GoPro Hero 8 Black | BEST SETTINGS for CINEMATIC VIDEO

In this video, I provide the best settings for shooting cinematic video with the GoPro Hero 8 Black action camera.
Thanks to presets on the new GoPro Hero 8 Black, you can now configure several different video modes and easily toggle between them depending upon the filming situation.
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CAMERA GEAR I USE:
- GoPro Hero 10 Black Camera: amzn.to/3hZjsvz
- GoPro Hero 9 Black Camera: amzn.to/35QlGbq
- GoPro Hero 8 Black Camera: amzn.to/2CQYI7r
- GoPro Hero 7 Black Camera: amzn.to/3jiY0ALr
- Sony a7 III Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera: amzn.to/398iCHc
- Sony ZV-1 Camera: amzn.to/3p97XUs
- Fujifilm X-T3 Mirrorless Camera: amzn.to/3k8MBmn
- Panasonic LUMIX G85: amzn.to/3lk7o9g
- Favorite Wireless Microphone System: amzn.to/3nQjMz2
- SanDisk 256GB Extreme MicroSDXC UHS-I Memory Card with Adapter: amzn.to/2Cu9dhc
MY FAVORITE GOPRO ACCESSORIES:
- Media Mod (Hero 9 and Hero 10): amzn.to/3qaBjEx
- Dual Battery Charger + Battery (Hero 9 and 10): amzn.to/3jmy5c6
- Dual Battery Charger + Battery (Hero 5,6,7,8 Black): amzn.to/3jcpBV6
- Protective Housing (Hero 9 and 10): amzn.to/3jlCgoG
- Protective Housing (Hero 8 Black): amzn.to/3xgwwla
- Shorty Mini Extension Tripod: amzn.to/34EYPhe
- Suction Cup Mount: amzn.to/2WSOei7
- USB Pass-Through Door (Hero 9 and 10): amzn.to/3nn5fLN
- USB-C to 3.5mm Mic Input: amzn.to/3ynOQu0
- Anker External Power Bank: amzn.to/3s3ODKh
- Anker USB-C Wall Charger: amzn.to/37fCnN9
HIKING GEAR WE USE:
- Black Diamond Trail Ergo Cork Trek Poles: amzn.to/2OCkA9r
- Osprey Poco Plus Child Carrier: amzn.to/32vU8Gy
- Salomon Men's X Ultra Mid 3 Aero Hiking Shoes: amzn.to/2Ch9u7p
- Salomon Women's X Ultra Mid 3 Aero Hiking Shoes: amzn.to/3ji2iIK
Not looking for any of this sweet gear right now, but still want to support my channel? If you use this link to start your Amazon search it will benefit my channel with a small commission from some of your purchases on Amazon: amzn.to/2WAgbbt Thank you for your support!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Please note that the GoPro Hero 8 Black is able to do 4K 60fps in Linear. This changed soon after I created this video. Otherwise everything is still the same. This video covers the 4K 60fps Linear update: kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6awdY1jrN6cncU

[@Warrior2044]

I like the background guitar music. It makes this video calm.

[@andrei.ungureanu]

Are you using it for your activity preset or still keep the wide for it? Thanks!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great question. I prefer linear for scenes where people are in the video so there isn’t the fisheye distortion. I like wide for landscapes and other scenes in the outdoors where fisheye doesn’t make it look weird.

[@andrei.ungureanu]

@@GreatDayForAHike Thank you for your reply and for the video. I am going to hike tomorrow and do a test with your presets, last time the white balance ruined my video (burned the video on the rocks exposed to the sun). I will use 4k60 and wide, is a very exposed route and I think it will look better than linear. Keep up the good work!

[@Warrior2044]

Great Day For A Hike I would only use Superview for stunt shots like if I’m riding a bike or on a surf board.

[@canadianloon6433]

This is the best video on how to use this camera hands down. Very informative and easy to follow. Thanks for making my day

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome and thank you for your feedback!

[@KrielJan]

Thanks a lot! Excited to try these settings with my gopro 8!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome. Happy GoProing!

[@Top_TraxProductions]

Tq. Really appreciate your tips and pointers therein the clip. Tqvm.

[@smilesalazarvlog6667]

Thank you so much for helping me customizing the different modes of my gorpo 🙏 hope to see more of your tutorials 🥰🥰

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome!

[@TTBokTV]

Thanks for the tips, planning to buy one.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome!

[@Aksaandasaf]

Thank you, you explained it so well!!!! Watched like 15 videos but none of them helped but yours so well explained

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome and I appreciate your feedback!

