GoPro Hero 10 Overheating: 40 Tests Later

In this case, after nearly a month of testing the GoPro Hero 10 Black in daily use (actually, two cameras), I posted my full in-depth review. In any event, after launch, I had seen some reports of overheating on the Hero 10. Of course, overheating of cameras and action cameras is nothing new. Be it past GoPro’s, or even my phone – in the right hot conditions a camera will overheat. Generally speaking, such overheating usually comes from lack of airflow over a device – something that didn’t really impact my previous GoPro Hero 10 testing.

What I thought would be a simple video ended up turning into a rabbit hole of astronomical proportions. Some 40 tests in all, including dive cases to the bottom of the lake, superheating my bathroom to 104*F, and a never-ending bout of cycling in circles to try and figure out when and where it’ll overheat. There’s some pretty interesting surprises in there too!

0:00 Overview of methods/testing
2:06 1080p/2.7K Resolutions
3:27 Timelapse & Timewarp
4:21 4K Testing
5:30 5K Outdoor Testing
7:58 5K Indoor Testing
9:30 5K Hot Weather Testing
11:24 GoPro's Response
13:59 Wrap-Up Recommendations

Settings for all tests were: GPS on, Bluetooth On (WiFi on standby, but not on - WiFi on a Hero 10 is only leveraged when fully streaming to phone app, or uploading to GoPro cloud), normal bitrate unless stated otherwise (some tests were high, didn't matter), Image Stabilization to Boost on all tests, picture file at Natural. All other ProTune settings reset to defaults. Voice control off (as I didn't want tests accidentally turning off due to random talking).

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#GoProHero10 #Hero10 #Overheating

[GoPro]

Hey Ray - we have an update for you!

Thanks to customer feedback, we’ve learned many HERO10 users want the ability to record longer video clips in static situations without motion or airflow to cool the camera. Many have also had questions about how to get the longest possible recording times while maximizing battery life.

We’re excited to share that we’re releasing a HER010 firmware update to deliver on these requests by end of October.

This update will introduce three new “Video Performance Modes” to help maximize HERO10’s performance depending on your use case:

1. Maximum Video Performance – Maximum video resolution and frame rates for the very best image quality and ultra slow motion.
2. Extended Battery – Optimal video resolutions and frame rates for maximizing recording times and extending battery life.
3. Tripod / Stationary Video – Optimized for recording long video clips at the highest resolutions and frame rates when the camera is stationary without motion or airflow to cool the camera. GPS and HyperSmooth video stabilization are turned OFF in this mode.

The following is what users can expect to achieve, on average, in Tripod / Stationary Video mode recording a single continuous clip at a temperature of 77F / 25C in static situations without movement or airflow to cool the camera:
5.3K60 – 47% more runtime than previous for an average of 29 minute-long clips
5.3K30 – 11% more runtime than previous for an average of 44 minute-long clips
4K120 – 52% more runtime than previous for an average of 26 minute-long clips
4K60 – 154% more runtime than previous for an average of 63 minute-long clips
4K30 – 35% more runtime than previous for an average of 50 minute-long clips
A future firmware update will enable even longer clip lengths in 5.3K30 and 4K30. And if important for your use case, 2.7K and 1080p will enable significantly longer single clip recording times in either Extended Battery or Maximum Video Performance modes.

We’re also excited to share that in late November we’re releasing a new battery, named Enduro, for HERO10 and HERO9 cameras. Enduro will be available as a $24.99 spare battery upgrade and features revolutionary technology that dramatically improves your GoPro’s performance in cold temperatures (snow sports, for example) while also significantly extending recording times in moderate temperatures.

At a battery temperature of 14F / -10C (note: this is the battery’s temperature, it can be even colder outside), with HERO10 Black the Enduro battery enables, on average, 56 minutes of 5.3K60 video, 50 minutes of 4K120 video, 76 minutes of 4K60 video and 115 minutes of 1080p30 video recording.

Enduro also significantly increases video recording time in moderate temperatures. For example, with HERO10 Black during typical outdoor activities at a temperature of 77F / 25C, the Enduro battery enables, on average, 60 minutes of 5.3K60 video (a 28% improvement over the standard battery), 51 minutes of 4K120 video (a 40% improvement over the standard battery), 71 minutes of 4K60 video (a 13% improvement over the standard battery) and 120 minutes of 1080p30 video recording.

