GoPro HERO6 Black Protune Settings for Video & Photo Shooting

Here are master lists of the Protune options available when shooting video and photos with the GoPro HERO6 Black.

GoPro HERO6 Black vs HERO5 Black
Text & Photos By David Coleman
Last Revised & Updated:
Filed Under: Photos, Video

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

As with all the previous GoPros, the HERO6 Black is set up with automatic settings that work well in many situations right out of the box. It’s one of the core features of GoPros: that you should be able to take it out of the box, head out, and start shooting and get great results.

But like the flagship Black editions before it (and since), there are also advanced, or expert, settings that you can use to fine-tune your shooting with video and photo.

GoPro calls this category of settings Protune. They give you more direct control over things like shutter speed and white balance. GoPros don’t have completely manual shooting, but through combinations of Protune settings, you can get the equivalent of a partial manual mode.

With the HERO6 Black, you’ll have to enable the Protune option before you can access these settings. You do this by going into the Photo Settings or Video settings when you’re setting the shooting mode. If you toggle the Protune option to ON, you’ll see a bunch of new settings appear. You can also enable Protune through the GoPro mobile app.

GoPro has tended to keep the Protune options quite consistent with each generation of Black edition. But there are nevertheless changes from time to time, and some of those variations might be relevant to some shooters. So here are master lists of the Protune options available when shooting video and photos with the HERO6 Black and how they compare with the models before and after. (I also have more detailed comparisons of the HERO6 Black and HERO7 Black and HERO6 Black and HERO5 Black.)

Video Protune Options: HERO6 Black

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).

Photo Protune Options: HERO6 Black

Protune OptionHERO12 BlackHERO11 BlackHERO10 BlackHERO9 BlackHERO8 BlackHERO7 BlackHERO6 BlackHERO5 BlackHERO5 SessionHERO4 BlackHERO4 Silver
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
5000K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto (default)
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5000K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5000K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5000K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5000K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5000K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
2300K
2800K
3200K
4000K
4500K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
4000K
4800K
5500K
6000K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
5500K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
5500K
6500K
Native
Auto
3000K
5500K
6500K
Native
Shutter SpeedAuto (default)
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1000
1/2000
Auto
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1000
1/2000
Auto
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1000
1/2000
Auto
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1000
1/2000
Auto
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1000
1/2000
Auto
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1000
1/2000
Auto
1/125
1/250
1/500
1/1000
1/2000
----
ISO Limit--------800
400
200
100
800
400
200
100
800
400
200
100
ISO Min3200
1600
800
400
200
100 (default)
3200
1600
800
400
200
100 (default)
3200
1600
800
400
200
100 (default)
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
1600
800
400
200
100
---
ISO Max3200 (default)
1600
800
400
200
100
3200 (default)
1600
800
400
200
100
3200 (default)
1600
800
400
200
100
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
3200
1600
800
400
200
100
100
200
400
800
1600
---
SharpnessHigh
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium (default)
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
High
Medium
Low
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
* The shutter settings were added to the HERO5 Black with a firmware update in April 2017 (v.02.00).

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 »

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