What is it?
A 360-degree video capable camera from GoPro.
The merits of surround video don't seem to be immediately obvious to consumers. It's been tested on podcasts and sporting events numerous times but unless there is something genuinely interesting to see at all angles, then the novelty soon wears off.
GoPro hopes to change this perspective, pardon the pun, with its latest action camera.
Good Points?
Design of the GoPro Max's interface allows for intuitive operation with large touchscreen providing easy set up and recording. GoPro has always been at the forefront of hardware innovation in cameras and the unit's in-built stabilising technology continues this trend.
Cycling on rough surfaces is smoothed out to the point that the footage looks pristine which is excellent for the viewer. A good selection of software is included to edit your footage and add some great effects.
Purchasing a GoPro means a wealth of mounts and accessories is also available to suit your favoured activity.
Bad points?
The camera itself is hard to find fault with but, in the end, it's difficult to imagine an activity other than perhaps skydiving which would give enough of a thrill viewing in 360 degrees to make this an economically viable alternative to a straight-on view only camera.
Best for ...
Those creative types with a budding enthusiasm for generating virtual reality content for more practical pursuits, such as training videos or virtual guided tours.
Avoid if ...
You simply want to record yourself doing an outdoor activity which can be done just as well with an older GoPro at a much lower price.
Score: 8/10.
GoPro Max, £479 (johnlewis.com)
Why are you making commenting on The Herald only available to subscribers?
It should have been a safe space for informed debate, somewhere for readers to discuss issues around the biggest stories of the day, but all too often the below the line comments on most websites have become bogged down by off-topic discussions and abuse.
heraldscotland.com is tackling this problem by allowing only subscribers to comment.
We are doing this to improve the experience for our loyal readers and we believe it will reduce the ability of trolls and troublemakers, who occasionally find their way onto our site, to abuse our journalists and readers. We also hope it will help the comments section fulfil its promise as a part of Scotland's conversation with itself.
We are lucky at The Herald. We are read by an informed, educated readership who can add their knowledge and insights to our stories.
That is invaluable.
We are making the subscriber-only change to support our valued readers, who tell us they don't want the site cluttered up with irrelevant comments, untruths and abuse.
In the past, the journalist’s job was to collect and distribute information to the audience. Technology means that readers can shape a discussion. We look forward to hearing from you on heraldscotland.com
Comments & Moderation
Readers’ comments: You are personally liable for the content of any comments you upload to this website, so please act responsibly. We do not pre-moderate or monitor readers’ comments appearing on our websites, but we do post-moderate in response to complaints we receive or otherwise when a potential problem comes to our attention. You can make a complaint by using the ‘report this post’ link . We may then apply our discretion under the user terms to amend or delete comments.
Post moderation is undertaken full-time 9am-6pm on weekdays, and on a part-time basis outwith those hours.
Read the rules here