[@donsyaifultv9139]

Thanks for sharing.. it was really helpful.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome.

[@JohnAmes]

Thanks for the great video my friends

[@Always_learning444]

Thank you for this informative video!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome!

[@LifeInSaudiArabiaksa]

It's really help me a lot

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great!

[@agilnation]

Thank you. This has been a lifesaver.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome

[@Central_CoastRotors]

Nice job...! A lot of great information presented in an easily understood format for beginners. Thanks for posting...I just subbed.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome and thank you for your support!

[@canadianloon6433]

Great tutorial Thanks

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thank you for your feedback. You're welcome!

[@angelcharelynarevalo247]

Thank so much ur tutorial is vey helpful

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome and glad you found it helpful

[@kibariatraveladventures2881]

Thanks very much, subscribed

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thank you. We appreciate your support!

[@michaelfirth1075]

Great video. Thanks this is the best video on the go pro I’ve seen.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome.

[@oscarcanelo6262]

Terrific video! Really help me a bunch. Thank you again. Cheers!🇺🇸

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thank you and glad this was helpful!

[@YOUNGARSON]

Thank you

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome.

[@user-jx9vd1kr1p]

Thank you sir I will to setup in my new gopro8 just I buy today 😄

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great! I hope you enjoy your new GoPro!

[@richardowens9061]

Thank you for your excellent presentation of the various shooting modes for the GoPro! I just purchased a GoPro Hero 9 Black and I'm new to the GoPro line of cameras, so this tutorial was very helpful! While the Hero 9 Black is a little different than the Hero 8 Black, the settings are very similar. The Hero 9 Black adds Horizon Leveling, so I incorporated it in my settings, but otherwise I used the settings you recommended. It was also very helpful that you explained why you used the settings you did. I have yet to get into post processing, but I sense that I will likely need to do a good bit to get refined results with my footage. So, I was wondering, what post processing software do you use, and why?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome! I appreciate your feedback. I do have a video for the best settings I recommend for the 9 here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/fpiZi4Zrp75rsLc However, you are correct that most of the settings are the same. For video editing I use two different software options. Adobe Premiere Pro and DaVinci Resolve. Premiere Pro does have a subscription fee but Resolve has a free powerful version as well as a version that can be purchased for a one-time fee. Both have their pros and cons and I recommend checking these out to see which you like best. If you have a Mac I of course would recommend Final Cut.

[@gtamediaproductions1]

I just bought one. Now I have the 8 black and the 5 black. May sell my 5. Thanks for the info.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great! You’re welcome!

[@obenskisvlog2115]

Thanks for sharing. I have now my new gopro properly set up. New subs

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome and thank you for your support!

[@obenskisvlog2115]

@@GreatDayForAHike No worries thanks. For my vlogging, I would like to set up my GP the Activity for biking and Cinematic for concerts. I guess 4k would be good stll?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Yes, 4K is best. You get the highest quality footage from this camera and you can do more with that footage while editing. If you’re going to be doing any low light or night time footage at concerts I encourage you to check out this video I recently published that talks about low light best settings: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aIDVf4drmpJkq5Y

[@mrrandom2501]

Hi. Thanks for sharing. As I am new to using Gopro's I was wondering, what is the best settings for running in low light while talking into the camera. Thanks, for your help in advice.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

For that type of filming situation you’ll want to boost the maximum ISO to 800 or 1600. It’s good to keep in mind your footage may be a bit grainier due to this. If you’re moving while talking into the camera in low light the stabilization may get jittery so if you have some type of advanced external stabilizer you may want to use that as well. It will really depend on just how low of lighting we’re talking about.

[@FT099]

Thank You. I never thought of it like this. No matter what, you export in 24 fps. I'm gonna experiment with this. I always tried to export in as high of a framerate possible. Clearly, that's not what you are showing here to get good looking video. I like it!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome! We hope you find this helpful and that you have fun using this technique on your footage!

[@wcsdiaries]

@@GreatDayForAHike I just got mine today, and started filming and i found that my footage was hella grainy looking in broad daylight. Is this due to excessive sharpness? This was before I changed any settings from the factory settings.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Yes, that would most likely be the reason. Out of the box the GoPro is usually set to a default setting of high. I also recommend updating the firmware of you haven’t already as this can apply some fixes that will improve the quality of the footage.

[@babahatenchannel2881]

Very usefull😁😁...tq sir for sharing 😁

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome!

