This is an ongoing and growing list of common questions on GoPro’s HERO6 Black.
If you have a question not answered here, please ask in the comments below and I’ll do my best to provide an answer.
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Video Features of the HERO6 Black
What is the highest resolution video on the GoPro HERO6 Black?
The HERO6 Black can record 4K video at 60 frames per second (4K60) and 1080 video at 240 frames per second (1080p240). There are a number of video modes below those, of course. You can find a complete list of the various video modes on the HERO6 Black here.
Photo Features of the HERO6 Black
Like all GoPros, the HERO6 Black can take photos as well as shoot video. Here are some common questions relating to its photo modes.
What size photos does the HERO6 Black take?
The HERO6 Black shoots 12MP photos that measure 4000 x 3000 pixels.
What photo formats does the HERO6 Black shoot?
With the HERO6 Black you have the option for shooting in JPG or RAW. GoPro’s RAW photo format has the file extension .gpr. If you choose the RAW option, it actually saves both (that is, it’s really a RAW+JPG mode).
Something to note is that the RAW format that GoPro uses a proprietary format (derived from Adobe’s DNG format) that has only limited support in other apps. Aside from GoPro’s own apps, the only other one that really uses it is Lightroom. If you’re not using Lightroom, I have a workaround here.
Memory Cards
Does the GoPro HERO6 Black Come with a Memory Card?
The standard HERO6 Black doesn’t include a memory card by default, so you’d need to buy one separately. But retailers will sometimes bundle the camera with some accessories, such as memory cards.
Since not every memory card will be fast enough to work well in the HERO6 Black, especially if you use it’s higher-end video features, I’ve put together some GoPro HERO6 Black SD card recommendations.
What is the best SD card for the GoPro HERO6 Black?
I’ve tested a number of different microSD cards in the HERO6 Black and found that the SanDisk Extreme V30 and Lexar 1000x cards to be good combinations of compatibility, speed, reliability, and value for money.
I have more detailed recommendations here.
What is the largest SD card for the GoPro HERO6 Black?
The largest size microSD cards that are currently available that are fast enough for the HERO6 Black are at least 500GB. Cards that are 400GB, 256, 128GB, 64GB, and 32GB, so long as they’re fast enough, also work. Technically, you could use even smaller capacities, such as 16GB or 8GB, but you’ll fill those up so quickly that they’re not really good options for this camera.
Accessories for the HERO6 Black
Do HERO5 Black accessories work on the HERO6 Black?
Yes. The cameras are the same size and shape and use the same external ports. They also share the same kind of battery and use the same standard GoPro mounting system. With the exception of a handful of memory cards, I’ve yet to find an accessory that works with the HERO5 Black that doesn’t also work with the HERO6 Black.
Are the batteries for the HERO6 Black the same as the ones for the HERO5 Black?
Yes. Same size and shape. Same power ratings. I’ve been using them interchangeably without any issues.
Do aftermarket batteries work?
At the time of writing, they’ve been working fine for me. However, as GoPro demonstrated with the HERO5 Black, they have the capability to revise the firmware in such a way that third-party batteries will no longer work. Whether they’ll choose to do that again is unknown. Last time, there was no warning or even official notice of the change in the firmware changelog.
So if you’re looking to get some spare batteries for your GoPro, it seems that after-market ones are working for now. The safest option remains to get the official GoPro-branded ones.
Can you run a GoPro HERO6 Black with external power without an internal battery?
Yes. If you’re powering the camera from an external source via the USB-C cable, you can remove the internal battery.
An advantage of leaving the internal battery in place is as a safety net in case the external power stops flowing.
Shooting with the GoPro HERO6 Black
Is the HERO6 Black waterproof?
Yes. It’s rated to be waterproof down to 33 feet (10 meters) without a separate housing.
For greater depths, you can put it in a dive housing that GoPro calls the SuperSuit which is rated down to 196 feet (60 meters). (Note that this is different to the newer Protective Housing for the HERO8 Black–they’re a different shape and are not interchangeable.
Can you use wifi underwater on a GoPro?
No. Wifi signals can’t penetrate through any significant amount of water, so you can’t control the camera wireless underwater. There is a way to use a cable to control the camera remote underwater–you can find more details on that here.
Does the HERO6 Black have a spot meter?
Yes and no. While it doesn’t have the same spot meter function of most previous GoPro models, it does have something better: a localized metering option called Exposure Control. The key difference–and improvement–is that you can select which area of the frame to use to calculate the automatic exposure.
Why are my GoPro videos getting split up?
This is a built-in feature called video chaptering. Long, high-resolution video is saved in smaller individual segments. It accomplishes two things. Firstly, it keeps the individual file sizes under 4GB so as to be broadly compatible with the file systems used on memory cards and computer. Secondly, it acts as a safety mechanism in case something goes wrong while recording.
Troubleshooting
Is it normal for my GoPro to get hot?
GoPros can get quite hot in normal use. You’ll notice it especially when shooting video in the high-end modes. The rim around the HERO6 black’s lens port gets especially hot, but the memory card and battery can also get quite hot to the touch.
I have more details on GoPros getting hot here.
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Marcin says
Have Hero 6 same level of waterproof with and without included protective frame?
David says
The frame doesn’t add any waterproof protection, so yes, same with our without. To get more waterproof protection you’d need to put it in one of the dive housings like GoPro’s Super Suit.
Kevin says
Should I buy a protective housing for my Hero 6 Black for use when kitesurfing? It will be attached in a line mount.
David says
It’s not required for waterproofness, obviously, but it will provide extra protection against knocks and scratches. It’s not something that’s required, but there are a lot of people who prefer the old HERO4 style precisely because the housing added an easily replaced layer of protection–that is, it’s much easier and cheaper to replace a $40 housing than a $400 camera. It all depends on your level of comfort with the risk of the camera getting damaged. If you plan to do a lot, it’s probably not a bad idea–it’s just not required.