I picked up the GoPro HERO9, and here’s my review after a few runs.

In order to kick my YouTube video quality up a notch (have you subscribed yet?), I picked up a new camera; here’s my GoPro HERO9 review. I plan on using this to capture video before, during and after my runs, and here’s my review:

Why I got the GoPro HERO9

In my previous videos, I was using my iPhone to capture footage during the run. While the iPhone is an incredible camera with many different uses, I found I was spending a lot of time setting things up; connecting the phone to the tripod, opening the camera, switching to video and repeating the process for every shot. This is no big deal when I’m just casually running, but now that I’m training for a 5K, I don’t want to spend half of my run standing around setting up shots.

The phone camera setup also means I had to run with a backpack, which is kind of bulky, especially on hotter runs.

And finally, I just don’t want to run with my phone. It’s bulky, oddly shaped and running is an escape from the stresses that my cellular device delivers.

Pros

Here are the pros I found running with the HERO9.

• Lightweight – As I mentioned earlier, I don’t want to run with a bulky phone. Thankfully, the GoPro is pretty lightweight and easy to carry in my hand on a run. The cube-ish shape is perfect for holding
• Fits in a tripod – I was able to get an attachment that connects the GoPro to my original tripod, which works perfectly for my shots. In fact, adding the tripod actually made it easier to carry during a run in my hand.
• Most importantly, the footage looks fantastic. Even when running, the image stabilization worked brilliantly and the footage was crisp. I haven’t played with all the settings yet, but I am excited to try all the different options, such as timelapse, slow-motion and 5K. My TV isn’t even 5K!

Cons

Here are the cons I found with the HERO9

• Price – At $500 retail, this is a PRICEY piece of equipment. Thankfully, GoPro is offering a ton of deals to bring down the price. I ended up paying $350, which included an extra battery and a 64GB memory card. I actually put the camera in my cart and left it for a day or so, and the deal magically got better. Part of that deal includes signing up for GoPro’s subscription service for a year, but I will probably cancel before it renews.
• Lock screen shenanigans – On my first run, I did not have the lock screen on, and I ended up accidentally mashing the touch screen with my palm, messing up my settings. I lost some footage because I ended up taking a photo or recording in timelapse instead of normal video. There is a screen lock setting, but I found it difficult to actually unlock on the run. Yes, that’s probably the point, but it isn’t super convenient if you are looking to use multiple settings on one run. I’d love to see a physical toggle switch like the iPhone’s ringer toggle.
• Micro SD – I am not a huge fan of the Micro SD memory card. I understand this is probably a space-saving measure, as a normal-sized SD card would take up more space and weight, but I truly expect to lose the tiny Micro SD card at some point. Or an ant to carry it off one day.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I loved the GoPro HERO9 for this review. The footage is awesome, it’s easy to take with me on a run and it’s super convenient. If you have the budget, I would recommend the HERO9. Don’t forget to check out the FBRC YouTube channel!

Have any questions? Drop a comment!