Review: GoPro Volta

There are gazillion GoPro accessories out there, but now having had a play with one, I reckon one of the most useful is the Volta.

Never heard of it? Nor had I, except in passing, and it appears to be one of GoPro’s best kept secrets.

So what is a Volta? As the name sort of suggests, it has a lot to do with power, with a couple of party tricks thrown in for good measure. Basically, the Volta is a battery grip that doubles as a tripod and remote control for GoPro Hero 9, 10, 11 and 12 models.

So, not only do you get a 4900mAh battery (compared to the standard 1050mAh or Enduro at 1720mAh) but also the ability to control the camera via Bluetooth, and give you a 360° mounting system.

If you are a sadist and like Quik (my opinion only I hasten to add), QuikCapture is supported by wired connection for all the models, but only via Bluetooth for models 10, 11 and 12. Additionally, if you wish to use  the GoPro Mic Adaptor, this can be done using the supplied pass through door and then connecting the Volta’s USB cable to the Pro Mic Adaptor to provide power to the camera.

It is also possible to charge other devices from the Volta’s USB-C port.

Physical

The Volta is approx. 20cm in length with the familiar twin mounting “fingers” on the top. What I didn’t initially notice is that there is a second set of fingers on the side of the Volta that flip out. How they were activated initially stumped me, until I discovered there is a push button above the folded down fingers, that when pressed, makes them pop up. These are useful for adding accessories, or further mounts increasing the range of options for the camera itself. GoPro suggest they can be used to attach the Volta / GoPro to backpack straps.

The bottom half of the Volta has a pair of fold out legs turning the unit into a tripod, and you also get a standard screw thread in order to add the Volta itself to a tripod or other sort of mount. There is also provision to add a supplied lanyard.

On the opposite side to the pop out fingers is a coiled USB cable used to power the mounted GoPro and beneath that in a covered slot is a general purpose USB-C port.

Finally, on the side of the Volta is a control panel with a battery status button, shutter button, Bluetooth button and LED battery / camera indicators.

Mounting the GoPro

Adding the camera to the fingers on the top will be a second nature thing to most GoPro users. Adding the pass-through door may not be though, as the original door must first be removed. This is a simple process of simply lifting it up high and it will pull away from the hinge.

While you can get replacement doors, I recommend you put the original away in a safe place so you can later put it back on again if needed. If you have a GoPro 9, 10 or 11, the obvious place is the GoPro case that came with the camera and accessories, but of course, the 12 in an attempt to save money, the planet, doesn’t include this case anymore.

Once the pass-through door is installed, the USB plug on the coiled cable feeds into it creating a nice seal – that whilst I’d suggest is water resistant to rain, snow and splashing etc, it is definitely NOT waterproof in any shape or form.

As an aside, one of the most common GoPro questions on the various Facebook forums is “Is the GoPro waterproof”? Now, anyone who reads the specs before buying – and they all should to make sure the GoPro is the right camera for the tasks in mind ahead – will see that GoPro claim the base camera is good for around 10 metres (33 feet approx) for snorkelling, scuba etc.

Whilst I do not doubt this claim, having lost a Sony RX0 – a sort of souped-up GoPro – as a speck of sand got under the battery hatch, I would always recommend getting the extra waterproof housing. It’s worth the extra $90 for peace of mind in my opinion.

Once you have the camera mounted and the USB cable in place, pressing the “+” button will start sending power from the Volta to the camera.

Controlling the GoPro from the Volta

You can control the GoPro via either wired control or Bluetooth.  With the wired control, repeatedly pressing the Volta’s Mode and Power button when the camera is running will cycle through the camera modes. To start capturing images or footage, press the Volta’s shutter button.

To turn the GoPro off, simply press and hold the Mode and Power buttons.

Alternatively, you can use wireless control via Bluetooth, thus allowing the Volta to control the camera even when it is not physically mounted to the Volta.

First, you need to pair the camera and the Volta from the dashboard of the GoPro. To access this, on the rear screen swipe DOWN, and then swipe LEFT to access the Connections options. Tap the Volta menu entry.

Next, press and hold the Volta Bluetooth button for 4 seconds and the GoPro and Volta will pair automatically. Once done, if the cable is not connected, when both the GoPro and the Volta are turned on, they will connect automatically, and you can use the same button press combinations as per the wired connections to control the camera.

You can also use the Volta with a GoPro inside a Media Mod by the way, adding even further flexibility to the system as you can use external mics and HDMI.

Conclusion

If the battery life of the standard or Enduro batteries is a source of frustration – assuming you are not snorkelling or swimming – then the Volta is a great solution. Additionally, if you remove the battery from the GoPro, overheating issues will be minimised, especially if you also turn off all the functions that are not used such as voice control, GPS (on model 9 through 11), the front screen and so on.

At around $200, it makes it a slightly expensive battery, and if that was all it did, then I’d say it was possibly not worth it. But the extra features offered, if used, can certainly make it a justified expense, especially with the ability to be a remote controller for the GoPro.

You just need to add up your needs as to whether you want to shell out the extra money.