GoPro HERO7 Black Underwater Camera Review


GoPro HERO7 Black Underwater Camera Review

GoPro is out with the latest in its HERO line, the GoPro HERO7 Black. Below is everything you need to know when taking this powerful little action camera underwater.

So what’s new and exciting about GoPro HERO7 Black? The biggest new features are the Hypersmooth image stabilization, overall improved image quality, and some tweaks to their performance tiers, specifically the GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, and GoPro HERO7 White editions of the HERO7 camera.

Only One HERO7 for Scuba

With the GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro has discontinued the 5 and 6 models, and instead now offers three different performance tiers of the 7 with the GoPro HERO7 Black, GoPro HERO7 Silver, and GoPro HERO7 White editions. The GoPro HERO7 Black Edition is the only model that is compatible with the Super Suit dive housing. The issue with the Silver and White editions is the inability to remove the protective lens cover, which is required for the camera to fit in the Super Suit. This is the same Super Suit that GoPro HERO5 Black and GoPro HERO6 used, so if you are upgrading camera models, you will not need to purchase a new housing.


Click Here to read our full review for the GoPro HERO7.

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  1. Jamestug
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    November 10, 2018

  2. Nigel Bryant
    This really is the emperors new clothes. The 7 black is a fantastic action camera for above water but a complete lame duck for underwater. The battery life is 45 minutes at best and that’s assuming you are not using the screen. No worries on the surface as you can change to a spare battery. Unfortunately you can’t do that at 20 metres under the sea ! The battery life is further depleted by the back screen and shooting in anything other than the low resolution settings. I have a 7 and a 3 and I think the 7 will be staying above the surface as it is completely useless under it due to the short run time on the battery. GoPro need to make a much higher capacity battery to make the 7 a viable underwater action camera.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  3. Nigel Bryant
    This really is the emperors new clothes. The 7 black is a fantastic action camera for above water but a complete lame duck for underwater. The battery life is 45 minutes at best and that’s assuming you are not using the screen. No worries on the surface as you can change to a spare battery. Unfortunately you can’t do that at 20 metres under the sea ! The battery life is further depleted by the back screen and shooting in anything other than the low resolution settings. I have a 7 and a 3 and I think the 7 will be staying above the surface as it is completely useless under it due to the short run time on the battery. GoPro need to make a much higher capacity battery to make the 7 a viable underwater action camera.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  4. icechip
    My 3+ Hero still working like a Trojan. Feeling no rush to update, maybe unless/until they work out the battery life issue.<br />-----<br />[SIZE=2]"...it is easy to forget what I came for among so many who have always lived here swaying their crenellated fans between the reefs" - Adrienne Rich[/SIZE] [SIZE=2]“My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” - H.W. Longfellow[/SIZE]
    January 20, 2020

  5. Nigel Bryant
    [QUOTE="icechip, post: 8514625, member: 420408"]My 3+ Hero still working like a Trojan. Feeling no rush to update, maybe unless/until they work out the battery life issue.[/QUOTE] I would stick with the 3 . I use mine often and have the batpack so can get two hours on one charge.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  6. icechip
    Yep, me too. Been happy with it and will stick with it.<br />-----<br />[SIZE=2]"...it is easy to forget what I came for among so many who have always lived here swaying their crenellated fans between the reefs" - Adrienne Rich[/SIZE] [SIZE=2]“My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” - H.W. Longfellow[/SIZE]
    January 20, 2020

  7. Dan
    My 6-months old Hero6 quit in a dive last week. No leak. Case was bone dry. It's a puzzle. So, I'll be sending it back for warranty repair. I'll be bringing my Hero3 as back up in my next dive trips. My dive buddy has Hero7 w/o such battery problem. So do my Hero6. Try the 1 button setting to power on/off & start/stop video. I did my 4 dives / day with such setting with good 30 minute video clips (15-20 video clips) & still had 50% battery power left in it.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  8. Nigel Bryant
    I do think the 7 black is a fantastic camera for above water but GoPro have either decided to stop appealing to the dive market or have just seriously misengineered the camera . Either way it’s a kick in the teeth to a market that has supported GoPro for a long time. Looks like they are now aiming at the mountain bikers and skiers.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  9. CuzzA
    Yeah, I'd look at Paralenz for the future. I gave up on GoPro. Still have to use a separate dive case which will eventually leak and lights or filters and/or color correct post production.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  10. Dan
    You should try the 1-button setting. Check out my GoPro videos posted here: [URL="https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/cocos-diving-trip-report-17-27-september-2018.572582/"]Cocos Diving Trip Report, 17 -27 September, 2018[/URL] My battery had never went down less than 50% for the whole 4-hour dives.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  11. icechip
    Haven't heard much about Paralenz. Checked out their site: [URL="https://www.paralenz.com"]Underwater Camera for Diving - Paralenz Dive Camera[/URL] Anybody on SB have/use it?<br />-----<br />[SIZE=2]"...it is easy to forget what I came for among so many who have always lived here swaying their crenellated fans between the reefs" - Adrienne Rich[/SIZE] [SIZE=2]“My soul is full of longing for the secret of the sea, and the heart of the great ocean sends a thrilling pulse through me.” - H.W. Longfellow[/SIZE]
    January 20, 2020

