Customer Ratings & Reviews

I use it for skydiving. The shots it can get is amazing. The 8k makes a major difference in analyzing videos. If you already have a max, getting the max2 is worth the upgrade.

Over the years, I have had the opportunity to test out multiple GoPro cameras and had been amazed by their capabilities and durability. Well after thoroughly testing the new GoPro Max 2, I can tell you that this one is definitely better. So, let’s go over what makes this better than the rest. Setup and First Impression: Right out of the box, this GoPro just feels like it’s built to take a beating. It’s built with a tough plastic rubberized body for durability, and the lenses are made from hardened glass designed to repel water. The Max 2 is also waterproof up to 16 feet of dept. what is love about this GoPro compared to the rest that I have tested out is that, if you happen to crack, scratch or break the camera lens, you can simply replace them on the go and not have to send it in for repair. I’m not really worried about the rest of the camera body, because honestly this thing is built like a tank. I did a few drop test indoor and out and the camera is still intact. The setup process was also simple and fast. You will have to do an update on the camera before you can use it but that did not take long either. You will need a phone to connect the camera and to download the “Quik” app to and will also need an SD card to perform the update and get the camera ready to go. Video Quality and Stabilization: The 8K 360 video on this camera is seriously wild. I love how the 360 cameras are able to capture everything around you in one single shot. I tested it on a trail ride, ran the footage through the app, and it legitimately looked amazing. The clarity is sharp, and the colors pop beautifully. Even when the lighting wasn’t great, it still held up way better than I expected. Now I was worried about stabilization due to being on a trail and having the camera mounted on my helmet, but I was pleasantly surprised as to how smooth the video quality turned out. The “Quik” app is a powerful yet simple to use tool that is necessary for the best results. After recording you are able to view footage on the touchscreen display on the camera itself or on the app. Using the app will allow you to make simple edits on the go and auto upload as you charge. The camera also offers 360 29MP photos are also crisp, clean and overall great quality. It also features a Time warp option and immersive 360 audio. The 360 Max 2 offers advanced wind noise reduction, which set to your preference. Voice Controls: Max 2 offers voice controls that allow you to record hands free. You can use the voice commands to either record or take photos. There are 12 different voice control options that you can use on your next adventure. Battery Life: The battery life on the Max is not bad at all either. It offers about 70 to 80 minutes of recording on 8K recording. I honestly did not get to use the full battery; I recorded up to 30 minutes and still had about 55% battery left. If you are going to be out recording all day, I would recommend getting an extra battery. CONS: The only negative thing I could think of with the Max 2 is not having a camera case. This is a great camera and for most its more of an investment and granted this is a durable camera, having something that keeps the camera safe and don’t have to purchase separately would definitely be nice. Overall: Overall this is a great camera for all the adventurers out there that want to capture and cherish that moment in 8K quality but something that is reliable. Durable and most all a great value.

