GET STARTED WITH YOUR CAMERA

The best accessories to buy and settings to use for different scenes

Unlike a standard camera, an action device comes into its own when paired with the right accessories. Whatever brand your action camera belongs to, there will be plenty of options to expand the potential for stills images. From additional waterproof housings, to mounts, clamps and handles, there are gadgets from branded names and third-party manufacturers.

That said, GoPro offers the most versatile and useful accessories for a huge range of situations. As they’re also the most common action brand, we’ll focus on the range of accessories for them here. You might be planning to take your camera on bike rides to capture the sense of speed and freedom, in which case a helmet or chest mount will be the perfect fit.

Or, if you’re trying to create videos of professional quality with a GoPro, then an external microphone is a great idea, as this will vastly improve your audio.

Even if you’re still rocking an older GoPro Hero camera such as the Hero3 (and why wouldn’t you if it still works?), there are loads of great accessories that can improve your shooting.

MAX LENS MOD

AN ADDITION FOR THE GOPRO HERO9 BLACK AND NEWER HERO10 BLACK IS ITS REMOVABLE LENS COVER, ALLOWING THE ATTACHMENT OF THIS SUPER-WIDE LENS.

KARMA GRIP

THIS GIMBAL CREATES SMOOTH FOOTAGE WITH A 3-AXIS STABILISATION SYSTEM, AND INTEGRATED BUTTONS ON THE GRIP MAKE CAMERA CONTROL EASIER.

FLOATY

THIS BUOYANCY AID MEANS YOUR GOPRO WON’T GET THAT SINKING FEELING IF YOU DROP IT IN THE WATER. THE BRIGHT ORANGE COLOURING ALSO MAKES IT EASY TO SEE IF YOU LOSE YOUR GRIP ON THE CAMERA.

MEDIA MOD

THIS WRAPAROUND ADDS A DIRECTIONAL MIC, HDMI OUTPUT AND TWO COLD SHOES TO GOPRO’S FLAGSHIP CAMERA, AND ENABLES PRO AUDIO RECORDING.

JOBY GORILLAPOD ACTION TRIPOD

WITH ITS FLEXIBLE, MULTI-JOINTED LEGS AND GRIPPY, RUBBERISED FEET, THIS LEGENDARY TRIPOD SUITS ALL BRANDS OF ACTION CAMERA.

LIGHT MOD

WITH UP TO 200 LUMENS OF BRIGHTNESS, THIS COMPACT MODULE GIVES YOU CRISP DETAIL, EVEN WHEN USING YOUR GOPRO IN LOW LIGHT CONDITIONS.

DISPLAY MOD

GIVE YOUR GOPRO HERO8 A FLIP-UP SCREEN OR UPGRADE YOUR HERO9 OR HERO10. IT FEATURES A BUILT-IN RECHARGEABLE BATTERY AND MICRO-HDMI CONNECTOR.

SUCTION CUP

MOUNT YOUR GOPRO ONTO A CAR, BOAT OR DIRT BIKE – IN FACT, ANYTHING WITH A SUITABLE FLAT SURFACE. THE CUP’S GRIP HAS BEEN TESTED AT SPEEDS OF MORE THAN 150MPH.

THE HANDLER

THIS IS BOTH A HANDGRIP AND A FLOTATION DEVICE AND, THANKS TO THE BUILT-IN QUICK-RELEASE PLATE, IT’S EASY TO SWAP THE CAMERA FROM ONE MOUNT TO ANOTHER.