You’re standing on the edge of a canyon, or maybe you're just trying to catch your kid's winning goal from the sidelines. You pull out your GoPro, look at the tiny screen, and realize the action looks miles away. Naturally, you wonder: can you zoom with a GoPro camera? The short answer is yes. But honestly, it’s not the kind of "zoom" you’re probably thinking of if you’ve ever used a DSLR or even a modern iPhone.
GoPros are built for wide-angle chaos. They want to see everything. Because of that, "zooming" on a HERO camera feels a bit like a workaround rather than a feature. If you're looking for a massive optical lens that physically moves in and out, you’re going to be disappointed. GoPro uses digital zoom. It's basically a fancy way of saying the camera crops into the image sensor before it starts recording.
Why the "Zoom" Isn't Always What It Seems
Most people think of zoom in two ways: optical and digital. Optical zoom uses glass elements to bring the subject closer without losing a single pixel of quality. Digital zoom is just enlarging the middle of the frame.
GoPro cameras—ranging from the older HERO8 all the way to the newest HERO13 Black—rely entirely on the latter. When you use the touch slider to zoom in, you aren't actually "getting closer." You’re telling the processor to throw away the edges of the frame.
This matters. A lot.
If you’re shooting in 5.3K or 4K, you have some room to play with. Because the resolution is so high, cropping in a little bit still leaves you with a sharp image. But if you try to max out the zoom while shooting in 1080p? It’s going to look like a watercolor painting made of LEGO bricks. It’s grainy. It’s soft. It’s generally not what you want for a high-end edit.
How to Actually Do It (The Technical Bit)
To use the zoom on a modern GoPro, you have to be in the right mode. It won't work in every setting. For instance, if you’re trying to use "SuperView" or "HyperView"—those ultra-wide modes that make everything look like a music video from 1998—the zoom button will be greyed out.
- Turn the camera on and make sure you're in Video or Photo mode.
- Look for the Digital Lens icon (usually it says "Wide" or "Linear").
- Tap the zoom icon, which looks like a magnifying glass.
- Use the slider on the side of the screen to move from 1.0x up to 2.0x.
Some older models like the HERO7 Black had a slightly different UI, but the logic remains the same. You have to select a field of view that allows for cropping. Linear mode is usually your best bet if you want to zoom because it removes the "fisheye" distortion that makes GoPros famous.
The Field of View Secret
Here is something most "influencers" won't tell you: you’re often better off not using the zoom at all.
Instead, change your Field of View (FOV) or Digital Lens setting. In the GoPro menu, you’ll see options like HyperView, SuperView, Wide, Linear, and Linear + Horizon Leveling.
Think of these as "pre-set zooms."
- Wide is the standard GoPro look.
- Linear crops out the curved edges and makes things look "closer" and more natural.
- Narrow (available on some models) is essentially a fixed zoom.
By choosing "Linear" instead of "Wide," you’re getting a tighter shot that looks like it was filmed on a "normal" camera lens. It’s much cleaner than using the touch-screen slider to zoom in manually.
The Problem With 4K and High Frame Rates
GoPro's internal brain is a beast, but it has limits. If you’re trying to record in 4K at 120 frames per second for that buttery smooth slow motion, the camera is already working overtime.
Often, when you crank up the frame rate or the resolution to the absolute max, the zoom feature disappears. Why? Because the processor can't handle cropping the sensor in real-time while also processing 120 frames every single second. It’s a trade-off. You can have the zoom, or you can have the slow motion. You usually can't have both.
Real World Use: When Zooming is a Mistake
I remember filming a mountain bike race a few years back. I was standing back from the trail, worried I'd get hit, so I zoomed in to 2.0x on my HERO9. The footage on the 2-inch screen looked okay.
When I got home and put it on a 27-inch monitor? It was a disaster.
Because I had zoomed in digitally, the "Electronic Image Stabilization" (Hypersmooth) had less sensor area to work with. The footage was shakier than usual and lacked the crisp detail of the riders' jerseys. This is the "GoPro Zoom Tax." You pay in quality and stability for every millimeter of digital zoom you use.
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If you can physically move the camera closer, do it. That is the golden rule of action cameras. A GoPro three feet away from a subject will always look 100x better than a GoPro ten feet away that's zoomed in.
Third-Party Solutions: The "Mod" Life
If you absolutely must have a tighter shot and you can't move closer, you aren't totally out of luck. There are companies like Back-Bone that actually modify GoPros to take interchangeable lenses.
It sounds crazy. It is crazy. You basically take a $400 camera, take it apart, and put a C-mount or M12 lens on it. This gives you actual optical zoom. It’s used a lot in professional wildlife cinematography or for "entomology" (filming bugs) where you can't get the camera close without scaring the subject.
But for the average person? It’s probably overkill.
Another option is the Max Lens Mod. While this is actually designed to make the FOV wider, it allows for much more aggressive stabilization. You can then crop in your editing software later without the footage looking like a shaky mess.
Editing Software vs. In-Camera Zoom
Honestly? Don't zoom in the camera. Just don't.
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Record your footage in the highest resolution possible—5.3K if your GoPro supports it—and keep the lens set to "Wide." When you get into your editing software (Final Cut, Premiere, or even the Quik app), you can "scale" the video up.
This is essentially the same thing the camera does when you zoom in, but you have more control. You can frame the shot exactly how you want it. You can see the pixels as you're doing it. If you zoom in-camera, that's it. You've thrown away the rest of the image forever. If you "zoom" in post-production, you can always change your mind and zoom back out.
Summary of Constraints
| Feature | Limitation |
|---|---|
| Max Zoom | Usually 2x Digital |
| Resolution Drop | High (especially in 1080p) |
| Stabilization | Becomes less effective as you zoom |
| Compatibility | Doesn't work in SuperView or high FPS |
Actionable Tips for Better "Zoomed" Shots
If you're determined to get a closer shot with your GoPro, follow these steps to keep the quality from tanking.
First, shoot in 5.3K. This gives you the maximum amount of data. Even when you crop in, you still have enough resolution to output a sharp 4K or 1080p video.
Second, use Linear mode. It gets rid of the distortion that makes distant objects look even further away. It’s the "cleanest" way to get a tight frame.
Third, increase your lighting. Digital zoom creates "noise" or grain. This gets much worse in low light. If you’re zooming in, make sure you’re in bright daylight.
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Fourth, use a tripod. Any micro-shake is magnified when you zoom. If the camera is at 2x zoom, every little vibration looks twice as violent. A simple Shorty tripod or even a rock can save your footage.
Lastly, check your bitrate. Go into your Protune settings and set the Bit Rate to "High." This ensures the camera is saving as much information as possible, which helps preserve detail when the image is being digitally stretched.
The GoPro is a specialized tool. It's a hammer, not a Swiss Army knife. It’s designed to be in the middle of the action, capturing everything in a massive, immersive sphere. Expecting it to act like a paparazzi camera with a telephoto lens is just going to lead to frustration. Move your feet, get close to the danger, and keep that lens wide. That’s where the magic happens.