In case you are more concerned about getting all the things around you with no hassle whatsoever, the GoPro Max 2 is the type of camera that makes you feel like a better photographer without saying anything to others. Having tested it on hikes, rides, run and some backyard tests of its own it continued to provide video that seemed smooth, stable and surprisingly easy to reframe into something that could be shared. Design The Max 2 looks like it was designed to be used roughly. The rubberized casing is very assuring, the buttons are a satisfying clicking tactic and the mounting fingers built in allow the mount to be switched between a helmet, a chest mount, and a selfie stick with painless ease. The touchscreen is also sensitive, a daylight screen and the menus are easy to understand, so I did not have to venture much on settings after getting my customized settings. It is already waterproof without a case to use in regular water sports, and the lens covers work, though in any case, you should be careful with those domes on your camera. It is not the cheapest action camera on the market but the weight of the camera makes it feel like solid instead of fragile. Video and photo Because of its 8k capabilities footage is sharp and GoPro color science is best defined as punchy but not cartoon-ish and a flatter profile is available should you wish to grade. The detail is maintained when reframed to 16:9 or vertical, which is most important to 360. The skies are not softened and the foliage is never made a mush and the skin tones are natural. When in single-lens mode ( think classic action cam it acts like an ordinary GoPro good dynamic range, vibrant colors, and plenty of bite. It is better than older 360 cameras I have used, there are situations where indoor video can be done, and evening city shots are not as shimmery, but at its limits, dark and high contrast environments will still reveal noise and some smearing. Photos are fun here. You are able to take 360 degrees of photos and then point the camera anywhere or just take a quick hero shot. It is not a substitution of a phone in low light, but when you are traveling and on the go, it is more flexible than the few percentage points of image quality. Stabilization The Max 2 is made at this point. The stabilization provided by 360 is less jolty in appearance, but not the floaty artificial appearance. The process of leveling the horizon is weird I turned the whole camera on a pole and the shot remained visually satisfactory. The video also remained viewable on a rocky downwards slope, so I did not feel a need to make any post tricks. When you have tried the older GoPros, it seems to have been the most outstanding HyperSmooth, plus the I can fix it later superpower of the 360 capture. Audio and voice control Audio is a quiet strength. One can strike a balance between ambient sound and voice and avoid too much wind, which means that the camera immerses. The experience of wind decrease seems more intelligent and less subdued than previously, whereas the existence of spatial audio introduces volume when you watch in 360. Voice commands are also useful when the camera is on a helmet or stick, I was quite successful even in the presence of wind and other traffic noise. Battery and thermals A 360 cam has a good battery life. I made two packs with much stand-by, and two batteries easily lasted a day of the easy shooting. Constant recording on higher performance settings will break it in, like any compact action camera, and I did not experience any thermal shutdowns when outside. I always have a backup battery with me when recording long shots, it comes with one battery. App It is all in the Max 2 as it becomes reachable with the Quik app. It is more fast to import and scrub through 360 clips than previously and refraining with key frames is not difficult: turn your start view on, turn your end view on and the app will pan/tilt itself. The 16:9, and 1:1 exports are one tap, and the output is clean, without the aberrant stitching lines. Heavy projects still have the best path in desktop editing, whereas with social posts, the phone workflow is truly fast. The size of files will be increased, and it is worthwhile investing in a high-speed microSD card and a storage buffer. Accessories The effect of an invisible selfie stick is still magic on POV shots and the standard GoPro mount ecosystem allows you to rig this up to an almost any activity. Compact tripod or grip may also be used which brings the camera even further and enhances the quality of stitching and composition. Who it's for Action-sports people who desire a single camera which can record all the action and leave the selection of the shot to be done subsequently. Travel Sightseeers who place a premium on painless reframing and absorbing views. Individual artists who require stabilization, a horizontal leveling and voice control in a single unit. A conventional camera or a sunny phone may be more appropriate to you in case you mostly shoot stills, talk-to- camera, and desire an optical background blur most. Pros Both 360 and reframed shots have an excellent stabilization and horizon lock Sturdiness, waterproofing and easy assembly with enormous accessory compatibility. Bold color and a flatter profile feature; refined stitching in the majority of the cases. Refraining and exporting have been simplified and are user friendly with Quik app. Better sound and excellent wind protection and voice control. Replaceable Lenses let you easily repair a broken lens insteadof the whole camera just swap in a new lens and get back to action. Cons The files are large and require a high speed card and a higher storage. Low light is not a strong point, although it is better. It takes a learning curve to frame 360 in an innovative way and maintain the subject at an appropriate distance. With GoPro Max 2 you can shoot everything, choose later and not be worried about the stability and provide consistently watchable video with minimum of effort. When you are unsure of whether you want more of a standard action cam or a 360 one, this is the first 360 model I have tried that actually feels like it could be substituting a traditional action cam in the hands of many people in particular, those who post their output to a social platform and require the freedom to punch out a horizontal, vertical or square shot out of the same video. It is a winner with adventure, travelling and one who prefers comfort to fiddling.

I love it to use it. Love 360 degrees views. I always use this when I go for travel

Works great and done amazing at high speeds . Super clear video in good light

Excellent, product and whoever attended me I give him a 10/10

Totally awesome footage of riding my 2025 ktm xcw 300 video

Included- Camera with battery, 2 protective lens caps, adhesive mount, mounting buckle and thumb screw,  USB-C cable, microfiber lens cloth, stickers The beauty about the GoPRo Max2 is that it will capture everything, 360 degrees around you. You don't need to worry about aiming and filming. It takes the guesswork out of it. Then later, you go and edit your footage on GoPro Quik app. MotionFrame is super easy to use. By moving your phone you can find the best angles you want to use. Then the app will smoothly and seamlessly transform it into a 4K video. Your videos will look professionally made. There is even two slow mode versions for special highlights- either 2x or 3x slow motion playback. The touch screen with your menu is easy to navigate. There is a camera mode - 360 spherical capture but there is also an option for single lens. Settings are customizable from the resolution of 4K, 5.6K and a true 8K. There is different settings in the frame rate- 24, 30, 60 and 90. The timer offers a 3 second or 10 second delay. The video setting has numerous presets into which each has further customizaion available. The Quik App allows you dig even deeper into settings and preferences.  Besides videos, The MAX2 makes a great camera for photos. It captures ultra high resolution 29MP 360 photos of everything around you. Using the Quik App, you have the flexibiltiy to edit any of your photos. You can reframe, crop, zoom, and more.  Transferring all of your content is so quick and easy. There's multiuple options for your convenience, whether it's wifi, wired USB 3, or direct from your SD card to your computer or you can use the unlimited cloud storage available to you.  It's so small and lightweight weighing only about 5 oz, but very durable. If you can dream up a place to mount your MAX2, you can pretty much do it. GoPro offers mounts for bikes, cars, poles and grips and even a surtboard. It has a universal 1/4-20 mounting thread so it's compatible with other standard accessories. It allows for endless possibilities for videos and photos for just about any advennture. The other cool feature, if your hands are free, the MAX2 has voice control commands. You don't have to miss any moment. The other really nice convenient feature is that if a lense breaks, you can easily replace it with a new one. It makes it way more cost efficient since you don't have to buy an all new camera and you also don't have to miss any of the action. You can take a quick moment to swap the broken one for the new one and then get back to it.   The GoPro MAX2 is very impressive. It's my first camera with the ability to capture 360 and it is next level. The possibilities are endless with the numerous mounts available and the easy MotionFrame and QuikPro app to make your videos awesome on any adventure you can dream up. 

