GoPro HERO6 User Manual

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FIELD OF VIEW (FOV) (P H OTO S)
Your camera includes two FOV options for photos. All photos are captured 
a t  1 2 M P.
FOV Description
Wide Largest field of view. Good for action shots to 
capture as much as possible within the frame. 
This FOV results in a fisheye look, especially 
around the edge of the scene. (You can crop that 
out during editing, if needed.)
Linear Mid-range field of view that removes the fisheye 
effect found in the Wide FOV. Good for capturing 
aerial footage or any other shot where you want a 
more traditional perspective.
PHOTO MODE: SETTINGS
PROTUNE
In Photo mode, Protune is available for all three capture modes   
(Photo, Night, Burst). For details about Protune settings, see Protune  
(page 74).
HIGH DYNAMIC RANGE (PHOTO)
High Dynamic Range (HDR) retains a greater level of detail and color in an 
image. This setting is especially useful for scenes that include shadows or 
bright areas.
In Photo mode, HDR is available with these exceptions: •  HDR applies only to the Photo capture mode.
•  HDR is not available for Continuous photos (that is, when   
pressing and holding the Shutter  button while in the  
Photo capture mode).
•  RAW Format and Exposure Control must be turned off.
•  If Protune is turned on, HDR is available only if Exposure Value 
Compensation is less than zero and Color is set to GoPro Color. 
The options for this setting are Off (default) and On. To access this 
advanced setting, see Navigating with the Touch Display  (page 18). 
PHOTO MODE: ADVANCED SETTINGS 
						

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PHOTO MODE: ADVANCED SETTINGS
R AW F O R M AT
When this setting is turned on, all photos are captured with an 
accompanying .jpg image for immediate viewing on your camera or sharing 
with the GoPro app. RAW photos are saved as .gpr files, which are based 
on the Adobe .dng format. These files can be used in Adobe Camera Raw 
(ACR), version 9.7 or later. You can also use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 
CC (2015.7 release or later) and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 (version 
6.7 or later).
In Photo mode, RAW Format is available for Photo and Night, with these 
exceptions:  •  High Dynamic Range must be turned off. 
•  FOV must be set to Wide.
•  Zoom must be off.
•  RAW Format is not available when capturing continuous photos (that 
is, when pressing and holding the Shutter  button while in the Photo 
capture mode).
The options for this setting are Off (default) and On. To access this 
advanced setting, see Navigating with the Touch Display (page 18) . 
PRO TIP: Photos in .gpr format are captured in the same location and with 
the same file name as .jpg files. To access them, insert your microSD card 
into a card reader and locate the files with your computer’s file explorer. Time Lapse mode contains three capture modes: Time Lapse Video, 
 
Time Lapse Photo, and Night Lapse Photo. Each capture mode has its   
own settings.
TIME L APSE VIDEO
Time Lapse Video creates video from frames captured at specific 
intervals. This option lets you capture a time lapse event and immediately 
view or share it as a video.  
The default resolution for Time Lapse Video is 4K, with the default interval 
set at 0.5 second. Time Lapse Video is captured without audio. For more 
information, see these topics:
Time Lapse Video Resolution  (page 65)
 Interval (Time Lapse) (page 67)
Field of View (FOV) (Time Lapse) (page 68)
TIME LAPSE PHOTO
Time Lapse Photo captures a series of photos at specified intervals. Use 
this mode to capture photos of any activity, then choose the best ones 
l a t e r.
The default settings for Time Lapse Photo are Wide FOV with Interval set 
at 0.5 second. For more information, see these topics:
Interval (Time Lapse) (page 67)  
Field of View (FOV) (Time Lapse)  (page 68)
Protune (page 74)
RAW Format (Time Lapse)  (page 69)
TIME LAPSE MODE: CAPTURE MODES 
						

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TIME LAPSE MODE: CAPTURE MODES
NIGHT LAPSE PHOTO
Night Lapse Photo captures a series of photos at set intervals when there   
is minimal light. The shutter remains open longer to let in more light in   
dark environments.
The default settings for Night Lapse Photo are Wide FOV, with   
Interval and Shutter both set to Auto. For more information,   
see these topics:
Shutter (Time Lapse) (page 66)
Interval (Time Lapse) (page 67)  
Field of View (FOV) (Time Lapse)  (page 68)
Protune (page 74)
RAW Format (Time Lapse)  (page 69) TIME LAPSE VIDEO RESOLUTION
In Time Lapse mode, resolution and FOV apply only to Time Lapse Video.
Video resolution refers to the number of horizontal lines in the video. 
Higher resolutions result in greater detail and clarity. So, a video with 
resolution of 2.7K is considered higher quality than 1080p because it 
consists of 2704 lines, each with a width of 1520 pixels. (1080p video 
contains 1920 horizontal lines, each with a width of 1080 pixels.)
The field of view (FOV) refers to how much of the scene (measured in 
degrees) can be captured through the camera lens. Wide FOV captures 
the largest amount of the scene.
Available resolutions for Time Lapse Video are 4K, 2.7K 4:3, and 1080p. 
TIME LAPSE MODE: SETTINGS 
						