  12. cpace
    With my GoPro 6, I usually get 2 dives with the same battery charge. When diving I only record short segments vs the entire dive (for me that would be an editing hassle). The battery life of my 3+ was not that much different.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  13. ReefHound
    You mean 45 minutes continuous? What res and frame rate? I haven't had an issue with my Hero 6 and usually get two 60-minutes dives on a battery, shooting 2.7K/48. I don't run continuous and use Quik Capture so it turns on with shutter press and goes off with shutter press. I'm also judicious in my shots. I don't need another clip of a french angel or spotfin butterfly unless they are doing tricks. Have you tried another battery just to be sure you didn't get a bad battery? I would never take a 3 or 4 over a 5/6/7 underwater. You give up so much in color, resolution, and stabilization. I'd rather get less but better quality footage. Since you have both, get a tray and take both.<br />-----<br />[CENTER] The water's more exciting with [URL='http://www.chumclub.org/index.php?referrerid=138']CHUM[/URL] in it.[/CENTER]
    January 20, 2020

  14. Dan
    Double posting! This thread needs to be merged with [URL="https://www.scubaboard.com/community/threads/gopro-hero7-black-underwater-camera-review.569763/"]GoPro HERO7 Black Underwater Camera Review[/URL]<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  15. Nigel Bryant
    How do you merge Dan ?<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  16. Dan
    [QUOTE="Nigel Bryant, post: 8514882, member: 501629"]How do you merge Dan ?[/QUOTE] I just hit the report button & told the moderator to do it for you.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  17. Nigel Bryant
    Thanks.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  18. Kevin Floyd
    There must be something in your settings. I get about 60min on mine shooting in 4K 60 FPS with ultra smooth on. But I only ever leave it on continuously when I have it on the mask mount. When in the mask I have the back screen set to sleep. If I have it on the mono or the stick I leave the screen on but only hit record when I want to shoot. I get about 60-70min of under water time on a single 80lb (60ish ft). If I go deeper on a single tank I get less. So I have never had an issue with battery life under water. I do have lots of extra batteries so I make sure I change them after every dive.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  19. Germie
    I have the 7 black. Had some issues. First the hypersmooth stabilization is not working, or lets say, the videos under water have still shocks, what I normally not have. And it is not the camera that moves, but it is the capture, the saving on the card. I have bought 3 different micro sd cards and with all it is happens. 1 of the cards is a recommended card. The other must be fast enough also according to specs but not on the recommended list and the 3rd is a class10 nothing special card. This gives the best results, but is according to the specs too slow. Haven't found a way to get rid of this. Have tried 60fps, 2.7 30 fps. So I cannot change this and buying another brand of the recommended cards is not happening, the cards still cost money and I have 1 of the recommended ones. If you sent back the card, they say the card is working. If you go to the goprodealer they say it the camera is working, it is the card. Another issue I had and that was really annoying as I missed some dives because of this (better say, I did not have video of some dives) and that was draining the battery when not turned on. I charged the battery, checked everything, drove to the divesite and gopro was empty again. This was with the recommended card. Now I use the too slow card or the other card that is not on the recommended list and that gives the best results and is not draining the battery. Formatting did not help. Photos from a gopro under water are really crap. Don't do that. Above water they are ok. Video's under water are ok, but sometimes some shocks. I have on Youtube some videos in caves shot with the 7. The battery lasts 60 minutes. I don't shoot 60 minute video, only 10 minutes or so, so I can do 2 dives of 3 hour with 1 battery. I turn the gopro off when not using. It is not long, but ok, it works. I choosed the Gopro 7 over the Paralenz when my lovely Weefine divergo flooded because: The lcd screen. You absolutely need that to take the best shots. I hate it when the screen is getting off. I need to see what I capture. And the gopro7 is much much sharper in video. I think it is one of the best action cams now. But yes, not cheap.<br />-----<br />DIR diver: Doing It Relaxed
    January 20, 2020