This my one-week review on the best action camera I've ever owned. I have used many action cameras over quite a few years and this is the best one yet. The GoPro MAX2 Action Camera is hands down the best. This GoPro captures video from all angles literally and at each angle it produces amazing video quality. The set up of the GoPro MAX2 just like the over GoPro cameras is straight forward. Everything came in the box that was needed to get started including an easy-to-follow guide the helped with the initial setup. I first charged the camera fully. Then I place a high-quality micro-SD card in the GoPro, turned it on and linked it to my smart phone. Once linked, I let the camera and phone go through the process of updating the camera and preparing it for use. This process took a little while, but I wasn’t a long wait at all. Once the GoPro MAX2 was finished with the set-up process I utilized the mounting attachments to attach the camera to my side by side. Utilizing my phone as a remote to control the GoPro, I went for a ride to test the quality of this action camera. I was able to start and stop the camera during my ride. I was able to scroll the feed 360 degrees up, down, left and right to see what the camera was viewing. I could either fix my view to stay forward, or set it where unless I manipulated the camera, the view would say in a fix position where ever it was last aimed. I really enjoyed turning the view to the rear where I could see my buddy eating my dust. Upon completion of my ride. I was able to take my camera; connect it to my pc and down load the footage I had captured. The process was really simple utilizing the GoPro Player I was able to view my footage and edit clips, changing angles to the ones I preferred. GoPro has really made it easy to become good at producing and editing video. The one provided battery, has very good battery life to capture tons a video. This camera is packed with tons of great features such as the 360 degrees of viewing angle. If a lens is damaged, they can easily be replaced. It has an exceptionally large viewing screen on the camera itself. Both the memory card and battery can be removed, with that, the possibility of changing out batteries and memory cards is on bound by how many you bring with you. It uses a USB-C type connection which is now common with most electronic devices. All in all, the GoPro MAX2 is one of the best action cameras you’ll find on the market period. It comes loaded with features and options. It’s highly user friendly and extremely rugged. Its easily operated by a cellphone and captures amazing quality video. This is a camera that I highly recommend and it now goes with me on every ride to document loads of fun with friends and family.

Having owned a GoPro Hero in the past, I have some experience with these cameras and was excited to get my hands on one of their newest models. The Max 2 is better by leaps and bounds and impressed me with how many things it improves upon. Pros: - First, the video and image quality is second to none. The 8k resolution is breathtaking. I've been taking photos and recording video for the past several days and am in awe with the results. - A downside to older GoPro models is that if you damaged your camera lense or the battery began to degrade or fail, the device could become basically useless. With this model, not only can you replace the battery (or keep a secondary one handy), but the lenses can be replaced if damaged. These features are very welcome, especially since GoPros are so commonly used with outdoor activities where they are constantly at risk of damage. It's nice to know that my investment in a high quality camera like this is less risky. - The dual-lense 360 degree capture feature is innovative and remarkable. Being able to capture moments in front and behind the camera at the exact same time lends itself to some really incredible opportunities for creators. I could see this feature being used at live events where you can see the crowd's reaction at the exact same time as memorable events occur during an event/game. Or imagine skydiving and being able to capture a 360 degree view! - The GoPro Quik app is really well designed. You can tell that great care was taken to make it user-friendly and feature rich. It is first used to connect the camera and update the firmware, but then becomes your companion to do so many other things. I loved being able to use my phone to get a near real-time view of what the camera's lense was seeing. Cons: - It took me a few minutes to figure out how to open the battery compartment where the SD card is also installed. Documentation didn't give me any hints as to how to get in there so it took a little trial and error and was a bit frustrating. But once you know how it's done, it's a pretty cool design. The Max 2 really impressed me in every facet. It's very well designed and worth every penny for such a high-end camera.

