Night rides, campfires, the inside of a tent: the moments people most want to film on a trip tend to happen when there is almost no light left. GoPro’s answer is to put a lamp on the camera itself, and that model appears among Amazon’s Prime Big Deal Days offers, where Prime members can get the GoPro LIT Hero for $180, down from $270, or 33% less. GoPro presents it as its entry-level camera, aimed at people buying their first one.
Entry-Level GoPro With a Light Built In
The light is what gives the LIT Hero its name. It has three brightness levels and is meant both to lift a scene that is too dim and to film in complete darkness. GoPro includes a diffuser to soften it for faces at close range. Two details make it more useful than it sounds: the light works when the camera is switched off, and also while it is plugged in and charging, so the LIT Hero doubles as a small lamp for finding a zipper or reading a trail map.
Video is recorded in 4K at up to 60 frames per second, which gives smoother motion and allows playback at half speed for a jump or a wave. Photos are 12 megapixels, and the GoPro Quik app can pull stills of up to 11 megapixels out of a video afterward, handy when the best moment happened between two shots. Controls have been pared back, with taps and swipes on the touch screen to move between video, photo and slow motion. I think that restraint is right for the audience, because a first action camera is usually abandoned over menus, not image quality.
The LIT Hero is waterproof without a case, down to 16 feet, and built to take mud and snow. That depth covers snorkeling, a pool or a kayak that tips over, and not much more. The body is small and light, which matters on a helmet or a chest strap where every ounce is felt by the end of the day. It also makes the camera easy to hand to a child on a sledge or to clip on a dog’s harness, uses where nobody wants to risk a phone.
Some things depend on the app or cost extra, and the listing’s footnotes are worth reading. HyperSmooth stabilization is applied by GoPro Quik after recording, according to the product description. Automatic highlight videos sent to your phone require a GoPro subscription and a home Wi-Fi network. Magnetic Latch mounts, which let you swap setups quickly, are sold separately. With 258 ratings so far, for an average of 4.2 out of 5, feedback is still limited. Buyers who want more control will find the HERO12 on the same page at $297.
Prime membership is required: the GoPro LIT Hero costs $180 on Amazon against a list price of $270, as a Prime Big Deal. In the box are the camera, the light diffuser, a curved adhesive mount, a mounting buckle with thumb screw and a USB-C cable. Returns are free.