[@babahatenchannel2881]

@@GreatDayForAHike 😁😁

[@BMTVMeditationandSleep]

thanks for these settings, just bought a Gopro 8 black to record for our channel, so appreciate the tips. Have an awesome day :)

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome!

[@viktoremilov2783]

This video is very informative .Thank you Hiking Mama !

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You're welcome! We're glad you found it helpful.

[@GRequinBlanc]

i highly recommend that you try Neutral Density (ND) filters where you can really have fun in post-production.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

We do like ND filters. They definitely serve a purpose especially when in bright, outdoor sunlight. We've used ND filters on GoPro cameras and like them.

[@gfxtips3052]

Everything Okey but plz ad a preset for Night Mode

[@psaw]

I have a question - love the videos, it really helped me set up my 8. When I go to set up a project to edit the videos, do I choose 24 FPS or what do you recommend there?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Yes, for the finished product that you are editing I recommend 24fps. 24fps is the widely accepted cinematic standard and it is widely considered the most visually appealing. Depending on which software you are using this is a somewhat different process but usually pretty straightforward to set.

[@psaw]

Great Day For A Hike awesome, thank you!!

[@jasonoliver7974]

@@GreatDayForAHike Do a video on the editing options. For a basic editor , what do you recommend, which software for editing?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Certainly! Are you interested in a video specific to editing GoPro footage or video editing in general?

[@reinaldo1504]

what preset should i use for movologging ?

[@carbonusa]

Is san disc ultra (A1) sd card is enough for 4K 60fps and 100 bitrate or have to buy A2 , and how’s about editing in iMovie on mc book air ( 2018 ) is powerful enough ? Thanks 🤝👍

[@GreatDayForAHike]

GoPro has a great list of recommended microSD cards here: gopro.com/help/articles/block/microSD-Card-Considerations The MacBook Air may not be powerful enough to handle 4K 60fps at 100mbps bitrate. It would depend on the specific specs of the MacBook Air but 4K 60FPS is quite resource-intensive and the Air with default specs may not be capable enough. I expect the Air would handle 1080p and even some 2.7K combinations but the 4K may be too much.

[@Communitron]

Would your recommended settings for 4k also work for 1080 res? Until I get a better pc, I have to edit at the lower res...I use movavi editing. Thanks for the help!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great question! Yes, these settings will work at 1080p resolution as well. Enjoy!

[@Communitron]

Thank you!

[@epiphanyvideomarketing7541]

Great video. However, I copied all the settings you mentioned and the activity and cinematic don't film slower, only slow-motion does. Is there a reason for this? Thank you!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

This likely relates to how the footage would need to be handled in editing if it’s not coming out of the camera slower. I would need more specifics such as frames per second details of the finished product in relation to the original footage and if the raw footage was interpreted to a different frame rate in post production or not.

[@travelingwithgeorge1895]

thanks for the inpo done for watching done for the like done for the subscribe keep up the good work^_____^

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thank you for your support!

[@Collin2377]

Hello. On my gopro 8 when I press the hypersmooth icon, the video change to 4k at 30fps. When I change it to 4k 60fps, the hypersmooth turns off by itself. Am I doing something wrong ?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Yes, it sounds like you may not have the most recent firmware update installed on your GoPro. We have a video that explains how to do this using the manual method here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/jnmTYZikarysgLM

[@raymunhong2076]

What is the different between activity mode and cinematic mode?? I just came back from my diving trip, I tried both mode under water but seems cinematic mode make the video seems nice and neutral.. While activity mode, a little shaky...

[@GreatDayForAHike]

This is interesting. Technically speaking , both modes should be stable provided stabilization is turned on but the higher frame rate could give more of an appearance of shakiness if viewed in 60fps and not interpreted as 24fps.

[@realchosen11]

QUESTION: Firstly, thank you for these fantastic settings. My question is in regards to the MAX ISO in all the modes. Why only 400? I know that you mentioned the issue of the footage being grainy on a higher number of ISO but what if it's a very cloudy day or in any low light situation? Wouldn't the 400 MAX ISO ruin the results the same as it would do with night shooting or low light situations?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great question! Yes, I should have prefaced that with an IF. If you are shooting on a dark, cloudy day or early/late in the day without bright sun then ISO 800 may be needed. ISO 800 does introduce some grain and I don’t recommend going beyond 800 with the GoPro.

