GoPro Hero 11 Mini Review
GoPro has released 2 different cameras this year the new Hero 11 Black and the Black 11 Mini, a new smaller action camera capable of 5.3K resolution at 60fps, higher megapixel pictures, and improved stabilization HyperSmooth 5.0, GoPro is one of the biggest producers in the action camera market with some of the most successful models, especially on sites such as Amazon.
The new Hero 11 most important new feature is the new image sensor, which can expand the field of view, this gives you an extra-large canvas for your imagination by capturing more of the sky and horizon in every shot.
But before we talk about its features, what comes in the box of the GoPro Hero 11 Mini? Inside the box, we can find:
- GoPro Hero 11 Mini
- Enduro Battery
- Carrying case
- Adhesive Mount
- Mounting Buckle
- Thumb Screw
- USB-C Cable
In this blog post, you’ll find everything you need to know about the new mini GoPro camera, its unique features, and some comparisons with the Hero 11 Black. Is the size the only difference? what are the specs, and better image?
Pros
≫ 5.3K Resolution up to 60fps
≫ Mini design
≫ HyperSmooth 5.0
≫ Waterdrop repellent lens
≫ New Enduro battery
≫ Pictures up to 24MP
Cons
≫ Slowmotion max 240fps
≫ Not great in low-light
Design
As mentioned above the new Mini Hero 11 is a new smaller version of the Hero 11 Black, this is the first time GoPro has experimented with a smaller version of the same camera, the design overall looks pretty good, but the size is not that different from the original, the material feels high quality and it has a black color same as the Hero 11.
Like all the new GoPros the Hero 11 Mini can also go underwater without the waterproof housing, it can go underwater up to 10m (33 feet). On the front unlike the Hero 11, the Hero 11 mini doesn’t come with a front screen.
On the upper side, there is the shutter button similar to most cameras, on the left side, there is the microSD compartment slot, the battery compartment, and the USB-C-Port connector, on the right side, there is the mode button to turn off and on the cam or change settings as well as the drain microphone, most of them can be changed with the touchscreen.
Its dimensions of it are 5 x 7 x 3 cm (2 x 2.7 x 1.3 inch) and its weight is 133g (4.7 ounces).
Technical Specifications
GoPro claims to have a new image sensor that expands the field of view more than any other HERO cam. The Hero 11 mini can record 5.3K 60fps and 4K 120, as for the photos it can shoot at 24.7MP pictures with the new 8:7 aspect ratio, it shoots using a 170° super wide-angle lens with an opening of F1.8. It uses HyperSmooth 5.0 Video Stabilization which supports up to 5K to keep the video smooth.
The Hero 11 like the previous models comes with a Wi-Fi connection, I found it’s a bit faster to connect thanks to the new processor. The app connects with the GoPro smartphone app to control the camera through your phone or enjoy hands-free control of your camera via simple voice commands. The GoPro App can also automatically back up footage to GoPro’s cloud subscription service (over Wi-Fi).
In the back we can find the IPS 1.9″ color LCD screen with Live Preview and status, the screen is as big as last year’s GoPro, very responsive, and easy to playback your videos or change settings.
The Audio Features of the Hero 11 are 3.5mm Audio Mic Input with Media Mod for Hero 11 Black. It can also capture RAW Audio Capture (.wav Format) and has Advanced Wind-Noise Reduction.
The Hero 11 mini does come with a 32GB SD card but if you plan on using another Micro SD card you should format it before using it. Micro SD card must be U3 or higher with 8-256GB capacity. If “SD card error” appears, format your SD card as FAT32 on your computer.