This is the first “360” style action camera I’ve ever owned and I have to say that I am pretty impressed. It is quite cool to be able to capture literally the world around you at the press of a button. The GoPro Max2, doesn’t have many buttons on it. A simple power on and record start / stop button. You could set a quick start up record option with a preset video setting if you choose which makes it even more convenient. There is various resolutions and field of view options but being that this is a 360 capable camera, I leave it at 360 all the time. You can record upto 8K and 30 frames per second but I like to use 5.6K and 60 fps for a smoother look. The build quality of this action camera is very good! It is definitely very rugged. I accidentally dropped it once already and nothing happened to it. No ding, no dent, not even a scratch one either of the lenses. I gasped as it slipped out of my hand and made a loud thud on the ground but it took the fall like a champ. I dropped it from about waist level and it is totally fine. The lenses are supposed to be removable and replaceable if you do happen to damage them, but I’ve had a hard time trying to remove them. I’ll google it if and when the time and need comes. There isn’t many accessories in the box. You get a usb C cable to charge the camera, a battery, and a single mount bracket. I believe it is for a helmet. It has a strip of double sided tape on it pre installed. If you already own other go pros. It seems this GoPro should be compatible with your accessories. So far I have to say that I am very pleased with the image quality out of the camera. Is it better than my phone? I’m going to say probably Not. BUT, I can capture much more interesting angles with this GoPro because of the versatility of mounting it almost anywhere and not worrying about it being damaged. The camera is smaller than i was expecting. It fits inside the palm of my hand. I like that it doesn’t draw much attention. You can walk around with it in your hand or strapped to your body or bag and just film the world around you and hardly anyone will notice. It is cool for vlogging or capturing action , sports and just everyday life. My only complaint about it all, is that it has a learning curve and takes some time to edit the video after ward. With the GoPro Quick app, you can auto upload and edit videos within the app. The app makes it convenient to transfer and edit videos, but be prepared to learn how to edit your videos. I went ahead and purchased a GoPro cloud subscription, it was quite affordable. You get unlimited cloud storage and uploads for your GoPro with this option and when you plug in your GoPro to charge, the camera will connect to the cloud and upload your files automatically. Very cool! I love that option and love that GoPro made it affordable. Videos take up a lot of storage, so it’s a nice option for storing and editing your videos. There is a lot to love with this little action camera. Video quality is excellent, sound quality from footage is very usable with the built in microphones. I need to learn to edit the 360 footage better to make my videos more interesting lol, but it’s part of the fun! Would I recommend this? For sure. Especially if you are looking for a 360 camera. This camera is so easy to use and the option to sub for unlimited cloud storage from your GoPro is great,

The GoPro Max 2 is a fantastic camera to capture everything all at once. No more missed shots. Think of it like this. The Max 2 is like riding in a convertible with the top down. Blind spots are removed and you can see everywhere around you, all the time. Just mount the camera, hit record, and its all in there. I spent my first week capturing trail rides on my ebike. While I did not capture anything amazing. The 8k footage I captured and was able to create/edit with Quik (free GoPro software) was pretty good for not having a camera crew or multi camera setup. Amazing shots are now the norm. Out of the box: Once charged. Insert a fast SD card of at least 64GB (not included) and tweaking of a few preferences, the camera is ready for adventure. Sadly, I wish a selfie stick was in this kit. So be sure to add one to your cart before checkout as it gives you a bit more range to capture more of your adventure. Note, do not make the mistake I first did. When mounted to a selfie stick, the camera lays flat in line with the stick in order to make the stick invisible. Otherwise you will see the stick in some of the shots you might want to use. Video Quality, Quik app: In daylight everything looks great. Full 8k/30 footage is crystal clear and perhaps a touch better than normal eyesight. You can use lower resolution with higher frame rates if space or speed is needed. But, the glory of the 8k footage is what you might want most of the time. I do not see anything to complain about with daytime recordings. Colors look great, image is clean and the edges are crisp. Just be aware darker indoor or night footage could benefit from a night mode (none yet) as it gets a bit grainy or noisy. Maybe an update could help. As for the audio. It is ok at a distance, but even with 6 microphones. All but close up shots will likely want to have an external mic ready if vlogging. When it comes time to edit. I originally thought the true 8k footage would be too large to be practical. But I think when edited to a flat video to share. That video is actually a 4k video when cropped from the full 360 video. And file size after edit is manageable. The Quik app on a modern phone makes the process pretty easy to edit clips of footage and get it sent off to share. After choosing a frame crop. Most important for making the 360 footage viewable is Keyframes and Object Tracking. This will take a bit of trial and error to perfect on touchscreens. But you get some very nice transitions and interesting clips. You will need the app on your phone to even preview most of your footage as the screen on the camera is too limited to allow rotation/pan of the 360 video. Additional Features: First off is the user replaceable lens. If you have rough adventures and you ever scuff or damage a lens, you can just unscrew the bad lens and screw a new one on. Never be left with bad image quality. Second feature I appreciate, the camera is waterproof. Yes, maybe 16ft is too shallow. Hopefully a deeper diving case will become available for anything deeper than snorkeling. Another great feature is the cameras ability to sleep and a press of the record button wakes it and in about 2 seconds it is recording. Lastly, it is still capable of being a single lens GoPro. This could save space if your SD card is small. Or if you prefer less editing and a more straight forward camera setup. Issues: It is fall here in Ohio and temps are around 50°F and overheating on the move has not happened. I do feel heat on the camera after 10 minutes and this might be an issue in summer heat and/or long recording sessions that might cause it to shut down prematurely. So far, the camera has only been warm and not overheated. The Quik app is a bit naggy if you don't login or have the subscription. I use it as guest and it seems to work fine for editing needs. Final Thoughts: I use to think 360 cameras were a gimmick. That was till I actually used a good one. The GoPro Max 2 just makes it so easy to capture footage all around you that even when you think you missed the shot. You just rotate the angle to best see the action. No more are you looking in the wrong direction. And if you get a selfie stick. You no longer get left out of the picture because you were behind the camera. You can always be in the shot with the GoPro Max 2.

