GoPro’s new more affordable camera comes in time for snow season

ADVENTURE camera maker GoPro has a new device it hopes will entice first-time users — and it’s half the price.

ADVENTURE sport company GoPro has a new addition to its camera range that aims to capture the lower end of the market.

The more affordable offering — which launched last week — is a simplified, streamlined model of the company’s classic camera simply called the Hero.

It looks very similar to previous generations of GoPro cameras like the Hero5 and Hero6 Black but costs about half the price at just $299.

It comes in the same durable rubber-like casing making it the perfect GoPro for kids, adventurers and travellers, the company said.

The small camera boasts a familiar 2-inch touch display and is waterproof up to 10 metres.

With the more affordable option, GoPro hopes it can entice people who normally wouldn’t splurge on such a device.

“Hero is a great first GoPro for people looking to share experiences beyond what a phone can capture,” Meghan Laffey, GoPro’s VP of Product said when announcing the release. “Hero makes it easy to share ‘wow’ moments at a price that’s perfect for first-time users.”

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The Hero retails in Australia for $299.

GoPro recently released its Hero6 camera which retails at $599 in Australia as well as its unique 360 degree Fusion camera for $999 — which is still ironing out some kinks.

The latest affordable addition is compatible with the GoPro app, available on iOS and Android. And it will also auto-edit videos via GoPro’s QuikStory app for those concerned about being able to quickly upload crisp-looking video to social media.

So what do you lose with the cheaper price?

Well the budget version of the Hero range can’t shoot video in 4K. However it can shoot beyond 1080p to 1440p, and at up to 60 frames per second so for anyone short of a professional filmmaker, that capability will probably suffice. The camera also shoots stills at 10 megapixels, compared to the 12 megapixel resolution of the Hero6.

It does come with voice command though so you can tell the camera to do things like stop filming, take a photo or turn itself off.

We haven’t gotten our hands on one yet but the Hero doesn’t appear to use the powerful GP1 processor found in the Hero6 which could mean the video stabilisation isn’t quite as impressive as the more expensive model.

As GoPro struggles to fend off rivals in the increasingly competitive market for adventure sport cameras which it has become synonymous with, the cheaper offering could carve out a new customer base for the GoPro.

And for us Aussies, it comes a couple month out from the snow season.