GoPro has been hinting at a move into more high-end cameras beyond the action camera – but GoPro may have just dropped its biggest hint yet. On March 17, GoPro shared the first-ever footage shot with “the next generation of GoPro,” and the footage has hints of shots that seem impossible with traditional action cameras.
GoPro didn’t say what camera the footage is from, other than “the new generation of GoPro.” GoPro is rumored to be launching the Hero14 Black, but GoPro’s new processor announcement earlier this month also hinted at an upcoming vlogging camera and compact cinema camera.
Watching the footage, it seems pretty clear that the video isn’t coming from an action camera, at least, not from an action camera anything like what GoPro already has on the market.
The first thing that I noticed? The footage includes close-ups, and the video comes with the teaser line “Find your focus.” GoPro’s action cameras have fixed focus that can’t be adjusted for a close-up. The Macro Lens Mod can get a little closer, but the “find your focus” tagline makes me think this isn’t just a lens mod.
The extreme close-up on a human eye hints that perhaps this teaser footage is from that upcoming vlogging camera or compact cinema camera, not the Hero14.
The close-up isn’t the only thing that has me excited to see what GoPro has in store. The video also includes a close-up of the moon that an action camera isn’t capable of. Of course, the latest models can swap lens mods, but GoPro doesn’t even offer a telephoto mod at the moment.
The video, which is less than 30 seconds long, also features what looks like slow-motion footage of fire and rain.
Another hint that this is from the cinema camera that GoPro has been hinting at? The footage looks like the cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio.
I own both a GoPro and a mirrorless camera, and the sample footage feels far closer to something shot on a mirrorless camera than an action camera. The close-up of a tree branch in the rain is oozing with the bokeh that small sensor cameras can’t capture.
The teaser doesn’t come with any timeline for when the camera that shot the footage will launch, though CEO Nicholas Woodman’s previous talks with investors hinted at a high-end camera coming out sometime in 2026.
Regardless, this is the most excited that I’ve ever been for a new GoPro!
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