GoPro's Hero 11 Black is now $50 off with a one-year subscription

The Hero 11 Black is the latest top-end model in GoPro's long line of action cameras, and as of this writing the camera is now down to $350 at GoPro's online store with a one-year GoPro subscription. This deal technically started last week, but it's still a new low and $50 off the bundle's usual going rate. 

As a refresher, GoPro's subscription service costs $50 a year on its own and includes features like unlimited cloud storage — with the ability to have your camera automatically back up footage to the cloud when it's plugged in — automatically generated highlight videos, and up to two discounted camera replacements per year. GoPro normally offers its cameras at a lower upfront cost with a year-long subscription than without, and since you can cancel the service after buying, we'd say there's little reason not to buy the bundle. However, if you don't trust yourself to remember to turn off auto-renew, we'll note the camera alone is currently available for $449 at several retailers. 

Either way, we gave the Hero 11 Black a largely positive review when it launched in September. The camera is an iterative upgrade over the excellent Hero 10 Black — which itself looked near-identical to the prior Hero 9 Black — which means it still allows for crisp video at up to 5.3K/60 Hz, 4K/120 Hz, or 2.7K/240 Hz (for extra slow-motion shots), excellent stabilization that keeps moving footage looking smooth, and a rugged, waterproof design that's small enough to fit on a helmet, bike handle, surfboard, or most other tight spots.

Here, though, there's a taller 1/1.9" sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio, which is more accommodating to shooting vertical video for mobile video apps like TikTok at the same time as more traditional vertical footage. A new shooting mode called "HyperView" uses the taller sensor to take wider-angle video — though our review notes that this is best used with only certain types of action shots — while a 360-degree horizon lock feature keeps shots level even if you fully rotate the camera. Still images have been bumped from 23-megapixels to 27, and you can now shoot higher-quality RAW images in burst mode instead of just JPEG. Beyond that, battery life is mildly improved, there are new night shooting modes for capturing things like star trails, and there's support for more granular 10-bit color across the board.

Action cameras still aren't essential gadgets for most these days, and if you already own a Hero 10, Hero 9, or another cam you're already happy with, there's no pressing need to hop aboard here. If you're looking to upgrade from a Hero 8 or older, however, our review found the Hero 11 to be an easier sell. Right now, GoPro currently has the Hero 10 for the same $349, while the Hero 9 and smaller Hero 11 Black Mini are only $50 less. So, if your smartphone isn't enough for the kind of footage you want to capture, this deal looks to be the better value for those in the market for a higher-end model. A GoPro representative says this offer will run for "another couple of weeks at least," though it's not clear if we'll see any further discounts on Black Friday.

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