Ultimate GoPro Hero 8 Guide // Best Settings and Comparisons

Let's put this camera through its paces, test it against the Hero 7 Black, figure out what works best and get it 100% dialled in. I may be using mountain biking as an example here, but these findings cross over very well to other sports. To support the channel and receive some sweet perks, check out: bit.ly/patreonp...
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[@Roaming50]

Hypersmooth 2.0 on the chest in wide is super impressive. This is the first time I would really say it is a gimbal replacement.

[@markart157]

yes it is amazing

[@braapptorrr4630]

What about hypersmooth 1?

[@chuawee]

Woah. That was the hero 8 audio? That wind was crazy but I could still hear you loud and clear.

[@ninoiFX]

nice audio i noticed too compared to 7

[@FlatlandFlow]

Me: I got a new GoPro. Friend: do you know how to use it? Me: No but the loam ranger does!

[@Masho7]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5rCnn94hNZsfJY

[@unclekow9172]

Year later: just purchased hero 8 black super excited. Your videos will definitely help out! Thanks!

[@eaglescout7165]

Oh my gosh. Flat color actually looks real. I go mountain biking this weekend, so this really helps. Thanks for the tips!

[@Masho7]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/Z5rCnn94hNZsfJY

[@shifty277]

Love the thoroughness of your testing, you and dc rainmaker are so thorough I love the effort on show when I watch these types of videos. Subbed and thumbs up, watching from London during covid19 times!

[@ravesd1401]

GoPro 8 Flat color Wide view Hyper smooth 2.0 high No gimbal

[@davidgriffith3983]

mindblown.

[@sideshowjunkie]

You use flat color when you’re going to edit the color later right ? I use my iPhone to edit so should I have the go pro color on ?

[@doubletrackdodger2512]

@@sideshowjunkie I’ve found that it really depends on the lighting of the Terrain, I would do the same trail, the same day, one after the other, with the different settings, and pick which one looks better. I’ve done videos with GoPro color, and flat color, but color corrected both either way... but I do lol big colors, maybe a little too much

[@JordanBoostmaster]

it's surprising how bad the 'gopro color' mode looks, I don't know if Gopro knows what they are doing when trying to create nice images, lol. The hero 7 was also a bit more saturated on flat mode I found compared to the 6 as well even.

[@ShutUpandRideMTB]

I actually need to bookmark this as a reference. Well done Ryan, cheers!

[@spydergs07]

I just picked up a Hero 8 yesterday and I am actually really impressed with it so far. Awesome video.

[@TheLoamRanger]

Ya it's not bad at all! It's amazing how far things have come in the last few years.

[@IndianPolish]

My god! Your colour grading at the start was spectacular buddy! 😯

[@matthewleppan1020]

Super helpful! Happy to say I have finall been able to upgrade from my 5 Black to the new 8 Black! Stoked to try it out on the XC bike!

[@tomasstuart9426]

Matthew leppan how did it go?

[@jeremycorkran8981]

My vote is flat and no gimbal. I prefer the camera to lean and move with the rider, and that stabilization is damn good. I'm sold on the 8 Black.

[@bkxc]

Solid info!

[@mrnobody9821]

BKXC Are you going to get one Brian? I can’t make my mind up :(

[@01968752]

Love your videos. Just got my Hero 8. Look forward to doing some motovlogging soon. I appreciate all the comparisons!

[@hizzity]

I agree with you on the hero 8 with single access gimbal. Now might be the time for me to get in the game and start making my own video's

[@TheLoamRanger]

Now’s the time!

[@newbiemtb6741]

Great comparison! I really like the GP 8 without the gimbal. To me, it felt a little more natural. Just my $.02 (probably worth less).

[@TrailPOV]

Still a huge fan of superview....just gives you a better idea of what's around and the scenery. GoPro color is not enjoyable to watch. Not sure if you need the single axis gimbal....it helped the tight corners a little bit but wouldn't say the added weight and hassle dramatically improved the video. Happy trails!

