One of the most well-known HD cameras out there, the GoPro marketing campaign has been very successful by showing exactly what its camera is capable of. But what is the battery life, lifespan and charging time of the GoPro HERO line of cameras like?
You can expect all models to charge in about two hours and last anywhere from just under an hour on the highest quality settings to over two hours on lower settings. The GoPro battery will have a total lifespan with an average of four years.
Let’s look at the specifications of these batteries from the HERO7 to the HERO 10 and the models in between, how best to use them and also how to get the most out of your camera.
GoPro HERO7 Battery Life
How Long Does the GoPro HERO7 Battery Last?
The HERO7 battery is a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is internal to the camera for the HERO7 White and Silver and replaceable for HERO7 Black.
It is rated at 1220 mAh at 4.40V. The cameras themselves come in several varieties, being the HERO7 Silver, HERO7 Black, and HERO7 White.
For the HERO7 Black, for filming at 4K and 60 FPS, you’ll get approximately 45-50 minutes of footage. At the lowest setting of 720p at 240 FPS, you’ll get a similar runtime of about 85-90 minutes.
For the HERO7 Silver, 4K is run only at 30 FPS will get about 106 minutes of footage, and 146 minutes for 1440p at 30 FPS.
The HERO7 White gets you about 146 minutes of continuous filming at 1440p filmed at 30 FPS.
How Long Does the GoPro HERO7 Battery Last Before Replacement?
Most lithium-ion batteries will last anywhere from three to up to ten years. This can vary widely depending on the situations under which the camera is used, how it is charged and the weather conditions it is exposed to.
How Long Does It Take to Charge The GoPro HERO7 Battery?
With the included charger or a standard AC wall charger, you can expect about two hours to fully charge a GoPro battery. If it is a low energy source such as being charged via USB from a computer, it will more than double.
How to Extend GoPro HERO7 Battery Life?
You can use the lowest power consumption settings on a GoPro which is usually the 1080p at 30 FPS. It is also worth turning off Protune and setting the camera’s white balance to automatic.
Extreme temperatures will drastically reduce the battery’s life, so avoid too much cold or heat. Keep it out of direct sunlight as well if possible.
Batteries will lose charge over time, but if left in a cool, dry place they will extend their lifespan considerably.
How to Know When to Replace GoPro HERO7 Battery?
If you notice the battery not holding charge, charging slowly, or not getting anywhere near a full charge, these are all signs that the battery is failing.
If you don’t get anywhere near the footage times as listed above, this is also a sign that the camera’s battery is not working as intended.
Using a quality USB cable, namely the one that comes with the camera, is one of the best ways to maintain the battery life. Official chargers and batteries are designed to operate at optimal efficiency with the GoPro camera.
GoPro HERO8 Battery Life
How Long Does the GoPro HERO8 Battery Last?
For shooting a 4K movie at a 4:3 aspect ratio, you’ll get about 67 minutes. You’ll get about 81 minutes if filming at the lower 1080p at 60 FPS.
How Long Does the GoPro HERO8 Battery Last Before Replacement?
The GoPro HERO8 battery will last the standard three to five years, with a maximum of ten years. Keeping the camera safe by getting a protective housing will go a long way to keeping the battery in top condition.
Amazon stocks a great official GoPro protective housing that will do the job perfectly and is waterproof down to 200 feet.
How Long Does It Take to Charge the GoPro HERO8 Battery?
It will still take the standard two hours on a 5 volt and 2amp charger, and you should power off the camera as well as the Wi-Fi/GPS/Connections/Voice Command and other settings.
Remove any BacPac accessories and charge in a stable, room temperature environment.
How to Extend GoPro HERO8 Battery Life?
To get the most filming time with a GoPro, you can examine this battery life information chart from GoPro support to see what settings get you the battery life you want.
It’s worth shooting some test footage and viewing it, as the quality will be quite a lot different even going from high to low FPS.
