HyperSmooth
Also known as: GoPro HyperSmooth, HyperSmooth stabilization
GoPro's in-camera electronic stabilization, which uses gyro data to smooth bumps and shakes by cropping into the sensor and shifting every frame.
Updated
What it means
HyperSmooth is the brand name GoPro gives to its in-camera electronic image stabilization. It arrived with the HERO7 Black and has been revised with almost every flagship since, each version promising smoother results and better handling of high-frequency vibration.
The camera records slightly more image than it saves. A gyroscope measures how the body moves many times per second, and the processor shifts and rotates each frame inside that spare margin so the shake cancels out. The trade-off is a narrower field of view, because the edges of the sensor are used as a buffer rather than as picture.
How it works in practice
On recent HERO models you typically choose between Off, On and AutoBoost. AutoBoost watches how rough the ride is and adds crop only when it needs to, so a smooth road keeps a wide frame and a rock garden gets cropped in harder. Some models also pair it with Horizon Lock or Horizon Leveling, which eats into the frame even further.
If you want stabilization later instead, record with HyperSmooth off and stabilize in GoPro Player or a gyro-based tool afterward. That keeps the full frame and the option to choose crop per clip, but it adds a processing step to every file on the card.
What to watch out for
Low light is where HyperSmooth breaks down. Indoors or at dusk the camera lengthens its shutter speed, so each frame carries motion blur from the shake. The stabilizer steadies the frame position, but the blur stays baked in and looks like a strange shimmer. An ND filter causes the same effect in daylight, which is why many riders leave ND off when stabilization matters most.
Do not stack two stabilizers. Running post stabilization on footage already smoothed in camera often produces warping and wobbly edges, especially with wide lenses. Pick one method per shoot and set the camera accordingly before you leave home.
How RawClip handles it
RawClip does not stabilize footage, so whatever smoothness you want in the final highlight has to come from the camera. Turn HyperSmooth on before you ride, or stabilize the clips in GoPro's own software, and then upload the stabilized MP4 files as they are.