ACCESSORIES
Can GoPro’s Hero 11 Black Mini prove small is indeed beautiful? Geoff Harris finds out
● £299 ● gopro.com
The GoPro range of action/dash cams is well established and widely emulated, and the Hero 11 Black Mini is the latest in the company’s range of more affordable ‘mini’ iterations. From the get go, it’s very easy to set up. Although my review unit didn’t have the fittings to fix to my motorbike, the base plate sticks well to a helmet via the Scotchlite pad. Operation couldn’t be simpler; once the Micro SD card is in place and the battery charged, you press a big button on top to start recording.
The quality of footage is impressive. In use, HyperSmooth 5 stabilisation makes a big difference to the quality of the video recording, especially when barrelling along the UK’s bumpy road surfaces, and it’s automatically applied for optimum results. On a particularly rocky ride you can set it to High or Boost, but the latter brings a slight crop.
The video quality and stabilisation also hold up well when recording 4K at 120fps. You can also pull 24.7MP stills from the video, though there is no dedicated Photo Mode as with the Hero 11 Black Mini’s bigger siblings, and you can’t shoot raw. It is possible to record star trails, however, and even go in for some light painting if you feel the urge.
The main downsides are the lack of a rear LCD, though there is a rather titchy top screen to check settings, and a built-in (rather than removable) battery. It lasts up to three hours, which isn’t particularly generous, but charges quickly via USB.
While generally well-thought-out, the desig
