GoPro is getting back into drones, but in a much different way than it did with its doomed Karma quadcopter, a project it abandoned in early 2018. Instead of making an aircraft, a task that proved to be a bit outside the company's wheelhouse, it's going for a camera this time, a stripped-down version of the Hero10 Black called the Hero10 Black Bones.
It may seem like an odd choice for those not in-tune with the drone world. After all, the integrated cameras on drones like the crowd-pleasing favorite DJI Air 2 are quite capable in their own right, and purpose-built for aerial imaging and video.
Bare Bones for Drones
But there's more to drones than cinema and landscape imaging. A healthy market of hobbyists build and fly do-it-yourself models. These ultralight, handspun drones are the ones behind viral long-take videos that go well beyond what the most famous of famous filmmakers have done with oners—it's not out of hand to compare the head-turning bowling alley video tour or a recent flight through the Tesla Gigafactory with the oner that opens Touch of Evil.
The GoPro Bones is made for these types of drones. It includes all of the same imaging and video tools as you find in the Hero10 Black, but in a much lighter, pared-down package. The name itself, Bones, is in reference to the trimmed design, not an homage to doctors Leonard McCoy or Temperance Brennan. Bones weighs just 54g, a full 99g lighter than the Hero10 Black.
To make weight, the Bones removes many features we think of as necessary for a camera—the rear screen is gone, a throwback to older GoPros that didn't include a screen at all, and the Bones is not waterproof or ruggedized. And, to really let you know this one is just for drones, the Bones doesn't have a battery. It draws power instead from a DC power connection; a three-wire cable is included to connect to an FPV drone—you'll need to be comfortable with a soldering iron for installation. The Bones works with the batteries most commonly used in FPV—it supports 26-6S batteries with a voltage range of 5-27VDC.
There's not much else going on with the camera itself. There are two control buttons on the back, Record and Mode. You can use the on-camera controls, or connect to the GoPro smartphone app. Mounting clips are included for GoPro accessories, and is an adjustable clip. You'll need a Torx T9 screwdriver to attach it—this is a camera for folks who own a toolbox. Media is saved on microSDXC cards, there's a small card slot on the side of the camera.
The lens cover is removable, so drone pilots can add neutral density filters for daytime flights, or opt to add the ultra-wide Max Lens mod for an extreme perspective. GoPro cautions pilots to take the weight of the Max Lens into account; it's front-heavy compared with Bones, to keep your FPV drone balanced.
Hero10 Black Under the Hood
GoPro sent us a Hero10 Black Bones to test, but we weren't able to secure an FPV drone to use with it ahead of the announcement. Because of its battery-free design, I've not been able to turn the Bones on to try it out, but inside it promises to have all of the same features as the Hero10 Black—5.3K video capture at up to 60fps, 120fps 4K slow-motion, 20MP stills, and Hyperlapse. You can read our Hero10 Black review for a full account of its performance. The Bones omits an in-camera GPS, but its internals are the same otherwise.
The Hero10 Black has the best digital stabilization we've seen in an action camera, HyperSmooth. But FPV drone pilots don't want a stabilized feed when flying. These aircraft are made to navigate through tight spaces, and a digitally stabilized view means the camera view doesn't match perfectly with a drone's flight path. A stabilized feed can make for mid-air accidents.
But nobody wants to publish a shaky drone video. GoPro's solution for FPV pilots is stabilization after the fact, not in-camera. It's including a license for its Player + ReelSteady Go desktop stabilization software with Bones; if you own a different GoPro you can add the software for $99 if it's useful for your video work.
Player + ReelSteady leverages the same gyroscope data as HyperSmooth to steady video, and can also remove lens distortions from video. This lets pilots film with the widest view available and remove barrel distortion in post. It also includes reframing tools for owners of the GoPro Max 360-degree camera, and basic trim, frame grab, and batch export tools.
GoPro Returns to the Sky
The Hero10 Black Bones isn't a drone, but it's a sign that, despite the well-publicized struggles with Karma, GoPro is paying attention to creators using its cameras for FPV drone videos. The ultralight Bones is likely to be used for other types of projects and videos too.
The camera is available today and is bundled with the Player + ReelSteady app. GoPro sells Bones for $499.99 to non-subscribers, but you can get it for less if you pay for an annual GoPro subscription—$349.99. There is also a bundle with Bones and a one-year GoPro subscription for $399.99.