If you see the term "HDR" applied to cameras (vs. display technology), it's nonsensical market-speak.

The metric which does describe a camera's exposure latitude is its "dynamic range," and the unit of measurement is "stops" of light. An expensive cinema camera like the Alexa mini (which is probably too heavy for consumer grade hobby aircraft) records 14 stops of dynamic range. A Blackmagic Micro cinema camera, which is closer to the size of a GoPro records 13. GoPro themselves don't advertise this number. But for practical applications like the one you're describing, it doesn't matter.

The reason dynamic range is important to a cinema camera is that cinema cameras don't use auto-exposure. Auto-exposure tends to cause abrupt, mechanical changes in image brightness of which a Director of Photography has little control.

Action cams, on the other hand, must adapt quickly to changing light without user intervention. So for them, fast auto-exposure is a necessity. Since they change their exposure rapidly, and autonomously, the latitude of dynamic range they can capture per single frame is less relevant.

To my knowledge, there is no codified metric for how well an action cam's auto-exposure performs, so I would look for sample footage and judge for myself.

If you see the term "HDR" applied to cameras (vs. display technology), it's nonsensical market-speak.

The metric which does describe a camera's exposure latitude is its "dynamic range," and the unit of measurement is "stops" of light. An expensive cinema camera like the Alexa mini (which is probably too heavy for consumer grade hobby aircraft) records 14 stops of dynamic range. A Blackmagic Micro cinema camera, which is closer to the size of a GoPro records 13. GoPro themselves don't advertise this number. But for practical applications like the one you're describing, it doesn't matter.

The reason dynamic range is important to a cinema camera is that cinema cameras don't use auto-exposure. Auto-exposure tends to cause abrupt, mechanical changes in image brightness of which a Director of Photography has little control.

Action cams, on the other hand, must adapt quickly to changing light without user intervention. So for them, fast auto-exposure is a necessity. Since they change their exposure rapidly, and autonomously, the latitude of dynamic range they can capture per single frame is less relevant.

To my knowledge, there is no codified metric for how well an action cam's auto-exposure performs, so I would look for sample footage and judge for myself.

Now, HDR as it applies to display technology is another matter entirely, and higher peak nit values will translate into a better viewing experience. Cameras have always been able to record a wider exposure latitude than displays can reproduce, which is why an "HDR" camera is nonsense -- they're all "HDR."

If you see the term "HDR" applied to cameras, it's nonsensical market-speak.

The metric which does describe a camera's exposure latitude is its "dynamic range," and the unit of measurement is "stops" of light. An expensive cinema camera like the Alexa mini (which is probably too heavy for consumer grade hobby aircraft) records 14 stops of dynamic range. A Blackmagic Micro cinema camera, which is closer to the size of a GoPro records 13. GoPro themselves don't advertise this number. But for practical applications like the one you're describing, it doesn't matter.

The reason dynamic range is important to a cinema camera is that cinema cameras don't use auto-exposure. Auto-exposure tends to cause abrupt, mechanical changes in image brightness of which a Director of Photography has little control.

Action cams, on the other hand, must adapt quickly to changing light without user intervention. So for them, fast auto-exposure is a necessity. Since they change their exposure rapidly, and autonomously, the latitude of dynamic range they can capture per single frame is less relevant.

To my knowledge, there is no codified metric for how well an action cam's auto-exposure performs, so I would look for sample footage and judge for myself.

If you see the term "HDR" applied to cameras (vs. display technology), it's nonsensical market-speak.

The metric which does describe a camera's exposure latitude is its "dynamic range," and the unit of measurement is "stops" of light. An expensive cinema camera like the Alexa mini (which is probably too heavy for consumer grade hobby aircraft) records 14 stops of dynamic range. A Blackmagic Micro cinema camera, which is closer to the size of a GoPro records 13. GoPro themselves don't advertise this number. But for practical applications like the one you're describing, it doesn't matter.

The reason dynamic range is important to a cinema camera is that cinema cameras don't use auto-exposure. Auto-exposure tends to cause abrupt, mechanical changes in image brightness of which a Director of Photography has little control.

Action cams, on the other hand, must adapt quickly to changing light without user intervention. So for them, fast auto-exposure is a necessity. Since they change their exposure rapidly, and autonomously, the latitude of dynamic range they can capture per single frame is less relevant.

To my knowledge, there is no codified metric for how well an action cam's auto-exposure performs, so I would look for sample footage and judge for myself.