A
C
T
IO
N(^) C
A M E R A S
s
HEAD-
TO-HEAD
TESTING
Ergonomics
Video Quality
Battery Life
SCORES
SPECS
»Depth
33 feet, 196 feet
in housing
» 4K Frame Rates
60, 30, 24
» FHD Frame Rates
240, 120, 60, 30, 24
» Image Sensor
12 MP
» Released
September 2018
/ SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2019 / 27
CATCHING THE ACTION
ScubaLab tested nine underwater action cameras
BY ROBBY MYERS PHOTOGRAPHY BY JON WHITTLE
GOPRO
HERO 7 BLACK
MSRP $399; housing $49.99
CONTACT gopro.com
“Wow!” was the typical reaction to the
Hero7 Black ’s crisp, clear underwater vid-
eo. “Nice combo of clarity and color—stun-
ning,” one diver said. This camera has no
dive-specifi c modes or features, but took
top spot for color against cameras with col-
or-grading and underwater white-balance
modes, all of which worked very well. Don’t
get us wrong: At depth the Hero7’s video
was blue. But unlike other cameras where
similar conditions resulted in a monochro-
matic haze, there was enough variation in
contrast and hue to create a natural-look-
ing image. Add to this GoPro’s excellent
digital-image stabilization and the result
was high-quality footage that was nearly
unmatched. However, when it came to er-
gonomics, the Hero7 ranked near the bot-
tom. Using the dive housing requires pry-
ing off the camera’s lens cover, which hurt
its score for setup. The display is clear and
colorful—but the touchscreen is inoperable
inside the housing, making the camera’s
unintuitive controls even more bewildering.
Changing settings underwater requires
you to use the camera’s front-facing dis-
play and isn't a quick process. “Pain to set
up and use,” one diver commented; others
agreed. One of the things we were most cu-
rious about in this test is whether any of the
lesser-known cameras could knock GoPro
from its pedestal. Some came very close,
but none succeeded. Despite the camera’s
wonky ergonomics, testers were won over
by the unmatched quality of its footage.
“Like a gourmet restaurant with terrible
service,” one tester observed. “ You have to
put up with a lot, but the result is excellent.”
For superior image quality in all conditions,
the GoPro Hero7 Black is our Testers Choice.
2019
TESTERS