While GoPro has had a 360-degree action cam in their lineup since 2019, they haven’t really made a particularly big impact in the space, especially with Insta360 continually pumping out yearly releases of more and more advanced 360-degree camera models. Well, it seems like the biggest name in action cams is finally ready to compete in the 360-degree space again with the release of the GoPro Max2.
That’s right, GoPro is finally updating their 360-degree action cam, bringing a whole host of cutting-edge features that should make it a formidable challenger to Insta360’s flagship X5. From an ultra-detailed 8K resolution and 10-bit color recording to replaceable lenses and more, this thing gives the outfit’s 360-degree camera a proper modern refresh.
The GoPro Max2 retains the same rectangular form factor as its predecessor, but moves the lenses on each side to the middle of the top section. On one side, it gets a 1.8-inch touchscreen that you can use to frame shots and make quick settings adjustments, while each of the two lenses are easily replaceable with a twist-and-go design, allowing you to swap out a damaged lens instead of having to replace the entire camera. Since this is still an action cam, it’s built for durability, being waterproofed to depths of up to 15 feet.
It’s equipped with a 1/2.3-inch image sensor that allows it to take 29MP 360-degree photos and 8K 360-degree video at 30 fps. For 360-degree footage with higher framerates, you can opt for 5.6K at 60 fps or 4K at up to 100 fps. Aside from shooting 360-degree videos, it can also be used for shooting more conventional single-lens footage up to 4K at 60 fps. It offers shooting in three aspect ratios, namely 16:9 for widescreen, 9:16 for vertical video, and 4:3. According to the outfit, the camera’s 8K resolution of 7680 x 3840 captures up to 21 percent more pixels than the 8K resolution Insta360’s X5 manages to record, while coming with the latest version of the outfit’s Max HyperSmooth with 360-degree Horizon Lock for stabilizing the footage and ensuring smooth captures.
The GoPro Max2 can record in 10-bit color for over one billion colors of dynamic range, while being able to record at a 300Mbps bitrate when updated with the outfit’s GoPro Labs firmware. Out of the box, though, maximum bitrate tops out at 120 fps. It comes with six microphones to capture 360-degree audio along with your footage, along with advanced wind noise reduction and 360-degree ambisonic audio support, which will be activated later in a firmware update. There’s a 1,950mAh battery onboard that’s rated for up to 66 minutes of 8K/30fps recording between charges.
Other features include a reasonably compact size of 2.7 x 2.5 x 1.9 inches, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth LE 5.3, GPS, voice command support in 11 languages, folding finger mount, a tripod mount, a magnetic latch mount, and a microSD slot. Like other 360-degree cameras, it comes with an app that allows for easy editing of 360-degree videos, as well as giving you the option to reframe them in various ways for more traditional 2D formats.
The GoPro Max2 is available now.
