Video Modes of the GoPro HERO7 Black

Here’s a rundown of the various video modes and options available on the GoPro HERO7 Black, including resolutions, framerates, resolutions, and special shooting options like Protune.

Text & Photos By David Coleman
Last Revised & Updated:
Filed Under: Video

I MAY get commissions for purchases made through links in this post.

GoPros can be quite capable stills cameras too, but shooting video is really their bread and butter and really what defines them.

The GoPro HERO7 Black has very similar video capabilities as the previous model, the HERO6 Black, but there are a few notable differences. One of the leading ones is an improved in-camera stabilization, not called HyperSmooth. The 960 resolution has also returned, and there are some higher framerates available in some settings.

Here’s a rundown of the various options available when shooting video with the HERO7 Black.

Resolutions, Framerates & Aspect Ratios

Overall, there’s a lot of overlap between the resolution/framerate options offered on the HERO7 Black with those that were offered on the HERO6 Black. There are a few small differences—there’s now a 960 resolution for instance. But overall, the options are very similar.

Two aspect ratios are offered: 16:9 and 4:3.

The largest resolution is 4K4:3, which results in dimensions of 4000 by 3000. The smallest is 720, which results in dimensions of 1280 by 720. Here’s an illustration showing the relative sizes and aspect ratios available on the HERO7 Black.

The fastest frame rate available is 240 fps. The slowest is 24 fps. As usual, switching between PAL and NTSC will change the available framerates. Not all framerates are available at all resolutions. The table below has the combinations available.

Bitrates

The maximum video bitrate on the HERO7 Black is 78 Mb/s, the same as on the previous model. So you’ll need to make sure you have an SD card that’s fast enough.

It uses that only with the very highest video modes with Protune turned on. For other combinations of settings, it uses lower bitrates. I’ve put together a table below that shows which bitrates are used for which video modes (you can find that further down this page).

Whether the file is compressed with the HEVC or H.264 codecs, it uses variable compression, so in practice, you can end up with bitrates just slightly above or below these target bitrates.

Fields of View

There are three fields of view available across all of the video modes on the HERO7 Black, but they’re not all available in all shooting modes.

The standard one is the basic Wide FOV, which is the default one that we’re used to with GoPro footage. There’s also one that squeezes even more into the frame, called SuperView. And there’s a Linear FOV that electronically compensates for the fisheye distortion and is especially useful when shooting from drones.

Filetypes and Codecs: H.264 or HEVC (H.265)

All of the video files produced on the GoPro HERO6 Black have a file extension of .mp4. So they’re all using the mp4 container, but they’re not all the same inside. That’s because there are two different codecs used: HEVC (H.265) and H.264.

GoPro introduced the HEVC (H.265) codec to the HERO6 Black, where it was available as the only option for some of the high-end video modes. It’s a newer, more efficient codec than the older H.264 one and offers better compression that results in a better combination of video quality and filesize. The catch is that files encoded with HEVC are not yet anywhere nearly as widely compatible as ones using the older H.264/AVC codec. (If you’re having trouble with the HEVC files, I’ve posted a workaround here.)

On the H6 Black, encoding with the HEVC codec was the only option for some of the very high-end video modes. On all the other video modes, H.264/AVC was the only option.

On the H7 Black, they’ve tweaked that somewhat. There’s now an option in the preferences for choosing HEVC or H.264 + HEVC. (Note that if you’re using the GoPro mobile app, these show up until the Video Compression option as “High Efficiency” and “Most Compatible”.)

But the way this is implemented is a bit confusing. The first option is obvious enough: it will use HEVC for all video recording.

The second option isn’t quite as obvious. It doesn’t mean the same as a RAW + JPG option you often find on cameras, for example, where it records both formats simultaneously. If you choose the H.264 + HEVC, it won’t record two versions. What it will do is use H.264 for most of the video options. But with some of the high-end video modes you can still only record them with the HEVC codec. If you’re recording 4K60, for instance, it will only record using the HEVC codec regardless of whether you’ve choose the H.264 + HEVC option. So “H.264 + HEVC” doesn’t mean “H.264 and HEVC”; it means H.264 when available and HEVC when it’s not. You can see which codecs are available in the table below in the AVC bitrate column.

Something to be aware of when using the HEVC option is that the GoPro mobile app can’t preview HEVC files in playback. You’ll have to download the entire file to your phone and then try to play it back locally.

