GoPro Hero 7 Black: What We Love

The new GoPro Hero 7 Black recently came out and we wanted to share with you our first thoughts about the new camera. GoPro launches a new set of cameras every September and like many others, we’re always left debating if it’s really worth upgrading to a shiny new GoPro. If you’re in that position hopefully, this blog can help you make an educated decision.

Okay, first things first: it’s actually black. Apart from the color change, the form factor has remained largely unchanged from the Hero 5 and Hero 6. However, everything about it has been souped-up: new processor, new user design, new photo, and filming modes, new sharing and live streaming capabilities. Let’s jump into our three favorite things about the new top-of-the-line camera.

Amazingly smooth videos on the Spivo 360 thanks to Hypersmooth

Hypersmooth is by far the most defining feature of the new Hero 7 Black camera. Hypersmooth is simply the name GoPro is calling its new Electronic Image Stabilization, which is actually insanely impressive. The stabilization smooths out all the bumps, jumps and vibration from your GoPro footage, and virtually erases the need to use a stabilizer or gimbal for everyone except completely pro users. Pairing the new GoPro Hero 7 Black with a Spivo 360 creates the ultimate filming setup for adventurers. The Spivo 360 selfie stick lets you swivel your camera to easily capture exciting perspectives, while the Hero 7 Black delivers silky smooth stabilized videos.

By default, Hypersmooth is turned on with almost every filming mode. You can toggle Hypersmooth on/off if you’re not convinced it’s doing the job. We tested it with Andre running along the beach in the video above. Notice how choppy and bumpy the video on the right is with Hypersmooth turned off. The Spivo 360 has long allowed travelers to capture fast and spontaneous travel moments thanks to the swivel button. The ability to rotate the camera with the swivel button creates scenes transitions which keep viewers engaged, makes it fun to film and easier to edit.

With former GoPro cameras, high vibration activities such as running, mountain biking and ATV’ing were a total crapshoot. Often times we’d be hoping and praying that the footage wasn’t too bumpy and unusable. Now with the Hero 7 Black, these activities are all fair game. One of our customers @eltapas was one of the first to capture a trail run with the Spivo 360 and Hero 7 Black. Look specifically at the Spivo 360 pole in the video above to see how much stabilization the camera is actually offering. Amazing!



Pairing the Spivo 360 with the Hero 7 Black is like having a waterproof stabilizer. You can easily capture different angles and views, all the while filming beautiful underwater video. The Spivo 360 is waterproof to 200 feet (60m), while the Hero 7 Black is waterproof to 33 feet (10m) without any external housings. Together you’ve got an awesome filming setup for any above water or underwater activities like snorkeling and scuba diving.

Easy and fun time-lapses using Timewarp

Similarly to Hypersmooth, Timewarp is the name GoPro is calling it’s new time-lapse setting. Timewarp is great for walking around, hiking, driving or exploring any new area. The main distinction with Timewarp is that it uses actual video footage to create smooth time-lapses, whereas previous GoPro models stitched together photos taken every 0.5 seconds (less smooth). It’s super easy to use as well. Simply swipe to the right to find Timewarp and select the speed you’d like to use (2x to 30x sped up).

Filming using timewarp on the Spivo 360 is a great way to explore a new spot while capturing yourself and the beauty of the spot. Since the video is sped up, it’s cool to be able to show people quickly how interesting a monument, hike or temple was when you were there exploring. The Spivo 360 helps you keep the video interesting by changing the perspective regularly and allowing you to capture anything going on in the selfie or forward shot at a moments notice.

Easily take photos and videos with voice commands

Voice commands are one of those features that once you start using it you don’t really stop using it. Basically, voice commands allow you to do control your GoPro simply by speaking to the camera. You can stay things like “GoPro, take a photo” or “GoPro, start recording”. This has been around since the Hero 5, but GoPro made it better by allowing you to turn on the camera by saying “GoPro, turn on” as long as the GoPro has been turned on in the last 8 hours. In the past, you had a turn on voice control manually, but our camera came with it already enabled.

Voice control is fun because you can leave your camera attached the Spivo 360 and simply tell it what to do. You don’t need to manually reach to grab the GoPro to turn it on, and can capture those candid moments by simply uttering a few words. It can also save you a few precious seconds if you’re trying to capture something unfolding right away. We also like being able to turn the camera on while it’s stored in your backpack or in the Spivo 360 sleeve to get capturing as fast as possible.

Overall: We’re stoked

To close things off, we’re super excited about many of the upgrades and features on the Hero 7 Black. It’s kind of rekindled our love for this tiny little camera, and we definitely recommend you look into it. In the next few weeks, we’ll be doing a comprehensive review of everything new on the Hero 7 Black, as well as some comparison with other cameras. Stay tuned by subscribing to The Adventurist in the footer of this page, or by checking your inbox on Thursdays if you’ve already subscribed.

Happy adventures!

Products used in this blog: Spivo 360 Swivel Selfie Stick