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Which Accessories Will Work with the GoPro HERO8 Black?

Wondering which accessories will work on the new GoPro HERO8 Black? Here's a running list of what to look for.

GoPro HERO7 Black next to HERO8 Black side view

By David Coleman | @havecamerawilltraveldc
Last updated about 2 months ago // Categories: Accessories
Tags: GoPro HERO8 Black

GoPro’s launch of the HERO8 Black included a lot of excitement about three new accessories especially useful to vloggers: an external light, an external microphone, and a flip-up screen. None of those accessories are available yet; GoPro is expecting to start taking pre-orders for them in December 2019, but an actual ship date hasn’t been announced.

But those aren’t the accessories I’m focusing on here. If you’re upgrading from a previous model and already have some accessories on hand, you might be wondering whether those work on the new model. There’s no simple answer: some do and some don’t.

Get 50% Off GoPro Mounts + Accessories with PLUS

If you sign up for GoPro PLUS, one of the benefits is that you get 50% off mounts and accessories purchased on GoPro.com. It's a great way to stock up on GoPro original accessories for your camera. I've often found the official GoPro accessories to be of higher quality than some of the aftermarket versions you find elsewhere.

There's a free 30-day trial for GoPro PLUS, then it costs $4.99/month (a little less if you pay for the year in advance). It includes many of the accessories on GoPro.com, but not all. And there's a limit to 10 items per subscription anniversary year. PLUS also includes unlimited cloud storage for your GoPro photos and footage, as well as discounted replacements if you break your camera. You'll be able to see the discounted accessory prices showing when you sign in with your PLUS account.

Basically, there are four main considerations when trying to determine whether accessories you’re currently using with previous GoPro models will work with the HERO8 Black. I’m focusing here on going from the HERO7 Black to the HERO8 Black, but there’s quite a bit of overlap with previous models. The HERO6 Black and HERO5 Black, for example, share the same body design as the HERO7 Black.

These are the general considerations with accessories for the HERO8 Black:

  1. The HERO8 Black’s body is just slightly larger than the HERO7 models. There’s enough of a difference that most frames and housings won’t work. That also goes for other accessories that wrap around the body, like silicone sleeves and some floats.
  2. The lens port isn’t removable and doesn’t stick out as far. That affects anything that attaches to the lens port, such as snap-on filters, as well as some accessories where the field of view might be obscured (such as the Super Suit dive housing). It also affects any accessories, usually filters, that go on in place of the glass lens port.
  3. The buttons and ports are in different positions. So any triggers or housings that connect directly to the button positions, or any battery or monitor accessories that have a hardwired USB-C position won’t work.
  4. There’s no HDMI output. Which obviously means that any HDMI-out accessories won’t work.

With those in mind, here’s how some specific types of accessories do or don’t work with the HERO8 Black.

Mounts

The HERO8 Black has a new mounting method in that the attachment point is not built into the base of the camera itself. So you don’t need to use a frame or housing as you have had to do with previous models.

GoPro HERO8 Black vs HERO7 Black Bottom

The HERO8 Black, at left, has the flip-down mount point built into the base of the camera body.

But it’s still the same standard 3-prong GoPro-style attachment system that you’re used to. So most accessories that rely on that mounting attachment point will work just fine with the HERO8 Black.

There are, however, occasional exceptions. There’s a relatively small number of accessories that need the camera to be in a frame (like the pistol-trigger triggers; see below).

GoPro Hero8 Black - Waterproof Action Camera with Touch Screen 4K Ultra HD...
GoPro Hero8 Black - Waterproof Action Camera with Touch Screen 4K Ultra HD...
  • Streamlined Design : The reimagined shape is more pocketable, and folding fingers at the base let you...
  • Hero8 Black Mods : Vloggers, pro filmmakers and aspiring creators can do more than ever imagined with...
$399.00
Buy on Amazon

Grips & Poles

Most of them will work because they generally attach with the standard GoPro mounting system.

Some specialized grips, like pistol-trigger grips, require a frame mount to work properly. Right now, GoPro doesn’t have their own frame for the HERO8 Black. Aftermarket manufacturers will likely make some sooner or later.