[@realchosen11]

@@GreatDayForAHike Thank you so much for your quick response. Now, what number iso would you go for nighttime shootings? I know that Gopro isn't really very good for night shooting, but if used at night or evening, would you go beyond 800?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Potentially. If the camera is being used in a stationary position. I do night lapses on mine for instance but even for those I still only go as high as ISO 800 and instead slow the shutter speed. I don’t recommend using GoPros for night time video unless the camera itself will be stationary. This is because of the size of the sensor on the camera and the limitations of this in low lighting.

[@realchosen11]

@@GreatDayForAHike Thank again. You helped me a lot.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome!

[@preacheron3wheels802]

Thanks for the video but I have a question on my go pro8 when I am during a video how do I pause or does GoPro has that feature becuz I always end up turning the camera off when I try to pause

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great question. I don’t believe you can pause recording. I do believe you have to stop the recording and then restart it when you’re ready to go again.

[@preacheron3wheels802]

@@GreatDayForAHike ok thanks I guess that’s GoPro way of pause I guess I have stop and restart. Also is there anyway that when I do a video how can get it to go KZbin because I do video for videos

[@GreatDayForAHike]

If you don’t want to edit the video or only want to lightly edit the video you can use the GoPro App to quickly upload a video.

[@wb1453]

What about settings for action, like sports? Did I miss something? Please advise. Thanks!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

It all depends on what you want your finished product to look like. Generally, most sports are shot in a higher frame rate. So you could use the 2.7K 120 frame rate and keep this at actual speed of you wanted faster movement and action to be shown in more frames.

[@PB-dl5xd]

4k linear IS now available in 60fps with the new 1.50 firmware update released on Nov 20th, check it out!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thank you for pointing this out! We'll get a note added to the video.

[@ashyy5810]

Hi, When I shoot my GoPro slowmo videos IAM unable to get it from PC or from my phone.. only I can see is from the GoPro screen. ? Why help with this ?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

If I am understanding correctly, this sounds like footage this was shot in either 60fps or 120fps and you want to make the speed slower. GoPro calls this footage “slow motion” with the icon on the screen of the camera but it isn’t actually slow motion until you use some type of editing software to make it slow motion. Something like Premiere Pro or GoPro’s free editing software should make this possible.

[@marksebastian9416]

Many questions again…When on cloudy or smoke filled days from wildfires is it worth staying 4K or down the quality to 2.7 or 1080.. Also what will help the pixelization when making videos? And last when you do Timelapse video what size card do you use for sunsets etc?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great questions. 4K is still best. If you’re having problems with pixelation check to make sure your bitrate on the GoPro is set to high. Then when exporting your video make sure those settings are correct as well. I recently published a video that outlines those best settings: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iX6pnZSrftmcqpI For time lapse videos if you’re doing a few hour sunset time lapse, technically a 32GB card is big enough. However, I recommend a 128GB card or bigger so that you have plenty of room for video footage on your adventure as well in case you’ll be filming additional footage before you can upload it or offload it to another device.

[@marksebastian9416]

Thanks for the response. I have it set at high so I’m not sure what else to do.. You only see it in the trees clouds or in the distance so basically in the background.. Your settings have made a great improvement in my videos… Thanks again..

[@GreatDayForAHike]

You’re welcome. Sounds like you’re all set with your settings.

[@mikaelamikeltv667]

Hi gud day.I have media mode installed in my GoPro 8 is it ok because I copied all the settings you mentioned.thanks

[@GreatDayForAHike]

The media mod will allow you to use an external microphone, light, and some other accessories. These settings in this video should work great whether you have a media mod installed or not.

[@mikaelamikeltv667]

@@GreatDayForAHike thanks a lot 😊

[@MuhammadNomanKhan]

why i cant open my recorded clip..only i can hear sound.. what should i do ??

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Are you unable to open on the camera or on a computer? Or both? If it works on camera but not on computer it is likely due to your computer not having the needed codec for reading HEVC H.265 video.

[@MuhammadNomanKhan]

@@GreatDayForAHike infact i have poor computer.. thanks

[@yptcivicfd9827]

Bos ✌✌👍👍😍

[@yptcivicfd9827]

Jemput masuk sy punye channel YUSLIZAM YUSOF TOLONG SUBSCRIBE YUSLIZAM YUSOF 🙏🙏 kzbin.info/door/1yrMfPvBUPTKmNIm0NLmoQ

[@brrelund4419]

Nice YT video with Great info🙂Do you have a video for settings for skiing and biking? And for timelapse and timewarp? And do you have a setting for a short skifilm and send it right on instagram

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thank you! For skiing and biking I do recommend using the wide angle or superview lens setting when possible. This tends to give the best results combined with Hypersmooth on. This video shows my recommend time lapse settings: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnSbnot9mJ2WiKM I do not have a video for time warp settings. As far as sharing direct to Instagram I recommend using the GoPro app on an iPhone or Android device. This offers a lot of sharing options and I believe includes Instagram.

