GoPro Hero 4 Silver action camera review

GoPro's much-anticipated Hero 4 action camera, which launched last autumn, has a 1.75in rear touchscreen display for camera setup and playback, and a small front screen showing status. It can record video at five qualities, from 4K at 15 frames per second, to 720 pixels at 120 fps.

• Highs: User friendly, great image quality
• Lows: Boxy shape isn't very sleek

The Hero4 will also shoot 30 12MP still images every second or timelapse shots, and there's even built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for remote control or viewing. The housed camera weighs just 147g and is waterproof to a depth of 40m.

To begin you just need to charge it, install a Micro SD card up to 64GB and mount wherever the mood takes you – a helmet mount is supplied. The GoPro shape still looks at odds with a road bike, but the live display takes the guesswork out of viewing angle setup, and the screen can be toggled on and off.

QuikCapture function powers up the camera and starts recording with one button press – child's play. A Mode button on the front also provides instant menu access. Battery life depends on shooting mode and can be anything from under an hour to around two.

The f2.8 fixed focus lens's Ultra Wide view equates to around 17mm, fisheye focal length, with impressive sharpness from your brake levers to infinity. Video is remarkably flare-free, colours are accurate, if a little muted and the camera manages changeable scenes superbly, handling highlights and shadows surprisingly well, while maintaining good contrast. There's very little pixelation too, so paused video can look still image-sharp.