I鈥檝e been testing and writing about GoPro鈥檚 small action cameras since the first one was launched in 2004, watching as those cameras evolved from cumbersome chunks of plastic worn on your wrist to the content-capturing machines that they are today.

The two newest versions from GoPro, the Hero13, and the original Hero, continue that evolution. One is the most versatile camera GoPro has ever produced. The other might be the easiest to use. But which is the best option for you?

I spent the last month testing both in a variety of situations, from an epic ski trip to Palisades in Tahoe to a surf trip to Costa Rica to tame adventures on local trails in the Southern Appalachians. Throughout that period, I alternated between the two cameras on bike rides, golf rounds, ski days, and surf sessions, trying to determine which camera was the best.

Learn more: The 3 Best Action Cameras of 2025

The result is an enigma: The camera that I like the most personally is not the camera that I would recommend to most people. Here are my thoughts on the Hero13 and the Hero.

The Hero13听

The GoPro Hero13 Built-In Features

Let鈥檚 start with the Hero13, which is GoPro鈥檚 most versatile camera to date, ideal for serious photographers and content creators who need to get a variety of footage. The new camera uses the same sensor and processor as the previous ($288) but adds a few key upgrades that make it far more capable. That includes interchangeable lenses, a magnetic mount, and a suite of built-in features that allow you to customize the footage you capture by adjusting the resolution, aspect ratio, and even sound before you start shooting.

The Hero13 shoots professional-grade 5.3K video, which is rendered incredibly smooth thanks to the in-camera HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilization. I shot some shaky ski videos recently that were so silky you鈥檇 think they were shot on a gimbal. The fact that this stabilization happens inside the camera means you鈥檙e not forced to edit your video in GoPro鈥檚 Quik app (more on that below).

It鈥檚 waterproof down to 33 feet, but even better is the hydrophobic lens, which sheds water, giving you crystal-clear shots when you bring the camera back up above the surface. I have a lot of useless footage from past surf trips when I used older GoPros that didn鈥檛 have this water-shedding lens; instead of epic footage, all I got were videos of blurry water drops. That鈥檚 less of an issue with this new lens. I used this camera during a week-long surf trip to Costa Rica, and probably 95 percent of the videos I took while in the surf were crystal clear. On previous surf trips with older models of the GoPro, I鈥檇 say that ratio was probably 50/50.

My favorite aspect of the new Hero13 is the tall image sensor, which allows you to shoot wide, vertical, or square videos and images without having to adjust the camera鈥檚 settings or lenses. I take a lot of videos for Instagram, which requires a vertical frame, but I also do some scenic and gear videos for this magazine and YouTube, both of which require a horizontal frame. I can switch back and forth from those two perspectives on the touch screen with the swipe of a finger before I start the video, or even better, I can shoot everything in Full Frame and decide later if I want to edit and publish vertically or horizontally in the GoPro Quik app.

This versatility means you can shoot footage with or without GoPro鈥檚 signature fisheye perspective, which is handy if you鈥檙e vlogging, getting scenic landscapes or closeups, or even if you just want a more straightforward first-person perspective. It also makes it easier to pair footage from the Hero13 with footage from other cameras, like your iPhone.

Hero 13 Add-Ons

And that鈥檚 just what鈥檚 built into the Hero13. You can also purchase add-on HB Series Lenses, like a Macro that gives you 4x zoom or an ultra-wide that offers a 36 percent wider field of view than the standard GoPro lens. Clip these lenses onto the Hero13, and the camera automatically recognizes which lens you鈥檙e using without the need to manually adjust the settings.

Most casual photographers won鈥檛 need to purchase these extra lenses, but everyone will appreciate the new Enduro Battery that comes with the camera, which is an absolute game changer. One of my biggest complaints with every GoPro I鈥檝e ever used is the subpar battery life, especially in cold temps. This new battery is a beast with a reported 2.5-hour constant run time. I filmed with the Hero13 over several hours, from cold ski days to hot beach days, and never once ran out of battery.

Another fun tool in the Hero13 is the built-in Burst Slo-Mo, which offers three slow-motion options with different levels of quality. This is key if you ever want to throw your videos up onto a big screen; slow motion video from a low-quality camera blown up on a TV鈥檚 big screen can look blurry, but the Hero13 gives you five seconds of slow motion in crystal clear 5.3k quality.

The Hero13’s Downsides

Some professional photographers complained that the Hero13 didn鈥檛 get an upgraded sensor from the Hero12. While I do publish videos and photos on a variety of platforms, I don鈥檛 consider myself a pro photographer, so GoPro鈥檚 decision to stick with their previous sensor doesn鈥檛 bother me. I will say that the versatility of the Hero13 comes with a price; there鈥檚 a learning curve to the system, and it has taken some trial and error to figure out exactly which features I need. It鈥檚 like ordering from a menu that鈥檚 five pages long鈥攚ith so many options, it鈥檚 hard to settle on a single choice.

Final Thoughts

Overall, I鈥檓 blown away by the Hero13’s capabilities. Straight out of the box, it drastically broadens the kind of footage I can capture. Considering all of the potential add-ons, from the new lenses to external lights and microphones, the Hero13 is out of the action camera category altogether. It is a powerhouse that can be my primary content-capturing tool, whether I鈥檓 standing in front of the camera for a vlog, attaching it to my handlebars for action footage, or just capturing a photo to support an article.

