First up is the Volta, a beefy battery grip that can double as a tripod for the Hero 10. Its built-in power supply can juice more than four hours of 5.3K 30 fps recording in addition to the Hero 10’s own battery life (more on that below). It has integrated buttons that can switch between camera modes for one-handed operation, and Bluetooth connectivity allows you to wirelessly control the Hero 10 from up to 100 feet away.

We reviewed the Hero 10 Creator Edition, which includes not only GoPro’s latest flagship camera but also a 32GB microSD card; the Volta battery grip; the Media Mod, which is a case with a built-in external mic and cold shoes for attachments; and the Light Mod, which is, as expected, a small light you can attach via said cold shoe mounts. With the app, you can control all aspects of the camera, including powering it on and off remotely (thanks to Bluetooth Low Energy, an always-ready connection), adjusting video or photo quality settings, switching shooting modes, lens styles and much more. You also have a remote live view of what the camera is seeing, which is helpful if you're trying to set up remote shots or position the camera in an awkward position. During my testing, it felt seamless and worked very well. Voice Controls and Wireless Audio One of the other notable new features is 'HD'R video, in both 5.3K and 4K resolutions for video. To be clear, this is 'HDR' in the sense of capturing a wider dynamic range and tone-mapping it into an standard dynamic range space, not true HDR that uses a PQ or HLG curve to present a wide dynamic range in a natural-looking manner on an HDR display. Finally, the Light Mod is, well, pretty much what it sounds like: a little LCD light with a diffuser cap that can produce three brightness settings, ranging from 20 lumens up to 200, along with a strobe setting. Interestingly, this light is also waterproof to 33 feet, which makes it an option for snorkeling or shallow scuba diving.This achieves a neat balance for GoPro - no compromise of the ‘idiot mode’ that we’ve come to know and love, but also the more granular control that the ‘pros’ demand. Since its founding 20 years ago, GoPro has pretty much defined the “adventure camera” product category. Its rugged little cameras have appealed to the human drive to climb and jump off high things, speed down steep cliffs at bone-jolting velocities or launch oneself out of perfectly good airplanes. It’s been a journey, and the new GoPro Hero 10 Creator Edition is the latest travel companion for those supremely confident in their bodies’ healing abilities. So what’s new this year? GoPros are known to be extremely rugged, and all of the accessories in the Creator Edition are similarly durable. The waterproofing issue makes it prone to damage in that regard, but as long as you’re careful about keeping it out of the drink, it should hold up to long, hard use. There are only two physical buttons: a power button along the side and a top button that doubles as the shutter release or video start/stop. Along the bottom, two pop-out tabs allow you to attach GoPro's numerous mounting accessories. This year, they've finally added a standard 1/4-20 mounting thread, making it easier to attach standard tripod plates and other mounting or support accessories.

First of all, with the whole kit assembled, the Volta battery grip is only waterproof when connected to the Hero 10 through an included replacement door for the battery compartment. This means that you can use Hero 10 with the Media Mod or the Volta and have it be waterproof, but not with both. Andy Zahn / Digital TrendsIn my testing, I mainly let the GoPro do the work, keeping in its default 'SuperPhoto' still image mode. In this mode, the camera automatically determines the image processing depending on the scene. It's unclear if the camera chooses either HDR or a standard exposure or if some blending or hybrid processing is involved. However, I was pleased with the overall image quality, particularly the dynamic range when shooting in the harsh midday sun. Images display pleasing shadow detail while also keeping the sky rich and colorful. Video The Quik App gives you full remote control of your GoPro camera. You can start and stop recording, see a live view from the camera, power the camera off and on, and adjust the overall UI/control scheme of the camera (Easy vs. Pro Control mode).

The Hero 10 also claims a new removable lens cover with “water-shedding hydrophobic glass” is more scratch-resistant and helps reduce ghosting than the Hero 9’s lens. A caveat here is that the Volta connection to the GoPro through the Media Mod is flawed in a major way, since while the Volta does power the Hero 10 through the Media Mod, it does not send control signals through this connection. As a result, it’s necessary to connect the Volta to the Hero 10 via Bluetooth when also using the Media Mod. It’s easy enough to do, but it is an unfortunate extra hassle. I’m not sure what the issue is with the control passthrough, though it’s something I would hope might be fixed in a future update. I also occasionally experienced a bug where the camera would freeze up while connected to Volta, and I would need to take the whole kit apart and remove and replace the battery in the GoPro before it would turn on again. Andy Zahn / Digital TrendsThe Volta offers a full 4 hours of 4K 30fps video shooting when combined with the built-in camera battery. Shooting extensively with the Creator Edition, I found this to equal many days of shooting, since I rarely record more than a few minutes of video at a time. I would feel comfortable taking the Creator Edition with the Volta on a week-long trip, with the knowledge that I might not have the chance to recharge it. Of course, your mileage may vary. GoPro Hero 10 Creator Edition - LED Mod and Media Mod audio test Volta: Powering hours of filmmaking The Creator Edition is aimed at vloggers, livestreamers and those who don’t necessarily need to strap their GoPros onto energetic Labradors or something like that. It’s aimed at the influencer set, who live by the mantra “pics or it didn’t happen.” It’s an attractive bundle if that’s your jam, but the whole doesn’t necessarily add up to anything greater than the various parts.