Cold weather, which will reduce battery-life. The above times are based on doing a continuous record. Stopping/starting recording, or powering camera on/off repeatedly will reduce the total record time.Based on GoPro engineering testing. Actual performance may vary based on settings, environmental conditions and other factors. The GoPro Hero 7 can now go toe-to-toe with your phone as the life-blogging camera of choice. Previously you might have stuck with your phone for its connectivity (and convenience), but the Hero 7.
As any camera buff must surely know by now, GoPro is one of the best action cams you can get in today’s market and it could get even better if you could somehow enhance its battery life. Thankfully there are certain GoPro settings which can be tweaked to maximize the GoPro battery life and in this article we are going to discuss a few easy ways of improving your GoPro battery life. On an average the battery of your GoPro would last just for about 1 ½ hours or even less while shooting in 4K with the LCD screen on and Wi-Fi connected.
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How to Improve GoPro’s Battery life
1. Update the firmware
Are you still not taking the firmware updates of your camera seriously? Though most action camera shooters do not have the time to ponder over all those tech stuff, yet you need to keep your camera’s firmware updated if you are looking forward to conserving your battery. There is always a possibility that your GoPro firmware isn’t actually updated. Doing this would not just fix any recurrent problems which you might be having with your camera but it would also improve the battery life immensely because of any fixes implemented by the company. The GoPro firmware can be updated by connecting the cam to a smartphone over Wi-Fi and then by updating it with the help of the GoPro app. In case you are using an older model you have to download the firmware which is available on the GoPro website and then transfer it to your GoPro SD card and run the update from your cam.
2. Keep the cam turned off when not in use
This sounds pretty obvious doesn’t it? When you turn on your camera but not recording anything then the battery gets drains slowly. So make sure to keep your GoPro switched off whenever you are not shooting so as to save the battery. The Quick Capture is an useful feature which allows the cam to start recording instantly whenever it is powered on.
3. Use the 'Auto Power Off Setting'
Many of us forget to switch on our cameras after shooting and this slowly depletes the camera’s battery. If you are one of those people who always forget to turn off the camera only to find a low battery indication after some time then what you need to do is turn on the ‘Auto Power Off Setting’. All you have to do is go to the settings menu and then click on the button 13 times till you have the option to select the number of seconds you would like to give your cam till it shuts down automatically. You can choose from 60, 120, and 300 seconds.
4. Turn off the red indicator and beeping lights
The red light which constantly blinks while shooting a footage is not just a major distraction to the viewer but also a cause of battery drainage. This red indicator light is meant for letting the user know when the cam is recording. However professional cinematographers will easily learn that as long as the record button is pressed properly the GoPro is going to start shooting no matter if the red light is blinking or not. Though the light indicator doesn’t have that much of an impact on the overall battery life but when it comes to battery life improvement every little thing helps.
5. Turn off the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Just like any other devices, turning off the WIFI and Bluetooth in your GoPro cam can greatly help to enhance the battery life. Turning of these 2 could extend your battery life by about 10-15 minutes. Make sure not to accidentally press the WIFI button at the side of your camera while shooting.
![Gopro Gopro](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125825336/173979319.jpg)
6. Give up the Remote and the smartphone app
The remote control of your GoPro is not just difficult to use but also takes a toll on the battery life of the camera. It could lower the overall battery life of your cam by about 15%-20% depending on the usage. Try using a selfie stick instead of the remote. Avoid pairing your cam with your phone since it’s more of a wastage of your time and the camera battery. So leave the remote behind and stop playing with your smartphone so as to shoot a lot more footage with your GoPro.
7. Reduce the frame rate or the recording resolution
Always keep in mind that the less the number of pixels and frames your camera is recording the less battery it uses. Try to have the video setting of your GoPro set to 1080p but for a special reason to shoot in ultra HD. Also make sure to turn off the Protune feature in your camera. The 1080p at 60 fps is the norm for shooting any GoPro footage. However you can always reduce it to 720p or leave it at 1080p only with 30 frames per sec instead of 60 unless you are shooting a professional video with the best possible res. If you are just shooting for fun then 720p is surely going to work great and more importantly it would give you more footage in the end.