The Hero听

听

The Hero鈥檚 Upsides

Take the Hero13, cut it in half, and you have the Hero. It鈥檚 half the weight (86 grams to the Hero13鈥檚 159 grams), roughly half the size, about half the price, and is even waterproof to about half the depth (16 feet to the Hero13鈥檚 33 feet). That said, the tiny size is one of this camera鈥檚 selling points, especially if you like to mount a camera on your helmet.

Just like the Hero13, it has flip down mounting fingers, a removable hydrophobic lens cover, and a large touch screen on the back of the camera that you use to adjust the settings. It even has voice-activated controls, just like the Hero13, so you can tell this GoPro what to do without touching any buttons. Very cool.

The Hero鈥檚 Downsides

That鈥檚 where the similarities end, though, as the Hero is a straightforward, easy-to-use action camera without the bells and whistles of the full-featured Hero13.

For instance, you can鈥檛 change the resolution on the Hero (4K is the only option). It doesn鈥檛 shoot as well in low-light situations, and if you zoom in on the 4K footage, it鈥檚 a little blurry compared to the 5.3K Hero13 footage. You also can鈥檛 change the frame ratio; like older GoPros, it only shoots ultra-wide lens, fish-eye type footage, which might be a deal breaker for some users. Another limitation to note is that the HyperSmooth stabilization doesn鈥檛 happen in the camera. Instead, you have to upload your footage to GoPro鈥檚 Quik app before the video stabilizes. That鈥檚 not a big deal for most of us, but if you鈥檙e editing in a different software and bypassing the Quik app, you鈥檒l be dealing with shaky footage.

The battery life is roughly half as good as the Hero13, and that鈥檚 being generous. The Hero repeatedly died halfway through each day on a recent ski trip. Granted, I was filming heavily, and it was cold, but I鈥檝e been able to get through full days with the Hero13 under similar conditions. The Hero鈥檚 battery is within the camera, which eliminates the option of swapping out an extra battery.

Personally, my main issue with the Hero is that it only shoots ultra-wide lens footage. That鈥檚 a handy viewpoint for some shots, but I don鈥檛 want all of my videos to have a fish-eye view. You also have to mount or hold the Hero vertically in order to shoot vertical videos, which sounds like a silly thing to complain about, except most mounts hold GoPros horizontally. This kept me from getting vertical video during my Palisades ski trip, which makes for an awkward transition if I鈥檓 trying to match that footage with a vertical-oriented camera, like my phone.

Which Is the Better Camera For You?听

It sounds like the Hero13 is the camera I鈥檓 going to recommend, right? Not so fast.

I love the Hero13, and I think it鈥檚 the best GoPro I鈥檝e ever tested. It鈥檚 the right camera for me, and I鈥檓 excited to keep using it for the various ways I capture photos and videos. But I think many of those features that get me excited aren鈥檛 necessary for the majority of users out there. While I mentioned many of the Hero鈥檚 limitations, I think it鈥檚 a great action camera, especially when you consider the budget-friendly $199 price tag.

The question you have to ask yourself is, what kind of photographer are you? If you just want to get the occasional clip of a surf session or a POV of you sending it on a gap jump at the park, then the Hero is probably the right camera for you. The tiny size means you can bring it almost anywhere and get some really beautiful footage that you might not be able to capture with your phone. But if you鈥檙e looking for a single camera that can capture a variety of styles of content in a small package, the Hero13 is the obvious answer.

Or maybe you鈥檙e like me, and you鈥檝e convinced yourself you need both cameras: the Hero13 for its versatility and everyday capabilities and the Hero for its diminutive size, which makes it the ideal shooter for POV angles on a helmet mount.

Yeah, maybe that鈥檚 the answer here. Both cameras are the best cameras.

More Gear Reviews

The 3 Best Action Cameras of 2025
Our Favorite Mirrorless Cameras for Travel and 国产吃瓜黑料 Junkies

The post Is the GoPro Hero13 Black Better Than the GoPro Hero? appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

According to a report by the Los Angeles Times and subsequent news sources, California ski accidents are up nearly 50 percent over the last two years, statistics that news reports have attributed to a rise in GoPro use, selfie stops, and 鈥淭HC-laced gummies.鈥� That鈥檚 quite the cocktail, and one interviewee mentioned that chairlifts often 鈥渟mell like skunks when they should smell like pine trees.鈥� There are some really great quotes in here and an even better selection of interview subjects. Real sharp broadcast.

This Might Also Be Fueling Accidents鈥�

The Arsenic crew out of Scandinavia knows exactly what maniacal street skiing it鈥檚 getting into. Thankfully for us, we get to watch and keep our hospital bills to a minimum. Here鈥檚 to living vicariously through the young and limber.

Rookie Leaves Mark on Bec des Rosses, Takes Second in FWT

Whistler鈥檚 Marcus 鈥淕o-go鈥� Goguen carved his name into the Freeride World Tour lore over the weekend, lacing a massive run down the Bec des Rosses to win the final FWT event of the season and secure second place on the year. Max Hitzig earned the first overall prize for the men, while Hedvig Vessel took the women鈥檚 crown, but the 19-year-old Canadian and his array of cliff drops had the crowd jumping in Switzerland. Check out his run to see why.

Noah Gaffney Honors Shane McConkey with Iconic Double

It鈥檚 hard to believe, but the ski world lost Shane McConkey 15 years ago this week. Noah Gaffney, son of late icon Robb Gaffney and a rising pro in his own right, honored the late McConkey with a massive double backflip off Goodwills at Palisades Tahoe. The feature, which can reach up to 60 feet, had reportedly never been doubled before this stomp.