The GoPro MAX2 Delivers. After years of waiting for a successor to the GoPro MAX - the time is now to jump back into the eco system. I have used the MAX2 a handful of times and I am royally impressed with its crisp 8K (non-upscaled) resolution, beefy heat sync and replaceable lenses. GoPro listened to their community and learned a thing or two along the way. PROs: 1) Replaceable Lenses - FINALLY! This is a huge step in the right direction. If the replaceable lenses get damaged, you simply twist them off and throw on a fresh set - no tools needed. They can be a bit difficult to twist at first so I would recommend practice taking them on and off a few times to get it down pat. I think it was a miss not to include an extra set of lenses. Including a replacement set is like saying, "The first one's on us - GoPro's got your back". 2) 8K Resolution - Full disclosure, 8K is 30/25/24 fps - which is really impressive, but I like to shoot at lower resolutions and higher frame rates. Personally, 8K files are massive and most platforms compress the footage anyway. While video and pictures look amazing thanks to the new sensor, I probably won't take full advantage most of the time. That being said, it's always nice to have the option. 3) MotionFrame - This new feature is wild. While editing your 360 videos in the app, you can use your phone as if you are directing the scene you shot earlier. It almost feels as if you are recording video of your video in post - if that makes sense. It's a great concept and I can definitely see myself using this for shooting and editing social content more than anything. 4) Over Heating - Thanks to the beefy aluminum heat sync on the front of the MAX2, I can say for the first time in years, my GoPro did not shutdown unexpectedly. Granted, I was not able to test this on a hot summer day, but so far so good. CONs: 1) Lens Flare - Unfortunately, because of the additional replaceable lens, you do get some unwelcome lens flare in your shots when the sun hits the camera just right. I don't think it's a deal breaker, but worth noting. 2) Low Light - The MAX2 is fairly disappointing in low light situations. The MAX2 performs about as well as the MAX in my opinion. This isn't a great look considering the sensor has made drastic improvements to all aspects but this one. I didn't think it was worth dropping my rating because I almost never use my action cameras in low light situations. BUT if you do, keep this in mind.

This is an action camera made to stitch together the output from both wide-angle cameras into a full 360-degree video. Since the software is combining the two outputs into one, you will need an extension pole that is at least a couple of feet long so as to not be visible in your shots when you are using the 360-degree feature. The GoPro Shorty that I already had for my Hero12 wasn’t long enough for the 360-degree unobstructed shots, but it was just fine when taking one-lens shots. You can do either with the Max2. I am including pictures of both cameras to show their relative size. If you already have a Hero, you may not need a Max unless its unique 360-degree perspective and the post-production features that can be utilized with either the GoPro software or third-party solutions. By all means, I recommend getting one of the Premium subscriptions for the Quik editing tools and cloud features and other benefits. I have the Premium which I have been using with my Hero12 but will probably upgrade to the Premium+ to get the 500GB of extra storage and stability enhancing features. Setup required downloading new firmware before the initial use. This required the use of the Quik software which I already had on my smartphone. The process was quick and took only several minutes. Of course, this camera requires a micro-SD card for proper usage, so be sure you have an extra one around to use when you prepare the camera for its first use. The video quality from this camera is excellent. Pixel peepers would argue that 8K resolution feature may mislead you because it is spread around the full output of both cameras, perhaps disappointing those that want to quibble about those things. I am not a quibbler. I am pleased with the output of this camera, and that includes both bright light and low light performance. Of course, there is some degradation in low light, but not enough to disappoint me in my usage scenarios. I primarily shoot in 4K. I think the main feature with this camera is that you can go back and reframe the videos into traditional videos and capture and reframe still shots into photos with either the GoPro Quick or other software. Want a different aspect ratio? No problem. The possibilities are extensive. Battery life is fine. I think I could get about an hour of 4K footage with no problem, but have not confirmed that through my usage. The Max2 did heat up during charging, but my usage for video did not produce significant heat. Of course, your experience could vary. I was able to bring the unit to a 95 percent charge in about an hour on initial set up. The battery already had a partial charge on it when I plugged it in to my charger. The charger is not furnished, but you do get a USB-cable in the box. Another unique feature of this camera is that the lenses are replaceable with no tools. You simply twist them off and on. Fortunately, in my brief period of use, I’ve not had to replace either lens. Note that you don’t get an extra lens in the package: the only two supplied are already on the camera. If you have used other GoPro products, the menu system on the Max is similar. I recommend the Max2 for those who will utilize its features. I’m assuming that most Max2 owners already own a GoPro and have got a Max to supplement their usage with the 360-degree feature. Or maybe you were a 360-degree person all along and didn’t know it until you heard about this camera! Enjoy!

