GoPro’s 360-degree action cam gets an 8K upgrade and swappable lenses

You don’t request immoderate tools to region and regenerate the GoPro Max2’s lenses. | Image: GoPro

It’s been astir six years since GoPro launched its Max 360-degree camera. The archetypal was lone somewhat larger than the company’s iconic enactment cameras and portion the new Max2 is simply a spot taller, thicker, and 36 grams heavier than its predecessor, its 360-degree video capabilities person been improved from 5.6K / 30fps to 8K / 30fps, and it present allows single-lens, 180-degree videos to beryllium captured astatine up to 4K / 60fps.

The institution had antecedently confirmed that it was moving connected a caller mentation of its 360-degree enactment camera as acold backmost arsenic 2023, and aft sharing promotional images of the Max2 connected Instagram successful July, GoPro says it volition yet beryllium disposable starting connected September 30th for $499.95. That’s astir the nonstop aforesaid terms arsenic the archetypal Max, which volition perchance marque it a tempting alternate to competitor’s 8K-capable 360-degree cameras, including the DJI Osmo 360 and Insta360 X5, which some commencement astatine $549.99.

The Max2 can’t rather lucifer the capabilities of the Osmo 360 that DJI says tin seizure 8K videos astatine up to 50fps, but GoPro insists its caller 360-degree camera captures “true 8K” because, according to the company, it doesn’t number overlapping oregon unusable pixels captured betwixt its 2 lenses, resulting successful 16 to 21 percent much usable solution than competitors’ offerings. That’s important due to the fact that portion 360-degree cameras were erstwhile fashionable for the novelty of being capable to look astir portion watching a video, they’re present much utile arsenic a camera that tin grounds each the enactment going connected astir you with capable solution to extract high-quality level videos that tin beryllium easy shared and viewed online.

The Max2 carries guardant a batch of features of the original, including a six microphone array with upwind sound simplification that captures sounds successful each directions, GPS, waterproofing to a extent of 16 feet, and an LCD touchscreen connected 1 broadside that’s present 10 percent larger astatine 1.82 inches. Upgrades see the summation of enactment for Bluetooth microphones truthful you tin usage your wireless earbuds to grounds audio, 13 antithetic dependable bid controls that tin beryllium utilized successful 11 languages, and a larger 1,960mAh removable battery. On a afloat charge, the Max2 tin seizure 8K / 30fps footage for up to 66 minutes, which tin beryllium boosted to 90 minutes by dropping the solution to 5.6K / 30fps.

One of the astir absorbing features of the Insta360 X5 erstwhile it launched past April was swappable lenses, but the GoPro Max2 present offers that functionality, too. Its lenses are made from “strong optical solid with a water-repelling coating” and, should they get cracked oregon scratched, they tin beryllium removed and replaced without tools by simply twisting them disconnected and on.

Footage from the Max2 tin beryllium edited connected your smartphone utilizing the GoPro Quik app. You tin export videos that absorption connected a circumstantial entity oregon idiosyncratic utilizing AI-powered tracking oregon you tin take your framing by conscionable watching the 360-degree video and moving your telephone astir successful existent time. It’s designed to beryllium consumer-friendly, but the Max2 is besides compatible with the GoPro Labs beta program, which provides optional firmware updates that unlock precocious features similar higher bitrates and on-screen histograms for pro users.