 

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DJI Mini 2 ($450)

Flying a drone and recording beautiful footage at the same time is difficult. The Mini 2 still takes practice to master, but with features like preprogrammed flight modes, you can worry less about maneuvering and more about recording your friends. We also like that DJI upgraded the Mini 2鈥檚 hardware to shoot 4K video and RAW images. At 8.8 ounces, the device is light enough that it doesn鈥檛 have to be registered with the Federal Aviation Administration. Folded up, it鈥檚 about the size of a thin paperback鈥攕mall enough that it鈥檚 easy to throw in your pack and take into the backcountry.

iPhone 12 Pro Max ($1,099)

Pro-level cameras have full-frame sensors that drink in loads of light to create superior image quality. That technology isn鈥檛 available in a phone (yet), but with the 12 Pro Max, Apple has gotten much closer. Along with expanding the sensor behind its 26-millimeter lens by an impressive 47 percent, the company improved its stabilization and increased pixel size. The result is noticeably better image quality than past models offered, both during the day and in low light. Paired with Apple鈥檚 ProRAW, a new file format that allows photographers more control when editing, you get detail-packed files that move the iPhone an important step closer to its pro-camera cousins.

GoPro Hero9 Black ($450)

To test the Hero9 Black, we attached it to the hood of a side-by-side off-road vehicle and rocketed through the desert, sailing over bumpy sections and through sandy washes. The ride itself was jolting. The footage? Polished. That鈥檚 thanks to HyperSmooth 3.0, GoPro鈥檚 improved electronic image stabilization system. It doesn鈥檛 match what you鈥檇 get from a pro-level gimbal, but it鈥檚 still damn impressive for an action cam. Other worthy upgrades include 30 percent better battery performance (one charge lasts roughly two hours) and a 1.4-inch front-facing screen to record yourself.

Sony Alpha 7C ($1,800)

If you鈥檙e looking to graduate from taking photos with your phone, the Alpha 7C is the upgrade you should buy. It鈥檚 quite compact鈥攊n between a point-and-shoot and a DSLR鈥攂ut its powerful 24-megapixel full-frame sensor produces gorgeous shots that look just as good on your wall as they do on Instagram. Pair it with Sony鈥檚 robust group of interchangeable lenses, from a light pancake lens to a high-quality zoom. The battery lasts a surprisingly long time (about two days), and it captures up to ten frames per second, so you鈥檙e almost guaranteed to nail the action shot.

The post The Best Cameras and Drones of 2021 appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

As of October 2020, Instagram registered over a billion unique monthly users. If a picture truly is worth a thousand words, then a wide-reaching Instagram account is鈥攚ell, it鈥檚 valuable. But how can outdoor companies make the most of an audience waiting on the other end of a screen?

We examined and chatted with some of the biggest outdoor brands on the photo-sharing platform to find out what works for them.

GoPro (@gopro)

Follower count: 17.7 million

Date joined: March 22, 2012

Total posts: 6,120

Account Overview

When it comes to outdoor brands on Instagram, GoPro easily leads the pack. Almost four times more users follow GoPro than other brands like The North Face and Patagonia. The company keeps its users engaged, too鈥攙ideos on GoPro鈥檚 page regularly notch hundreds of thousands of views, and photos generally amass close to one hundred thousand likes, outperforming brands with similar follower counts like Starbucks and Calvin Klein. GoPro generally posts on the account twice a day, with posts spaced apart by several hours.

Useful Strategies

There鈥檚 one thing you won鈥檛 see on GoPro鈥檚 Instagram: Any of the company鈥檚 products. Rather than focusing on the cameras themselves, the page highlights what鈥檚 in front of them, posting everything from skiing backflips to scuba dives to airplane stunts. GoPro saves the flashy product photos for its website, but on Instagram, the brand sells experiences鈥攅xperiences their cameras can document.

The North Face (@thenorthface)

Follower count: 4.8 million

Date joined: February 14, 2011

Total posts: 427

Account Overview

The majority of The North Face鈥檚 Instagram posts can be broken into two categories: product-focused and athlete-focused. The brand鈥檚 product-focused posts look like a classic advertisement: The product and TNF logo are front and center. Captions for these posts tell users what the product is, how it works, and where they can get one. Athlete-focused posts feature partnered athletes in action, and don鈥檛 stress as much about brand recognition鈥攊n most of these posts, it鈥檚 tough to tell whether the athlete is even wearing TNF gear. The account posts three to four times a week, and mixes up video and photo content.

Useful Strategies

Senior director of digital brand management Zeena Koda says the alternation between product advertisement and 鈥渂rand content鈥濃�攁thletes, outdoor images, and storytelling鈥攊s intentional. In fact, while it鈥檚 not an exact science, Koda has a rough benchmark for the breakdown.

鈥淚 think a 60-40 balance is healthy, but it鈥檚 never that clear-cut,鈥� Koda said. Her goal is to feature 鈥渂rand content鈥� in about 60 percent of TNF鈥檚 posts, while the other 40 percent highlights specific TNF products.

Patagonia (@patagonia)

Follower count: 4.6 million

Date joined: May 17, 2012

Total posts: 2,757

Account Overview

Like TNF, Patagonia posts content three to four times per week. The page is extremely photo-heavy, and video content generally involves some sort of call to action. Patagonia also posts a significant number of call-to-action graphics highlighting the climate crisis and environmental justice.

Useful Strategies

Patagonia鈥檚 Instagram bio simply reads, 鈥淲e鈥檙e in business to save our home planet.鈥� The philosophy is evident in the brand鈥檚 posts, which tend to focus on sweeping natural landscapes. If humans are in Patagonia鈥檚 posts, they鈥檙e often small or far away, framing the outdoors as a space commanding awe, wonder, and respect. True product advertisements are rare on Patagonia鈥檚 Instagram鈥攅ven Patagonia鈥檚 well-known logo barely makes an appearance on the page.