Here’s a master list of which video modes on the HERO7 Black use HEVC only and which can also be recorded in H.264.

ModeFPSAVC BITRATE - PROTUNE / + PROTUNE
4K60HEVC Only
50HEVC Only
30H.264 + HEVC
25H.264 + HEVC
24H.264 + HEVC
4K 4:330HEVC Only
25HEVC Only
24HEVC Only
2.7K120HEVC Only
100HEVC Only
60H.264 + HEVC
50H.264 + HEVC
30H.264 + HEVC
25H.264 + HEVC
24H.264 + HEVC
2.7K 4:360HEVC Only
50HEVC Only
30H.264 + HEVC
25H.264 + HEVC
24H.264 + HEVC
1440120HEVC Only
100HEVC Only
60H.264 + HEVC
50H.264 + HEVC
30H.264 + HEVC
25H.264 + HEVC
24H.264 + HEVC
1080240HEVC Only
200HEVC Only
120H.264 + HEVC
100H.264 + HEVC
60H.264 + HEVC
50H.264 + HEVC
30H.264 + HEVC
25H.264 + HEVC
24H.264 + HEVC
960240HEVC Only
200HEVC Only
120H.264 + HEVC
100H.264 + HEVC
720240H.264 + HEVC
200H.264 + HEVC
60H.264 + HEVC
50H.264 + HEVC

In-Camera Video Stabilization

One of the notable new features of the HERO7 Black is the new and improved in-camera electronic stabilization, now called HyperSmooth.

Here’s a quick example of it in action compared with in-camera stabilization turned off, with the cameras mounted on a bike:

I’ve also posted quite a few side-by-side comparisons of the HERO6 Black’s stabilization with the HERO7 Black’s HyperSmooth.

On the HERO7 Silver and White models, you don’t have the option of turning off the in-camera stabilization (both of those models use the older generation of stabilizations, not HyperSmooth). With the HERO7 Black, you can turn it on or off. It’s available for most, but not all, video modes. In particular, it’s not available at same of the highest framerates. You can see which video modes HyperSmooth is and isn’t available in the table below.

Protune

The HERO7 Black has Protune options for video and photo shooting. This basically enables an expert mode where you can specify some of the shooting options manually. Used with care, they can also open up higher-quality video, and they generally result in recording at a higher bitrate than when Protune is turned off.

The video Protune options available on the HERO7 Black are mostly the same as with the HERO6 Black, with a few tweaks here and there. Here’s the full listing.

Protune OptionHERO12 BlackHERO11 BlackHERO10 BlackHERO9 BlackHERO8 BlackHERO7 BlackHERO6 BlackHERO5 BlackHERO4 BlackHERO4 SilverHERO Session
10-Bit(Moved to video settings)On
Off (default)
---------
Bitrate(Moved to video settings)Standard (default)
High
Low (default)
High
Low (default)
High
Low (default)
High
------
ColorVibrant
Natural (default)
Flat
Vibrant
Natural (default)
Flat
Vibrant (default)
Natural
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
GoPro Color
Flat
White BalanceAuto (default)
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto (default)
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
4000K
4800K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
4000K
4800K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
4000K
4800K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
5500K
6500K
Native
Manual Exposure / Shutter*Auto (default)
1/fps
1/(2xfps)
1/(4xfps)
1/(8xfps)
1/(16xfps)
Auto (default)
1/fps
1/(2xfps)
1/(4xfps)
1/(8xfps)
1/(16xfps)
Auto
1/fps
1/(2xfps)
1/(4xfps)
1/(8xfps)
1/(16xfps)
Auto
1/fps
1/(2xfps)
1/(4xfps)
1/(8xfps)
1/(16xfps)
Auto
1/fps
1/(2xfps)
1/(4xfps)
1/(8xfps)
1/(16xfps)
Auto
1/24
1/25
1/30
1/48
1/50
1/60
1/96
1/100
1/120
1/192
1/200
1/240
1/384
1/400
1/480
1/960
1/1920
1/3840
Auto
1/24
1/25
1/30
1/48
1/50
1/60
1/96
1/100
1/120
1/192
1/200
1/240
1/400
1/480
1/960
1/1920
Auto
1/24
1/25
1/30
1/48
1/50
1/60
1/80
1/96
1/100
1/120
1/160
1/192
1/200
1/240
1/320
1/400
1/480
1/960
Auto
1/60
1/120
1/240
Auto
1/60
1/120
1/240
-
ISO LimitAuto
6400
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
6400
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
6400
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
6400
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
6400
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
6400
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
6400
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
6400
3200
1600
1200
800
400
6400
3200
1600
1200
800
400
6400
3200
1600
1200
800
400
1600
400
SharpnessHigh
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
OFF
ON
Exposure Compensation-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2-2 to +2
Raw Audio TrackOff (default)
Low
Mid
High
Off (default)
Low
Mid
High
Off (default)
Low
Mid
High
Off
Low
Mid
High
Off
Low
Mid
High
Off
Low
Mid
High
Off
Low
Mid
High
Off
Low
Mid
High
---
WindAuto (default)
On
Off
Auto (default)
On
Off
Auto (default)
On
Off
Auto
On
Off
Auto
On
Off
---
Auto Audio Mode Group--Auto
On
Off
Auto
On
Off
Auto
On
Off
Auto
Wind Only
Stereo Only
-----
* Note on manual shutter: The specific options available in the manual exposure / shutter section vary by the framerate you've chosen. The available shutter speeds you'll see available will be limited to multiples of the framerate you're using. As an example, if you set it to record at 1080p60, you won't see the option for a manual shutter speed of 1/96 but you will see 1/120 and 1/240. In general, the scale goes 1/fps, 1/(2xfps), 1/(4xfps), 1(8xfps), and 1(16xfps).