[@brrelund4419]

Thank you. I shall try wide . What other settings do you recommend if i do the wide angel for skifilming?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

I recommend 4K 60 FPS with those settings if you want to slow the footage down at all. If you want the footage to be at normal speed I recommend 4K 24 FPS.

[@1209jayt]

what software do you use to edit? I can't play the HEVC

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Adobe Premiere Pro.

[@jasonoliver7974]

If i were to do a 1 hr hike in the mountains, whats the best way to capture the 1 hr hike with dogs in a 45 second video? is that using timelapse every 2 minutes?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

If you would like to make a time-lapse that is 45 seconds in length using 1 hour of footage then you would want to do the following. 1. Set the shooting interval on your GoPro to 3s. This will have your GoPro take 1 photo every 3 seconds. 2. After shooting for 1 hour you will have approximately 1,080 individual photos that make up this single time-lapse. 3. Make sure your finished product is interpreted at 24 frames per second. Note: If you are doing a moving time-lapse then you will want to consider using the hyper lapse feature on the GoPro. I have two videos that will give you a lot more detail on this subject: This video will show you the best settings that I recommend: kzbin.info/www/bejne/nnSbnot9mJ2WiKM This will show you the three main techniques for editing a time-lapse: kzbin.info/www/bejne/aXu0fWR6rNB4pNE

[@jasonoliver7974]

@@GreatDayForAHike Thanks

[@jasonoliver7974]

Can someone recommend the best editing options. I'm using the GO PRO software on Android but would like something for Windows 10 and or Android that works better. Thanks!

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Adobe Premiere Pro is my top recommendation for Windows 10. It is a paid app and does have a bit of a learning curve at first but it is very powerful. It’s great for simple videos where you don’t want to do a lot of touching up and is also great for videos where you want to do extensive editing. I am in the process of testing out some free and paid applications and will publish this video as soon as I am finished with my findings.

[@jasonoliver7974]

@@GreatDayForAHike I heard Go Pro has a free version people are using for basic editing with a purchase option

[@GreatDayForAHike]

The GoPro App is free: gopro.com/en/us/shop/softwareandapp However, GoPro does have a GoPro Plus option which includes an unlimited cloud backup feature. That is a paid feature. The GoPro App for editing is 100% free.

[@lavapix]

Cyberlink has an affordable easy to use software. Try a free trial.

[@LeahsLover]

Update: Current Gopro 8 can do Linear and 4K 60fps at the same time.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thanks, you are correct. kzbin.info/www/bejne/m6awdY1jrN6cncU

[@GreatDayForAHike]

I have now pinned a comment noting this. Thanks again!

[@paulswilley3737]

Will you please tell me what i am doing wrong. Fairly new to gopro world i shot a video with me driving today. I put it on suction cup mount where the camera was upside down and it taped it upside down. For some reason i thot it wouldnt do that. If this is an obvious stupid question. Please give me an answer anyway

[@GreatDayForAHike]

This is a great question and something I have had happen on GoPros of mine in the past. This forum on GoPro’s website is a good guide to fixing this: community.gopro.com/t5/en/How-to-Rotate-Flip-a-Video-in-GoPro-Studio/ta-p/388320

[@paulswilley3737]

I found the answer. I forgot that in order to keep it recording right sode up you have to pu it on orientation lock.

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Great!

[@melizabriones9847]

You have four presets on your gopro8...standard slow mo cinematic and activity..but why my gopro i onli have 3 standard,slow mo, and the activity..wheres the cinematic? Im just curious..

[@melizabriones9847]

I hve goPro8 also

[@GreatDayForAHike]

Thank you for your question. If you toggle down your list of presets you’ll see a plus sign in the center of the screen at the bottom (+). When you click that you can add more presets.

[@Warrior2044]

What is this background guitar music?

[@GreatDayForAHike]

I’m not certain which soundtrack I used at the time but I do know I used it from Epidemic Sound.

[@alessandronunesramosnune-wz7kq]

9:3 4k 240fps 😮

[@GreatDayForAHike]

No 4K 240 yet, but maybe on the Hero 12 which I expect is coming soon.

[@505calivibes5]

Sounds like psytrance in the beginning

[@S25117]

10:43 wow man u are mad

[@GreatDayForAHike]

120fps in slow motion is pretty amazing.