  20. scopey42
    I have been Using GoPro's to shoot while diving since the GoPro 2. I have shot with the 3, 4, 5, 6 and now 7. They just did an update about 2 weeks ago which dramatically helped the 4k battery life on the 7 Black when I did 3 dives on two batteries in San Diego. The ultra smooth I think really helps and the color on the 7 I think is better than the 6 and way way better than the 5. Comparison videos - Monterey [MEDIA=youtube]E8e9zstTY38[/MEDIA] - GoPro 7 4k Ultrasmooth - Backscatter Magenta Filter and 15+ Macro Lens Roatan [MEDIA=youtube]811_wM35Rn0[/MEDIA] - GoPro 6 1080p - Red filter Key Largo [MEDIA=youtube]A7LEL_2VO8o[/MEDIA] - GoPro 5 1080p - Red filter La Jolla [MEDIA=youtube]iZmrv8A0Ol0[/MEDIA] - GoPro 5 1080p - No Filter Manly [MEDIA=youtube]wDMXeMQwsr4[/MEDIA] - GoPro 3+ - No Filter As you can see with the progression they have gotten much better with color and stability moving up each model. Been really happy with the 7 and see a big improvement with it over the 6.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  21. Germie
    Gopro7 black, hypersmooth on, no filter, you see what I mean with not completely stable sometimes. and it was not me, it is really captured this way: [MEDIA=youtube]JMSWk9ZG-I0[/MEDIA] [MEDIA=youtube]ygW57Y7Kieo[/MEDIA] But further extremely clear and the colors are nice. The activeon CX Gold, really good too: [MEDIA=youtube]Y_QfhvGf2gI[/MEDIA] The activeon CX, you see the difference, it is not bad, but worser than the others: [MEDIA=youtube]ta0uu-J-nEM[/MEDIA]<br />-----<br />DIR diver: Doing It Relaxed
    January 20, 2020

  22. Hector Bilmares
    You recommend use a camera that support water pressure or buy a case for a professional DSLR? im trying to get nice pictures, not for profesional reasons, but i want to create a dive site, and i want to ask what you recommend me to take the pictures, i was using GoPro Hero 6 the video was ok, but the pictures don't<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  23. Germie
    For pictures I use an OMD. For video the gopro. Dont expect good photos from an action cam. They are average. But ok, sometimes you get a lucky shot. I made with the activeon cx gold one photo that was shared and shared and now is in a museum. But that was only 1 out of 10.000 pics. But yes it is possible. With the OMD the chances to make good pictures are much higher. I was limited because the actioncam limits me. Now i limit the omd.<br />-----<br />DIR diver: Doing It Relaxed
    January 20, 2020

  24. scopey42
    [QUOTE="Hector Bilmares, post: 8524232, member: 501896"]You recommend use a camera that support water pressure or buy a case for a professional DSLR? im trying to get nice pictures, not for profesional reasons, but i want to create a dive site, and i want to ask what you recommend me to take the pictures, i was using GoPro Hero 6 the video was ok, but the pictures don't[/QUOTE] I find the 4k Stills I get from the GoPro 7 to be pretty solid, I would rather shoot the video then get stills from it for most of my uses. I edit it video as part of my job so I am biased there but I feel it captures more of what it feels like to dive rather than still. However for Macro, still is king, shooting nudibranchs in a current on video is tough :) I travel a lot for work and thankfully I can pack most of my gear in a carry on (The scuba pro hydros is amazing for this) so the small gopro setup with the UK Aqualights is a really good setup for travel.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  25. Joneill
    [QUOTE="scopey42, post: 8519564, member: 501762"]I have been Using GoPro's to shoot while diving since the GoPro 2. I have shot with the 3, 4, 5, 6 and now 7. They just did an update about 2 weeks ago which dramatically helped the 4k battery life on the 7 Black when I did 3 dives on two batteries in San Diego. The ultra smooth I think really helps and the color on the 7 I think is better than the 6 and way way better than the 5. Comparison videos - Monterey [MEDIA=youtube]E8e9zstTY38[/MEDIA] - GoPro 7 4k Ultrasmooth - Backscatter Magenta Filter and 15+ Macro Lens Roatan [MEDIA=youtube]811_wM35Rn0[/MEDIA] - GoPro 6 1080p - Red filter Key Largo [MEDIA=youtube]A7LEL_2VO8o[/MEDIA] - GoPro 5 1080p - Red filter La Jolla [MEDIA=youtube]iZmrv8A0Ol0[/MEDIA] - GoPro 5 1080p - No Filter Manly [MEDIA=youtube]wDMXeMQwsr4[/MEDIA] - GoPro 3+ - No Filter As you can see with the progression they have gotten much better with color and stability moving up each model. Been really happy with the 7 and see a big improvement with it over the 6.[/QUOTE] I have the 7 and it is the best GoPro yet - by far. However, your comparison is skewed as lights are clearly being used in the Hero 7 clip but not the others.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

  26. scopey42
    [QUOTE="Joneill, post: 8525205, member: 464269"]I have the 7 and it is the best GoPro yet - by far. However, your comparison is skewed as lights are clearly being used in the Hero 7 clip but not the others.[/QUOTE] Same light setup on the Roatan shots and the key largo shots as the Hero 7 Shots, Darker water under the canopy of kelp with the Hero 7 shots let them do more work in Monterey.<br />-----<br />
    January 20, 2020

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