8. Keep the LCD screen turned off
The LCD screens in the new GroPro are a superb feature which not only allows you to see whatever you are recording but also change the setting more conveniently. However the LCD screen can substantially drain the battery so when you want to capture more footage its best for you to turn off the LCD and shoot in the old school way.
9. Get extra batteries or an extended battery pack
Surely this is one of the easiest ways of getting the most out of your GoPro camera. You can just buy a few spare batteries from the 3rd party vendors at a very affordable price so that you don’t have to worry about shooting to your heart’s content.
Action Cameras are famous and being used not only by professional adventurers to record their latest jump but also by regular people recording their vacations. You probably have heard of the famous brand the GoPro, however, there are other products in the market that people use for vlogging and capturing their adventures. In this article, we will be comparing GoPro’s latest action cam the Hero 7 black vs Sony’s FDR-X3000. Both cameras are widely used for capturing fun moments because of their small and portable size. And they both provide great video quality as you can record video in 4K. Read along if you are considering getting one of these products.
For those who are not familiar with Gro Pro product, it is a small, handheld portable action camera. This compact camera is capable to capture videos and photos in any condition ! while some people might think that this camera is only used for capturing sports footages, the GoPro is used for by everyone ( extreme and casual users).
In short words, GoPro is a compact camera that has the features of a point and shoot cameras and camcorders together. Moreover, its small size makes it easy to attach it anywhere and be creative with your films. Especially when traveling, as many of the GoPro users bought their first GoPro to capture their vacation.
GoPro HERO 7 Black
Features
Size and Weight
All of GoPro’s products are known for their great small size and weight. Since after all this was the concept behind this product line, a compact pocketable camera,
Its small size is perfect for adventurers and backpackers, as they would want to fit everything that in one backpack, therefore, no need to worry about the size of the GoPro.
HyperSmooth Video Stabilization
The GoPro Hero 7 is capable to provide you with smooth video footages due to its video stabilization features. The end results will be amazing and as if you were using a gimbal to film your shots, less shaky footages. The improvement that GoPro made on their latest production Hero 7 is a combination of hardware and software in order to improve stability. In which in the previous products, they were depending only on an optical stabilization. The hyper smooth feature can be used when capturing 60fps footage at full resolution on the Hero 7 Black, even in 4k.
However, it still has its limits as this feature is not available in higher frame rates like 120 or 240 frames per second, but you can use the standard stabilization for that.
Super Photo
The GoPro hero 7 has this new feature called “ super photo”, in which the camera will automatically calculate certain features like the best White Balance, minimum and maximum ISO levels, sharpness and color to create an enhanced picture of the scene. for those who like to have the freedom in expressing their creativity, ProTune will give you that. You can adjust things like exposure compensation, white balance, ISO range, sharpness, and other features.
Lens
GoPro Hero 7 has a “fisheye” lens which is an ultra-wide angle lens that covers a landscape view of up to 122.6 degrees. The GoPro Hero 7 does not have a zoom feature, but you can remove the fisheye view and have more of a linear vide. It might be a better idea to protect your lens and use any sort of protection for the lens and the screen as it can be damaged.
Time Wrap
TimeWrap videos is a new feature in the hero7, which is basically a combination of the regular frame-by-frame time-lapse ( a stabilized ones ). Also, an added feature of recording a time-lapse without a tripod and while moving your hero7 around. Just like a hyperlapse, you need to know the right settings to get the perfect shot you want. Keeping in mind that the faster the settings, the smoother the time wrap video will be (i.e. 150x).
Voice control and Audio
Audio performance has been revamped on the Hero7 Black, as they have expanded the dynamic range of the mic. Also, they redesigned the microphone membrane to reduce picking up the noises in the background and ensures capturing better and clear audio.
When it comes to voice control, you can control your HERO7 Black hands-free with voice commands like “GoPro, take a photo” and “GoPro, start recording“! This is an amazing feature if you are going to be filming a lot of hands- free footages while for example skiing.
Self-Timer
The Hero 7 now has an inbuilt timer which comes in two forms:
- Photographic timer; which you can use to get ready and on the frame before taking a selfie picture or a family portrait.
- A 15 and 30-second timer which will only film for that set time. Which is perfect to set and use if you want to record yourself or the scene for that time length without the need of holding it.