[@lanGPr]

Love the Quark + Hero 8, looks like the best combo ever!

[@nicholasbischofjr]

I think the addition of a wind jammer(wind sock) for the hero 8 and it would be all good 👍🏼

[@TheLoamRanger]

It made a huge difference!

[@thevinniebagadonuts9370]

Awesome review. I just got my Hero 8 on Tuesday and have been testing it out as well. I am really impressed with the Hypersmooth 2.0 Boost although I exclusively use superwide for my chest and chin mount setups, but after seeing your results I may have to give it a go. I love how it removes almost all of the body roll. The video quality is exponentially better than the 7 and the sound is great if you cover the mics ports with mini-deadcats. I've tried a few frame mounted shots in Wide w/ Boost on and they look amazing. I don't think this will replace my 7 on the chest mounted Karma Grip shots but the 8 on the full face chin mount looks great and will most likely be my go to setup. I just released a video on my channel with a comparison test but no where as in depth as yours. Keep up the great work brother, the entire MTB YT community owes you some gratitude. 🤘🔥👊

[@lllpr0phetlll]

amazon used to get the 8 early???

[@thevinniebagadonuts9370]

@@WeekendWarriors87 Unfortunately the new Hero8 is slightly thinner and has a larger lens than the Hero 5, 6, and 7 so the foam and fuzzy wind socks that I have used before don't fit the new 8. I'm sure they will make a new one but I'm not sure if anyone makes them yet. The mini deadcats work really well, my audio seems a lot better than Ryan's but I usually use both to maximize the effect.

[@thevinniebagadonuts9370]

@@lllpr0phetlll I'm not sure about Amazon but I preordered through GoPro and got mine the first day they were shipped on Tuesday. Unfortunately GoPro sent no confirmation email of the order or a tracking number and it just randomly showed up. I only knew about the shipment because my new place uses Amazon Prime Hub and I got an email when it was delivered. I wasn't the only one who was frustrated with the whole situation because after reading the Facebook comments on their page I knew it was a bit of a shitshow currently at GoPro.

[@thevinniebagadonuts9370]

@@WeekendWarriors87 That's what I use as well. They aren't cheap for sure but they do a good job. Unfortunately I used my last ones for the 8 and need to order some more.

[@Jeff-bf6mt]

I am getting a gopro soon so I can make videos for my KZbin channel. I watched your gopro videos right now I am just using my phone and one of my videos got 1k views. Thank you for teaching me about gopros.

[@TheLoamRanger]

Nice! Keep up the good work 👌🏼

[@jacobteeny1675]

Yes Yes Yes, buying one of these soon and was going to ask you to do another settings video. You the GOAT!

[@timothycheung1798]

Ur really putting hypersmooth 2.0 to test, very helpful video!!!

[@TheLoamRanger]

Thanks Timothy!

[@jeewoochung5971]

You should visit Ledgeview the next time you visit the lower mainlands! I live close to the mountain and it's a great trail system full of great trails. It is located in Abbotsford, BC. It's actually Jordan Boostmaster's local trail!

[@TheLoamRanger]

That’s what I’ve heard!

[@DAlexKablack]

I've only just now realized while watching your video and switching between resolutions that youtube will play in a higher bitrate at 4k and 1440p than 1080p...and since my computer is like 50 years old and can only handle 1080p, all I need to do is upscale my 1080p footage to 1440p or 4k when I upload and those resolutions will display 1080p footage that's a ton clearer, especially while moving through fast trails. thanks bro

[@ThugLifeModafocah]

I couldn't catch the flat vs gopro 8. One video like that one with the Hero4 would be very cool, where you show the before and after the flat being treated and the comparison of both (flat before, flat after) with the original 8 auto color.

