GoPro Slow Motion Settings
GoPro Hero 8/7/6/5 Slow Motion Video: 1080P 120fps vs 720P 240fps

GoPro Slow Motion Settings: 1080p 120fps vs 720P 240fps
By Gabriel Updated: December 19, 2018

GoPro cameras can create silky smooth slow-motion sequences of bike jumping, skiing, skateboarding, water splashing, or other activities. The action cameras provide a wide range of options of slow motion frame rate, among which 1080p 120fps and 720p 240fps are commonly used settings for slow-motion videos. What's the difference? 1080p 120fps vs 720p, which one should you use? In a nutshell, 1080p at 120fps gives better image result while 720p at 240fps is slower. Scroll down to dig out more information about the comparison between 1080p at 120fps and 720p at 240fps in GoPro.

edit GoPro slow motion footages
How to Edit GoPro Slow Motion Footages
All-around solution - VideoProc!

GoPro 1080p 120fps vs 720P 240fps: which is better for slowmotion

Differences between 1080p 120fps and 720p 240fps

● 720p 240fps: low resolution, small file size, suitable for phones, tablets and the web, slow motion 8x, requires more light.

● 1080p 120fps: HD sharp image, bigger file size, commonly used resolution, slow motion 4x.

Compared to GoPro slow motion 1080p 120fps setting, 720p 240fps delivers more details in a shot, making it a better choice for faster objects and ultra-slow recordings. That is to say, 720p 240fps is preferred when using GoPro to capture sports like skateboarding, skiing, biking, water moving, things splashing, and such likes. However, high frame rate requires good lightning since it makes less light hit the sensor. When you produce 720p 240fps slow motion clips with GoPro, make sure you have more light, otherwise, you might get dark and noisy looking projects. That's why 120fps is kept even there's 240fps slow motion choice.

1080p 120fps slow-motion setting in GoPro, on the other hand, will end up with slightly better quality but faster movement than using 720p at 240fps. 1080p 120fps is a sweet spot for shooting jumping, running, and other slower moment. In summary, it's hard to say 720p 240fps is better than 1080p 120fps when it comes to GoPro Hero 8/7/6/5 slow motion settings. It depends on what do you use it for.

GoPro 1080p 120fps vs 720P 240fps: file size

● 1080p at 120fps: about 370MB per minute.

● 720p at 240fps: about 300MB per minute.

The file size of videos from GoPro is determined by the video length and bit rate. The higher frame rate doesn't transfer to larger file size. But resolution impacts bitrate, thus higher resolution means bigger file size (also check how to calculate your GoPro video size). You don't need to worry much about the output file size. With the help of GoPro video processing software, VideoProc, it's easy to cut GoPro video size down without noticeable quality loss.

So, Which Should You Use, 1080p at 120fps or 720p at 240fps?

Compare GoPro (Hero 8/7/6/5) slow motion video 1080p 120fps vs 720p 240fps, there's no real standard use for slow motion. It depends on your final goal. 1080p offers twice the resolution of 720p. If higher quality is the most important factor to consider, then you should choose to shoot video 1080p at 120fps. 720pf 240fps is a good option if you want to create a smoother video with great effects for faster action like the golf swing, snowboarding, skiing, etc. Quality, sports action, file size, slow motion effects are main factors to consider when selecting GoPro slow motion settings. Ask yourself the following questions if you feel puzzled which GoPro slow motion settings you should use.

What resolution do you need? 1080p HD or 720p?

What is the activity you are going to capture with GoPro?

What slow-motion effect do you want to get? Slower or Faster?

How is the light condition? Is it really suitable for 240fps?

Do you care much about the final size of the GoPro slow motion footages?

Note: When shooting activity at high frame rates in warm ambient temperatures, GoPro uses more power.

Also learn the best FOV settings for GoPro Hero 8/7/6/5 Black.

How to Set Your GoPro to 1080p 120fps or 720p 240fps?

1. Enter the VIDEO mode in GoPro.

2. On the main screen, tap the setting you'd like to change. Tap RES and choose 1080p or 720p.

3. Tap FPS and choose 120fps or 240fps from the available options. The camera returns to the main screen.

Note: 720p240 is available on GoPro Hero 7 Black, GoPro Hero5 Black and Hero4 Black. Image stabilization doesn't work in Hero6 when using 120fps setting. Below is a list of GoPro Hero Frame Rate (720p 240fps and 1080p 120fps) support.

Hero4 Black: 1080p 120fps FOV Ultra Wide, 1080p 120fps FOV Medium, 1080p 120fps FOV Linear, 1080p 120fps FOV Narrow.

Hero5 Black: 1080p 120fps FOV Wide, 1080p 120fps FOV Narrow.

Hero6 Black: 1080p 120fps FOV Wide, 1080p 120fps SuperView, 1080p 120 FOV Linear.

Hero7 Black: 720p 240fps Wide FOV, 1080p 120fps SuperView FOV/Linear FOV.

How to Edit GoPro Slow Motion 1080p 120fps or 720p 240fps Footages

Change GoPro video frame rate

You can use VideoProc to convert slow motion videos captured by GoPro at 1080p 120fps or 720p 240fps to a normal frame rate like 30fps.

1. Run VideoProc on your computer, click the Video button on the main interface, drag the source GoPro slow motion video you want to process.

2. Click the codec Option button on the right side to get options to change video frame rate.

3. Under Video Codec Options, click the Frame Rate drop-down icon and select the frame rate you want. Then click the Done button below to save the settings and close the screen.

4. Click the RUN button at the bottom right corner to process the frame rate conversion.

convert GoPro slow-mo 1080p 120fps and 720p 240fps

Get Smooth Slow-mo Effect with VideoProc

1. Load the source clip, click the codec Option button, and click the Edit Video option at the top.

2. Now you should see the Playback Speed slider bar. Drag the slide bar to adjust GoPro footage playback speed. Use the Preview window to view changes.

3. Click the Done button after you've set, then Click the RUN button to start the process.

slow-mo GoPro footages
Related Article
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Gabriel Coleman

Gabriel is a technical editor with several years of writing experience. Gabriel covers video processing, post-production, hardware, Windows, Apple's Macs, iPhones, iPads, and all kinds of technology topics. He loves collecting cool gadgets and trying new things like virtual reality, drones, 8K TVs and the latest 4K games. He also has interests in reading, photography, climbing, scuba diving, and tennis.

How to GoPro Video Processing GoPro Slow Motion 1080p 120fps vs 720p 240fps

Aiming to be the leading digital media company, Digiarty Software, Inc. is dedicated to providing professional and innovative multimedia software for all Windows and Mac users.

RELATED ARTICLES

Easy GoPro Video Editing Tips & Tutorials
GoPro App | Video Editing

HOT TOPICS

Convert GoPro HEVC to H.264 >

Transcode GoPro 4K HEVC footages to H.264 format

GoPro Underwater Filming >

Here are 7 tips for GoPro underwater Filming and post processing

Hero 7 Black vs Hero 6 Black >

Head-to-head Comparison of GoPro HERO 7 Black vs. HERO 6 Black

Home | Company | Contact us | Partner | Policy | Agreement | News center | Video Processing Tips

Copyright © 2019 Digiarty Software, Inc. All rights reserved

Any third party product names and trademarks used in this website are property of their respective owners. All the related logos and images, including but not limited to Apple's iPhone®, iPod®, iPad®, iTunes® and Mac® are registered trademarks of their own. Digiarty Software, Inc. is not owned by or affiliated with Apple Inc. and any of those companies.