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INTERVAL (TIME LAPSE)
The Interval setting determines the amount of time that passes between 
each captured frame.
Time Lapse Photo and Time Lapse Video Intervals  
Available intervals for Time Lapse Video are 0.5 (default), 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, 
and 60 seconds. 
Interval Examples
0.5-2 seconds Surfing, biking or other sport
2 seconds Busy street corner
5-10 seconds Clouds or outdoor scenes with long durations
10-60 seconds Lengthy activities, such as construction or 
artwork
Night Lapse Photo Interval
Interval determines the rate at which photos are captured. Night Lapse 
intervals are Auto, 4, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 30 seconds, and 1, 2, 5, 30, and   
60 minutes. 
Auto (default) causes the Interval to match the Shutter setting. For 
example, if Shutter is set to 10 seconds and Interval is set to Auto, your 
camera captures a photo every 10 seconds.
TIME LAPSE MODE: SETTINGS
SHUTTER (TIME LAPSE)
In Time Lapse mode, this setting applies only to Night Lapse Photo. 
Shutter lets you determine the amount of time that the shutter is open.   
The default option is Auto.
Use this table to help you select the most appropriate setting for   
your activity:
Settings Examples
Auto (up to 2 sec) Sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk, twilight, night
2 sec, 5 sec, 10 sec, 
15 sec Dawn, dusk, twilight, traffic at night, Ferris 
wheel, fireworks, light painting
20 sec Night sky (with light)
30 sec Night stars, Milky Way (complete darkness)
PRO TIP:  To reduce the amount of blur when using Night Lapse Photo, 
mount your camera on a tripod or other surface that is stable and   
cannot move.
TIME LAPSE MODE: SETTINGS 
						

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IntervalExamples
Auto Great for all exposures (captures as quickly as 
possible, depending on the Shutter setting)
4-5 seconds Evening city scene, street lighting, or scenes 
with movement
10-15 seconds Dim lighting with slow scene changes, like night 
clouds with a bright moon
20-30 seconds Very low light or very slow scene changes, like 
stars with minimal ambient or street light
FIELD OF VIEW (FOV) (TIME L APSE)
Your camera includes two FOV options for time lapse.
FOV Description
Wide Largest field of view. Good for action shots to 
capture as much as possible within the frame. 
This FOV results in a fisheye look, especially 
around the edge of the scene. (You can crop 
that out during editing, if needed.)
Linear Mid-range field of view that removes the 
fisheye distortion. Good for capturing aerial 
footage or any other shot where you want a 
more traditional perspective.
TIME LAPSE MODE: SETTINGS
PROTUNE
In Time Lapse mode, Protune is available for Time Lapse Photo   
and Night Lapse Photo. For details about Protune settings, see Protune  
(page 74).
RAW FORMAT (TIME L APSE)
When this setting is turned on, all photos are captured with an 
accompanying .jpg image for immediate viewing on your camera or sharing 
with the GoPro app. RAW photos are saved as .gpr files, which are based 
on the Adobe .dng format. These files can be used in Adobe Camera Raw 
(ACR), version 9.7 or later. You can also use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 
CC (2015.7 release or later) and Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 6 (version 
6.7 or later).
In Time Lapse mode, RAW Format is available for Time Lapse Photo and 
Night Lapse Photo, with these exceptions:  •  High Dynamic Range must be turned off. 
•  FOV must be set to Wide.
•  Zoom must be off.
•  For Time Lapse Photo, the Interval must be at least 5 seconds. 
•  For Night Lapse Photo, the Shutter setting must be at least 5 
seconds.
The options for this setting are Off (default) and On. To access this 
advanced setting, see Navigating with the Touch Display (page 18) .
PRO TIP: Photos in .gpr format are captured in the same location and 
with the same file name as .jpg files. To access them, insert your microSD 
card into a card reader and locate the files with your computer’s file 
explorer.
TIME LAPSE MODE: ADVANCED SETTINGS 
						