[@Idoy10]

hey I've watched few of your videos and they are really helpful, thank you! i'm still having trouble understanding why you choose only 24 fps and not higher were you could do more slow motion edits and stuff like that. In other words, when do you think it's a good idea to go with higher fps? and what are the downsides of that, i thought that in "fast" activities like MTBing you should choose a higher frame rate. thanks again !

[@DanmarLOK]

Amateur here but it's something I've been looking at and testing the last few days. If you look at the file size estimates from GoPro for each setting/resolution a pattern emerges. It's roughly the same recording time per gigabyte for 4K/24FPS and 4k/60FPS with the same data settings. Which means in theory (and visually in practice) that the 60FPS has less data per frame than the 24FPS settings do. So you end up with higher quality per frame imagery by shooting at a lower frame rate. In my own personal testing this seems to hold true. The quality, perceived resolution and overall look of the final product is higher in visual quality with the lower FPS. I think the best option is to pick a higher frame only if you're planning on slowing down the footage later. Otherwise going with 24 or 30 seems to get the most quality per frame. It also, with limited testing in running with the camera, visually seems to have better stabilization with lower FPS than with higher FPS for me. Again it's subjective testing since I don't have two GP8's to test side by side on each run nor a way to quantify it other than by visual eyeballing it.

[@C5drummer]

GREAT vid...You DEFINITELY tell the truth and not just drool over this new product. You can really get the sense of your honesty in your review and its MUCH appreciated! One can definitely see the differences between the two cameras, but my eyes have a hard time adjusting to a slower frame rate on a fast-flowing movement (Yes, the motion blur is better to show speed, but it just looks odd..very hard to describe...maybe I'm a clarity snob?). Not just this video, but others as well. Also, better Gorilla Glass or not, for true action sports, having the lens exposed like that concerns me since its not easily replaceable (short of giving GoPro Service $5.00 a month) like the Hero 7. It just seems to me that, for the most part INTERNALLY, a software upgrade to the GoPro Hero 7 is what the Hero 8 really is, with just a little tweaking to the camera body and mounting area. Guess I'll just have to keep using my Sony FDR-X3000 and Hero 7 for now. Oddly, I use my early 2016 Sony FDR-X3000 (with its own exposed lens!) most often. The file sizes are larger, but the files are easier to work with, and that 4K still looks amazing to me, even for such an older action cam.

[@maxhall6346]

I was born in canmore! This is dope

[@jbdbsb]

Thanks for the tips, i'm lovin my new 8. Upgraded from an old Hero-2!

[@stlc3415]

Great comparison we have the hero 7 black and love it. The hero 8 seems to up the clarity but not sure it is a must upgrade if you have the 7 black. Keep up the great content 👍

[@skylertvth]

I have both and the 8 is marginally better. My 7 stopped charging batteries internally and would lock up frequently so for me, an upgrade was worth it.

[@siklistangguafo1715]

Im so excited to use my gopro hero8 in the rocky mountain

[@mtbboy1993]

I see it still goes bit too dark, in and out bright and then too dark and so on, but that could be fixed, my session 4 is much worse, in addition to crazy colours. so I try to solve that as good as I can in Resolve. 4:50 dark, and then even darker 4:51 out of darkness 4:54 but not too bad, can be fixed in post, but that one was extreme, 5:16 to me it seems like the Go pro colour creates crazy over saturated colours. I absolutely agree with you on GOpro Colour.

[@coolcycles]

All the 8 stuff looks much too yellowish and a bit oversaturated, where the 7's comes out neutral. Got to have a look at some other GoPro 8 videos to check it...

[@stevewelsh__]

Cool Cycles I’ve noticed the same thing. Skin tones are so harsh that people look like cheese. The blue tones in the sky aren’t consistent either, they go from royal blue to almost a fluorescent aqua... and the flat colour profile isn’t much better by the looks of it.

[@MTBMOR]

Bars and trail....that is the key and the 1st challenge...

