If we're going to follow the usual release pattern of GoPro action cameras, we will definitely see a GoPro 8 come September. But do we have official word on this? Well, no. But it's never a bad thing to wish for some features we'd want in a GoPro camera. After all, these aren't your budget cameras, so if you're shelling out some amount, it'd better be the camera of your dreams.
A feature we and a whole lot of people would want to see in the GoPro Hero 8 is the video + photo capture feature. It was available in previous models going back to the Hero 5 line-up, but it was dropped in the Hero 6 Black.
A thread on GoPro's community forums in September 2017 pointed out the feature's removal in the Hero 6 Black and questioned why GoPro would get rid of it. A lot of users said that they have been reliant on this feature exclusively, often by setting the camera to take photos at five- or 10-second intervals automatically. You can still take stills from videos, but you don't get the quality you want and you're technically forced to shoot in 4K to get high-quality 8-megapixel stills.
Among other things, we think it's time for the Hero 8 to have a major makeover. A design overhaul seems like a very good idea at this point considering it's been three generations since we saw a fresh look.
While 8K technology is now possible, it may be a bit too early to see support for that in the Hero 8. We expect there to be three models like with the Hero 7 and would not be surprise if the launch prices were the same as last year's models. However, depending on how many significant improvements there are, a price increase may not be out of the question.
It'd be also a good thing to work on the waterproofing feature of the camera. The website of the company states that the Hero 7 Black, Hero 5 Black, and the 2018 Hero model are all waterproof up to 33 feet underwater even without an extra housing. It will be interesting to see if this can be even more improved.
If you want to take a GoPro deeper than 33 feet, you'll need a Super Suit, which will protect the camera as low as nearly 200 feet underwater. For the GoPro 8, we are hoping for an upgraded Super Suit and maybe dive way deeper.
It wouldn't hurt for GoPro Hero 8 to get new accessories too. And upgraded lenses, we can all agree, can be a good thing.
