Is The GoPro Hero MAX The Ultimate Action Camera Tool?
Short Answer: No
Long Answer: But actually yes…
When the GoPro Fusion 360 came out in 2017 I can say for certain that I was intrigued by them. But the bulky workflow that others reported quickly had me writing off 360 cameras entirely. But that was a few years ago. And now that we are in September of 2021 things have progressed significantly! Or have they? Today GoPro offers the Hero MAX. A 5.6k 360 camera that captures it all.
I won’t bother with too much of the techy side of it all because I don’t use cameras that way but here are a few good pros and cons about the camera.
IMPORTANT: I’m grading this camera and it’s performance in the ways that I would likely use it. As an action camera/vlogging camera. In the right conditions all cameras can do really well. So it’s important to know what you need out of a camera before you can really judge it.
Pros:
Uses the same mounts as all my other GoPros
AMAZING Stabalization
Charges via USB-C (a standard I’m coming to expect these days)
Captures everything it sees
Super creative editing angles
Familiar controls if you know the GoPro System
Excellent GoPro Color Science
Cons:
Image resolution can suffer in certain conditions
Low bitrate compared to other 360 cameras
Editing is very taxing on computer
Mobile editing requires you to save the media to your phone (I don’t have much space there)
Audio quality didn’t meet my standards
Lenses aren’t replaceable forcing you to use lens protectors that can distort image
While those pros are great the cons heavily outweigh the benefits. At the end of the day I need my camera to stand up the the rest of the imaging tools in my bag and this one is really close but didn’t fully cut it.
Using The Camera:
This was the easy part. I’ve used GoPro for so long that I knew 90% of the settings I as going to want. And their menu system hasn’t changed all that much so getting everything ready and recording was a breeze. I though ta little bit about camera placement but was pretty set on the helmet mount and chest mount. My battery lasted the entire 1 hour ride down the mountain and never had any unsuspected stops or starts. It was actually really nice not having to worry so much about my framing. I’ve come to expect about an hour to 1.5 hours out of a GoPro so this is right on par.
The editing was where I had a bit of a nightmare. My computer isn’t too old but it’s not top of the line. I frequently edit 4k footage from my GH5 though with minimal slowdowns. But this footage REALLY slowed me down. The editing software that GoPro makes you use isn’t really intuitive and there wasn’t any startup tutorial to get me going. It took me a few hours of online research to finally get what I was after.
If I were to use this camera again it would be much faster and easier but this process alone has me looking at the Insta360 cameras as well.
So why should you buy one?
Since this camera films everything it eliminates my need to worry about framing in the moment. As someone who vlogs and is always run and gun shooting, having the ability to reframe in post is amazing. I no longer have to worry about where my lens is pointing or if I want to address the camera directly or point it at what I’m talking about because it does both at the same time. AMAZING!
Not only that but the in camera stabilization blew me away. I’ve been using GoPro cameras ever since the Hero 3 and this camera with it's horizon lock and its Max Superview angle was brilliant for action sports. I’ve never had a GoPro preform this well in terms of replicating what my experience was. I just wish it looked a little better when put side by side with my other cameras.
If you are a diehard GoPro fan this is indeed a great piece of kit that you should go and buy.
For now however, the Hero MAX won’t land a spot in my bag. But I have my eye on the 360 camera market for sure!
Conclusion
Image Quality 7/10
Sound Quality 4/10
Editing Ease 4/10
Battery Life 8/10
Fun Using 10/10
Overall 33/50