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ADVANCED CONTROLS
ZOOM
The Zoom setting lets you adjust how close or far away the subject 
appears in your video or photo. The default is no zoom.
Adjusting the Zoom Level
1.  Ta p  F O V.
2.  Move the slider up or down to the zoom level that you want.
3.  To exit the setting, tap the screen. The level that you set applies only 
to that capture mode and remains until you change capture modes or 
power off the camera. 
Normal Superview
Wide
This setting is available for all capture modes, with these exceptions:
•  Zoom is available for all video resolutions, except 4K, 4K 4:3, 2.7K120, 
and 1080p240. 
•  Zoom is not available when the FOV is set to SuperView. 
•  For photo capture modes, Zoom is available only when RAW Format 
and Exposure Control are turned off.
•  You cannot change the Zoom level while you are capturing video.
ADVANCED CONTROLS
Ex POSURE  CONTROL
By default, your camera uses the entire image to determine the 
appropriate exposure level. However, Exposure Control lets you select an 
area that you want the camera to prioritize when determining exposure. 
This setting is particularly useful in shots where an important region might 
otherwise be over- or underexposed.
When you change this setting, the touch display immediately shows 
you the effect on your image. If you change capture modes, the camera 
returns to using the entire scene to determine the correct level of 
exposure.
Using Exposure Control with Auto Exposure  
With this option, the camera always bases exposure on the area of the 
touch display that you select, regardless of what is in that area.
Suppose your camera is mounted on your dashboard. You might want to 
select the upper part of the touch display so that the exposure is based 
on the scene outside of the windshield and not on the dashboard (which 
might cause the scene outside to be overexposed).
1.  Press the touch display until a square outline shrinks to the middle of 
the screen.
2.  Drag the square to the area that you want to use to set the exposure 
level. (You can also tap that area instead of dragging the square.)
3.  Ta p  [  
 ] in the lower right corner. 
A UT O EXPOSURE   
						

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ADVANCED CONTROLS
Using Exposure Control with Locked Exposure 
With this option, the camera locks the exposure. That exposure level 
remains until you cancel it. 
For example, suppose you are snowboarding on a sunny day. By manually 
setting the exposure level based on your subject's jacket, the images that 
you capture throughout the day are based on the jacket. So, they are less 
likely to be underexposed compared to the bright snow.
1.  Press the touch display until a square outline shrinks to the middle of 
the screen.
2.  Drag the square to the area that you want to use to set the exposure 
level. (You can also tap that area instead of dragging the square.)
3.  Tap Auto Exposure to change it to Locked Exposure.
4.  Confirm that the exposure looks the way you want it to, and then tap   
[  
 ] in the lower right corner to lock the exposure.
Canceling Exposure Control  
Exposure Control is automatically canceled when you select a different 
capture mode or restart the camera. You can also cancel this setting 
manually (below). When you cancel the exposure setting that you 
previously set, the camera returns to using the entire scene to determine 
the correct level of exposure.
1.  Press the touch display until a square outline shrinks to the middle of 
the screen. 
2.  Tap [ 
 ] in the lower left corner.
PRO TIP: For advanced exposure settings, see Exposure Value 
Compensation  (page 78).
ADVANCED CONTROLS    
						

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ADVANCED CONTROLS
PROTUNE
Protune unlocks the camera’s full potential, yielding stunning image 
quality and cinema-caliber video and photos optimized for professional 
productions. Protune gives content creators more flexibility and workflow 
efficiency than ever before.
Protune is compatible with professional color correction tools, the 
Quik desktop app, and other video and photo editing software.
Protune enables manual control of color, white balance, shutter speed,   
and more for advanced control and customization of your video footage 
and photos.
P rotune
Protune is available as an advanced setting for all capture modes, except 
Looping and Time Lapse Video. To access this advanced setting, see 
Navigating with the Touch Display (page 18) . The options for this 
setting are Off (default) and On. When Protune is on, [ 
  ] appears on 
the camera screens. 
Some Protune settings are not available when you use Exposure Control. 
Protune is available for all video resolutions. 
Changes that you make to Protune settings in one capture mode apply 
only to that capture mode. For example, changing the White Balance for 
Night photos does not affect White Balance for Burst photos.
Color
Color lets you adjust the color profile of your video or photos. When you 
change this setting, the touch display immediately shows you the effect 
on your image. 
Color Setting Resulting Color Profile
GoPro Color 
(d e f a u l t) Provides GoPro color-corrected profile (same 
great color as when Protune is turned off).
Flat Provides neutral color profile that can be color-
corrected to better match footage captured 
with other equipment, offering more flexibility 
in post-production. Due to its long curve, Flat 
captures more details in shadows and highlights.
White Balance
White Balance lets you adjust the color temperature of video and photos 
to optimize for cool or warm lighting conditions. When you change this 
setting, the touch display immediately shows you the effect on your image. 
Options for this setting are Auto (default), 2300K, 2800K, 3200K, 4000K, 
4500K, 5500K, 6000K, 6500K, and Native. Lower values result in   
warmer tones.
You can also select Native to create a minimally color-corrected file from 
the image sensor that allows for more precise adjustments in post-
production.
ADVANCED CONTROLS 
						