Batteries

Internal Batteries. GoPro has released a new battery with the HERO8 Black. It’s the same shape, size, and power rating as the HERO7 Black, HERO6 Black, and HERO5 Black. And, technically, you can put one of the older batteries inside the HERO8 Black and power the camera. But you’ll also get an on-screen warning that to get peak performance you should be using the newer model. I haven’t yet tested the older batteries extensively enough in the new camera to know if there are practical restrictions, perhaps in operations that require intensive processing power, such as the aggressive new video smoothing. So I’d recommend sticking with the new versions of the batteries until that becomes clearer. But, in a pinch, it looks like you can get by with the older batteries if need be.

On the plus side, the new version is also designed to backwards compatible.

Extended Batteries. Any batteries that use a cable to attach to the USB-C port will work. So external USB power bricks and batteries that act like that (such as this one, will work fine.

Batteries that clip onto the camera, like these, won’t work because the USB-C port and compartment are in different positions on the body.

Memory Cards

In general, most of the memory cards that work with the HERO7 Black should work with the HERO8 Black. But it’s not a direct overlap because the HERO8 Black has a higher maximum video bitrate of 100 Mb/s (compared to 80 Mb/s for the HERO7 Black). So lean towards faster cards. I’ll post separately a more detailed explanation of the best memory cards for the HERO8 Black.

If you’re looking for a quick, safe bet, go with the SanDisk Extreme cards. Those are the ones that GoPro includes with cameras bought through their official online store at GoPro.com.

SanDisk 256GB Extreme MicroSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter - C10, U3,...
SanDisk 256GB Extreme MicroSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter - C10, U3,...
  • Up to 160MB/s read speeds to save time transferring high res images and 4K UHD videos(2); Requires...
  • Up to 90MB/s write speeds for fast Shooting; Requires compatible devices capable of reaching such speeds
Check Price on Amazon

Housings and Frames

Most housings and frames from the HERO7 models won’t work with the HERO8 Black. There are a few issues that come into play: the body of the new camera is slightly larger, the buttons and ports are in different places, the microphone pickups are in different places, and the lens port is a different design.

Frame. The HERO7 Black’s standard frame, which comes included with the cameras, won’t fit on the HERO8 Black. The new camera doesn’t include one because it has a built-in, fold-out attachment point built into the bottom of the camera’s body. GoPro doesn’t currently make a frame for the HERO8 Black, but aftermarket manufacturers are likely to fill that gap before long.

SuperSuit Dive Housing. The SuperSuit Dive Housing that worked with the HERO5 Black, HERO6 Black, and HERO7 Black won’t work on the HERO8 Black. Use the new dedicated Protective Housing instead. The cameras are different sizes, have different button positions, and different lens port designs.

The H8 Black’s Protective Housing is very similar and has the same depth rating (196 feet / 60 meters). It comes with one solid back door and one skeleton back door (the SuperSuite comes with two solid back doors and one skeleton back door). You can find it here.

Floats. Floats that wrap around the camera body will need to be ones designed specifically for the HERO8 Black. GoPro has released their own, recycling the Floaty name. Any pole floats or strap floats will work just fine.

Sleeve + Lanyard. I’ve found GoPro’s Sleeve useful as a light layer of protection when just out and about with hand-held shooting. But, annoyingly, the previous versions, of which I have several copies, don’t fit. They’re too small for the H8 Black’s body. Less importantly, the markings for the power button are in the wrong positions for the new camera, as are the microphone exposures. So there’s a new version just for the HERO8 Black.

Drone / Gimbal Cages

There’s no cage yet for the GoPro Karma drone or gimbal.

Filters

Many clip-on filters from the HERO7 Black won’t work on the HERO8 Black. That’s because of the different lens port design.

That also hold true for filters that attach to the SuperSuit dive housing. Again, the different lens port design means that the HERO8 Black won’t work in the Super Suit—you’ll need to use the similar Protective Housing instead.

Wrap Up

This is a running list that I’ll add to as I have a chance to try different accessories. Feel free to shoot me questions in the comments if something isn’t clear.

You can find GoPro’s official list of HERO8 Black accessories here. If you buy any of them from GoPro.com, it’s worth looking into the PLUS subscription program. One of the benefits of that program is 50% many of the accessories.

Images and product information from Amazon PA-API were last updated on 2019-12-13 at 07:01. 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.

