The GoHawk by POA Labs: an expansion pack for the GoPro Hero4.
A few months ago, we had an opportunity to play with the GoHawk, an expansion pack designed for use with the Hero4. The GoHawk adds an external universal shutter button input as well as a wired remote LED indicator for helmet use. The additional functionality is ideal for users that enjoy shooting POV stills with the camera without racking up folders of excess images or hands-free use with the mouth operated switches. There’s also an option for a handlebar mounted remote switch for running it on your bars. (see our cameo in the video when we were testing it at the Lumberyard Bike Park)
The remote LED indicator blinks to indicate the camera is powered and recording, useful for helmet mounted cameras. Though we didn’t utilize it, there is also a USB power input that can be used with an external battery pack. (GoPro battery life is notoriously short) Adding a battery pack that isn’t constantly needing to be recharged could be very useful for bicycle or motorcycle riders that document their commutes in the event there’s an incident — something that sadly seems like a better idea all the time.
The bar mounted remote switch in action.
The GoHawk offers functionality so usable you might wonder why it wasn’t included in the design of the original unit. I’d long stopped using a GoPro for still photos due to the sheer amount of time it takes to sort through files for a single keeper.
We found the LED indicator extremely useful when using helmet mounts, and having it means you’ll never have to ask “Is my GoPro on?” ever again.
If we had to choose one, we found we preferred the helmet mount over the bar mount, due to the ease of use and setup plus the option to shoot hands free. I tend to set one helmet up for GoPro photography, and once you get the LED and/ or bite switch mounted, it’s a “set and forget” proposition. Due to the set up time involved with the bar mount, we found that leaving the LED out of the equation simplified setup and minimized cable clutter.
If you own a GoPro and find that it sits more than is being used, adding a GoHawk to your collection of GoPro accessories could make it feel useful again. Let’s face it- out side of road trip or vacation videos, most of us don’t do much with our video files. Having the ability to selectively shoot POV stills could do wonders for our Instagram feeds.
The GoHawk with an optional USB Battery Pack.
Learn more and help back the project at Kickstarter*
*Full disclosure: we contributed images and consulted with POA Labs on this project, and may receive product and/or compensation if the GoHawk is funded successfully.