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ADVANCED CONTROLS
ISO Minimum
ISO Maximum
ISO Minimum and ISO Maximum let you set a range for the camera’s 
sensitivity to light and image noise. ISO settings create a balance between 
brightness and resulting image noise. Image noise refers to the degree of 
graininess in the image.
In low light, higher ISO values result in brighter images, but with greater 
image noise. Lower values result in darker images with lower image noise. 
When you change this setting, the touch display immediately shows you 
the effect on your image. The default for ISO Maximum is 1600 for video 
and 3200 for photos. The default for ISO Minimum is 100.
For the Video and Photo capture modes, ISO behavior depends on the 
Shutter setting (in Protune). The ISO Maximum that you select is used 
as the maximum ISO value. The ISO value that is applied might be lower, 
depending on the lighting conditions. 
PRO TIP:  To lock the ISO at a specific value, set ISO Minimum and ISO 
Maximum to the same values. Darker image 
 
Lower image noise Brighter image 
Greater image noise
100
  200 400   800 1600 3200 6400
ADVANCED CONTROLS
Shutter
The Shutter setting in Protune applies only to the Video and Photo 
capture modes. This setting determines the amount of time that the 
shutter is open. When you change this setting, the touch display 
immediately shows you the effect on your image. The default setting is 
Auto.
For Photo, the options for this setting are Auto, 1/125, 1/250, 1/500, 
1/1000, and 1/2000 second.
For Video, the options for this setting depend on the FPS setting, as   
noted below.
Settings Example 1: 
 
1080p30 Example 2: 
 
1080p60
Auto AutoAuto
1/FPS 1/30 sec1/60 sec
1/(2xFPS) 1/60 sec1/120 sec
1/(4xFPS) 1/120 sec1/240 sec
1/(8xFPS) 1 /4 8 0  s e c1/960 sec
PRO TIP:  To reduce the amount of blur in your video and photos when 
using the Shutter setting, mount your camera on a tripod or other surface 
that is stable and cannot move. 
						

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Exposure Value Compensation (EV Comp)
Exposure Value Compensation affects the brightness of your video or 
photo. Adjusting this setting can improve image quality when shooting in 
environments with contrasting lighting conditions. 
Options for this setting range from -2.0 to +2.0. The default setting is 0. 
When you change this setting, the touch display immediately shows you 
the effect on your image. Higher values result in brighter images. 
For Video, this setting is available only if Shutter is set to Auto. 
For information about adjusting exposure based on a certain area of your 
scene, see Exposure Control  (page 71).
PRO TIP:  Exposure Value Compensation adjusts brightness within the 
existing ISO setting. If brightness has already reached the ISO setting in 
a low-light environment, increasing the Exposure Value Compensation 
does not have any effect. To continue increasing the brightness, select a 
higher ISO value.
Sharpness
Sharpness controls the quality of details captured in your video footage or 
photos. Options for this setting are High (default), Medium, and Low. 
When you change this setting, the touch display immediately shows you 
the effect on your image. 
PRO TIP:  If you plan to increase sharpness during editing, select Low for 
this setting.
ADVANCED CONTROLS
RAW Audio
This setting applies only to the Video capture mode and creates a separate 
.wav file for your video, in addition to the standard .mp4 audio track. You 
can select the level of processing to apply to the RAW audio track. This 
setting is useful if you want a separate .wav file to share or   
use in post-processing.
Option Description
O ff  (d e f a u l t) No separate .wav file is created.
Low Applies minimal processing. Ideal if you apply 
audio processing in post-production.
Med Applies processing based on the Manual 
Audio Control setting (wind and/or stereo). If 
Manual Audio Control is turned off, the camera 
automatically switches between wind filtering 
 
and stereo audio.
High Applies full audio processing (automatic gain and 
AAC encoding).
PRO TIP:  Audio files in .wav format are captured in the same location 
and with the same file name as .mp4 files. To access them, insert your 
microSD card into a card reader and locate the files with your computer’s 
file explorer.
Reset  
This option resets all Protune settings to their default values.
ADVANCED CONTROLS