GoPro 4K vs 1080p: Which Should You Choose in Different Situations

Update: Equipped with the 27-megapixel sensor, the new GoPro HERO12 Black can capture hi-res videos up cinematic 5.3K60, 4K120 and 2.7K240, and 10-bit color.

Talking about video resolution, 1080p is still the dominant but 4K is uprising a lot. GoPro HERO cameras, as the best action cameras, especially GoPro HERO12, HERO11 Black and MAX, are favored by many extreme sports fans. Owing to its small, portable, waterproof features and many other advantages, people often use it to capture crisp 4K/1080p videos in underwater diving, surfing, skiing, cycling, skydiving, etc.

Do you have to shoot in 4K when using GoPro to record videos in different situations? Does higher resolution mean better quality? GoPro 4K vs 1080p, is 4K UHD better than 1080p? This post is trying to dig out some answers.

GoPro Video Quality and File Size

Before we dive into the GoPro 4K vs 1080P, let's first walk you through some interesting facts about GoPro video quality and file size.

Shooting video in high quality with small file size is always our top aim. But the balance of GoPro video quality and file size is controlled by many parameters, not just by the GoPro resolution. Normally:

• The higher the GoPro video resolution, the more pixels; the better the video quality, and the larger the file size.
• The higher the frame rate, the crisper the GoPro video, and the larger the file size.
• Higher bit rate normally brings better video quality. But there is a diminishing marginal utility effect.
• Higher compression ratio leads to less detail loss, thereby preserving better viewing quality.

Based on these theories, we can derive some basic deductions about GoPro HERO 4K vs 1080p. If you use GoPro to record videos in 4K, you'll get better video quality but a larger file size than those in 1080p. GoPro 4K 60fps will have a better quality yet a bigger file size than the 4K 30fps. And if you choose HEVC codec to record 4K video with GoPro HERO, you can get half the size of H.264, since HEVC codec is twice compressed as H.264.

Let's continue to figure out the difference, pros, and cons between GoPro 4K and 1080p in the following section. Also, learn in what situations you'd better set GoPro 4K resolution to record video, and when you should record GoPro 1080p instead of 4K with GoPro HERO.

GoPro 4K vs 1080p: Difference Between GoPro 4K and 1080p

Resolution refers to the number of pixels an image contains. The larger the resolution, the more detail. High resolution video like 4K/HD can be played on large displays without noticeable defects, while low resolution video may display in poor quality.

Pixels are the thousands of tiny building blocks which are blended to make the image on a screen. If you are fairly close to the screen, you can see these pixels. When we talk about a resolution like 1080p, if refers to the rows and columns of pixels inside a display.

1080p (Full HD) contains 1920 columns multiplied by 1080 rows for a total of 2,073,600 pixels. 1080p has been the industry standard for high-definition displays and most TV shows, movies, and video games are distributed in 1080p.

4K UHD (3840 x 2160 pixels), as the next level of HD, has four times as many pixels as 1080p and 9 times as many pixels as 720p. 4K resolution has become more and more popular in recent these years and 4K content is sprouting up online. 4K TVs have also become affordable for many consumers. Many devices like GoPro HERO11/10/9/8/ Black, iPhone XS/XS Max/8 and more can record crisp 4K videos. And even 4K video editors are everywhere.

GoPro resolution settings:, GoPro HERO5 to HERO12 can record 5.3K, 4K, 1080p, 2.7K, 1440p, 720p videos, etc. GoPro 4K resolution can be used for digital zoom in editing for large 4K screens. Recording videos in 4K gets crisper image but leads to big file size and shorter battery life in shooting. While 1080p can also produce a clear image and it is the most common option.

GoPro 4K vs 1080p: The Pros & Cons and How to Choose

1. The Pros and Cons of GoPro 4K Reoslution

Some advantages and disadvantages of shooting in 4K over 1080p with GoPro HERO models can be put as following.

Pros:

• Compared to 1080p, 4K offers the higher level of fine details and clarity.
• You can downsize 4K footage to 1080p, and the downscaled 4K video is just sharper than native 1080p footage, especially when one zooms in on a specific area of footage.



• 4K gives you more flexibility with cropping. Cropping specific area or unwanted areas without losing quality, since you may not want to go back to record again.
• 4K is better for zooming in without reducing quality. It also adds an increased ability to zoom in on distant objects without drastically reducing image quality. 4K is best for capturing more details in the distant.
• Grab sharper 4K still images. You can snapshot GoPro 4K video to get clearer 4K pictures for blogs or backgrounds. Besides, 4K still frames are good enough to print.
• Shooting 4K is better for video stabilization. Shooting in 4K will give you enough pixels to play with so that effects like video stabilization will have no discernible effect on your finished video.
• 4K can capture detailed, wide-area view with a single camera. Filming in 4K with a single camera can substitute 2 or more 1080p cameras.
• 4K is better under low illumination. It can capture more light and the image will be clearer than 1080p.
• There's usually less noise in 4K.

Cons:

• To get the full 4K viewing experience, you need a 4K monitor to play the 4K content.
• 4K video is very large. Editing 4K videos will consume much CPU power and you need a very fast computer better equipped with Nvidia/Intel/AMD hardware acceleration.

2. The Pros and Cons of GoPro 1080p Resolution

Pros:

• 1080p file size is smaller than 4K. Recording 1080p video with your GoPro consumes less storage and can record more content.
• It's much easier and faster to edit 1080p video than 4K, especially for low-end computers.
• 1080p is easier to upload and share onto YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook and other sites than 4K, since it's smaller and needs lower bandwidth.

Cons:

• 1080p is not as sharp as 4K.

3. Which Should You Choose in Different Situations

GoPro HERO camera resolution settings can be adjusted according to activities. Shoot in 4K or 1080p with GoPro HERO? Below we list recommended settings for common activities like sunset, cycling, drone, skiing, sport, surfing, underwater, etc.

How to Convert GoPro 4K to 1080p or Reversely

As an all-in-one GoPro video converter that is available in both Windows and Mac systems, VideoProc Converter AI enables you to convert GoPro 5K/4K video from HEVC to any formats that you are apt for including H264, MP4, MOV, MKV, AVI, FLV, VOB, MP3, AC3, iPhone ringtone, etc. and won't pose any damage to the video quality.

Free download VideoProc Converter AI on Windows or Mac. And follow the easy steps below to compress GoPro 4K HEVC/H.264 videos to 1080p at superfast speed via VideoProc.

Step 1. Launch VideoProc and click "Video" option on the main UI. Tap "+Video" icon on the tool bar to import source GoPro 4K video footages.

Step 2. Choose a preferred output format from the Target Format column. Then click "Codec Option" to open the parameter settings window. Locate resolution option and select 1080p as the target resolution.

Step 3. Optionally, you can edit the video like cut video clips, crop video frame, merge several clips into one, flip GoPro video upside down, stabilize GoPro video, and more. Finally, hit "RUN" to start downscalling GoPro 4K video to 1080p with the highest quality.