[@retroonhisbikes]

Can’t wait For your take on the GoPro max. The hero 8 looks good, really good

[@jbalatutube]

Just an observation there are so many cool 4K videos but when you are zooming through the trees youtube does a crap job of keeping the pixelation down. Anything you can do about that ?

[@ActionXander]

I've found you need higher bit rate when you render/export (e.g. 100mbs bit rate on export). The file sizes can get rather extreme but when you upload them to KZbin the quality is still rather high. You're fighting the KZbin compression when you upload vids. Hope this helps!

[@skoto8219]

There are things you can do to mitigate it but ultimately there’s just no way to shrink a ~20 gig uncompressed video down to a more streamable ~1 gig video without losing a ton of information.

[@AbaddonDeath]

Just got my first GoPro (8 Black) last week, and your videos have helped me a lot. Still trying to get the color grading down packed though. I’m good at editing photos, but I haven’t gotten used to davinci resolve yet.

[@Monscent]

Insane stability... Thing is. Gimbals are completely fine for biking, motorbikes etc.. but try to run with a freaking gimbal. Finally there exists a gopro that I can actually use!

[@TheLoamRanger]

That's a great point!

[@kyleslater5245]

That 8 is amazing as a follow cam. Not a exceptionally better in the other areas though.

[@bwxmoto]

Are you using studio RGB or computer RGB? Looks like when you were using Gopro color, the editor was set to computer RGB and then KZbin is the one that crushes blacks after uploading. That's what it does to me anyways. Try studio RGB and upload a test clip to youtube to see if you see a difference.

[@gypsyco5975]

I bought my noir matter and had the same problem, that thing needs some beefy foundation otherwise it's pretty useless. Thanks for the content 👍🏼

[@TheLoamRanger]

Definitely give the Camelbak chest mount a try. Rock solid

[@NelsonsWings]

Nice! When I was your age I lived for Mountain biking. Now I'm 63 and addicted to paragliding. Upgraded my Hero 5 to Hero 8. For PG, wind noise is a huge challenge. With the H5 I'm using a Supersuit and a Rode dead kitten, but it's not good. Hoping to ditch the supersuit. What wind sock do you use? I'll probably shoot in raw, the GP color is just too saturated and I cant deal with the crushed blacks. BTW my son in law loves your channel.

[@nmorton100]

Noticed lots of pixeling mid frame after around 4:50. Just ahead of the handlebars/headstock. Watching on 7plus.

[@nambrosino]

Nice review of hypersmooth 2.0 for bikers, thanks!

[@derekflee3317]

There is so much trails in Spokane Valley

[@ShotShapeFitness]

The new features are nice, but I don’t think I’ll be upgrading from my 7 just yet. I can’t get my 7 to record anything over 8:59 yet anyway. Still have to do some tinkering

[@maxchan30]

Super helpful review Loam Ranger! For me I didn’t see enough difference from 7 to the 8 to justify the ~$100 diff. Keep in mind I’m coming from a 5.

[@m.philip]

Best action camera ever. Love it when I upgraded from Hero 5

[@sergenancy]

Great video thx. About the hero 8, are you still using manual white balance for editing? It looks like the hero 8 white balance is vastly improved. thanks.

[@braullotolentino27]

Time to copy your settings again Mate! Thanks heaps

[@thetrailawaits2353]

Great video and thanks for doing these tests. Do you you still find the Camelbak chest mount does a good job? Anybody else in the comments use one?

[@TheLoamRanger]

You're welcome! Yup, the Camelbak is the most stable, for sure. If you're just running the 7/8 without the single axis gimbal, you could probably get away with a normal chest mount though.

[@thetrailawaits2353]

@@TheLoamRanger Awesome, I'll be getting one for sure. There aren't really any decent reviews of that product online so thanks for the feedback. Cheers!

[@Idoy10]

So do you always recommend turning off the wind reduction on the gopro settings? wasn't sure i got that right.