≫ Video resolution: 5.3K (5312×4648)
≫ Image quality: 24.7MP
≫ Battery: 1500 mAh
≫ Frame rate: 30FPS/ 60FPS/ 120FPS/ 240FPS
≫ HyperSmooth 5.0
≫ SD Card up to 512GB
≫ Codec h.264 / h.265
≫ Can shoot in .RAW format
≫ Underwater up to 10m
≫ Records in .mp4
≫ WiFi connection
≫ FOV: 170º wide angle
≫ Sensor: 1/1.9″ CMOS
Battery
The GoPro Hero 11 Mini uses a removable 1500mAh Enduro battery same as the Hero 11, an upgraded battery lasting longer than lithium batteries. The battery can last up to 120 minutes recording 1080p Full HD video. In the case of capturing 5K video, battery life will drop dramatically, you can save on battery time if don’t use the front LCD panel when not necessary, have the WiFi on at all times, and reduce screen brightness.
The new Enduro battery is a new battery by GoPro that not only can it last longer but also improves the camera performance in cold temperatures, and up to 38% extended recording time in moderate temperatures.
The battery is situated on the right side of the GoPro, where there is a cover that gives access to the battery. The GoPro Hero 11 comes with 1 battery, I recommend getting a second one so you can change them quickly and keep recording whenever the first one runs out.
Stabilization
Like the last couple of GoPro models, the Hero 11 has improved its stabilization once again to the new HyperSmooth 5.0. Compared to the Hero 10 the new HyperSmooth stabilization doesn’t change that much, GoPro has mastered stabilization these last years and HyperSmooth 5.0 is the best stabilization of any sports cam.
Last year’s GoPro also introduced a “Boost” mode in the stabilization which is also included in the Hero 10, the Boost helps you get even more stabilization while sacrificing some image width. Last year GoPro also introduced “Portrait Orientation” where the camera locks onto the horizon level and keeps the video locked with the horizon no matter how you move the camera, the Hero 10 improved this mode a bit as well.
HyperSmooth stabilization really is a game-changer, at least for action cameras and gimbal users, it works great and can smooth the shot massively and get rid of the need for gimbals. The one negative side of the stabilization is the small cropping you get while recording, but it’s worth it.
Photography
The new Hero 11 Mini has fewer MP pictures compared to the Hero 11, the Hero 11 can shoot pictures up to 27MP and the Hero 11 Mini can shoot at 24.7MP, plenty of revolution to get great details in the photos you take.
The image quality is very similar to the Hero 11, GoPro has changed its protune settings a bit, protune which lets you adjust multiple settings such as the possibility to change the ISO, shutter speed, and exposure time, with patience we can work interesting images.
The GoPro Hero 11 Mini has different modes to take pictures: SuperPhoto + Improved HDR, LiveBurst, Wide, Linear, and Narrow Lenses. The Hero 11 shoots with JPG by default but you have the option of shooting in RAW format to get a lot more detail in post-production.
For more action shots the Hero 10 has the ability to take Burst pictures capable of shooting: 30/10, 30/6, 30/3, 25/1, 10/3, 10/1, 5/1, 3/1 Intervals, and a new feature on this year’s GoPro is the LiveBurst shooting from 90 images from 1.5 seconds before shooting to 1.5 seconds after (at a frame rate of 30fps).
For those who want to get Night pictures, GoPro has the ability to shoot at Night with the Night mode, which let’s change the settings to: 2s, 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s.
Video
It’s capable to record up to 5.3K resolution and 60 frames per second. The videos captured with this action camera are stored in .mov format under the H.264 (common codec for most cameras) or H.265 (new codec that allows greater video compression).
The Hero 11 mini has similar very similar video quality as the Hero 10 not much has changed in the overall image quality, thanks to the 5K you can zoom in and the video will still look great, perfect for video editing especially, a new detail about this year’s GoPro is the ability to change the bitrate to achieve higher quality in the settings, increasing the amount of video information the camera gets.
The Hero 11 and 10 come with a couple of new settings such as new color configurations: GoPro Flat, GoPro Natural, and GoPro Vivid.
With protune enabled you can switch between the different resolution and FPS options, we also have shutter speed control, ISO, sharpness, exposure compensation, color profile, and other adjustments that affect the sound or stabilization.
Audio:
The audio of the Hero 11 mini is pretty decent and captures clear audio, the Hero 9 introduced an external mic accessory that helped get much better audio if you are interested in getting the best audio you can with a GoPro. The Hero 11’s mic also comes with a drain mic feature to drain the water after putting it underwater. You can also get the audio modes from GoPro to help get better audio.
