GoPro reveals Lit Hero - a budget action cam with a built-in light

It’s been a busy ol' time for action cams. We’ve had leaks left, right and centre from DJI in recent weeks before the brand officially unveiled its tiny, wearable Osmo Nano earlier today. Then, a mere hour later, GoPro pipes up with a fresh camera of its own.

That announcement comes in the form of the all-new Lit Hero - an entry-level model with 4K at 60fps recording as well as some fresh features, one of which we've not seen on a GoPro before.

Light it up

The Lit Hero's headline feature is a built-in LED. Yep, this is the first GoPro with an integrated front-facing light, which alone is something to be excited about.

According to GoPro, it's not just a gimmick, as it means users can lift their face out of murky shadows for vlogs, Zooms on the go, or as a B-cam pointing back at you while the main camera grabs the action.

GoPro’s even moved the record button to the front, which makes sense if the lens is often pointed your way. There’s no front display, though, so framing yourself won’t be as easy as on pricier models. Still, if you’ve ever wrestled with a faffy clip-on light, having one built in will make all the difference.

At first glance, it seems the Lit Hero is made for creators who film themselves as much as their surroundings.

Entry Hero brains, grown-up video

Compared to the standard entry-level Hero, the Lit Hero doubles the top resolution frame rate to 4K/60 (up from 4K/30), so you get cleaner motion or a touch of slow-mo without dropping quality.

GoPro’s 4:3 capture is also featured, which is especially handy for shooting once and cropping for vertical later. It’ll also spit out 12MP 4:3 photos if you need socials done fast.

As you’d expect, the body is waterproof to 5m (16ft) and built to take a knock. Power comes from GoPro’s Enduro battery, with the company quoting over 100 minutes of 4K/60 recording per charge - though that will most likely dip if you’re blasting the light.

So, what's the damage?

The GoPro Lit Hero is available to pre-order now for $270 / £239.99 on GoPro's official store, with shipping set for 21 October.

If you don’t need the absolute latest bells and whistles from the Hero 13, but you want sharper 4K/60 and a tidy light baked in for to-camera pieces, this looks a sensible, wallet-friendly pick.