I would suggest that potential buyers proceed with caution before jumping onto this latest version of the camera at this time (mid Sept 20), as the customer support is really lacking if you have issues (and many others seem to be reporting dead pixels – read the GoPro discussion pages.)
Shame as my camera seems to be operating reasonably well at present, a little laggy even with the firmware update, but I’m sure these things are often released to hit a launch date, not because they’re ready for market! Let’s hope things improve as the initial demand bubble settles down, the firmware updates roll through, and hopefully GoPro work on their support offering!
Warren, I think they have fixed what you are talking about. I ordered the bigger hero 9 bundle AND some extras. I calculated my total cost at around $490. When it shipped, suddenly the price was $428. They had applied the discount after the fact. Maybe you can use that to get them to do the same? Mine is due to arrive today.
Item No Item Name Qty Description Price Amount
ADDBD-001 DUAL BATTERY CHARGER + BATTERY (HERO9 BLACK) 1
DUAL BATTERY CHARGER + BATTERY (HERO9 BLACK) 49.99 49.99
CHDRB-901-XX HERO9 BLACK RETAIL BUNDLE (NO CE, ORIGIN CHINA)
1 HERO9 BLACK RETAIL BUNDLE (NO CE, ORIGIN CHINA) 499.99 499.99
GPPXX-102 GoPro Plus Annual Subscription 1
GoPro Plus Annual Subscription 0.00 0.00
ASLBM-003 Bite Mount + Floaty (HERO9 Black) 1
Bite Mount + Floaty (HERO9 Black) 39.99 39.99
PWEBDISC Web Discount 1 Web Discount -15.00 -15.00
PWEBDISC Web Discount 1 Web Discount -150.00 -150.00
PWEBDISC Web Discount 1 Web Discount -20.00 -20.00
Shipping Cost 0
Tax 23.17
Discount -185.00
Total: $428.14
Interesting. Obviously received mine, but added up the components and I’ve definitely been charged full retail price.
I logged their support desk for a call back for the second time today and nothing. Want to give them a fair chance, but against the support I have from Garmin products (and I have about 15 of those), it’s pretty disappointing. Glad you got sorted ??
Warren, if it would help, I can send you my email invoice for you to use when talking to Gopro to show how they should have billed you? Just let me know.
That’s a really kind offer. If I get nowhere by the end of the week I may well take you up on it. Thank you ?
Have you had a chance to test the Hero 9 media mod? Any improvements over the Hero 8 media mod in terms of audio quality?
Indeed, some improvements. Looking to publish my review on that early next week, along with the display mod and the Max SV mod.
can you please verify if red filter for hero 8 can also be use to hero 9?
Are the photos in 4.3 of 16.9 all the other go pro cameras are in 4.3
By default 4:3, which gives you more sensor space, and thus you can crop to other aspect ratios if you need to.
When ordering (from the Netherlands) a bundle of the HERO9 Black and a 1-year Subscription to GoPro, I see the following note in the checkout process.
“If GoPro subscription is purchased as part of a bundled camera promotion, customer may cancel the subscription portion of the bundle post purchase and acknowledges they will be charged the full retail price of the camera.”
Anyone familiar with the this and any idea on the time frame where this would still apply (is it about cancelling directly after purchase or within the first year of the GoPro subscription or even after that)?
In my understanding this adresses that European law allows customers to cancel subscriptions within the first two weeks with the right to get the paid money back.
So if you cancel the subscription within this period, GoPro has to refund you. In return for the cancellation GoPro decided to charge the full price for the Hero 9.
On the other hand if you cancel the subscription after these two weeks, the subscription should terminate after the first year – no refund for the subscription, no extra charge for the Hero 9.
Two questions.
1. I’d like to film my MTB adventures with external power. But it looks like I need to remove the battery door to plug in a USB-C cable. Ugh. So, a no-go?
2. Have they finally added external sensor overlays? Like Garmin does with the VIRB? Like Power, HR, etc.
Thanks!
1) Correct. However, Ulanzi made a battery door for the Hero 8 for like $15 (link to dcrainmaker.com), and while that one is too small for the Hero 9, they reached out just this week confirming a Hero 9 door is on the way, likely arriving mid-Octoberish.
2) They do have sensor overlays, but they mostly suck. That said, you can in theory still use Garmin VIRB Edit on the desktop with GoPro footage, but I haven’t tried that myself with the Hero 9.
Ray, didn’t I see that you have the Media Mod for the 9 now? I just got done using my 8 with its Media Mod for a couple of hours of Time Warp using external power. The USB-C port is right there on the back, so no need for the Ulanzi door (which I also have for my 8). It’s the reason I bought the Media Mod for my 8.
Have you tried using Gopro9 with Shorty selfie stick?