Live Video Feed

A new feature with the HERO7 Black is the ability to stream live video from the camera through the GoPro app. You can then share that stream through services like Facebook Live, YouTube, Twitch, and Vimeo. You can find more details here.

Short Clips

The HERO7 Black has a new feature known as Short Clips. This fits in squarely with GoPro’s efforts in recent years to make it easier to share the footage you shoot with the camera. Short clips are standard video but are saved at predetermined lengths of 15 or 30 seconds. The idea is that they’re much more manageable to share via the GoPro app to social media.

Portrait Orientation

The new Portrait Orientation feature allows you to film vertically rather than the usual horizontal (or landscape) orientation. This is something YouTube has embraced quite recently, mainly because so many people film with their phones held upright. The camera has a built-in sensor that tells it which way is up and should switch accordingly. But one thing to watch is that once you start recording a video clip, it won’t switch the orientation. So if you start filming in vertical, it will stay in vertical. For that reason, there’s an option in the settings where you can lock it in to landscape-only recording (it’s called Landscape Lock). Both screens, front and back, also rotate to reflect the vertical orientation.

Video Modes of the GoPro HERO7 Black Master Table

ModeFPSHEVC BITRATE - PROTUNE / + PROTUNEAVC BITRATE - PROTUNE / + PROTUNEStabilization?Aspect RatioDimensionsFOV WideFOV SuperViewFOV Linear
4K6060 / 78HEVC Only✓16:93840x2160✓
5060 / 78HEVC Only✓16:93840x2160✓
3045 / 6060 / 60✓16:93840x2160✓✓
2545 / 6060 / 60✓16:93840x2160✓✓
2445 / 6060 / 60✓16:93840x2160✓✓
4K 4:33060 / 78HEVC Only-4:34000x3000✓
2560 / 78HEVC Only-4:34000x3000✓
2460 / 78HEVC Only-4:34000x3000✓
2.7K12060 / 78HEVC Only-16:92704x1520✓
10060 / 78HEVC Only-16:92704x1520✓
6045 / 6060 / 60✓16:92704x1520✓✓✓
5045 / 6060 / 60✓16:92704x1520✓✓✓
3045 / 6045 / 60✓16:92704x1520✓✓✓
2545 / 6045 / 60✓16:92704x1520✓✓✓
2445 / 6045 / 60✓16:92704x1520✓✓✓
2.7K 4:36060 / 78HEVC Only✓4:32704x2028✓
5060 / 78HEVC Only✓4:32704x2028✓✓
3045 / 6060 / 60✓4:32704x2028✓✓
2545 / 6060 / 60✓4:32704x2028✓✓
2445 / 6060 / 60✓4:32704x2028✓✓
144012060 / 78HEVC Only✓4:31920x1440✓
10060 / 78HEVC Only✓4:31920x1440✓
6045 / 6060 / 60✓4:31920x1440✓✓
5045 / 6060 / 60✓4:31920x1440✓✓
3024 / 3630 / 45✓4:31920x1440✓✓
2524 / 3630 / 45✓4:31920x1440✓✓
2424 / 3630 / 45✓4:31920x1440✓✓
108024060 / 78HEVC Only-16:91920x1080✓
20060 / 78HEVC Only-16:91920x1080✓
12045 / 6060 / 60✓16:91920x1080✓✓✓
10045 / 6060 / 60✓16:91920x1080✓✓✓
6024 / 3630 / 45✓16:91920x1080✓✓✓
5024 / 3630 / 45✓16:91920x1080✓✓✓
3024 / 3630 / 45✓16:91920x1080✓✓✓
2524 / 3630 / 45✓16:91920x1080✓✓✓
2424 / 3630 / 45✓16:91920x1080✓✓✓
96024045 / 60HEVC Only-4:31280x960✓
20045 / 60HEVC Only-4:31280x960✓
12024 / 3630 / 45✓4:31280x960✓
10024 / 3630 / 45✓4:31280x960✓
72024045 / 6045 / 60-16:91280x720✓
20045 / 6060 / 60-16:91280x720✓
6024 / 3630 / 45✓16:91280x720✓✓
5024 / 3630 / 45✓16:91280x720✓✓

