GoPro Hero 10 Black Creator Edition
MSRP $532.00
“The perfect portable and durable all-in-one camera kit for on-the-go video makers.”
Pros
Long battery life
Everything nice in regards to the Hero 10
External microphone for high-quality audio recording
LED mild for darkish or backlit situations
Excellent worth for cash
Cons
Lack of management passthrough in Media Mod
Not waterproof when absolutely assembled
Minor software program bugs
When I reviewed the Hero 10 Black final fall, I had barely any complaints price mentioning in addition to the considerably lackluster battery life. Now, with the GoPro Hero 10 Black Creator Edition, I can’t even nitpick that minor fault. The Creator Edition compiles GoPro’s greatest equipment, new and outdated, into one handy package deal that transforms the competent base mannequin digicam right into a content material creation machine.
Design: The Complete Package
Fully assembled, you may effectively mistake the Creator Edition for a model new digicam, and contemplating the upgraded capabilities of this bundle, it would as effectively be. Snapping the Hero 10 Black into the Media Mod provides you an upgraded microphone and two chilly shoe mounting factors, excellent for the included LED mild which comes with a diffuser for various lighting results. Last, however not least, is the Volta battery grip, which provides hours of battery life to the Hero 10 Black, in addition to exterior controls, and has fold-out tripod legs.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
Camera: The Hero 10 continues to be superb
I’m solely going to the touch very evenly on the efficiency of the GoPro Hero 10 Black, because the Creator Edition has the identical picture and video specs as the bottom Hero 10. Suffice it to say that you would be able to look ahead to the identical top-notch picture high quality and Hypersmooth 4.0 stabilization. The digicam actually didn’t must be improved, and I’m simply as enthusiastic in regards to the high quality of the footage I’ve captured with the Creator Edition as the fundamental Hero 10 Black. For extra particulars, try my overview.
Media Mod: The sound of journey
The base mannequin Hero 10 has an honest microphone in-built, however the exterior microphone that comes with the Creator Edition is a big enchancment. I wouldn’t put it on a par with my RODE shotgun mic, however the audio it delivers continues to be extraordinarily good. I like the best way it gives good, clear voice recording, and it does a nice job of capturing ambient sounds. The microphone does a fantastic job of recording prime quality audio that additionally sounds genuine. It’s preferrred for recording in dynamic, excessive depth conditions the place you’ll be able to’t fear about fidgeting with audio settings.
Light Mod: Illuminating darkish locations
The LED Light Mod could seem to be a tiny little factor, but it surely’s truly surprisingly vivid, and it’s a significant improve that’s helpful in quite a lot of situations. The apparent state of affairs is if you happen to’re filming in low mild or at night time, situations the place most motion cameras wrestle. Another situation is if you happen to’re recording a backlit topic, by which case the LED mild can assist ward off a few of these harsh shadows. The mild must be charged individually, and is managed by way of its personal energy button. Press and maintain to show it on or off, quick press to regulate the brightness of the sunshine.
Volta: Powering hours of filmmaking
One of my few gripes with the Hero 10 Black at launch was its quick battery life, one thing GoPro has been working laborious to repair. The Volta is the end result of that pursuit of higher battery life. It’s basically a selfie stick/tripod with a big battery pack at its core and a set of controls that assist you to energy the Hero 10 on or off, cease or begin recording, and cycle taking pictures modes. The Volta connects to the Hero 10 by way of a coiled USB-C cable. A typical battery stays within the Hero 10, and is charged from the Volta.
The Volta gives a full 4 hours of 4K 30fps video taking pictures when mixed with the built-in digicam battery. Shooting extensively with the Creator Edition, I discovered this to equal many days of taking pictures, since I not often report various minutes of video at a time. I might really feel snug taking the Creator Edition with the Volta on a week-long journey, with the information that I won’t have the possibility to recharge it. Of course, your mileage could differ.
A caveat right here is that the Volta connection to the GoPro by means of the Media Mod is flawed in a significant manner, since whereas the Volta does energy the Hero 10 by means of the Media Mod, it doesn’t ship management indicators by means of this connection. As a consequence, it’s vital to attach the Volta to the Hero 10 by way of Bluetooth when additionally utilizing the Media Mod. It’s simple sufficient to do, however it’s an unlucky further problem. I’m undecided what the problem is with the management passthrough, although it’s one thing I might hope may be fastened in a future replace. I additionally sometimes skilled a bug the place the digicam would freeze up whereas related to Volta, and I would want to take the entire equipment aside and take away and change the battery within the GoPro earlier than it might activate once more.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
When the Volta is related to the GoPro in order that its built-in controls are operable, the mixture is very compelling. It makes it very easy to report photographs and video with out having to achieve up and contact the digicam itself. I additionally love that the Volta grip transforms right into a tripod with such ease and that it features a pop-out mounting bracket so you’ll be able to connect the Creator Edition to a backpack or different object. Also, the rotating level at which the Volta attaches to the digicam clicks into locations, thus permitting it to be each adjustable and able to holding the GoPro fastened securely dealing with a specific route.