The camera always move down when I extend the stick to the longest because of its weight.
Yup, all the time. In fact, almost everything you see in my videos that’s not mounted to a bike is with the Shorty stick.
It sounds like perhaps your shorty stick is losing its gripping power somehow? As I was actually filming with two GoPro’s on it most of the time.
After a while HindSight turns itself off and instead of (+30s) in blue I have displayed “II” (pause) symbol on my GoPro9. Is there any way to change it? To keep HindSight on all the time?
Buyers… BEWARE!!!
GoPro customer service is the WORST service I’ve ever seen. I’ve just made an order today and I’m already regretting it.
Hi DC I’ve been watching your You tubes on Hero 9 and features, though you explained clearly about using the Camera upside down and shooting and the settings, it seems I cant get the setting right. When I play the footage on TV,which is 55″ Smart TV its showing upside down.
Please help
Switched to Virb for telemetry years ago. Came back to GoPro when I noticed GPS on Hero 8. GoPro Quik does not display telemetry. Had to pay some guy $49 for software to extract the telemetry. Software works fine, but no option using Quik with gauges like Virb Edit – just basic gauges without options. All around disappointment. Are you aware of any improvement to telemetry display. Ride on.
You failed to address one of the most glaring failures of the Hero9 and the reason me and many high end users will probably not be purchasing. I am an aerial photographer and I hold the camera outside the helicopter door With my arm extended and rely on framing the shot in preview on my iPhone positioned on a neck mount. I can preview 4k30 on the iPhone with the 8 and was looking forward to doing the same with the Hero 9 for 4k60 because the hero8 disables it. So with great anticipation I figured the 9 would Be providing a 4k60 preview.
After several chats with Gopro Support I come to find out that now it does not even preview 4k30 any more, let alone 4k60. It will only preview up to 1080. I would have beenhappy to preview in 1080 if it still recorded in those formats but no such luck and firmware will not be able to improve it according to two Gopro support personnel who both put me on lengthy holds while they consulted higher expertise.
I’m not sure if you’re mixing up terms, but I just tried it and can easily preview (prior to pressing record) 4K/60 and 4K/30 with the Hero 9 and an iPhone 11 Pro.
What I can’t do is still see the preview once record is pressed, but that hasn’t been supported at higher resolutions even on the Hero 8 or Hero 7.
You have the best reviews, thorough and unbiased. The locations you take the viewers to are amazing as well. Thank you!
I must say that Hero 9 is almost useless and GoPro marketing is resembling fraud!
First, there is no desktop application available for Hero 9 (or Hero 8), secondly overlay data is not working even on apps, the camera is at regular intervals freezing totally etc.
GoPro help is just a bad joke. I have tried to contact helpdesk for two weeks now without success. There is no e-mail option, but only chat or call back service available. I have left every day both a chat request and a call back request, without a real success. There has been two call backs, but no any retry after I have not been able to answer because of my work. There is no other way to reach helpdesk but to leave requests to chat or call back!
There is no excuse for bringing this kind of unfinished product on market and no excuse for this kind of inferior service policy and even arrogance towards customers who have paid several hundreds euros for an action camera which should be state of the art device.
Unfortunately I have to disagree totally also with DC about the weight and dimensions of Hero 9. Hero 9 weights 30 g more than Hero 8, which is about 25 % more. This is really significant difference and in fact it is impossible to secure Hero 9 to GoPro bike mount so that it wouldn’t tilt even on smallest bumps. The size of Hero 9 is in fact approaching level which is closer to compact camera than action camera.
Late to the party here but the overlay including GPS data does in fact work using the app on a phone. I wonder if this was because of the latest update?
Hi Ray,
did you ever publish the full review of the Hero 9?
Cheers, Bruno
Sadly not…yet. Though, I do use it daily still.
Is there a pause button on this gopro?
No, not from a recording standpoint anyway. Just start/stop.
GoPro Hero 9
Hello,
I haven’t been able to run the GoPro app on my android phone, no problem installing it on my wife’s iPhone.
Do you know if the GoPro app is really supported on Android? A lot of people complain about that, and I would like to hear your opinion on that subject.
Thank you
Fully supported. I’d reach out to GoPro Support, they’re usually pretty good.
Thx.
I went back to the GoPro support page and after many unsuccessful tries (turn off, reset, forget wifi, etc….) found a post that requires me to turn off the wifi ‘Network Rating Provider’. That did the trick, but I would honestly expect more from GoPro. The user experience for Android users is terrible.
Phone: Oneplus 5
OS: Oxygen 10.0.1
Thanks very much for yet another great review. I read your articles religiously on Garmin products.
Recently I bought a Gopro Hero9. Lacking a native video editing software and in need of overlaying G-Metrix data on, I opted to use the Garmin Virb Edit.