The video resolutions of the GoPro Hero 11 mini are the following:
- 5.3K a 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
- 2.7K a 240fps/ 120fps/ 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
- 1080P HD a 240fps/ 120fps/ 60fps/30fps
- 720P HD a 240fps/ 120fps/60fps/30fps/ 24fps
GoPro Hero 11 Black
Video: 5.3K60 / 4K120
Image quality: 27MP + SuperPhoto, HDR, RAW
Battery: 1720 mAh Enduro
Stabilization: HyperSmooth 5.0
Video File + Color Bit Depth: H.265 (HEVC) + 8-bit; 10-bit
Front Screen: Yes
GoPro Hero 11 Black Mini
Video: 5.3K60 / 4K120
Image quality: 24.7MP + SuperPhoto, HDR, RAW
Battery: 1500 mAh Lithium
Stabilization: HyperSmooth 5.0
Video File + Color Bit Depth:H.264 (AVC) + 8-bit
Front Screen: No
Features
Like its predecessor, the Hero 11 mini has multiple features to improve your videos and get your videos to stand out. This year’s GoPro does have a few improvements to modes.
The TimeWarp 3.0 and RealSpeed. The surreal TimeWarp effect is back and improved, GoPro improved the fast-motion mode and achieves better results. The Hero 11 has a “realspeed” function which allows it to capture the usual stabilized timelapse, as well as the automatic speed selection. You can also just tap to speed it up or slow it down.
Schedule Capture is another useful mode new from the Hero 10, the camera will turn on and start recording at a scheduled time you set, now you can sleep in and not miss the opportunity to get that sunrise video.
Duration Capture is a simple mode that lets you select the length of time you would like to record a video and your GoPro will record.
The new Hindsight mode can capture up to 30 seconds of video before you hit record on your GoPro so you won’t miss a moment, I find it to be a very useful moment when you miss a cool moment, with this moment you can now go back and not lose that moment.
The LiveBurst mode can record 45 frames in 1.5 seconds before and after you shoot the picture, it’s the perfect mode to not miss a moment and unlike other sports cams the ability to get a few seconds before is really helpful.
Other modes such as the well-known time-lapses and webcam mode from older models still exist in the Hero 11 as well.
Thanks to the app and the built-in Wi-Fi, GoPro can Live Stream in 1080p to social media such as Instagram or Facebook and show all of the action to your friends live!
Presets + On-Screen Shortcuts, you can learn more about Presets and Lightroom presets by clicking here!
Should you buy it?
The GoPro Hero 11 mini doesn’t change much from the Hero 11 in specs and the size is not that much smaller either, but the new Hero 11 cameras are the best action cameras so far, being upgraded a bit from the Hero 10.
Saying said this, the Hero 11 mini can record 5.3K resolution at 60fps and 4K 120fps which are very impressive specs and recording in pretty good image quality, it can also greatly stabilize the footage with HyperSmooth 5.0 which has gotten better with every camera.
If you already own a GoPro Hero camera you’ll be glad to know that the Hero 11 is also compatible with all the accessories from the previous new Hero cameras since they are the same size and design.
The batteries last a bit longer thanks to the new Enduro batteries but when recording at 5K resolution at 60 fps the battery time drops, many small problems you may encounter with a new GoPro normally get quickly fixed with GoPro’s constant updates.
The Hero 11 mini is currently one of the best cams out, if you already have a Hero 10 it might not be worth upgrading to the Hero 11 mini, if you are using an older model or don’t have an action camera at all I highly recommend getting it for your next adventure. If you’re looking for a cheaper option action camera check out our other reviews on GoPro alternatives: Check out the Hero 11 review (Click Here)
Review Breakdown
Video support up to 5.3K up to 60fps with HyperSmooth 5.0 and pictures up to 24.37MP. 1720 mah Enduro battery is more resistant to weather and more lasting. The new image sensor improves performance and achieves higher resolutions in video and image.