Timberland (@timberland)

Follower count: 3 million

Date joined: June 23, 2011

Total posts: 3,671

Account Overview

There may not be a more direct opposite to Patagonia鈥檚 Instagram page than Timberland鈥檚. Timberland鈥檚 Instagram is about one thing: boots. Boots on models, boots floating in mid-air, boots in boxes. Name a way to display a Timberland boot and it鈥檚 probably on the company鈥檚 Instagram. Posts come like clockwork鈥攅xactly one post a day, usually hitting the profile by mid-morning.

Useful Strategies

鈥淲e want people to arrive at our social media pages and see what they love [our products], but also learn about what we stand for,鈥� senior director of marketing Mike Isabella said in a statement.

Timberland does feature a number of social-justice-focused graphics on its page, but products drive the majority of the brand鈥檚 content. It鈥檚 a strategy that seems to work, in terms of engagement. When the boots take up nearly the entire frame, posts regularly hit tens of thousands of likes, and posts that feature models鈥� full bodies or otherwise draw away from the boots generally struggle to crack ten thousand likes.

Tentree (@tentree)

Follower count: 2.4 million

Date joined: March 30, 2012

Total posts: 568

Account Overview

The eco-focused apparel brand has a unique distinction as the only company on this list younger than Instagram. Like The North Face, tentree uses Instagram partially as an advertising venue鈥攖he page displays models wearing products from sweatpants to face masks. The rest of the account鈥檚 posts feature landscape shots and deforestation-awareness graphics similar to TNF鈥檚 鈥榖rand content.鈥�

Useful Strategies

In terms of engagement, tentree鈥檚 nature-focused content significantly outperforms product advertisement on the page. Posts like this one depicting a glass-walled forest bedroom amass likes in the tens of thousands, while product-focused posts usually top out at several thousand.

REI (@rei)

Follower count: 2.3 million

Date joined: July 30, 2012

Total posts: 4,791

Account Overview

REI鈥檚 Instagram feed is all about people in the outdoors. This may not seem revolutionary for one of the country鈥檚 largest outdoor retailers, but as other brands have opted for product-focused posts or landscape photos without people, most of REI鈥檚 posts bring humans and natural spaces together. These posts generally perform well, usually reaching five-digit like counts. REI鈥檚 less frequent, landscape-only posts perform similarly, while the account鈥檚 few product advertisement posts hover around five thousand likes.

Useful Strategies

There鈥檚 a not-so-secret weapon at play in boosting engagement on certain REI posts. Every so often, REI will caption a photo with a question, like 鈥淲hy do you hike?鈥� or 鈥淲hat are some of your silver linings from 2020?鈥� Posts with a simple question in the caption drive hundreds of people to the comments section; by comparison, most other posts see between 30 and 50 comments. Questions boost likes, too鈥攑osts captioned with questions generally rack up thousands more likes than similar posts without questions.

Oakley (@oakley)

Follower count: 2.2 million

Date joined: January 19, 2012

Total posts: 184

Account Overview

Like Timberland, Oakley鈥檚 Instagram page is dominated by product-focused posts. Goggles and sunglasses are always the focal point, and while accounts like Patagonia and TNF place their products against a natural backdrop, Oakley鈥檚 posts are mainly close-up facial profiles. The eyewear brand is one of the least prolific posters on this list, uploading content at most three times a week.

Useful Strategies

Rather than models, Oakley leans heavily on the allure of professional athletes wearing its products to boost engagement鈥攁thletes like cricketer Rohit Sharma, the focus of three posts that each cracked one million likes. It certainly helps that Oakley is partnered with the NFL, and superstar players like Patrick Mahomes and Lamar Jackson are featured prominently on the page. NFL-related posts often rack up hundreds of thousands of likes, a massive engagement number for an account with just over two million followers. Non-NFL athletes help engagement numbers, too: Snowboarder Jamie Anderson and other snowsports pros appear in several well-performing posts.

YETI (@yeti)

Follower count: 1.5 million

Date joined: July 20, 2012

Total posts: 2,413

Account Overview

Like many of the outdoor apparel and gear brands on this list, YETI鈥檚 Instagram posts focus on its products in use. In terms of engagement, most of YETI鈥檚 posts perform similarly, hovering around six to nine thousand likes. The account doesn鈥檛 flood the timeline with posts, sending an image or video out roughly once a day.

Useful Strategies

When it comes to product advertisement, YETI鈥檚 posts are reminiscent of product placement in a movie or TV show. Posts don鈥檛 advertise a specific product like The North Face鈥檚 do; instead, most posts focus on a larger scene鈥攁n ice fishing trip, a duck hunt, a day at the beach鈥攚ith a YETI product included and prominently displayed. The YETI logo catches the eye in almost every post, but rather than advertise a specific cooler, say, posts advertise YETI as a brand.

Salomon (@salomon)

Follower count: 933k

Date joined: July 24, 2013

Total posts: 2,270

Account Overview

Salomon鈥檚 Instagram focuses heavily on the company鈥檚 two best-known product lines: skis and running shoes. The page is image-heavy, generally using video content to profile featured athletes. Likes are generally consistent between five and ten thousand, and the account generally posts once per day.