Price & Availability of GoPro HERO7 Black

Check the current price and availability of the GoPro HERO7 Black at:

GoPro Hero7 Black — Waterproof Action Camera with Touch Screen 4K Ultra...
  • HyperSmooth: Get gimbal‑like stabilization—without the gimbal. HERO7 Black corrects for camera shake...
  • TimeWarp: Capture super stabilized time lapse videos while you move about a scene. Increase the speed up...

GoPro HERO7 Cameras Compared

HERO7 BlackHERO7 SilverHERO7 White

VIDEO SPECS

Resolution / Max fps4K / 60
4K (4:3) / 30
2.7K / 120
2.7K (4:3) / 60
1440p / 120
1080p / 240
960p / 240
720p / 240
4K / 30
1440p / 60
1080p / 60
1440p / 60
1080p / 60
StabilizationHyperSmoothStandardStandard
Max Bitrate78 Mb/s60 Mb/s40 Mb/s
FOVsWide
Medium
Linear
SuperView
WideWide
File Format (Codec)MP4 (HEVC / H.265)
MP4 (H.264 / AVC)
MP4 (H.264 / AVC)MP4 (H.264 / AVC)
Protune✓--
Digital Zoom✓✓✓
Looping✓--
Audio TrackWAV + AACAACAAC
External Mic Compatibility✓--
HDMI Video Out✓--
Live Streaming✓--

PHOTO SPECS

Max Photo Size12MP10MP10MP
FOVsWide
Linear
WideWide
File FormatRAW (.gpr)
JPG
JPGJPG
Protune✓--
In-Camera Image EnhancementSuperPhotoWDR-
Top Burst Mode30 / 115 / 115 / 1
Continuous Photo✓✓✓
Night Photo✓--
Photo Timer✓✓✓

TIME-LAPSE SPECS

Timelapse Photo✓--
Timelapse Video✓✓✓
Nightlapse✓--
TimeWarp Video✓--

INTERFACE SPECS

Built-in Touchscreen✓✓✓
Front Screen✓--
Voice Control✓✓✓
WiFi / Bluetooth✓✓✓
USB Port TypeUSB-CUSB-CUSB-C

DESIGN & BUILD SPECS

Waterproof Body✓✓✓
Dimensions62.3 x 44.9 x 33 mm62.3 x 44.9 x 28.3 mm62.3 x 44.9 x 28.3 mm
Weight4.1 oz / 116 g3.3 oz / 94.4 g3.26 / 92.4 g

OTHER SPECS

Battery Type1220 mAh1220 mAh (non-removable)1220 mAh (non-removable)
QuikCapture✓✓✓
GPS✓✓-
Memory CardRecommendationsRecommendationsRecommendations
* Not every feature is available in every shooting mode. As examples, video stabilization is not available in every resolution/framerate combination and the option to save RAW images is not available in burst mode.

Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2023-12-05 at 21:32. Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon Site at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.

Text & Photos by David Coleman

I'm a freelance travel photographer based in Washington DC. Seven continents, up mountains, underwater, and a bunch of places in between. My images have appeared in numerous publications, and you can check out some of my travel photography here.

I've been shooting with GoPros for years, starting with the HD HERO, and have owned and used just about every model since. More »