Horizon Lock
Also known as: horizon leveling, horizon lock stabilization
A stabilization mode that keeps the horizon level even when the camera tilts or rolls, so the world stays flat while the rider or vehicle leans.
Updated
What it means
Horizon Lock keeps the horizon straight no matter how the camera rotates around its lens axis. Regular stabilization smooths bumps but lets the image tilt with the camera; with the horizon locked, a mountain biker can lean hard into a berm and the trees in the shot stay vertical.
GoPro uses the name on its HERO cameras and distinguishes it from Horizon Leveling, which corrects only limited tilt. DJI calls its versions HorizonBalancing and HorizonSteady, and Insta360 bundles it with FlowState. On flat-frame cameras the feature relies on cropping deep into the sensor, while 360 cameras can level freely because they record the whole sphere.
How it works in practice
To rotate a rectangle inside the sensor without showing black corners, the camera needs a lot of spare image. That is why full horizon locking on HERO cameras has historically been tied to particular lens settings or the Max Lens Mod, and why it may be limited to certain resolutions. The result is a narrower picture than standard HyperSmooth.
It shines on a helmet mount for skiing, on boards that flip, and on vehicles that bank. Some editors also apply leveling in post, which works well on 360 footage and less well on flat clips where corners must be cropped away.
What to watch out for
Locking the horizon removes the lean, and the lean is often the story. Carving turns, motorcycle corners and FPV banking can look strangely flat and slow when the world never tilts. Try both settings on a short test run before committing a whole trip to one.
The second issue is resolution. A heavy crop leaves fewer real pixels, so locked POV footage can look softer next to unlocked clips, especially if you crop further in editing. Keep an eye on fine detail like distant trees and snow texture, and shoot at the highest resolution the locked mode allows.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip does not level or stabilize footage, so decide on Horizon Lock while filming, or apply leveling in your camera's software before upload. Clips with and without locking can go into the same order, and the AI will judge each one by its action, not by its tilt.