More GoPro Tips & Tricks:

  • GoPro HERO8 Black product shots collage
    GoPro HERO8 Black has Landed
  • 01 havecamerawilltravel com - Which GoPro HERO4 Accessories Will Work with the GoPro HERO6 Black and HERO5 Black?
    Which GoPro HERO4 Accessories Will Work with the GoPro HERO6 Black and HERO5 Black?
  • Nitecore UGP5 GoPro Battery Charger
    NiteCore UGP5 Charger for GoPro HERO5 Black Batteries
  • GoPro HERO5 Black vs HERO4 Black Right Side
    How to Turn On a GoPro that Won't Turn On
  • GoPro Batteries and Chargers
    How to Charge GoPro Cameras & Batteries
  • GoPro HERO5 Batteries and Chargers
    Batteries and Chargers for the GoPro HERO8 Black, HERO7 Black, HERO6 Black, HERO5 Black, and HERO (2018)

GoPro Accessories

These are some popular GoPro accessories on Amazon.
Neewer 50-In-1 Action Camera Accessory Kit for GoPro 8 GoPro Hero 7 6 5 4...
$19.99
MOUNTDOG Action Camera Accessories Kit for GoPro Hero 7 6 5 4 3+ 3 2 1 Hero...
$24.99
GoPro Dual Battery Charger + Battery for HERO7/HERO6 Black/HERO5 Black...
Conveniently charges two Hero6 Black or Hero5 Black Camera batteries simultaneously; Dual LED lights Display charging status of both batteries
$49.99 −$14.00 $35.99
61-in-1 Action Camera Accessories Kit for GoPro Hero 7 6 5 4 3+ Hero...
$25.99
61 in 1 Action Camera Accessories Kit for GoPro Hero 8 7 6 5 4 Hero Session...
$23.99
Leknes 59-in-1 Camera Accessory Kit for GoPro Hero 7 6 5 Session 4 3+ 3 2 1...
$19.99 −$1.00 $18.99
By David Coleman
Instagram: @havecamerawilltraveldc

Last updated on October 19, 2019

Categories: Accessories
Tags: GoPro HERO8 Black

I may earn a commission for purchases using links on this page. Learn more.

GoPro News & Deals

GoPro Max Now Shipping. The new 360° camera, the Max, is now shipping.

GoPro HERO8 Black and Max Unveiled. The new GoPro cameras and accessories have been unveiled. I have a rundown of the highlights of the HERO8 Black here.

DJI Osmo Action vs GoPro HERO7 Black. I’ve posted my detailed hands-on comparison of the Osmo Action and the HERO7 Black. There’s a lot similar between the models, but once you start digging down into the details there are differences that can help in choosing between them. And each has strengths the other doesn’t have. You can find my review here.

GoPro HyperSmooth vs DJI RockSteady. The new DJI Osmo Action also has built-in electronic stabilization to smooth out video. They’re calling it RockSteady (GoPro has HyperSmooth). I’ve been out testing them side-by-side. You can see the results here.

GoPro Deals page. I’ve put together a dedicated page on GoPro deals. So if you’re looking for cheap GoPro deals, check it out.

DJI Osmo action 4K Camera. Best known for their camera drones, DJI has released a new 4K action cam that’s taking direct aim at the GoPro HERO7 Black. It shoots up to 4K60 video and 12MP stills, includes electronic stabilization, has high-dynamic range video at 4K30, voice commands, a touchscreen on the back and another smaller live view screen on the front, and is waterproof down to 36 feet (11 meters). It’s priced at $349, and they’re now available at B&H Photo.

Comments

  1. LaRene says

    November 29, 2019 at 7:01 pm

    I’m wondering if my remote control model ARMTE-001 will work with a GoPro 8 black?

    Reply
    • David says

      November 30, 2019 at 3:46 pm

      That’s the Wifi Remote, right? I’ve tried, but I’ve not been able to pair them even after changing the wifi frequency to 2.4 GHz.

      Reply

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About Me

I’m a professional travel & location photographer based in Washington DC and traveling all over. Seven continents. Dozens of countries. Up mountains. Under water. And a bunch of places in between.

I’ve owned and used every GoPro since the HD HERO and particularly like finding new and different ways to use them to capture photos, video, and time-lapse.

You can find my main site at havecamerawilltravel.com. Or check out what’s in my go-to travel photography kit. Or get in touch here.

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