Let the fun begin! The GoPro Max 2 360-degree camera gives you the opportunity to create photos and videos in a 360-degree format. There are also a single camera view and a photo view so you can share them with your friends or social media. What’s great is that GoPro has so many mounts for whatever activity you are doing. For me it’s about capturing winding roads in my sports car and enjoying the 2k, 4k, or 8k resolution. You can capture a single camera view or dual camera 360-degree view. Through the on-screen menu, you can choose the aspect ratio, resolution, one or dual cameras and much more. Once you power the camera on for the first time it requires you to do an update to the software. To complete this task, you must download the “Quik” GoPro app. The Quik app provides enhanced functionality to control the Max2 and creating albums, managing media and Studio edits. Using the Max2 is very straight forward, and the results are beautiful. Colors are vibrant and clear with very good detail. The Max2 uses easy to replace lenses that unscrew for quick replacement of damaged ones. The six microphones pick up all the sounds around you as you go on your adventures! The voice command such as “GoPro take a picture” or “GoPro take a video” are especially handy when your hands are full or unable to press the capture button. On the Max2 is a 1.82” touchscreen, two lenses- one on the front and back and a power button and a quick capture button. The quick capture button is great when you want to get that shot right away without powering up the GoPro. To save all of your photos and videos, the Max2 requires a Micro SD card. Without one you can not save your media to the GoPro. GoPro also provides free cloud storage right from Max2 when connected to WIFI. So whatever your next adventure might be, the GoPro Max2 is ready to save those memories for you to share and remember!

Though I am familiar with the GoPro brand and action cameras in general, this is the first one I’ve personally owned. The GoPro Max2 is very compact but also very ruggedly built. It comes with a battery, USB-C cable, lens caps, lens cloth, an adhesive mount that is curved, and a mounting buckle and thumb screw. GoPro should have included at least one replacement lens since being able to easily replace one is hyped as a selling point. The Max2 is simple to operate – one button to power it on and off, and one button to start and stop recording. That’s it – touch a button and capture 360 degrees around you! All other control features and settings for the camera are easily done either through the Max2’s touchscreen menu or by using the GoPro Quik app. Oh, and one really cool feature is you can use Voice Commands with this camera! Video record is the standard setting, but there is a camera mode also. Out of the various resolutions, I prefer the 8K and frame rate of 30. I’ve found this to be best for photos so they don’t lose a lot of clarity when I edit them, and it makes the videos look amazing. Low-light images aren’t that great with this camera in any resolution, so it’s best to shoot in daylight or bright lighting. features. Other than that, footage and images have been clear with vibrant colors and great detail. Keep in mind that this camera is both a memory and a battery hog. You should be sure to use a micro-SD card rated at least A2, V30 so you’re less likely to get SD compatibility errors from the camera. Nothing can be stored directly onto the camera itself. There is also a cloud subscription you can purchase. Transferring your content is easy, but you will need the app or software installed to view or manipulate your content on the go. And as I mentioned, battery life is short-lived, so it’s a good idea to have an extra battery or two, especially if capturing in higher resolutions or for long periods of time. As for the ease of replacing the lenses, I have yet to be able to get one to screw off! So hopefully I don’t damage one where I have the need to replace it. I like that the Max2 mounting capabilities are so versatile with the right accessories and I can use the standard selfie stick and tripod I already have. The Max2 has a few drawbacks, like battery life and low-light resolution, but overall, it is an amazing, feature-rich and fun to use camera!

This is my first 360 camera. So i dont have anything similar to compare it to. GoPro has always been a favorite of mine. I have several GoPro Hero cameras and I’ve always been impressed with the build quality and performance of their cameras. This one doesn't disappoint but there are some areas I feel could use improvement. Setup is simple and GoPro makes it pretty easy to get up and running fairly quickly. I like the GoPro Quik phone app and I am familiar with it, so when I get a new GoPro camera, I just open it up, connect the camera and I’m up and running in no time at all. If you are new to GoPro, download the phone app and follow the instructions. You will need this for firmware updates and such and it's literally how I process and edit all of my video. The app gets more essential with the 360 camera when you go to post-process your footage. The true 8k resolution and video quality is fantastic. I would make sure to increase the bitrate in the settings though. The menu system is the same as previous GoPro cameras with the exception that you can switch from 360 to normal camera mode. It’s pretty intuitive but if you are new to GoPro, it may be worthwhile to watch a tutorial video on how to navigate the menu. Low light is pretty bad on this camera so if you are going to use it indoors or in low light conditions, just be aware that it's a weak point on this camera. It's unfortunate but I think the consensus is that most users won't be using a 360 action camera in low light situations. Either way, I expected improvement in this area and was pretty disappointed. If you are planning to use the camera underwater, you will have to wait until an underwater housing comes out. The round lenses on this camera make the footage “cloudy” when using it underwater. GoPro is going to release an underwater housing that resolves this issue. Speaking of lenses. One of the great features about this camera is the easily replaceable lenses. If you scratch or break a lens, it's pretty easy to unscrew the old and replace with the new. This is a standout feature vs the competition. The lenses are also made of very durable material that resist breaking and scratching. I haven't stress tested them yet but I hear they are pretty durable. Overall, the GoPro Max 2 is a great camera and if you are in the market for a 360 action camera, its definitely one to consider.