Useful Strategies

Salomon鈥檚 page is one of the most product-focused on this list鈥攚hether on ski tips, shoe tongues, or bindings, the Salomon logo is visible in nearly every post. Most products are identified in the caption for consumers to find them easily, and almost all are depicted in action.

Arc鈥檛eryx (@arcteryx)

Follower count: 932k

Date joined: February 7, 2012

Total posts: 2,801

Account Overview

Arc鈥檛eryx, similar to brands like TNF and tentree, posts a mix of product advertisement and athlete-driven content. Engagement patterns for Arc鈥檛eryx鈥檚 content are opposite these other brands, though鈥擜rc鈥檛eryx鈥檚 product advertisement posts generally outperform landscape shots and athlete profiles by a few thousand likes or more. The account posts about once a day, and generally alternates posts between its content categories.

Useful Strategies

Like many of the brands on this list, Arc鈥檛eryx runs secondary, geographically-localized Instagram accounts alongside its main account, which director of brand experience Jurgen Watts credits with expanding the brand鈥檚 social media reach.

鈥淥ur strategy as a company is to develop鈥� localized Instagram channels for our communities,鈥� Watts said. 鈥淚f you live in the Bay Area, we want to make sure that there鈥檚 a Bay Area feed that is very localized.鈥�

Compared to Arc鈥檛eryx鈥檚 main Instagram channel, these localized accounts have significantly lower follower counts鈥攇enerally not more than a few thousand followers. Some posts from Arc鈥檛eryx鈥檚 main feed will show up in these smaller channels, but posts also feature athletes wearing Arc鈥檛eryx gear in recognizable local spots.

The post The Strategies Behind the Outdoor Industry鈥檚 Biggest Instagram Accounts appeared first on 国产吃瓜黑料 Online.

iPhone 11 Pro ($999)

Three lenses on the iPhone 11 Pro shoot stunning landscape photos. A 12-megapixel, f/2.4, 12mm ultrawide-angle lens next to 26mm and 52mm lenses capture crisp action and vivid backgrounds at the same time, like a skier ripping down a mountain against vibrant alpine scenery. We鈥檙e also fans of the Night Mode feature: the 26mm lens brackets several photos together to produce crisp, accurate low-light photos.

DJI Mavic Mini Drone ($399)

About the size of a 颅sandwich, and weighing just over half a pound, the Mavic Mini is ultraportable and perfect for adventurers headed for hard-to-reach spots. Spec-wise, the Mini isn鈥檛 quite pro quality, but it shoots attractive 2.7K video that鈥檚 stabilized using a three-axis gimbal, and it鈥檚 good for a respectable 30 minutes of flight time. An improved app with a simple interface makes the Mini easy to fly for those without much drone experience.

GoPro Hero8 Black ($400)

The headline here is Hyper颅Smooth 2.0: GoPro鈥檚 improved image-颅stabilization technology, which yields some of the cleanest footage we鈥檝e seen from an action camera. Your videos won鈥檛 look as steady as they would if you were shooting on a gimbal, but they鈥檒l be damn close鈥攔eason alone to upgrade from the Hero7 Black. Other updates include built-in mounting fingers (the Hero8 doesn鈥檛 need a special case to mate with tripods, hand grips, and the like), better audio recording, and new clip-on accessories like a directional microphone and flip-up screen.

Sony a7R III ($2,800)

The a7R III remains one of the most powerful cameras available and a top choice for adventure photographers. It captures action at ten frames per second with a full-frame, 42.4-颅megapixel sensor, a silent shutter mode, and great ISO range (up to 102,400). It isn鈥檛 new, but it makes our list because Sony recently dropped the price from $3,200. Now you can shoot with a wildly capable camera without draining your wallet (as much).

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GoPro Hero7 Black Camera and Travel Kit ($399 and $60)

New from GoPro, the Hero 7 understands 14 voice commands. (Example: 鈥淭hat was sick!鈥� lets you flag a particular section of video.) The travel kit includes a mini tripod, lanyard, and padded case.听

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UCO Sprout Mini Lantern ($15)

Whether you鈥檙e headed for a campsite, a yurt, or a cabin, bring this tiny 100-lumen light, which has a handy strap for hanging.

Fj盲llr盲ven Kiruna Padded Parka ($350)

With a water-resistant, waxed-canvas outer and synthetic insulation, this thigh-length coat is what we grab when a regular puffy won鈥檛 do.

Thule Crossover 2 Toiletry Bag ($49)

Tired of rooting around in a Dopp kit? The Crossover 2鈥檚 wide opening allows you to see everything at once. (The lid also snaps around towel bars for hanging.) A pair of water-resistant pockets keep liquids quarantined, while small mesh 颅pouches hold sundries.

Osprey Ozone Duplex 65 Pack ($220)

Roomy enough for a ski helmet but small enough to still rate as a carry-on, the Duplex is full of features, including internal compression straps and a laptop sleeve. It also splits into a duffel and a daypack, so you can slot it into whatever space is left in the overhead.

Gregory Quadro Pro Luggage ($250)

The 30-inch, hard-sided Quadro Pro swallows everything you need for several weeks. The dirt-, moisture-, and smell-resistant compartment separates sweaty clothes from clean, and a TSA-approved lock and multidirectional wheels make travel a breeze.

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Klymit Versa Luxe Blanket ($119)

This is for camping, but you鈥檒l want it everywhere. Swaddle yourself in high-loft fleece, fold it into a pillow, or use it at the beach (the bottom is soft ripstop polyester).

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One Eleven SW1 Solar Three-Hand Watch ($125)

The SW1 has a solar-powered battery, so you鈥檒l never have to worry about your watch dying again. It can even recharge on indoor light. The brushed stainless-steel case and interchangeable straps are classy to boot.

