GoPro Max is currently the easiest 360 camera to use and has enormous potential. Its app is ideal for quickly producing high-quality video, and its video quality is among the best of any 360 camera currently available. The camera’s stabilization, front screen, and 360-degree recording make it virtually ideal for vlogging accessories. Hero mode offers two cameras in one, and the audio is surprisingly good.
With its dual-camera design, GoPro Max is one of the most adaptable cameras the company has ever released. Both operation and video editing software are simple. However, we would not suggest the Max over the Hero 8 if you are looking for a typical action camera with a normal 16:9 aspect ratio. This is because the actual video quality and resolution of the Max is not as good. Overall, GoPro has solved the drawbacks of the Fusion, resulting in an adaptable and fun 360-degree dual camera. In addition, the camera comes with a nice microfiber case that makes it comfortable to carry with you.
Also included in this package are additional lens covers made specifically for underwater photography. They attach quickly to the lenses and allow you to shoot simultaneously above and below the surface of the water. The Hero 8 and Max both have built-in removable frames on the underside of the cameras, so mounting the Max does not require additional GoPro frames or accessories. Using the standard screw, it can be quickly attached to any grip or mount in the GoPro line.
Design
The Max and the Hero 8 Black share a number of design elements, although the Max has two staggered lenses and the Hero 8 Black has different proportions. The Max’s two metal fingers, which extend from the base and hide neatly when not in use, work similarly to those of its more traditional stablemate to attach the device to mounts and accessories. The camera has a rugged feel thanks to its rubberized surface, similar to that of the Hero 8, and its rounded edges, which help prevent slipping.
The Max is larger than most conventional GoPro action cameras, measuring 64L x 69H x 25D (mm). It has roughly the same width and depth as the Hero 8, but is 20 mm taller. Although it is 66 g lighter, it weighs 154 g, which is a bit heavy. By pressing a physical button on the camera body, users can quickly choose between the Max’s three main shooting modes: video, photo, and time-lapse.
Then, by tapping an icon on the touchscreen, one can choose to shoot with both lenses in 360 or simply with one to produce standard movies. Although the touchscreen is a necessary tool for shooting traditional video and photos, when making 360-degree content, the view that both lenses collect at the same time is by far the most valuable. By connecting your phone to the Max via the GoPro app, which also allows you to control the camera remotely, you can enjoy this 360-degree live view.
Features
The operating interface of the Max is identical to that of the Hero 8 Black, as is the outward appearance of the Max. With the exception of the added 360-degree functions, both cameras operate with the same simple touches and swipes on the touchscreen, although the smaller display on the Max makes navigation a bit more difficult. The fact that both cameras respond politely to voice commands is a great convenience, especially if you don’t have a free hand or are wearing gloves.
While using the camera is straightforward, more practice is needed to figure out how to use the Max’s main ability to produce 360-degree video. Viewing the 360-degree app is essential to help initial viewing of footage. Once understood, use of the touchscreen view helps visualize the footage.
The app’s ability to view and edit content, which can be downloaded in full 360-degree form on the phone, is another of its key features. From here, you can use the in-app software to edit raw 360-degree footage into traditional photos and videos or to create kaleidoscopic sequences and videos with varying viewpoints. The robust functionality of the app is truly outstanding, pleasant to use, and superior to anything else on the market right now.
Image Quality
The Max primarily offers 360-degree images in 5.6K or 3K and 2D recordings with resolutions of 1440p or 1080p, while the Hero 8 Black offers a variety of shooting speeds, resolutions, and digital lenses for capturing footage. Spherical videos must be captured at 24, 30 or 60 frames per second (3K only), but you can also do so from a more conventional 2D perspective (which GoPro calls Hero Mode). In either mode, you can change the slow motion to half speed if you choose the higher frame rate.
The 360-degree photo has a resolution of 16.6MP for those interested in stills or time-lapse photography, compared to the 5.5MP of Hero mode images. There is not much rivalry for spherical mounts, but for flat photography The Max can do almost everything, but it is not the best for 2D mounts. Even older single-lens action cameras cannot match the quality of the forward-facing 2D Hero video mode, which at its best resumes in 4:3 at 1920 x 1440 pixels.
This is because the fish-eye image must be digitally transformed into a flat image. The GoPro Max, on the other hand, is a fantastic option if what you’re looking for is 360-degree media or if you’re a hobbyist willing to accept Full HD resolution in exchange for the ability to film everything around you and change the composition of the shot later.
Video Quality
The GoPro Max was designed primarily as a camera; whether you use it for action photos or vlogs, that is how you will use it 90% of the time. Thank goodness GoPro went to great lengths to create the Max, a superior camera with a wide range of possibilities. Some functions have been lost from the previous Fusion camera, but overall they have been improved. The Max’s 360 mode is widely used because it is a 360 camera.
This mode uses the Max’s two lenses to capture 360-degree video, which can then be reformatted to produce incredibly smooth, cinematic images. In addition, you can easily share the 360-degree footage on Facebook and YouTube and view it with a VR headset for an immersive experience. Since we used the camera, it should be noted that the Max is designed primarily to facilitate the re-framing process. The GoPro Max has two f/2.2 lenses and a video resolution of 5.6K.
In 360 mode, the frame rate is limited to 30 fps and the shutter speed cannot be changed. Although we would have preferred more manual options, even in automatic mode the Max creates the best 360-degree shots we have ever seen. Movies are more realistic than its rivals and are sharp, vivid and vibrant. The camera performs well in low-light situations and has no overexposure or excessive noise in the dark. The Max’s video processing chip was created by GoPro and its lenses are probably superior.
Performance
The Max is powered by the same GP1 chip used in GoPro cameras starting with the Hero 6 line, and despite problems encountered in the past, it seems to be producing results here without too many problems. Early in the testing phase, the camera occasionally crashed, but these hiccups seem to have disappeared as more people use it and as the company releases software updates. When using the Max’s 1.7-inch LCD display, it is possible to run into occasional user interface bugs or touch input problems. While not ideal, this is more or less standard practice for GoPro’s UX.
Battery Life
The Max comes with a 1600 mAh battery; as you may have noticed, this battery is larger than the 1220 mAh battery in the Hero 8 Black, making the Max incompatible with earlier GoPro cameras. It also requires a different quick charger than the one that works with the 1220 mAh cell used by newer Hero cameras, which can be inconvenient if you are already part of the large GoPro ecosystem. If you do not intend to charge the camera while inside the Max, you will need a separate quick charger.
It probably won’t be the only camera you use to shoot 360-degree content, depending on your intended use. In that case, you will need to have at least one spare battery on hand at all times, because a single cell cannot handle a day of shooting. Instead of spending an extra 30 euros for a second Max cell, we left the battery door open and connected the camera to a power bank when we weren’t shooting to keep the battery charged.
Price
The Max, which debuted alongside the Hero 8 Black, costs £479.99/$499.99, or £100/$100 more than the 8 Black. It thus has the distinction of being the company’s most expensive camera at the time of writing. When it came out, the Fusion was extremely expensive ($599), but the Max immediately beats it in every respect.
Conclusion
It goes without saying that the GoPro Max is a really powerful piece of equipment that allows you to be exceptionally creative with photographs and videos. Overall, it outperforms other 360-degree cameras, although the Ryle 360 and Insta360 One X are both much less expensive and have distinctive features of their own. The Max underwent rigorous testing, including being subjected to the force of 2-meter sea waves in the middle of the British winter, and proved to be just as robust as its stablemate Heroic.