GoPro’s new Max 2 360 action camera is a new offering from GoPro for 360 video. GoPro has added a lot of features in the Max 2 as well as the GoPro Quik App. In The Box In the box, GoPro has included with the Max 2 a USB-C charge cable, battery, two mounts, two lens covers, and stickers. Max 2 Features The Max 2 supports up to 8K30 resolution and frame rate. It also supports options for lower resolution and frame rates ranging from 24fps up to 60fps. The resolution options are good for 360 video. It was also good to see that the 8K resolution is what I can get out of the sensors and that it’s not a lower resolution that is upscaled. I can also select single lens option for 4K resolution. I can still see stitching happening with the 360 video, but it seems to me to be better than most 360 cameras that I’ve tried. One of the best features is the ability to replace the lenses. GoPro will have a kit for extra lenses. This is a great feature as other 360 cameras that I have can’t have their lenses replaced by me when they get scratched or broken. Since the lenses on these types of cameras stick out, it is very easy to for them to get scratches and if I drop it without a cover I would be out of luck. Thankfully GoPro has thought that through and made it possible for me to get the lenses replaced when I need to replace them. I also like that it came with two lens covers. My other 360 cameras didn’t and I had to buy them for those cameras. Heat dissipation was a thought in the minds of the engineers. They made a grill on the front of the camera that helps a lot to dissipate heat. In my use of the Max 2, it did make a difference. The front of the camera gets much warmer than the rear. I did notice that the camera heats up rather fast when the ambient temperature is 75F. I’ll find out this spring/summer how long the camera will run when the temperature is 80F, 90F, etc. The Max 2 also has a standard GoPro mount on the bottom that will recess into the body and get out of the way when I’m using the built-in 1/4-20 mount point in the center of the bottom of the camera. The stitching of the 360 video I have shot with it did hide the pole I had it mounted on. GoPro points out that a stick/pole will be hidden as long as it is at least 14” long. That seems to be right in my use of the camera with a stick as it was longer than 14” and it resulted in the stitching removing the stick. Quik App The Quik app has come a long way since it was first released. GoPro has made it easy to edit and add in transitions through it. I used it on my Google Pixel 9 Pro XL and on my iPad. It was easy to use on both, but was a little more so on the iPad due to the larger screen. MotionFrame worked well on both devices. There is also a lot of transitions and effects that can be dropped on the timeline. Changing the duration of various things that I put on timelines was simple and straightforward for me. I can also setup storing video/photos from the app to the cloud if I want to do that in the future. Up to this point, I’ve been using the camera with an AngelBird v60 microSD card. The speed of the card exceeds the minimum requirement and also makes it a little faster when using the app to transfer video from the camera to my phone or iPad as well as previewing video. GoPro has come a long way with this app. I hope to see them continue to make it easy to edit and add effects to videos. Final Thoughts I like the Max 2 better than my other 360 camera. I was glad to see GoPro provide lens covers with the camera. Even with the lens covers, accidents happen, so a thumbs up to GoPro for making it possible to replace the lenses when needed. The 8K native 360 video resolution is definitely a plus. Time will tell about the heat dissipation and how much the grill on the front helps when the temperatures outside increase for the Spring and Summer. The Quik app is now usable. I didn’t like either when it was first released, but now it works well and makes it much easier to edit video. With the Max 2, I will always get the shot since I can frame it however I want later in the Quik app. Overall I’m happy with the camera and I like that GoPro has done with it and the app. If you are looking for a 360 action camera, then consider the GoPro Max 2.