Problem comes when I export the video, it says
Export of video failed.
Unknown error occurred during video exporting.
I tried to downgrade the video quality to 1080p on the camera, and tuned down to the lowest quality setting on export, to no avail.
I wonder if you have had similar experience on that, or maybe a suggestion on alternative editing software that allows G-metrix overlay?
Thanks again, and keep up the good work!
Hi Ray,
Do you happen to publish some raw GoPro 9 video samples? It would be great if you do.
regards
Eligiusz
Great site!
I like your Youtube channel. Very unique.
Greetings from Serbia
Dumb question, but how to prevent loosing your camera during the swim shots….I bought it specifically for ocean swims and realize that I could easily watch it sink out of my dive depth for retrieval.
Hahaha…
Honestly, it’s just a bit of practice. Generally speaking, I use the shorty stick and slide it up the side of my swim shorts (if jammers), and if even shorter box-style swim shorts, then I just sorta stick it off to the side inside my swim shorts. It’ll stay put in them due to the tightness of the fabric. Albeit, I suppose if someone were to look at my shorts underwater, they might be concerned/confused. (This stick: link to amzn.to – I have no idea why buying the bundle is $22, but buying the stick itself is $35, but hey, same stick)
For deep ocean swims or swims with more volatile water, I’ll usually swap out the shorty stick for a cheap $5 Amazon floaty one, just in case I drop it, it’ll float. It’s a bit bulkier, but hey, you still have your camera: link to amzn.to
Finally, for openwater swims with a wetsuit, then I actually just stick it (on the shorty stick) inside the neck hole of my wetsuit from the top. Works really well.
Cheers!
Hello Ray,
I recall you demoing the Hero 8 once it gained beta webcam support for Mac and Windows. Then when Hero 9 Black came out I went ahead and purchased with the knowledge that I could also use it as a better quality picture webcam with Zoom during COVID.
Unfortunately, the lag time/ delay between audio and video sent to the computer (Windows or Mac) when tethering the GoPro via cable makes the webcam use a total fail. I’ve been going round and round with GoPro support. I point out that there are a good number of people on the GoPro website forum describing the same issue. But they seem unwilling to acknowledge the problem… saying there is a 1-2 frame sync error max. Seems to me that the delay is 0.25 – 0.5 seconds which is multiples worse. Note that this delay is observed even when only viewing the video/ audio using the GoPro Webcam App from the Windows system tray. Has nothing to do with internet bandwidth (or the internet at all)… entirely local test.
Have you had any experience with this sort of delay situation? Any webcams you recommend instead? Maybe GoPro webcam feature just not ready for prime time.
Thank you for all your reviews.
Hi Ray!
Thanks for the very detailed review. I have upgraded from Hero 7 to Hero 9. However, this GoPro since the beginning started giving some sporadic SD card errors. Usually, a video is not written or the camera freezes and I have to remove the battery to continue filming. This with two different Sandisk extreme cards (from the list of recommended SD cards, 128 GB and 256 GB), fully formatted on the computer and then in the GoPro before use. This summer it gave me such error again after I had swapped the battery (with the camera off). However, this time the error did not disappeared by switching off and on the camera. When in a computer the card was unreadable. I had lost all my recordings! After some search I was lucky to find a specific recover programme to bough that was able to recover most of them. My question is: have you come across such SD card errors? Do you think it is a problem of the camera or of the cards? I’m really afraid that this might repeat. I saw some similar complaints in the GoPro forum.
Took my Hero 9 diving for the first time yesterday. I did the discover dive with PADI so I was limited to 12 meters. Took my GoPro (not in a housing). Realised it was a risk but I thought there would at least be a little over engineering in it. Not exactly sure what depth I was at (my buddy had the depth gauge) but it wasn’t at the bottom of the dive (maybe half way (5m?) when it refused to turn on. I noticed the rubber buttons were depressed from the pressure.
My max depth was 11m/35 feet.
When I surfaced it still wouldn’t turn on. It’s something to do with the battery/connection. It all looked dry. The GoPro can turn on when charging but it says “no battery”. About to add some rice to see if it will suck some water out and fix things.
Anyway, I appreciate I took a risk and it didn’t come off, so this is more of a warning than a complaint. I didn’t lose any data.
Would have liked a bit of over engineering though….
Hi, Ray, it’s been 2 years, and I still can’t find an In-depth review. Nor can I find any review of the new 9/10/11 Media Mod.
I realize that by now the Hero 11 is more interesting to most people, but there is still a lot of Hero 9s for sale used. So if you got the In-depth lying around unpublished, please publish it. Your reviews are just so much better and more detailed than most others.
Cheers,
Audun