The GoPro Fusion was the brand's first approach to the field of 360 cameras and, although it had aspects to improve, it was a good product. Now with the GoProMax They have taken a couple of steps forward and are placing a very interesting and, above all, fun camera on the market. For a few days I have been able to try it and this is what I thought.
GoPro Hero Max, now smaller
360 cameras have not come to the fore as many manufacturers would have liked, which is why GoPro and Insta360 have practically been the only ones that have continued to offer solutions that any user could opt for. Because they are not really expensive systems and their options are many, but let's go with the design first.
The first thing that strikes you about the GoPro Max is that it's smaller than the previous GoPro Fusion. To be exact, 20% smaller in size and, therefore, 33% lighter. This is noticeable and appreciated, especially when you are going to use it placed on a helmet or other places other than a tripod or hand support.
Made with high-quality materials, with that somewhat rubbery touch already characteristic of the brand and with a series of details focused on improving design and usability, the highlights are:
- The side cover still gives access to the battery and USB C port, but now we see that there is only a single microSD card slot.
- The hook to place the GoPro mounts is integrated into the camera body itself, thus avoiding the use of a cage.
- It remains resistant to dust and water.
- A very useful panoramic touch screen has been integrated to facilitate configuration and preview of what is going to be captured or has been captured.
For the rest, in these days of use, the feeling with everything related to its design, construction and resistance has seemed very positive to me. What's more, comparing it with other options, the GoPro Max seems the most robust to me. Therefore, if you are looking for a camera that can withstand all kinds of uses and situations (always with limits), bet on it. In addition, it includes a pair of protectors for the lenses, for those occasions where they could suffer more.
Improved user experience
Let's put design issues aside, easily noticeable in the images, and let's talk about the user experience. My Big Complaint Regarding Fusion was the time it took the “stitching” process and creation of 360 videos. If you didn't have powerful equipment, the flow was slow and very heavy. Also, each lens captured to a separate micro SD card, which added inconvenience.
In this GoPro Max all that has changed. By having a single micro SD, the material is recorded on a single card. In addition, the camera itself is now capable of performing the "stitching" process, freeing the phone or PC from that task. So sharing the material on networks is much faster and more direct. 
Speaking of the applications, both for mobile devices and desktop systems, they offer very complete options and the only drawback is that you will have to spend a while to understand how the system works. keyframes.
These are used when you take advantage of 360 recording to create a conventional video and want to choose any of the angles that are captured. Something that, for example, gives the option of having a kind of multi-camera despite having recorded with a single camera.
Along with all this plus the different options when exporting the material, being able to choose output resolution, aspect ratio, etc., the GoPro Max has been a very fun camera for me and with which very striking creative results can be achieved.
And not only thanks to the 360 material, but also to the rest of the modes that accompany the camera such as TimeWarp or PowerPano (270º panoramas) and that super stabilization Max Hypersmooth. In general, the GoPro Max is a much more comfortable camera in every way and with an improved user experience.
Picture and sound quality
By processor and improvements of the sensors, GoPro Max video quality improves over Fusion. Still, there are some limitations to keep in mind and how they affect the use of super wide angle lenses.
Although the GoPro Max records 360 video at 5.7K resolution You should know that it is the total, that of the spherical video. When played, the viewer does not show that resolution but lowers it. Therefore, along with the distortion of the lens, a bit of quality is lost. Although compared to other similar solutions in price it gives me the impression of being somewhat ahead.
If you use the action camera function or the option to choose a specific angle of the 360 video, you should know that: in the first mode the maximum resolution will be 1080p in 16:9 format or 1440p in 4:3 format; and in the second, the angle selection natively generates a video at 1080p resolution, although it can be exported to 4K (converted). Recommendable? Well, you should try, although it will not do magic.
Regarding issues such as exposure and color, here you have the option to choose a GoPro or flat color profile, to be able to edit and have a little more options. In general, I like him and he handles most situations well.
Por último, la 360 or stereo sound capture is good, but depending on the options activated you may notice that there are certain adjustments when there is wind and that they affect the recording levels. To record ambient audio or a meeting it can be interesting, although not for a job where it is required and seeks the highest possible quality.
GoPro Hero Max, a camera that is worth it
The GoPro Hero Max will continue to be a camera for a very particular public. But that does not mean that it is not one of the funniest cameras you can find on the market. Very similar to what offers such as the Insta360 One X or the recent Insta360 OneR which we were able to analyze as well. The strengths of the GoPro model for me are:
- Working with the material, both in the mobile app and the desktop version, is much easier. Also with applications like Final Cut Pro X.
- The option to select angles is the best next to the stabilization system.
- High video quality.
- Waterproof.
- Using a single SD card.
The next step should be to improve the autonomy of use. It's not bad, but it is true that recording with two sensors consumes more and it shows. But, putting that aside, it seems to me a highly recommended camera if you are looking for a solution capable of recording 360 degree video.