[@connergunnoe5576]

I noticed something in this video compared to your last video. In Your first video there was barely any if any wind noise on the hero 8 black audio. This time around it seemed like there was quite a bit of wind noise. Was this a weather thing or am I missing something? 😬 great videos!

[@scotty-sb1403]

Does the 8 need to be mounted upside down on the chest mount? If so does it need adjusted in the settings so the pick isn’t upside down? Thanks

[@BikepackingJourney]

Go pro chesty or camelbak. I need something for mtb and bikepacking trips

[@stevengarcia6901]

What settings do you recommend if your just sharing from app to Instagram? Do I use pro tune? Not?.. ??

[@harzenduro]

How does the Noir Matter work on tight turns? I have a 3-axis gimbal and it gets kinda lost and then swoops back in place. Looks weird. You can see it in this video at 2:54 kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2fJi5-FZ6-Ufrs

[@daromirfirunsson]

Did you try the horizon leveling on the 8? That could be another nice comparison.

[@DirtBikesAustraliaa]

awesome vid dude 👌 I hate the crop in boost mode I reckon it’s to close for on cam prefer it for 3rd person

[@GravityEscapades]

What wind shield were you using with the 8?

[@nmorton100]

Great info by the way. Many thanks.

[@TheLoamRanger]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching

[@AdventureTravelandScuba]

Im not sure if i overheard you said that you are in Canmore is that Canmore Ab, if so where did you find that trail? and if Adventure motorcycle would be allowed in there?

[@CCCC-cb2ty]

If I don’t have a 4K television, should I stick with 1080p? Also, at 1080p, does the quality improve at a higher or lower FPS? I have been riding at 1080p/60. I want the hyper smooth 2.0, so hoping for some advice. (I will be switching to flat on my next ride).

[@michaelmarino9249]

I’m new to all this type of stuff, but I want to get a camera that I can use to record camping, hikes, and maybe some snorkeling in the future. So I’m curious, does the image get super pixelated at points because of the quality of the camera, or the high speeds you are going while using it? Like if I was using it for slower things, like hiking, would the image be more consistently good?

[@joshuadtaft]

Maybe it's the youtube compression, but I thought I was seeing some weird artifacts around the edges on the hypersmooth boost

[@daromirfirunsson]

I think it's the motion blur. It follows the motion, not the stabilization and the light wasn't that good in this scene. So it's just easier to notice, that there are some details wobbling around.

[@joshuadtaft]

@@daromirfirunsson That would make sense as he usually shoots at 24p

[@jason9336]

Which camera do you prefer to use with superview? keeping in mind stabilization

[@darrelltemple1565]

Nice! I’m sold on the 8. What chest rig is that??

[@lllpr0phetlll]

@ 7:56 w/ the drop test...I noticed that the Hero 8 didnt like the sudden impact and "bobed" more on landing...

[@davidgriffith3983]

Jeez, that hypersmooth 2.0 is LEGIT

[@TheLoamRanger]

Agreed!

[@e-zyduzit800]

nice one bro is it worth recording in 60fps 4k? on gorpro 8? to record mtb ?

[@mannyfnsc29]

So you can't do high or boost in superview? Btw, I think the hero 8 hypersmooth definitely does a much better job with roll axis than the 7. That's a win imo. Thanks for the video!

[@soul2310]

sorry to ask. cant find any info in the description (maybe im just blind) what kinda chest mount is that, im using the standart gopro one -slightly more foam on it- thank you

[@allthingstwowheeled]

Thank for another great video. To me the 7 footage looks "faster." Maybe more motion blur? Would an nd filter help bring some of that blur back or just mess with the hypersmooth? The 8 is looking pretty good though.

[@viciouscyclemtb4894]

I’d love to see a Hero 7 on a 3 axis gimbal vs Hero 8 with no gimbal. On some gnarly tech. That would show me if the 8 can replace both my 7 and gimbal. Thanks! Love the videos.