Having not been particularly happy with the GoPro Hero 4k budget GoPro last year, I was hopefully going to get a bit more from the GoPro Max 2. Packaging is standard GoPro faire and includes plenty of paperwork, Max 2, battery, stand adjustments and a USB-C cable. The Max2 does not ship with a MicroSD card of any sorts so be prepared to either have one or acquire one. I opted to initially use a GoPro supplied 64GB MicroSD card they provided with my Hero 4k and then with a 256GB Sandisk MicroSD when storage became an issue. There is no selfie stick or similar device included. Any and all mounting / holding devices you will have to supply. GoPro has gone with another battery format unfortunately so your collection of GoPro batteries will not work with the Max 2. There is no carrying case of any sort supplied. What I'm trying to say is you will basically have to supply everything outside of the camera, a primary battery, and a few connection accessories. Yes, you will have to update the Max2 right out of the box via the GoPro Quik app. There is no way of using the Max 2 without it but it is a great app so that's ok. Getting into the battery/MicroSD compartment is a stiff process as the door does not open and close easily but considering this is designed for rougher environments it gets a pass. While setting up, I couldn't help but notice the camera really warming up in my ~68f (~20c) room doing much of nothing. I've owned numerous cameras and a few "action cams" but never a 360 model. The idea is to be able to capture everything around you and then through the magic of software either switch back and forth between the cameras or use AI to focus on object(s) to keep focus allowing the software to auto pan regardless of where they are. This is accomplished with the smartphone app and I have to say it is pretty slick. You can use desktop software (aka PC) to edit your footage but you will not get as much pan and AI object focus control as with the Smartphone approach but I like knowing I can dump my files and work with them on my PC if desired. While getting to know the Max 2 (and there is plenty more to learn), I have been comparing it to other 360 action cams and one big benefit is a true 8k capture via 2x true 4k cameras. I didn't realize till investigating other models they use slightly less resolution so it isn't a true 8k experience. I do have a friend with another popular 360 degree action cam and one of the problems he experienced is he accidentally scratched his lenses. Unfortunately they're not removable/replaceable so he has to either live with that or figure out a way to be without it and send it in for hopefully a smooth RMA. GoPro has addressed this making them easily removeable and replaceable. I hope to never drop or scratch my lenses, but knowing they are directly and easily replaceable is a major plus. As for the image quality? Excellent. I've been using it on a few 30-60 min walks strapped to my cap in single camera 4k mode. It is small but dense and I can definitely feel the weight but nothing that is a deal breaker. This has been in single camera 4k mode. Stabilization is excellent. After about an hour walk, I had ~20% battery left. This is not an all day shooting device unless you're purchasing extra batteries and MicroSD cards. Instead, use it to pick the focused shots you want. While trick or treating, I was alternating between the Max 2 8k mode using a standard handheld small (~1.5ft) selfie stick since it has the standard tripod mount (along with GoPro's custom mounting system and magnetic) and my smartphone with a gimble and while the smartphone could obviously capture for much longer, being able to capture our entire wandering band of trick or treaters front, back and side to side and THEN use the software to grab focus on individual trick or treaters was amazing. We wandered about for almost two hours and I made sure to pick which shots I wanted to take since in 8k mode the battery was taking a pounding and could not last a full 2hr session on its own. One thing to note is as it was getting darker, the captured footage wasn't as good as I would have wanted. My iPhone was able to adjust to dusk conditions but the Max 2 wasn't as good at the task. I will most likely stick to daytime recordings with it. One thing I like is being able to connect the Max 2 directly to my phone to use with their software. Much faster than WiFi/BT as the files can get pretty hefty. There are so many editing options that I haven't even touched as I've had no need yet but I'm glad they're there. Overall? I like it and every shortcoming with their Hero 4k has been atoned for with the Max 2 even factoring in the budget procing of the Hero 4k. While it is not meant to be your only capture device on the go for many things or have a long duration except if you bring extra batteries (for true 8k captures expect about ~70min of capture time so plan accordingly), it does its job exactly as you would expect. 8k footage is crisp. It is well built and the true magic is the software allowing you to take that complete true 8k capture and focus in and track exactly the shot you want or just use it as an excellent 4k single camera capture device. Just be prepared to have to also pick up just about every accessory needed to get it where you want it to be.

This is my first 360 camera, though not my first GoPro. It has all the same build qualities you'd expect from GoPro, as in it feels durable and robust, waterproof, and generally user-friendly. There are some smaller details about this 360 GoPro that make me go "oh, that's smart". For instance, it includes a standard tripod threading at the bottom, between the standard GoPro mounting fins. That means you don't need a specialized GoPro mount to mount this onto a tripod (or more appropriately, a monopod). When the GoPro stitches together 360 photos or video, a sufficiently long monopod will disappear in the final result, making for a pretty seamless result. Speaking of 360 photos and videos, you are able to see the seam of where the two lenses are stitched together, particularly where straight lines are supposed to meet. But I would say some degree of imperfections are to be expected. Couple other small details GoPro included are the removable lens caps, to keep the dome lenses protected while the camera is stashed in your bag. The caps can be stacked on one another, so when you take one or both off, you can stack them together (with a snug fit), so they stay together. The other details is the bottom of the gopro is magnetic. It's not a strong magnet, but if you are securing it to a magnetic surface, it can help keep the gopro stable. As for actual photo/video functionality, this is 360-first, meaning it defaults to 360 degree 5k video. You can bump it to 8k. I recorded a short video in 360 8k on a standard v30 rated microSD card, and it recorded just fine. I was worried about a microsd cards being able to write fast enough for the large amount of video data being recorded, but as long as you have a card capable of recording 4k30p video, you will probably be ok with it in this camera. If you don't want or need 360 video, and want to use it as a more traditional gopro, you can swipe down on the touchscreen (or use the app) and switch it to single lens mode. In single lens mode, you can change the field-of-view, and which lens to use. In the Quik app, you can preview the live 360 video from the gopro. You can look around from the perspective of the gopro by tilting your phone or by panning around using your finger. It's actually quite neat. On my android phone though, I got a warning about connection stability/quality, and if clicked into the more details, GoPro explains it has to two with the direct wifi connection to the camera, while the phone is still connected to regular wifi. I didn't have any significant issues, other than the live video being somewhat low quality. The only issue I have with this camera, is I already chipped one of the lens domes somehow. I'm not sure how, so I was surprised to see it there. Fortunately, the domed lenses are replaceable, but was a bit disappointing to see one with a small ding in it already.