Comparison GoPro Lit Hero vs GoPro HERO11

The presence of a 1/4" threaded socket on the camera body. It is this size that is standard for modern tripods and is used in most of these devices. So this feature allows you to mount the camera on a tripod without using adapters and other additional equipment.

The ability of the camera to shoot QuadHD video.

This standard includes an extensive set of resolutions — from 1440 to 3456 pixels horizontally and from 1440 to 2160 pixels vertically, with almost two dozen intermediate options. It is a rather specific transitional option between the relatively inexpensive FullHD 1080p and the demanding UltraHD 4K, allowing you to shoot higher resolution video than 1080p without significantly increasing the cost of equipment. Note that pure QuadHD resolutions are rare in TVs and monitors, but modern technologies make it possible to comfortably watch videos of this format on any high-resolution screen.

Another important parameter given in this paragraph is the frame rate. The higher it is, the smoother the movement in the frame will be, and the details in dynamic scenes will be visible clearly. For example, a filming speed of 25 fps or 30 fps approximates the standard frame rate in film and television; such an image is quite viewable, but fast-moving objects in the frame will look blurry. With an increase in speed to 60 fps, this effect becomes almost imperceptible. The highest QuadHD frame rate found in modern action cameras is 120 fps; this frequency is used when shooting slow-motion video (as well as models with a frequency of 100 fps) because at a n...ormal playback speed, 60 fps is enough.

The maximum resolution and frame rate of video taken by the camera in a standard higher than 4K. Since such formats have not yet become widespread, the number of devices with the corresponding resolution is not so large.

Frame rate supported by the camera when shooting in slow motion.

In general, such shooting is called “high-speed” because it is carried out at an increased frame rate (more than 60 fps). As a result, when played back at normal speed (60 fps and below), the video looks slow hence the name. This kind of slow-motion can be used just for fun, as an artistic technique, and even for scientific purposes — to capture movement that is too fast for the human eye. In any case, the higher the slow-mo frame rate, the more you can slow down the video and the more advanced the camera is in this regard. On the other hand, the higher the frame rate, the more performant the graphics part should be; and this, in turn, affects the price of the device, sometimes quite noticeably.

We also note that slow-mo shooting may be available only at certain resolutions, not always at maximum. These points can be directly specified in the specs of the action camera.

The number of built-in microphones provided in the camera.

This parameter is indicated only for models that have more than one microphone. This design provides additional capabilities, but the range of these capabilities depends on the number of microphones and the features of a particular model. So, most often such devices have two microphones; this can be a pair for recording stereo sound, or one microphone can work to record sound, and the second one can act as a sensor for the noise reduction system (see above). A larger number - 3 or 4 microphones - is found mainly in 360-degree cameras (see “Product type”), where such equipment is used to record “surround” multi-channel sound.

The number of megapixels in the action camera sensor, in other words, the resolution of this sensor(1 megapixel is 1 million photosensitive points).

There is an opinion that the higher the resolution, the better the image quality. It is true from the point of view that manufacturers are trying to install high-resolution sensors in advanced cameras. At the same time, there are no strict dependencies here, and from the technical point of view, the number of megapixels determines only the maximum image resolution that can be captured using this sensor. The quality of this picture will depend both on several features of the sensor itself (size, type, special design solutions), and the specs of the camera. So when choosing, you should focus not so much on the resolution of the image sensor, but on the general class of the camera and reviews with examples of footage.

Additional information regarding the sensor installed in the lens. This item can specify both the diagonal size (in inches) and the sensor model, and sometimes both parameters at once. Anyway, such data is provided only if the device is equipped with a high-class image sensor. With the model, everything is quite simple: knowing the name of the sensor, you can find detailed data on it.

The diagonal of the image sensor is traditionally indicated in fractions of an inch — accordingly, for example, a 1/2.3" sensor will be larger than 1/2.6". Larger sensors are considered more advanced, as they allow for better image quality at the same resolution. This is because due to the larger sensor area, each pixel is also larger and receives more light, which improves sensitivity and reduces noise. Of course, the actual image quality will also depend on several other parameters, but in general, a larger sensor size usually means a more advanced camera.

Action camera optics aperture. This characteristic determines how much the lens weakens the light flux passing through it. This parameter is indicated by a fraction, for example, f/2.8. The smaller the number in such a designation, the higher the aperture ratio and the more light the lens can transmit. A high aperture ratio is important, first of all, when shooting in low light conditions: it allows you to capture an image without “raising” the sensitivity of the matrix and without creating additional artefacts in the form of noise, and in photo mode, it also allows you to work with shorter shutter speeds (which is useful for dynamic scenes). In addition, the higher the aperture ratio, the lower the depth of field and the easier it is to get a blurred background. Note that for simple shooting scenarios, this parameter does not play a decisive role, but for professional tasks, it can be very significant.

The maximum resolution at which the action camera can take photos. Specified in pixels horizontally and vertically.

This parameter is directly related to the resolution of the image sensor(see above): the total number of pixels in the photo, usually, corresponds to the number of pixels in the sensor. For example, a photo resolution of 4608x3456 corresponds to a sensor of 15925248 pixels, or approximately 16 megapixels. If the number of pixels in the photo is greater than the claimed resolution of the sensor, then the manufacturer uses software tricks that allow you to improve the photo resolution to a higher one than originally. This reduces the cost of devices but also affects the quality of images.

Theoretically, high-resolution images can provide good detail, but in fact, much depends on the specs of the sensor (primarily physical size) and image processing features.