The tiny, cheaper GoPro 4K has most of the features you need, with some tradeoffs

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The GoPro 4K is available from Amazon for $200.
• It takes all the most used features of the bigger GoPro and distills them down into a smaller, cheaper camera.
• The battery is not removable.

One of the biggest complaints I hear about the GoPro action camera is that the price — $400 — is too steep. After all, you can pick up 4K action cameras for a fraction of that price. Sure, the output quality is no match for the GoPro, but for most, it’s still good enough.

Also: GoPro’s new $399 Hero 13 Black may be the action camera to beat – and it has a cheaper sibling

GoPro has heard the call and released a budget version of its action camera — the GoPro 4K.

View at Amazon

GoPro 4K tech specs

• Lens: F2.3, 15mm equivalent focal length
• Display: 1.76-inch touch LCD on rear
• Video:
  4K 16:9 @30/25 fps / 1080p 16:9 @30/25 fps / 2.7K 16:9 @60/50 fps
  2x slo-mo @2.7K60/50
  8-bit, 50Mbps, 50Mbps
• Photo: 12-megapixel
• Audio: 2x microphones
• Storage: microSD card (minimum V30 or a higher UHS-3 rating)
• Waterproof: To 16ft (5m)
• Battery: Built-in 1,255mAh Enduro battery
• Connectivity: USB-C, Bluetooth 5.2, 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac Wi-Fi, 2.4GHz and 5GHz
• Dimensions: 56.6 x 47.7 x 29.4 mm
• Weight: 86g  

The GoPro 4K is smaller and lighter than the original GoPro and retains a few of the external features that users have become accustomed to, such as using a microSD card for storage, a removable lens cover in case the original breaks, the two buttons, and the built-in mounting fingers on the bottom of the camera.

That said, a lot has also changed.

First off, the battery is no longer removable. This means a simpler workflow in that you only have to remember to charge the camera, but it also means that if you let the battery run down, you need to charge it before the action can start again. The battery is still from GoPro’s Enduro line, which means it should be able to handle the cold well, but the capacity has been cut down from 1,900mAh to 1,255mAh, a 34% drop.

There’s also only one touchscreen LCD on the 4K unit, on the back, making it a little less handy for selfie videos. Gone is also the 1/4″-20 tripod screw thread on the bottom. Waterproofing has also been slashed in half, down to a 5-meter depth. All this means a serious weight reduction, making the 4K a little over half the weight of the HERO13 Black.

Also: The camera accessory I recommend to most people is not a tripod or microphone

On the capabilities front, there are also some big changes. The camera has been stripped down to a basic 4K 30fps with 2x slo-mo capability that can also take 12-megapixel shots. That’s it.

I’ve had a GoPro 4K in my hand for a couple of days, but because of an issue where I had to wait for the official software to go live before I could use it, I’ve only had a brief amount of time with it. From what I have seen, the 4K offers the sort of quality output I’d expect from a GoPro. I’ve only had time to capture some rather boring, basic footage, but what I got was bright, vivid, sharp, and detailed.

As someone who has been using GoPro cameras for a decade, the bits that are missing are very apparent. If, however, you’re not used to being able to do time lapses or low-light shots or using the various lens mods, you’re going to be happy with what the GoPro 4K offers.

Still, is the GoPro 4K worth $200? 

ZDNET’s buying advice

If you want an action camera for the occasional bit of recording and bashing around, then $200 is a fair chunk of change, especially when you can get a cheap action camera for well under $50. If, however, you want something better — more guaranteed waterproofing, higher-quality audio and video capture, rock-solid stabilization, and a battery that can put up with cold weather — then this is where the GoPro 4K starts to shine, and you start being pleased that you spent the extra money.

Is this too stripped down for the $200 price tag? I don’t think so. The GoPro 4K condenses the main features that people want from an action camera — ruggedness, stabilized 4K video, and broad accessory base of attachments and mounts — and packs them into a small, versatile, easy to use camera.

If you want all the bells and whistles, spend the extra $200 and grab yourself the GoPro HERO13 Black.