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Costa x Bureo Caldera Sunglasses ($219)

With every compliment these killer shades get you, be sure to mention that they鈥檙e made from recycled fishing nets. The polarized, UV-protective lenses are incredible at reducing glare.

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Last week, a video of people hydrofoiling off Capistrano Beach in Dana Point, California, made the internet rounds.

Even when the hydrofoilers zoom directly over the animals, the sharks don鈥檛 seem to care.听Since drones became a ubiquitous sight听off beaches and piers, amatuer filmmakers have been capturing videos like these and sending them to the media, who, in the words of Chris Lowe, professor of marine biology and director of the Shark Lab at California State University at听Long Beach, 鈥�.鈥� People tend to get a bit freaked out when they realize how close we can unwittingly come to some of nature鈥檚 most refined predators.听听

The听Shark Lab has started to use drone footage to study why sharks, often baby or pregnant ones, tend to hang out in shallow waters as well as how they behave when they encounter humans.听

鈥淲e have a lot of footage and anecdotal evidence of sharks swimming around where humans play, and as long as people aren鈥檛 harassing them, the sharks just don鈥檛 care,鈥� says Lowe.听

And often 鈥渢he surfers don鈥檛 even notice,鈥� he says. For example, pro surfer Kelly Slater听didn鈥檛 seem to be aware of a shark that听 his GoPro footage in 2014.听

Lowe hopes to have data on sharks鈥� attitudes toward close-proximity humans in a couple of years. For now, 鈥渨hen there are a lot of people and sharks in shallow water together, most of the time听nothing happens,鈥� he says. However, swimming in groups and avoiding the water at dawn and dusk can reduce your risk of encountering sharks, friendly or not.听

In withdrawal after the end of ? Here鈥檚 even more drone footage:

Sharks Approach Surfers听

Sharks Circle Surfers in South Africa

Tiger Shark Passes by Swimmers in Miami

Sharks and Surfers Within Feet of Each Other

Surfer Falls onto a Shark

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Smartphones are a great tool for documenting your adventures. But it's听impossible听to make your pictures stand out among听the听throngs听of iPhone-wielding tourists all vying for the same shot. (Case in point:听 alone is has 486,000 tags听on Instagram.)

In the end, there鈥檚 only so much you can do with a phone. To really improve your听photography and videography skills鈥攅ither to make the leap to pro work or simply grow your social media following鈥攜ou鈥檒l need to invest in a proper kit. Thanks to today鈥檚 technology, this no longer means lugging听thousands of dollars worth of gear. A basic starter camera, paired with solid capture and editing skills, will go a long way toward adding a professional polish to your portfolio.听

Buying your first camera setup can be overwhelming, and in my years as a professional photographer and videographer, I've developed a sense for what gear is worth your hard-earned cash.听Here is a comprehensive guide of what you need鈥攁nd everything you don鈥檛鈥攆or听your beginner kit.听

Learning Tools

A new, fancy camera is useless without the skills to go with it. One of the best things I did for my career was take a black and white film photography class in college, which forced me to leave auto mode behind and learn how aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and lens choice all affect the outcome of a photo. Going full manual on an old film camera forces you to focus on framing and light, and makes you a more thoughtful photographer since you鈥檙e limited to 36 frames instead of an almost bottomless memory card.听 Buy a 听($179), a , and look for a class at your local community college, photography store, or check听online听resources like , where you can learn the foundations of film for $29.听

If you want to stick to digital photography or are interested in videography, take an online course through . At $20 per month for a subscription (your first month is free) they鈥檙e affordable and offer a wealth of knowledge on everything from gear choice to advanced post-production techniques. If you鈥檙e starting off with a GoPro, the on their app is an easy way to begin to learn editing. It automatically turns your clips into a cohesive story, while allowing you to customize things like music, coloring, and length.听

Camera Body

With how advanced today鈥檚 smartphones are, a point-and-shoot is no longer much of an upgrade. Interchangeable lens cameras, on the other hand, have larger sensors that let in more light, giving you far better image quality and control over depth of field (for example, when your subject is in focus but the background is blurred out) than a phone or basic digital camera.听听

There are two big considerations to make when buying a camera听body: crop sensor versus full frame, and a digital single-lens reflex camera (DSLR) versus mirrorless.

The sensor is the part of the camera that captures and converts light, turning what's in your viewfinder听into a digital image.听While many cameras will tout their megapixels (the number of individual light units that make up an image)听as a measure of听quality, megapixels听don鈥檛 matter as much as sensor size, since with a smaller sensor the pixels can't capture as much light. Still, look for a body with between 16 to 20 megapixels for a clearer, less grainy outcome.听

A full frame camera will have a larger sensor than a crop, and will therefore give you advantages like better low-light performance. However, there is really no need to invest in one as a beginner.听Their crop cousins are less expensive and still capable of taking high-quality photos. Plus, crop sensors are close in size to what comes standard on many digital cinema cameras, making them perfect for video. Keep in mind, though, that a crop sensor will act as a focal听鈥溾��, essentially giving you a more zoomed-in shot than听a full frame with听the same lens. This means that a 75 millimeter lens on a full-frame camera will act more like a 50 millimeter lens on a crop (more on lenses below).

