- GoPro sends a teaser full of cinematic clips shot on its next camera
- There is a conspicuous absence of action shots, suggesting a new kind of camera
- The teaser follows the unveiling of a powerful new GP3 processor
Earlier this month, GoPro announced its first new processor in five years, promising that it will power its next-generation cameras, and not just upgrades to the action cameras it’s known for.
Now we’ve gotten a sneak peek at a new direction GoPro could be taking its product portfolio through a teaser on its YouTube and Instagram — and there’s no way a humble action camera could have captured the cinematic footage on display.
A close-up of a human eye, slow-motion footage of flames, a telephoto of ferns touched by raindrops, plus a detailed image of the moon, are all superimposed with the caption ‘Caught on the next generation GoPro’.
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The previous announcement unpacked the new GP3 processor, GoPro’s first since the GP2 that debuted in 2021’s Hero 10 Black, saying it will ‘herald a new era of professional-level image quality, low-light performance, resolution and frame rates for small-form-factor camera markets, including action cameras, vlogging cameras, vlogging cameras, vlogging cameras, vlogging cameras, vlogging cameras, 360- cinema cameras.’
The same announcement also told us to expect this next generation in Q2 2026, so it should be anytime within the next three months.
GoPro already makes some of the best action cameras and 360 cameras, such as the Hero 13 Black and Max 2 respectively, whereas vlogging and compact cinema cameras would be new areas for the action camera giant. Based on the teaser, a cinema-grade camera could come first.
What is GoPro cooking?
Apart from the teaser headline ‘Find your focus’, all the information we have to base the speculation on is the clips shot on a next generation GoPro.
It is not clear if the clips were taken with the same mystery camera or are a compilation from a series of new cameras. I would hazard a guess that it is a compact cinema camera with a more versatile lens than the wide angle type used in GoPro action cameras, possibly an interchangeable lens camera.
Of course, a close-up of the moon can only be taken with a telephoto lens, a detailed image of a human eye with a macro lens, while the ferns and raindrops have pretty decent bokeh (the out-of-focus dappled light in the background), suggesting either a larger sensor than those in current GoPro cameras, or a wide-aperture telephoto lens.
To me, that image of ferns and raindrops looks like it was made using a camera with a sensor size probably equivalent to Micro Four Thirds (it’s half the size of full-frame), while the series of images suggest a camera with an interchangeable lens – so we could look at GoPro’s first mirrorless camera with video focus.
Note that none of the test videos are action-based, which suggests that no action camera is doing the filming. But if such a camera was also equipped with the rugged, waterproof design of GoPro’s action cameras, it could be a unique proposition.
Macro, telephoto, and shallow depth of field effects will all be new forms of imaging for a GoPro product, and I’m really excited to see what kind of film camera creates these images, or if they’re actually a showcase for what more GoPro cameras are capable of.
Reactions to the teaser on GoPro’s YouTube range from “I was just thinking about switching to DJI, but it looks promising!” to “Come on GoPro! It’s time for a comeback,” and “The people have been waiting!” What do you think of the teaser and what kind of camera do you hope GoPro will unveil? Is GoPro ‘doing something special’? Let me know in the comments below!
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