A GoPro encounters many variables while operating, which is why there is no perfect setup. However, the following are my go-to settings and a little insight into why I chose each one so you can consider the best option for you.
I'm using a Hero 12 on my helmet and Hero 9's elsewhere, so these settings are for any GoPro.
Video Settings
Resolution: 4K—Yep, you can go much higher on modern action cameras, but for what purpose? I'm uploading content in 4K, and while there are higher-definition TVs, 99% of viewers will be watching on 4K or less. A higher resolution will only use more battery. Tip: If you want a longer battery life and don't want to swap them out during a ride, consider dropping them to 2.7K or even 1080 if you only share on social media.
Aspect Ratio: 4:3 or 8:7. Although your video will likely end up on a 16x9, shooting with the rest of the sensor has two key advantages. One, if your camera is not mounted perfectly, you can adjust it in post to get the right shot, the Double H. Horizon and handlebars. Secondly, it's better for social media content if you want to share clips of your video on portrait video platforms or grab still photos from your video. Side note: it also doesn't cost you battery life; the sensor is active anyway.
Framerate: 25FPS. Again, you can go higher, but unless you plan to slow the footage down, there's not much gain for the cost of battery life. You can upload content to YouTube at a higher framerate, and people won't dream when they say it looks smoother, but that's a creative choice. Modern GoPros may not give you a 25 option and only allow 50FPS, so go with that if it's the only option.
The key thing is that if you're using multiple cameras, they're all the same. If I'm being a real fancypants and looking for over-the-top cinematography, then I'll go with 24FPS, but that means every camera needs to be set up to the same framerate.
Lens: Wide. Or whatever the widest option is apart from SuperView, that's just too wide and looks ridiculous. It's cool if you like it; each to their own, but just be prepared for everyone to tell you you're riding too fast, particularly if you upload it to Dashcams Australia.
Hypersmooth: On (not boost). Boost is only for running or handheld stuff, but if you mount it on your helmet, you're already relatively stable. However, some might argue that the head the camera is attached to may not be stable if it bounces through the shrubs on a motorcycle.
White Balance: 5000k or just Auto. Setting white balance is only for fancypants mode if you intend on colour-balancing your footage. I've only felt a need to lock in white balance when it's cloudy and rainy, and the GoPro messes up colour like traffic lights. The green lights look blue, but these days, particularly on Hero 12 and above, the colour science is pretty good and not worth the hassle of locking it in, so I go with Auto now.
Colour Profile: Log, but on a scale of how nerdy you are, it's Log, then Flat, then Normal. I run log because I'm a nerd, and I don't expect everyone else to do the same. Having said that, this is probably the number one thing that is worth the effort if you want a super nice, awesome picture. Yes, that's the technical term for it. I run the log, and then with Davinci Resolve, I set the GoPro Log LUT against all the footage, and it doesn't really need anything else done to it. Easy as. If you are asking what the hell a LUT is, then it's probably not yet the right option for you. The next option is to set it to Flat, then when you edit the footage, adjust the contrast and saturation to your liking. The final option is Normal and just being okay with the sky being white instead of blue.
Shutter: Auto. If you really, really want the slow shutter look, which is a pain in the butt because it's an action camera and you're filming the action, not a film, you can lock the shutter into a specific speed. Ninety degrees is about the right. This works out to be 1/100 on 25FPS, which is fast enough for the stabilisation to still work okay and slow enough to show some blur. Any slower, and the stabilisation freaks out and looks horrible. Just remember, shutter speed is how the camera manages highlights, so you'll need an ND filter to bring the light down otherwise, it will look like you're riding through snow in the middle of summer. Overexposed, and not in a fun way.
Bitrate: High. Again, nerd alert, and this will use a lot more space on the SD card, but I love quality shots, so if you're going to do any colouring, this is a must.
EV Comp: -1. This is a little more of a creative choice. There are two main reasons I do this. One is that I hate over-exposure. Like, really dislike it, so I use -1 to avoid the sky being blown out. I also think a good-looking shot is about choosing what not to show. You don't need to see everything in the shot. We're so used to cameras being too good these days that we treat not seeing 100% of the frame as a failure, but most of the time, we don't want an audience focusing on everything in the frame. Unless you find yourself on the Birdsville Track at 9 o'clock at night riding through the dark, that's another story.
ISO Min: 100 ISO Max: 800. ISO min is always 100. There's not really a reason to raise this in what we film. Sometimes, I drop the ISO Max to force a darker shot, mainly at night, where, like above, you don't need to see the corner of the frame where it will be graining and horrible anyway. However, 800 is my default to get the range if I need it.
Raw Audio: Low. This is actually a big one for me. Quality audio is a higher priority than quality vision. Using this mode creates a WAV audio file alongside your MP4 video file. It's uncompressed and super juicy with quality goodness. Using it means you need to edit your audio files and then sync them to the video, but I batch this in Adobe Audition and Davinci Resolve. I do get a lot of comments about the quality of my voice on the video, and it's got nothing to do with my voice box. This is the secret setting. A little extra effort, but if you automate your process, it's worth it.
This is coupled with using a GoPro Media Mod, and we now have some microphones specifically made for MotoVlogging in our shop here.
Preferences
GPS: Off - Battery saving
Boot Mode: Video—If I can't tell what mode it's in while wearing the camera, I switch it off and on again to reset the mode.
Wifi: Off - Massive battery saving, for your phone as well!!
LEDs: All on. You can see the camera in the mirror or look down at it if the camera is running.
Beep Volume: High. I want to hear that sucker over the wind.
Voice Control: Off. Particularly, if you talk to the camera vlogging, it will mistake talking with commands and stop recording right in the best moments.
Auto Off: 5 mins. Battery saving in case you forget. Having said that, I run an external battery, so I set it to Never and keep the camera running. Which is fine, unless it's a 35c+ day.
Backlight: 10%. Keep it low to reduce heat in the camera and,
LCD off: 1 or 2 mins. Same reason.
So, the big ones for me are;
Quality;
Res: 4K 4:3 (Double H - Horizon and Handlebars)
EV Comp: -1
Raw Audio: Low
Colour Profile: Log (worth the effort if you can)
Battery Saving;
Wifi: Off
Backlight: 10%
Res: 4K instead of anything higher
Remember, you need to consider what you are doing with each of these settings, why you are setting them, and how that will affect your use of the footage. Don't just copy.
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