When debating mirrorless versus DSLR, go with the former. As it's听name suggests, mirrorless cameras ditch the reflective glass in DSLRs that bounces light back onto an optical viewfinder. Instead, mirrorless cameras听allow light to pass directly onto the camera's sensor and into a digital viewfinder or screen. There is plenty of out听there about the differences between the two models, but the main advantage of a mirrorless body is that they can be made smaller and lighter without sacrificing quality, which is a superior choice听when you're on the move.听

Sony鈥檚 crop sensor line of mirrorless cameras offers听a lot of the same听benefits of its full-frame siblings like the A7Sii or A7Rii, such as great auto focus, outstanding low-light capability, and impressive video codecs, but at听a lower price point. You can find a body for less than $700, or opt for the 听($1000)听if you have more to spend. I鈥檝e used an a6300 as my travel camera for a few years now听and absolutely love it. It鈥檚 lightweight and produces a fantastic image, plus it听shoots gorgeous 4K video鈥攇ood enough that I often use it as a second camera on commercial听shoots. If you鈥檙e looking for one body that can shoot video and stills equally well while still being highly portable, the a6300 is it.听

Though听image quality should be your top priority when choosing a camera, there are a couple other factors to consider. A durable, weather-sealed body, while not necessary in a starter setup, is great for shooting in varying conditions when on the road. WiFi capability is an added bonus for travel, which allows you to quickly share photos of your trip to Instagram without having to transfer them to your computer then back to your phone.听

Lenses听

Many people never take off the lens that came attached to their camera when they bought it. This can work as a start, but you鈥檒l get much better results by investing in some decent glass. The rule of thumb is that you鈥檙e better off spending your money on lenses than a camera body, as it鈥檒l make a far bigger difference in image quality. If you're buying your body new, save some cash by skipping the kit lens and instead purchase one or two nicer ones after the fact.听

Since lenses are usually specific to brand,听it鈥檚 important to consider which one you plan to stick with for the long run before you invest in good glass. That said, with Sony's E-Mount,听you can buy adapters for just about any lens out there,听which is another reason I recommend going the a6300 route.

Another major consideration is whether you want a zoom or a prime lens. Zooms allow you to adjust the focal length while primes are fixed and force you to zoom by moving toward and away from your subject, but often have a wider aperture range and are typically sharper (not to mention cheaper).听

What to look for in a lens all depends on what type of photography and videography you plan to do. Sticking with my a6300 example from above, here are a few to consider:

For zoom lenses, F4 ($600)听is a great all-rounder with a nice focal range that will allow you to shoot everything from desert landscapes to friend portraits. If you want to shoot more wide-angle nature shots, the Milky Way, or often find yourself in low-light situations (like slot canyons in Utah), 听($450)听is a great option.听

Personally, though, I think buying one or more 35 or 50 millimeter prime lenses, like , ($450)听is the way to go. Sure, you鈥檒l have to get some exercise to zoom in or out, but you'll be able to produce a stronger image and have something more fitted for travel, as they're generally lighter and more portable.

Accessories

Packing

You can always wrap your camera in some clothes and shove it in your suitcase. But if you're investing in new gear, it pays to pack it right so it doesn鈥檛 get destroyed by careless baggage handlers or bumpy back roads. are cheap and do a decent job, but a dedicated camera pack is a better buy. A good one will be able to serve as an all-around travel backpack, with enough room for snacks and extra layers along with听protective compartments for your body and lenses.听

听($120)听is a great option because the durable nylon exterior fabric helps to keep things dry, and the inner, removable camera pod ensures your body and lenses are well protected. Plus, it's side access allows you to get听your camera out fast when the perfect shot presents itself.听

Tripods

Full tripods are unwieldy and hard to travel with. The , ($50)听on the other hand, is highly portable, with bendable legs that allow you to attach it to just about anything for more height.听听

For video, go with a gimbal.听听It gives you a huge boost in quality over a tripod, allowing you to capture smooth, cinematic shots that will up the production value of your footage more than any other piece of your kit. 听($439)听is made for small, mirrorless cameras, and adds a selfie mode that鈥檚 great for vlogging.听

Vloggers should also consider a small attachable microphone, like 听($60).听Nothing ruins a video faster than bad audio, and this one captures far better sound than a camera鈥檚 built-in mic.听

Post Production

With photography and videography, shooting is only half the battle. The real hard work comes once you get home and have to figure out what to do with the hours of footage and thousands of photos on your hard drive. Adobe鈥檚 Creative Cloud Photography Plan starts at just $10 per month and gives you both Photoshop and Lightroom, the only two tools you need as a beginner. Lightroom allows you to organize your photos and make quick edits to things like color balance and clarity, a great primer before diving into Photoshop's听more advanced features.听

For video editing, Mac users would be wise to start out with iMovie. It鈥檚 free, intuitive, and plenty powerful for a beginner just interested in making quick vlog edits. For PC or more advanced filmmaking, you can always tack on Premiere Pro to your Adobe subscription听for $20 per month. Again, LinkedIn learning has classes in using each of these editing tools.听

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Summer offers up endless opportunities for adventure. Why not partake in a community of like-minded people?听At these sports, film, food, music, and other festivals around the country, you can watch top athletes perform, learn a new sport, get access to remote terrain, or kick back and watch The Killers in a field with a cold craft beer. Or do it all.

Action and 国产吃瓜黑料

国产吃瓜黑料 Experience

Chicago, Illinois; July听13-14

In September 1977, the first issue of 国产吃瓜黑料 was published in Chicago, which served as the magazine鈥檚 hometown for 15 years. On July 13-14, we鈥檙e returning to the Windy City for the inaugural 国产吃瓜黑料 Experience, a two-day event packed with SUPing on Lake Michigan, skills clinics, select flicks from the 5Point Film Festival, climbing walls, group runs, and whiskey tastings, with more than 200 top gear and travel brands on hand to help you demo equipment, check out adventure vehicles, and live bravely. To learn more, see the map above and .