Stay tuned for more information on the November launch of the new Enduro battery and end of October release of the updated HERO10 firmware featuring the new Performance Video Modes. And please keep your feedback and requests coming — as you can see, we’re excited to develop additional HERO10 performance enhancements based on your input!

[GoPro]

To say you put the HERO10 Black through its paces, is an understatement. Thank you for doing so and keep the tests and comments coming. We read every comment and are taking in the feedback to learn what matters most to all of you. We are working on further firmware improvements for HERO10 based on your feedback.

And by the way – we love the beer selection in the fridge. Cheers!

[AuthenTech]

Hats off to the time investment on this one 👏

[Dale_Philip]

Whenever my GoPro overheats I just switch the battery and continue recording right away without a problem. The battery is always blisteringly hot when pulled out, so replacing it with a cold one is enough to get the camera back up and running.

I've started to get in the habit of just switching the battery after around 30 minutes of continuous recording, before it overheats, so at least I'm the one that's in control of when each video clip is stopped.

If you do another one of these videos in the future can you test it with and without a foam windslayer on the GoPro? Many people who want to capture audio from the internal mics use these when filming outdoors to prevent wind noise. It does insulate the camera a bit, making the airflow less effective at cooling it down.

Keep up the great work. This video surely took an enormous amount of effort and is much appreciated. 👍🏻👍🏻

[ChaseTheSummit]

I love how deep you dived on this. Excel spreadsheet and all! Nice work Ray!

[TheIronArmenianakaGIHaigs]

Thank you for your research.
I had roughly the same times with 5.3k 60fps in indoor environments. Head mounted in the cat. Cut out in around 14-18 mins on high bitrate

[stanleysim]

The most detail and comprehensive test regarding the overheating issue, great work there Ray.

[nomad]

Hi DC Rainmaker.

Bravo! Finally someone who understands thermal physics. And this applies to all cameras (or laptops) that runs at high frames rates and resolution.

I would like to add that Gopro for over a decade calls their product “action camera” and not “studio camera” so by that alone means it will be rugged, outdoor, and waterproof. Heat has to dissipate somewhere so other camera manufacturer’s use different aluminum alloy bodies, add passive copper heat sinks or active cooling to get longer run time.

I’m with you @8:55, I use Ulanzi’s BG3/4 battery grips + turn off the front LCD and sometimes back and use the remote, iphone, or MyK for live view and controls to ensure battery and LCD are not generating too much heat to overheat.

Most components these days are industrial grade which is -40degC to +85degC so I am sure Gopro engineers are playing it safe to keep the longevity of their products and not run it excessively at high temperature. Think about our cars, it can drive at 160-200mph (~260-320kmph) but speed limits are 65-75mph (~104-120kmph, depending on States) as there are safety considerations.

Hopefully in a firmware update, Gopro will allow for “high temp” option like Sony cameras has and now Canon R3 has as well. But again, what that does to reliability down the road, we don’t have enough empirical data.

If consumers want long form shooting, look elsewhere or realize who shoots high frame rates and resolution as it is a memory hog and processing it will be taxing.

It seems other YT’ers are just producing click bates and/or getting paid by Gopro competitors to just sabotage and poke holes instead of doing real world test that you’ve done in this video.

Gopro should have you as a brand ambassador and/or pay you for doing this! I’m not loyal to them or anyone, just calling bs for those who purposely try to trash a product, brand, or company when clearly it’s user error and not knowing what is was designed for.

Those who compare smartphones to this, I’ll say good luck taking your expensive phones underwater and/or rugged outdoors and see how the stabilization will hold up. But then again, smartphones are not built for extreme action sports so doing so only means doing those tests would also be poking holes.

[voluntarypropaganda]

This is such top tier content its crazy! Rays dedication is beyond what we deserve, this channel is the A1 of camera tech channels. Unrivaled and unmatched

[NeutralGenericUser]

These tests are so comprehensive, it's mind boggling. Thank you so much for doing this 🙏

[JonRuns]

I love that you did this! These are the kind of nerdy ideas that I have, but never execute on. You're the hardest working sports tech Youtuber!

[MrZajfu]

Finally legit test. Not like one of the table top tests. Great job !

[llama]

That is why I love this channel! Effort is insane!