Live streaming
GoPro Hero 7 is designed to be social media friendly With the mobile-user in mind. With its capability to do a live streaming video straight from the camera, a lot of people are using it for Facebook live for now, and other channels later. Sure you can use your phone for that feature, but because of its small size, you can place the Hero 7 anywhere. Not only that, but the Hero 7 now allows for the GoPro LCD screen to be flipped to portrait mode ( vertically). Note that in the older products of GoPro, you can flip your camera at 90-degrees and shoot video or take photos. However, with this feature in the hero7 the menu and, the whole interface will be flipped once it recognizes it is on portrait mode.
![Gopro hero 7 black battery life 4k 60fps Gopro hero 7 black battery life 4k 60fps](/uploads/1/2/5/8/125825336/616140674.jpg)
Waterproof, ShockProof and Durability
HERO7 Black is rugged, waterproof up to 33ft (10m) without the need for an external housing, which makes it perfect for water adventures. Unlike older products of the GoPro, the Hero 7 survived underwater crash testing and kept recording. However, if you will be shooting under more than 10m or in salt water we would recommend using Supersuit case to protect your hero7.
The GoPro Hero 7 is pretty durable, as it was made for action videos and all kind of adventures. However, for extra protection, you get yourself a housing case to protect your device.
Batteries and SD cards
There is not much of a change in the battery life between the hero7 or the previous products like Hero 6 and 5. However, the battery life, in general, will depend on the settings of the video you are recording. For instance, you’ll get around 1hr 45mins of continuous video at 1080p/30fps but other settings like 4K or 240fps will decrease battery life quicker. We would recommend that you stack up on batteries, or have a charger around.
When it comes to SD cards, you need to know that not all cards are compatible with the GoPro Hero 7 black. SanDisk Extreme cards are recommended to be used with the Go PRO 7, if you have any other brands it’s better to check its compatibility here. Whatever brand you choose to get when it comes to the memory card, we would recommend always to have extra ones as you never know when you get an error. Another tip would be to make sure to format a brand new memory card in the camera itself before start using it.
What is in the box of a GoPro Hero 7 black
In the box, you will find the following
- 1 HERO Camera
- 1 Camera Frame
- 1 Rechargeable battery
- 1 Curved Adhesive Mount
- 1 Flat Adhesive Mount
- 1 Mounting Buckle
- 1 USB-C Cable
When it comes to action camera, Sony FDR-X3000 Action Cam is one of the Gopro7 rivals in the industry. This camera produces sharp video and still images while reducing any vibration from camera movement.
The Sony FDR-X3000 is a feature-rich camera, as it supports 4k, 1080 and 720 videos. If you don’t need the Ultra HD feature, but you want to record in slow motion, this camera won’t let you down.
Features
4K and Video format
The FDR-X3000R records videos in two formats, XAVC S and MP4. The XAVC S can reach 4K at 30fps at 60mbps and 100mbps, while the MP4 up to 28fps in HQ mode. In 1080p and 720p resolutions, the FDR-X3000 is capable of recording high-frame-rate videos.
Video Stabilization
This action camera has a stabilization technology called “ Balanced Optical SteadyShot” or BOSS for short. Unlike digital image stabilization, Balanced Optical SteadyShot is significantly more effective at reducing the effect of the camera shake internally. What’s happening in the inside is that the camera’s lens and sensor are joined and moved together as a floating unit, resulting in steadier footage.
This image stabilization mechanism works even while recording in 4K, which wasn’t possible with the previous flagship. This advanced stabilization system made it easier to have stable footages while moving, biking and riding.
Lens
With an ultra-wide angle professional ZEISS lens, you will increase your perspective (up to 170-degree viewing angle). You can also choose your own viewing angle from Wide, Medium or Narrow. The lens has an aperture of f/2.8 , which helps to produce stunning detail and clear footages in low light situations. To avoid damaging your lens, we would recommend using a lens protector house . Also, if you will be shooting outdoors in the sun a lot, an ND filter which will make your footage clearer in daylight situation.
Unlike the GoPro hero7, the sony FDR-X3000 has zooming capabilities, which can zoom up to 3 times for shooting.
