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Flying is for suckers! These new mini-submarine drones take a GoPro underwater

While shooting without someone behind the camera is normally a job for the drones (or robots), Seawolf takes that concept underwater with mini-submarines. Now, the latest addition to the Seawolf line takes the 360 experience underwater.

The submersible take on drone photography isn’t new, but the Seawolf line tends to make the idea a bit more affordable with systems that use a mount for a popular camera like a GoPro instead of a built-in rig. The company, TTRobotics, introduced its GoPro subs last year with two versions, one for sea and one for fresh water.

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The Seawolf VR360, still in development, incorporates the Luna, a 360-degree camera popular because of its small size; and uses a GoPro and goggles to navigate. While the sub can’t dive quite as deep as the other options, it’s still capable of heading down about 80 feet.

The rig’s top speed is 2 knots — that’s ocean-speak for a little over 2 mph. Weighing over 20 pounds, the mini-sub is still a bit hefty to use.

The company also recently introduced the Seawolf Chrome, which is controlled with an iPhone or iPad via Wi-Fi instead of the traditional joystick controller. The Chrome has an operation range of about 160 feet.

The Seawolf Deep Sea Challenger, also yet to be released, is capable of heading nearly 200 feet under water.

With the VR360, Chrome and Challenger still in development, there’s no word on price yet. The Seawolf Sport, designed for freshwater use with a GoPro, sells for $999. The VR360 and Challenger, with a few more features, will likely be priced a bit higher, while the lack of a controller could potentially put the Chrome a bit lower.

Hillary K. Grigonis
Hillary never planned on becoming a photographer—and then she was handed a camera at her first writing job and she's been…
GoPro Hero 10 Black: 7 things I love and 2 that I don’t
The GoPro Hero 10 placed in an outdoor environment.

The GoPro Hero 10 Black is the company's most recent addition to its action camera lineup. I've had a chance to spend almost eight weeks with the camera to find out if the on-page specs translate to real-world usage? Here's what I loved about the Hero 10 while using it in my day-to-day life and short travels.
Seven things I loved
More responsive
The GoPro Hero 10 is much more responsive than the previous iterations of the camera. When I reviewed the Hero 8 and Hero 9, one of my biggest concerns was usability. While the functionality was amazing, the usability was not. Well, no more.

Thanks to the new processor, the GoPro Hero 10's usability is as good as its functionality. GoPro has finally done justice to its camera. Navigating through the interface feels on par with my iPhone's camera app. The new camera was a joy to use, thanks to a more responsive interface.
Amazing photos and slow-mo

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The 5 best new GoPro Hero 10 Black features I love to use
GoPro Hero 10 Firmware V1.2.

When I reviewed the GoPro Hero 10 Black in September, I couldn’t help but heap praise on it. Though it’s clearly an evolutionary update to the Hero 9, the Hero 10 goes far enough to offer very real advantages over its predecessor. Between its 5.3K 60 frames per second, upgraded image stabilization, and impressive cloud storage integration, it’s certainly the most powerful action camera available right now.

However, GoPro hasn’t rested on its laurels over the past several months. Over that time, they’ve offered major firmware upgrades and even a post-launch hardware upgrade. With the Hero 10 so dramatically changed since its original launch, it’s worth taking a look at to see what else you can expect from the camera here at the tail end of 2021.
Max Superview
The GoPro Hero 10 features a 4:3 format sensor, but most video these days is displayed in a 16:9 aspect ratio. That typically means either cropping the image or putting up with black bars on the side of the display. GoPro’s Superview mode stretches the edges of the image so that you can take advantage of the entire 4:3 sensor area, but display it on a 16:9 screen at the cost of a fisheye effect.

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GoPro boosts Hero 10 performance with new firmware and Enduro battery
GoPro Hero 10 Front Screen.

One of my few complaints when reviewing the GoPro Hero 10 Black was its somewhat fleeting battery life, and though I haven’t personally encountered the issue, many users have reported problems limiting recording times due to overheating. GoPro seems to have heard that message loud and clear, as they have announced a major firmware update for the camera that aims to solve the problems as well as a brand new Enduro battery.

The firmware (which will be available by the end of October) introduces three new video performance modes designed to maximize the Hero 10’s performance in different scenarios. Maximum video performance mode prioritizes high resolution, frame rate, and image quality. Extended battery mode limits resolution and frame rate to maximize recording times and battery life, while tripod/stationary video mode provides high performance when the camera is stationary, and there isn’t any airflow to cool the camera.

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