GoPro Mountain Games

Vail, Colorado; June 6鈥�9

Watch professional athletes compete in freestyle kayaking, slacklining, mountain biking, and the only U.S. stop on the . Better yet, sign yourself up to test yourself with any of the GoPro Mountain Games鈥� 30-plus events. Other highlights: big-air dog-jumping contests, three nights of free concerts including headliner Citizen Cope, and kid-friendly events like a push-bike race and a fly-fishing contest. (Free for spectators)

International Climbers鈥� Festival

Lander, Wyoming; July 10鈥�14

Climbers of all abilities descend on Lander for that鈥檚 been taking place since 1994. Demo gear, take climbing clinics, and test your颅self with the Limestone Rodeo redpoint competition by day, then watch climbing films and guest speakers by night. Local hotels offer discounts for attendees, or you can camp for free in Lander City Park. ($100)

Downieville Classic

Downieville, California; August 1鈥�4

Hardy mountain bikers will love the 26.5-mile cross-country and 15-mile downhill fat-tire races that make up . Everyone else? They鈥檒l enjoy a movie night, river swims, DJs, and food trucks at this former gold-mining town on the North Fork of the Yuba River. ($110)

Music

Forecastle Festival

Louisville, Kentucky; July 12鈥�13

With headliners like the Killers and the Avett Brothers, you鈥檇 be forgiven for assuming that , which takes place every summer on the banks of the Ohio River in Louisville鈥檚 Waterfront Park, was just another music fest. But the event is also a strong supporter of environmental activism and showcases organizations like , , and . (From $185)

Shambhala Music Festival

Salmo, British Columbia; August 9鈥�12

Welcome to , a massive underground electronic-dance-music party on a 500-acre working farm in a stunning corner of interior British Columbia. In addition to six stages that are as much art installations as they are music venues, expect daily yoga, vegan food vendors, and a geodesic dome turned art gallery. ($335)

Food and Drink

Seattle Street Food Fest

Seattle, Washington; July 6鈥�7

With food trucks and 100,000 attendees taking over five blocks of the city鈥檚 burgeoning South Lake Union neighborhood, it can be tough to navigate this weekend-long fest. Two can鈥檛-miss favorites: the Greek fries at Hallava Falafel, and the beignets at Where Ya At Matt. Between courses, enjoy DJs, an artists鈥� market, and craft beer. (Free)

Beer, Bourbon, and BBQ

Thirteen locations in the southeast; January through October

, you鈥檒l find some 60 beers and 40 bourbons, plus a variety of barbecue, live music, a hot-sauce marketplace, and seminars where brewers, distillers, and pit masters share their craft. Some of this summer鈥檚 choice tour stops include Washington, D.C., Virginia Beach, and Knoxville, Tennessee. (From $40)

Vermont Brewers Festival

Burlington, Vermont; July 19鈥�20

With some 48 Vermont craft breweries , you鈥檙e sure to find a beer or two or ten to love at this event on the shores of Lake Champlain. (But if you don鈥檛 grab a Heady Topper IPA from the Alchemist, you鈥檙e doing it wrong.) Enjoy local bands and food trucks, and stop by the Experience Tent and learn which Vermont cheeses pair best with your new favorite brews. ($44)

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Rylo ($499)

Gone are the days when you simply strapped your action cam to your helmet and prayed for decent footage. Rylo鈥檚 dual-lens camera shoots video in 360 degrees, so you get everything. Later on, you launch the app and choose the sequences and camera angles that work best for your clip. In other words, you never miss the rad颅dest shots鈥攅ven the ones behind you. Rylo鈥檚 app is easy to use, and the image stabilization is top-notch.

iPhone XR ($749)

We can鈥檛 really recommend the iPhone XS鈥攁t $999, it鈥檚 just too expensive. Instead, get the more affordable XR. For one thing, the camera is nearly identical. You forgo a second telephoto lens, but the smart software lets you shoot comparably beautiful portraits with blurred backgrounds. You also get the same Smart HDR system, which ensures great shadow and highlight detail. Low-light shots are fantastic too, courtesy of greater pixel depth.

DJI Osmo Pocket ($349)

In the race to pack the smoothest video into a compact POV camera, DJI is miles ahead. Instead of relying on anti-shake software, this tiny shooter is permanently attached to a three-axis gimbal, which shifts and rotates to cut out shake and nausea-inducing motion. The Osmo Pocket doesn鈥檛 take up much space and works seamlessly with the DJI app, so you can create like-worthy social-media content on the fly.

Nikon Z7 ($3,400)

For the first time in years, we鈥檙e not featur颅ing a DSLR camera on this page. Why? Because high-end mirrorless shooters like the Nikon Z7 have taken over. This one weighs about a third less than a comparable DSLR but still comes packed with cutting-edge specs, such as a giant, full-frame, 45-megapixel sensor for ultra-defined photos, the ability to capture peak action shots at nine frames per second, and great low-light sensitivity.

GoPro Hero7 Black ($400)

GoPro is still very much in the game, and the Hero7 is pretty good at a lot of things. Footage is smoother, thanks to a stabilization-software upgrade. You can also control the camera with your voice (through commands like 鈥淭ake a photo鈥�), valuable when you鈥檙e on the move. The housing is bomber鈥攊t resists falls and is water颅proof to 33 feet鈥攁nd the updated app makes social sharing and video editing seamless.

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