GoPro revolutionized action photography and videography with tiny waterproof cameras mountable anywhere. Founded by Nick Woodman in 2002, GoPro became synonymous with extreme sports documentation and POV content creation.
Product Evolution
Hero3 (2012): First Wi-Fi-enabled GoPro, 1080p/60fps video, launched YouTube POV era
Hero4 Black (2014): 4K/30fps video, $500, became the standard for action sports
Hero5 Black (2016): Waterproof without housing, voice control, image stabilization, touchscreen
Hero7 Black (2018): HyperSmooth stabilization — gimbal-like footage from a tiny camera
Hero11 Black (2022): 5.3K/60fps, 10-bit color, horizon lock
Cultural Impact
GoPro footage defined a visual language:
- POV helmet cams: Skiing, mountain biking, surfing from rider’s perspective
- Chest mounts: Immersive first-person experiences
- Selfie sticks: 360° arm extensions before smartphones adopted selfie sticks
- Time-lapses: Construction projects, road trips, sunsets
YouTube Explosion
GoPro’s YouTube channel (11M+ subscribers) became a content hub showcasing user-submitted extreme sports footage. Videos like “GoPro: Fireman Saves Kitten” (2013, 30M+ views) proved the camera’s versatility beyond action sports.
Peak Years
2013-2016: GoPro’s cultural dominance peaked. IPO in 2014 valued the company at $3B. Every extreme athlete, travel vlogger, and adventure creator owned a GoPro.
2017-2020: Smartphone cameras improved. DJI Osmo Action (2019) competed directly. GoPro stock collapsed from $86 (2014) to $4 (2018).
Rebound
2018-Present: Focus on stabilization (HyperSmooth) and subscriptions (GoPro Plus cloud storage) stabilized the company. Creator community remained loyal despite smartphone competition.
Famous GoPro Content
- Red Bull Stratos (Felix Baumgartner space jump, 2012)
- Skateboarding, surfing, snowboarding POV compilations
- Underwater wildlife encounters
- Drone drop experiments, crash compilations
- Travel vlogging (Casey Neistat-era YouTube)
Learn More
- GoPro website: gopro.com
- YouTube: GoPro Channel
- Community: r/gopro