Stereo Microphone
This camera comes with built-in stereo microphones, however, it also has a microphone jack which means that you can have an external mic if you want to improve the sound quality. However, when you compare sony’s FDR-X3000 vs GoPro’s hero7, sony’s win ad the built-in stereo microphone produces great audio vs not so good audio coming from hero7.
Wearable live view remote
Sony’s FDR-X3000 is available in two models; the Sony FDR-X3000 and FDR-X3000R that comes with a live view remote control. You can view your footage live via the remote control, also you can perform other features like powering on the camera and use the zoom. This remote control comes with a wrist mount, which you can wear it as a wearable watch.
Wireless Control
You can control your camera wirelessly through the sony’s app PlayMemories Mobile (PMM) app. The application allows you to control up to 5 cameras at the same time, and you can do multi-camera angles so you can record from different perspectives. Also, you can a have a full-screen control on one camera at a time which includes shooting settings, start/stop recording, power on/off and live preview. The application is available for both Android and iOS.
Livestreaming
Just like the GoPro, the sony FDR-X3000 can be used for live streaming, as it has a designated feature for that. You can live stream and share your videos via Ustream.
Loop Recording and TimeLapse
The Loop recording feature enables you to continuous video recording; overwriting the old videos. You can Set the recording loop duration from 5/20/60/120 minutes or unlimited
The time-lapse feature lets you produce time-lapse movies easily by using high-quality 4K still images shot. You can use this feature by capturing 8.3MP still images over intervals for a specific period of time. Then these images would be converted and optimized for a 4k timelapse video.
WaterProof
The camera body is water-resistant to IPX4 (splash-proof) and freezeproof. However, if you want to shoot and records videos underwater you will need to use the waterproof housing. The housing will protect the camera and make it dustproof, shockproof and waterproof up to 60m. Whatever your next activity is, whether biking, snowboarding or scuba diving, this camera would survive it all.
Batteries and SD Cards
When it comes to SD Cards, Sony recommends a Micro SDXC/SDHC Class 10 card for XAVC S recording and a Micro SDXC/ SDHC U3-class for 4K 100Mbps recording.
Sony said that the expected battery life for the FDR-X3000 is at 2hrs 15mins at 1080p or 60 minutes if you use 4K resolution. Which a lot of users found that almost accurate. However, the battery life will drain faster with activated Wi-Fi especially if you kept it on to immediately transfer your footages. That’s why we would recommend to always you buy an extra set of batteries better to miss out on a good moment. ( Battery type; NP-BX1)
What’s in the box of sony’s FDR-X3000
In the box, you will find the following;
- 1 FDR-X3000 Camera Body
- 1 waterproof housing
- 1 tripod mount
- 1 micro USB charging cable
- 1 NP-BX1 Battery
- User Manuals
GoPro Hero 7 Black VS Sony FDR-X3000
Now that you are aware of both cameras and the features of each one of them, you might be a bit confused regarding which one to buy. After all, getting an action camera like the hero 7 or FDR-X3000 is quite an investment. Therefore, we created this table comparing the most important features of the GoPro Hero 7 Black vs its rival the Sony FDR-X3000.
Features | GoPro Hero 7 | Sony FDR-X3000 |
---|---|---|
Video Quality | 4K 60fps 1080p 240fps | 4K 60fps 1080p 120fps |
Still images | 12 megapixel | 8 megapixel |
Stablilization | HyperSmooth Video Stabilization | Balanced Optical SteadyShot , BOSS |
ISO | 100 - 1600 ISO | 100 - 1600 ISO |
Lens | Fixed lens 17mm, f2.8 ( ultra wide ) | Fixed lens 17mm, f2.8 ( ultra wide ) |
WiFi built-in | YES | YES |
GPS | YES | YES |
WaterProof | The body is waterproof up to 33ft (10m) | The body is splashproof. However, with the housing, it is waterproof up to 60 m |
Audio | Built-in microphone * | Built-in microphone * |
Weight | 116G | 114G |
Buy | AMAZON | AMAZON |
- The audio on the Sony FDR-X3000 is better vs Hero 7 in general. However, if you want to increase the durability of the camera you will need to use the housing case which means you won’t be able to use the mic.