[@thevinniebagadonuts9370]

I have tested it in superview mode on the Stuntman chest mount and the gimbal is still better. I haven't tried it in wide mode w/ Hypersmooth 2.0 Boost since I prefer superwide mode but from Ryan's footage it looks pretty good. If you have a full face helmet with a chin mount, that will replace the chest mounted gimbal in my opinion since the footage comes out great with that setup.

[@viciouscyclemtb4894]

@@thevinniebagadonuts9370 Was the stuntman one with the 8 and HS 2.0? I'd like to know that vs the 7 on Gimbal.

[@thevinniebagadonuts9370]

I have tested the Hero 8 on the Stuntman chest mount and it's not as good as the Hero 7 w/ the Karma Grip on the chest. The chin mount for the 8 is the best way to go in my opinion. I haven't tried the 8 on HS Boost on the chest mount since you only have the Wide option and not Superview. Wide mode crops too much out for POV shots for my liking, but the stabilization is as close to a gimbal as it gets. I've used the 8 on Boost on bike mounted shot with the roll cage mount and the handlebar mount in various places on my bike and they look amazing and a ton better than what the 7 can do for the same shot.

[@MTBTrailRider]

Need some guidance.. Do you feel the improvements to the hero 8 is worth losing the ability to switch out batteries??? I'm struggling with this idea.... If I'm out riding, once the camera dies, that's it. No more filming. I always carry extra batteries but not anymore... I guess I could throw a travel battery bank in my pack and run a cable to it.. haha thoughts? This is a feature I havent heard anyone mention yet.

[@thetrailawaits2353]

Hey mate. With the Hero 8 Black you can swap out batteries.

[@rsanjuan31]

@theloamranger When you had the 8 in the gimbal, did you have hyper smooth (or HS2.0) turned on too?

[@TheLoamRanger]

Yup, Hypersmooth 2.0 was on.

[@Sorgenfrei6250]

Nice video!

[@SchalkSmit09]

Great video

[@jvm708]

Dope sunglasses. Who makes them?

[@j.s.1967]

Make a vide what settings you use for gopro 8

[@lgphone5286]

No gps review? G force meters, sticker add ons what ever they are called. Would love to see the accuracy between those 2.

[@DIRTLINEWILD]

Thank you saving this video

[@brappinboys9548]

If you had to pick one to buy hero 7 black or hero 8 black?

[@KostasC]

Awesome man, thanks! What are those shades you’re wearing btw? They look fly!

[@MikesMTBAdventures]

Hey bud, can you tell me you render setting when exporting from resolve. What figure are you inputting please. I cant work it out. Thankyou Mike

[@reidboom2534]

i just made a huge upgrade from a gopro hero plus to the gopro hero 8

[@osherbenson]

as a guy who doesn't know much about cameras and all their settings i have no idea what the "Shutter" setting does and whats the best setting for mountain biking so if someones knows and can explain that could be nice :)

[@hgabi00]

Pleeease also test a HERO Max. It has an even wider single lens "hero" mode and the stabiliziation should be even beter.

[@MikesMTBAdventures]

does the windsock fit the gopro 8 well?

[@hael8680]

I bought the 8 from your link below 😉

[@Peylix]

Could you do a low light comparison?

[@thinkdrinks384]

Out of curiosity what make and model are those glasses that you're sporting?

[@jeffdelosreyes2134]

What chesty strap are you using??

[@jimgam730]

What's the best gimbal mount for the hero ?

[@mtbtracks]

thank u for the work!

[@TheLoamRanger]

You’re welcome!

[@lerksworld1651]

Is the tech to mount it upside down on the chesty?

[@TheLoamRanger]

That helps get the right angle, ya. It also positions the mics better for talking audio.

[@auwoody98au]

Do you change the shutter settings at all?

[@MrDirrrty]

Do you ever use ND filters?