Do the usual preventative steps to keep the battery operating well such as keeping it out of very cold or hot temperatures; specifically you don’t want to keep moving between large temperature swings.
How to Know When to Replace GoPro HERO8 Battery?
The usual signs will be the battery not holding its charge, charging extremely slowly or not at all, or being unable to operate without being plugged in.
The GoPro will have a red light come on when it is charging, so if you no longer get that, it could be a faulty unit.
Remove the SD card and if possible remove the battery, wait 5 seconds and then reinsert the battery.
Press the Mode Button to see if the camera responds in any way, such as any lights coming on.
If there’s no lights, press and hold the Mode Button for 8-10 seconds.
After releasing the button, leave the camera alone for a bit then tap the Mode Button again to see if it responds.
With the battery removed, try using the GoPro USB Type-C cable and hit the Mode button. If you’ve still got no action, try a replacement cable.
If it is turning on but not holding its charge, it may also be worthwhile to try a different USB cable and make sure it is charging via the wall socket rather than via a computer.
GoPro HERO9 Battery Life
How Long Does the GoPro HERO9 Battery Last?
Battery life for the HERO9 will differ depending on whether HyperSmooth is on or off. To get 95 minutes of filming at 5K, you’ll need to film at 24 FPS. With HyperSmooth set to High, you’ll get about 145 minutes of filming at 1080p at 24 FPS.
The HERO5, 6, 7, and 8 external battery charger won’t work with the HERO9 batteries. The HERO9 has a newer and bigger battery.
How Long Does the GoPro HERO9 Battery Last Before Replacement?
With the standard technology of lithium-ion batteries, you can expect somewhere around three to five years.
How Long Does It Take to Charge The GoPro HERO9 Battery?
The HERO9 doesn’t come with a wall charger, only a USB cable. Charging via an adapter means you can get a full charge in about 2 hours, with double that via a computer’s USB, as it is low powered.
How to Extend GoPro HERO9 Battery Life?
You can look at getting the Enduro battery which works for the HERO9 Black and can significantly extend battery life. You can pick this up off Amazon and it is a great choice as a spare or main battery.
Otherwise, you should try and switch off the GoPro when not recording, and try and keep the batteries warm in a bag during cold weather. Turn off the screen when it is not needed, and switch off Protune (although this will lower picture quality).
How to Know When to Replace GoPro HERO9 Battery?
After a few years of constant use, you’ll likely need to use different batteries if you’re noticing a performance dropoff. However, the better clue is in the response of the batteries to charging and use.
If they are nowhere near like when they were new, it is time to replace them, although you should expect around 80% or so efficiency after a year or so.
GoPro HERO10 Battery Life
How Long Does the GoPro HERO10 Battery Last?
At 5.3K filming at the top rate of 60 FPS, you’ll get 47 minutes compared to 74 minutes at 30 FPS for the same resolution. This is for HyperSmooth set to standard and high, respectively.
You’ll get 120 minutes with HyperSmooth set to high when filming at 1080p at 30 FPS.
How Long Does the GoPro HERO10 Battery Last Before Replacement?
Generally, you can expect around three to five years but if you’re going with the Enduro battery you should get about 20% more than that.
How Long Does It Take to Charge the GoPro HERO10 Battery?
Budget about 240 minutes for a full charge off an AC wall charger. It’s best if you have the camera turned off while charging for best results.
How to Extend GoPro HERO10 Battery Life?
The 5.3K setting of the GoPro HERO10 is one of the biggest drainers of the battery. Even 4K is a very good quality setting, so unless you know you need that extra quality, it can help your battery life if you don’t use it.
Both the HERO9 and HERO10 use the same 1720 mAh battery.
How to Know When to Replace GoPro HERO10 Battery?
Once the battery won’t charge in two hours from a wall charger and won’t hold its charge, or can’t film for the above stated figures give or take 20%, that’s one of the first signs that you should be changing the battery.
