MEG & ANDREW

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So, being the lucky devil that I am, I recently obtained a GoPro HERO13 Black and a ton of accessories for Christmas. Big thanks to all of mine and Meg’s families for the Amazon vouchers.

With big dreams of epic hikes, dramatic snorkelling experiences and some serious golfing prowess all caught in glorious 4K, I’ve put together a full and varied GoPro setup, including:

GoPro HERO13 Black Extended Power Bundle
Chesty
4ft (1.2m) Extension Pole + Waterproof Shutter Remote
Tripod + Ballhead
Magnetic Swivel Clip
Head Strap 2.0

The GoPro will get its first proper adventure in the Easter Holidays in Bergen, Norway, but that doesn’t mean that I haven’t been giving it an early test drive, so I wanted to share some early thoughts.

GoPro Camera and App

It seems reasonable to start with the camera itself. Admittedly, it’s the first action camera I’ve owned, but I have been very impressed so far by the robustness of the GoPro and the quality of the video content I have gathered. The camera feels very solid, with impressive underwater ability (thoroughly tested in the bath), it genuinely feels bulletproof, although I’d rather not test this.

One recommendation that I would give to new users is to set the GoPro to its Pro settings, giving you full customisation over the content, and trust me when I say, it really does make a difference. After watching Jordan Hetrick on YouTube (watch his beginners guide here), I set up my own ‘YouTube Starter’ preset using the below settings:

Profile: Standard
Framing: 16.9
Resolution: 4K
Frame Rate: 120
Digital Lens: SuperView
HyperSmooth: On
Protune
Bit Depth: 10-Bit
Bit Rate: High
Shutter: Auto
EV Comp: 0
White Balance: Auto
ISO Min: 400
ISO Max: 1600
Sharpness: Medium
Denoise: High
Color: Natural

Try it out, see if you have any thoughts. The camera can go all the way up to 5.3K resolution, although this comes with its own drawbacks. Another point to consider with the above is the slight ‘fisheye’ effect that SuperView creates, for a more true view, try setting Digital Lens to Linear + Horizon Leveling. The camera has some presets available on unboxing that can get you started straightaway, and there are no shortage of creators on YouTube with their own hints and tips.

And now to the app. GoPro Quik is available to all users, but getting the GoPro Subscription unlocks A LOT more features, and at £54.99/yr, I think its worth the investment. With the premium subscription, you unlock auto-upload to the cloud as soon as you plug your GoPro in, which is a great feature, although the upload can be a little slow.

In terms of editing, the app can do everything you would expect from a basic video editor, including music overlay and some cool themes. Quik will also create cool auto edited video content based on the clips you upload, although personally, I did not care for this feature as it limits your control. The below video was shot at Rendlesham Forest using my ‘YouTube Starter’ preset and edited on GoPro Quik.

Accessories and Mounts

Straight off, I want to say, I am hugely impressed with the mahoosive range of mounts available to GoPro users, I can admit to feeling a little overwhelmed by them when initially planning to acquire a GoPro. My advice would be to consider the activities you are going to be using the camera for before you make any decisions on each mount.

For example, my main aim with the GoPro is epic hiking footage and content. I have taken thousands of photos over the years of our hiking adventures, but those photos don’t fully convey the journey, which is often as important as the destination. As such, the Chesty chest mount was my first port of call. The Chesty is fairly straightforward and does exactly what you would expect of it to a good standard. The Chesty is fully adjustable, so it just feels like wearing a secure backpack. Footage is stable and it is an excellent mount for tracking shots on a hike. Admittedly, its not true POV, but its as close as you can get without using a head strap.

Speaking of which, the Head Strap 2.0, which I have not used much yet gives you a better chance of true POV, although it is a little fiddly, and does require some adjustment. The Quik app’s ability to enable a preview via your phone helps with this. For hiking content, the Head Strap 2.0 gives a somewhat more accurate view of the hikers experience.

Probably the best mount that I purchased is the Extension Pole, with which the Tripod and Ballhead is fully accessible. The pole also comes with a Bluetooth Shutter Remote, and the whole setup gives a huge amount of freedom to create video content. I’ve also thought selfie sticks were a little silly and a bit vain, and this is essentially a selfie stick, but I can really get the appeal having tried it out a bit. I am notoriously bad at taking selfies, particularly in places where you really want to see the amazing backdrop to your photos. With the Extension Pole however, I am hoping that is a thing of the past.

With a hiking trip in Norway in Easter, plus a summer trip to Seattle and Las Vegas, I’m pretty hyped for the video content that I’m going to be sharing this year, but I’m equally excited for a snorkelling adventure in St. Vincent and the Grenadines in 2027. I truly believe that the extension pole is going to be an absolute game changer, although I was slightly disappointed that the Bluetooth Shutter Remote won’t work underwater. If I could give one challenge to GoPro, it would be to find a way to overcome this with future products.

The Magnetic Swivel Clip hasn’t seen much usage yet, but I would say that the clip is extremely secure and versatile. I have so far used it to attach onto my bad straps, but I saw a clip the other day with a man and child sledging, with the Clip attached to the front of the sledge, filming their awesome, joyful reactions. I have since ordered a Magnetic Latch Ball Joint Mount (Buy on GoPro) to help increase its field of vision and creating more unreal angles whilst out hiking. I’ll let you know if this makes a big difference.

In summary, my early thoughts on the GoPro have been overwhelmingly positive. The quality of the product has totally lived up to the price bracket, and the mounts and accessories really enhance the experience. I would totally recommend the extended power bundle, it essentially gives you 3 hours of battery life, and makes it easier to switch between batteries. I’ve also purchased a much larger SD card then the one that comes in the bundle, so I don’t miss out on anything on our travels, I’d recommend doing the same. The set up was remarkably straightforward and its easy to start filming straight out of the box. So far, the GoPro HERO13 Black is an absolute hit.

I’ll follow up on this blog after our trip to Bergen to talk about the GoPro HERO13 Black from a travel point of view. In the meantime, I’ll leave you with another video filmed on the GoPro (without mounts) sharing another of my passions.