[davidness]

I must admit that I was having second thoughts about adding the GoPro 10 to my collection because of the overheating issue…. But did it anyway. but thanks to your detailed analysis I’m glad I’ve done it

[EverythingIsPhotogenic]

Great work on this! I think people get out over their skis a bit when they get fixated on the overheating concerns. In 2021, people lose sight of what these cameras are ^designed^ to do and have, what I think, are unrealistic expectations. There is an expectation that these $400 dollar cameras at less than 4 inches (Diagonal) is somehow going to "do it all." Even $6K hybrid mirrorless cameras don't have an unlimited recording at high rates. In fact, recording over 30 minutes at 4K at lower frame rates can prove problematic on much more expensive devices released in the last 18 months - albeit at higher bitrates.
I think the point is, that 99% of people who use this camera - even at higher frame rates - will never run into overheating at a typical use case. They will grab their clip, or maybe a 20-30 minute run in environments with an abundance of natural cooling and be very pleased with the results. Yes, setting up a locked-off camera to record non-stop at 4K 120 or 5.3K 60 has a decent chance of presenting some issues, but you have to ask why at that point. I think some people think the higher the frame rate, the better, not understanding that 120P has very specific use cases (If you've ever watched something published in 120P - it looks like a video game and is NOT appealing). Thus, when it's available, they crank the settings to max and just let it run just to edit into a 30FPS or 24FPS timeline. This is not an intelligent approach for any camera, least of all these small devices with minimal appreciable heat dissipation capacity. High frame rates at high resolution should be used strategically for cases where footage might be slowed down or published for something like a sports broadcast. If you really want to make sure you have the capability to use slow motion "just in case, " for everyday users, 1080 at a high bitrate runs much cooler and is seemingly limited only by battery and memory card capacity at this point. 99.9 percent of people who watch your video will never know the difference unless they are watching it on a big screen - even that is questionable.
Am I disappointed in the slight performance reduction "out of the box" over the 9? A little, but I also understand there is more processing work being done for settings that, at face value, are the same. It is more than just resolution and frame rate is increased on this camera, better stabilization, better screen quality and response, better color...and all those improvements are a net positive to the quality of the footage. I sort of expect, that with some time and use, we might see firmware updates that could buy some extra filming time - much like Canon was able to do with their R5/R6 models. Even with these limitations, GoPro still puts out the best video quality in the action cam market, and when I see people throw around blanket comparisons like "but DJI" or "Well, the Insta360, " I find it pretty disingenuous. It doesn't take a film nerd to look at the footage and tell the difference. What each customer needs to decide is what are their priorities? If it's quality and depth understanding that there are limitations, use the GoPro. If it's additional recording length with a willingness to sacrifice a little quality, there are other alternatives that can generate serviceable results.
Thanks again Ray for going through all the painstaking work that most people won't do on these devices.

[nu.perspective]

This is, by far, the most comprehensive and in-depth review of GP overheating video to date. I've seen so many YouTubers testing/addressing this topic in the wrong way, mostly indoors at a desk with no/minimal airflow, which is not what this camera is designed for. Great work in gathering all the data points and translating them into real-life context!

[CaliforniaTravelVideos]

WOW DCR, unbelievably thorough testing - GoPro should make you their Underwriter's Lab and Consumers Reports for their action cameras!!! Kudos for sharing the fruits of your labor😎

[thomasseagrave]

Really appreciate the obsession to the tests in this video. Great entertainment as always.

[bikingchupei]

glad to see that what i've always experienced was proven by your test, i could record 3+ hours(battery removed, connected to a power bank) of 4k60 footage when i'm cycling even if it's 34 degrees Celsius(93.2 Fahrenheit) outside because there is constant airflow, but when i have it stationed in the car, even if i blast the AC, it will still overheat.

[KarlRock]

My Hero 10 overheats all summer long in India. It overheats while I vlog outdoors after 3.5 minutes at 32 degrees (with humidity it feels around 40). I film at 4K 50fps. Half my batteries have expanded in size too. So yeah, it’s important to shoot short shots during summer. I’ve used it vlogging outdoors during heat waves at 45 degrees and it dies very quickly. Ps. If vlogging at those temperatures don’t forget to drink oral rehydration salts because it’s easy to dehydrate as a vlogger.