Durability and waterproofing: Rough, robust, and aquaphobic
First of all, with the entire equipment assembled, the Volta battery grip is simply waterproof when related to the Hero 10 by means of an included substitute door for the battery compartment. This implies that you need to use Hero 10 with the Media Mod or the Volta and have or not it’s waterproof, however not with each.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
This is an actual disgrace, although not a dealbreaker, and I want GoPro had discovered a solution to make the Creator Edition no less than weather-resistant when absolutely assembled. The waterproofing subject is especially irritating, because it severely hampers what’s in any other case an unimaginable equipment. It additionally looks as if it might have been a easy matter to design an adapter that will supply a point of climate resistance, or on the very least embrace a rubber cap for the USB-C cable on the Volta in order that it may very well be used wirelessly and stay waterproof.
The Creator Edition lives as much as GoPro’s repute for sturdiness. As lengthy as water isn’t concerned, this factor can take successful.
With the elephant within the room out of the best way, I’m glad to report that the Creator Edition lives as much as GoPro’s repute for sturdiness. As lengthy as water isn’t concerned, this factor can take successful. I discovered this out first hand whereas testing, as whereas climbing cross-country by means of the depths of the temperate rainforest. The Creator Edition took an actual tumble from the place it was stowed on my pack. After a number of minutes of digging by means of the detritus of the forest ground, one in every of my climbing companions ultimately situated it by the glowing crimson indicator mild. The digicam got here out of the ordeal in excellent working order, save for a few superficial scratches on the Volta grip.
Going again to the problem of waterproofing, I wouldn’t be too anxious as long as you don’t expose the absolutely assembled Creator Edition to critical quantities of water. The time I dropped it the forest was pretty damp, and one other time I used to be taking pictures a vlog when it began to rain. Neither time did there seem like any results from such moisture. Your mileage could differ, however I don’t assume the shortage of waterproofing is as critical a fear because it initially appeared.
Pricing and availability
On its personal, the Hero 10 Black Creator Edition will set you again $835. However, GoPro gives an enormous low cost for GoPro subscribers. That subscription prices $50 per yr, making the precise price of the Creator Edition $532 for a complete of $582 when you issue within the subscription. The different advantages of that subscription are nothing to be sneezed at and embrace such perks as limitless cloud backups, no-questions-asked digicam substitute, and additional member-exclusive reductions.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
The upshot is that mixed with a year-long GoPro subscription, the Hero 10 Black Creator version is a implausible worth for cash.
Our Take
The GoPro Hero 10 Black Creator Edition is a powerful instrument for content material creators and has a variety of potential purposes. I really like with the ability to simply decide it up and report a vlog and know I’ll be capturing nice audio and usable footage in nearly any state of affairs. There are a few main flaws that middle across the connection between the Volta grip and the Media Mod, however they aren’t dealbreakers.
Perhaps the very best factor in regards to the Creator Edition is that if you happen to benefit from GoPro’s subscription low cost, it’s a tremendous worth for cash. There actually isn’t something at this value level that may do all the pieces that the Creator Edition can. It actually looks like a end result of all of GoPro’s modern product growth these previous a number of years.
Is there a greater different?
The DJI Action 2 and DJI Mic make for fearsome competitors for the Creator Edition. The Action 2 rivals the Hero 10 by way of video seize capabilities, and the DJI Mic is a wi-fi microphone system that plugs into the Action 2 and gives higher audio high quality than the Media Mod. However, DJI doesn’t supply a straightforward lighting resolution just like the Creator Edition, and it suffers from related waterproofing points. Also, you’ll be able to’t but purchase the Action 2 and DJI Mic in a handy bundle at a reduction, and acquired individually they make for an expensive combo.
How lengthy will it final?
GoPros are recognized to be extraordinarily rugged, and the entire equipment within the Creator Edition are equally sturdy. The waterproofing subject makes it inclined to wreck in that regard, however so long as you’re cautious about conserving it out of the drink, it ought to maintain as much as lengthy, laborious use.
GoPro releases a brand new Hero digicam nearly yearly, so it’s not unreasonable to imagine that there’ll be a Hero 11 this fall, however if you wish to improve, there’s a very good probability all of the equipment within the Creator Edition can be suitable with new GoPro cameras. Only the Media Mod won’t work with future Hero cameras in the event that they determine to make a radical design change. The Volta and LED mild, nonetheless, aren’t depending on the form of the digicam itself. Furthermore, the Hero 10 is succesful sufficient that I’m assured it is going to be a related filmmaking instrument for years to come back.
Andy Zahn / Digital Trends
Should you purchase it?
If you’re on the lookout for an all-in-one vlogging setup, this can be a very interesting choice. If you’re on the lookout for a brand new GoPro, the Creator Edition is obtainable for not rather more than the bottom Hero 10. It’s a digicam system that has rather a lot to supply lots of people, making it simple to suggest.
Editors’ Recommendations