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The GoPro Hero 5 action cameras are available in two models: the Hero 5 Black and the Hero 5 Session. But what are the key differences between the two cameras and which one should you buy? Let’s look at them both in our Hero 5 Black vs. Hero 5 Session comparison.

We’ve now tested both the Hero 5 Black and the Hero 5 Session and you’ll find links to both reviews below. We’ve also compared the two new GoPros based on their specs and target uses.

To begin, it’s worth explaining GoPro’s slightly confusing naming conventions. The ‘Black’ label is its indicator for the top-end model in terms of picture quality and price, and can be thought of as pro-level equipment. GoPro seems to have dispensed with the ‘Silver’ label, present on the previous generation, which was aimed at prosumers, i.e. people who are skilled at shooting action camera footage.

The GoPro Session is the smallest action camera in the range, and the simplest — just one button to switch recording on or off, with all other controls done via the mobile app. It usually has the lowest specs in terms of resolution and frame rate, the lowest price, and is aimed firmly at consumers wanting hassle-free footage. Oh, and the ‘Hero 5’ part refers to the fact they’re fifth generation cameras, following the Hero 4.

It’s not as simple as saying one of these GoPros is better than the other — the Hero 5 Session could be perfect if you want an action camera that’s as small as possible, so you can fit it to a helmet or under your saddle. The Hero 5 Black has higher spec, but it could be overkill for your needs.

Looking first at the GoPro Hero 5 Black, this top-end model no longer needs a case to become waterproof: it’s rated down to 10m/33ft out of the box. It gets a rear 2” touchscreen, enabling you to frame shots, play back, change settings and trim your footage. There’s also a small, square LCD display on the front that shows what resolution and frame rate you’re filming in, how much battery is left and how much memory.

The GoPro Hero 5 Session looks very, very similar to its popular predecessor: it’s a tiny, rugged cube that GoPro CEO Nick Woodman likens to a cockroach as it’s “very difficult to kill”. On top of the camera there’s a simple button for powering the camera on and starting to record. Next to that button is a tiny LCD screen that shows your recording settings, filming time and more.

Both cameras come with plastic cages that have the standard GoPro mount built in — so if you want to mount either of them to your handlebars, saddle rails or chest strap, you’ll need to put them in their cage first. This might make it look less clean than they would otherwise, but it also means the touchscreen will work as normal, and you don’t have to rely on the spongey buttons of the older Hero 4 waterproof cases.

Perhaps the biggest news of all here is that recording resolution on both the GoPro Hero 5 Black and Hero 5 Session tops out at 4K. On the latter that’s great news — being able to get detailed footage from such a tiny device is an incredible feat, and it’ll shoot at 30 frames per second in 4K mode too (1440p/60fps and 1080p/90fps also available).

On the Hero 5 Black, that’ll disappoint some people who were hoping for 8K filming capabilities. But you could argue that’s more than anyone needs with the current generation of displays anyway. It’ll shoot at 30 frames per second at 4K, 1440p at 80fps, or 1080p at 120fps.

Both cameras can also take still photos, with the Black able to shoot RAW and wide dynamic range 12MP images, or in burst mode will capture at 30fps. The Hero 5 Session will shoot still images at 10MP or in burst mode will capture at 30fps. GoPro is clearly trying to make these cameras a possible replacement for your stills camera too, because including RAW capability means you can do lots of image tweaking in post-production.

Other features shared between the two models include voice activation — yell “GoPro start video” or “GoPro take a photo” and it will do what you tell it, in any of seven languages (English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese).

A recent update to the GoPro Quik desktop suite enables you to overlay GPS data such as speed and distance onto your footage if you’re using a Hero 5 Black. (You can’t do this using the Hero 5 Session as the Session does not feature a GPS sensor.)

Additionally, there’s what GoPro calls ‘advanced wind noise reduction’: on the Hero 5 Black there are three microphones in the camera body and it automatically picks which two to use based on the amount of wind and background noise. We don’t know for certain how the Session reduces wind noise, but we suspect via audio filters in the software.

The Hero 5 Black has a slightly larger lithium-ion rechargeable battery (1220 mHa vs 1000 mAh). While GoPro estimates a battery life of two hours for the Hero 5 running at 1080p at 50fps, with GPS, WiFi, voice control and image stabilisation off. We had a full battery drain in 1 hour 54 minutes in our testing, coming very close to the official line.

The Hero 5 Session is powered by a built-in 1000mAh lithium-ion battery. On one of our test rides we recorded 1 hour and 58 seconds before the battery showed less than 10% of life left. When we left the camera indoors for a full-to-empty run-down test, the 32GB memory card ran out before the battery did. After clearing the card and continuing recording, we had a total of 1 hour, 50 minutes and 15 seconds of recorded video.

The Hero 5 cameras became available in October 2016 with the Hero 5 Black priced at £349 / US$399 /AU$569 and the Hero 5 Session retailing for £249 / US$299 /AU$469.

If you’re after a GoPro that’s even cheaper, you can pick up the older GoPro Session for just £179 / US$199 / AU$299 in the same pleasing form factor as the latest Hero 5 Session.

If you want to be able to film on long rides then battery life will be a priority. In that case, you should go for the Hero 5 Black as being able to swap out batteries mid-ride means the amount of footage you can capture is only constrained by the number of batteries (and spare memory cards) you can carry. The Hero 5 Black also give you more frame rates to play with.

If either cost or weight are your key concerns, then you may want to go for the cheaper, lighter Hero 5 Session but with a non-replaceable battery, you’ll sacrifice filming time.

And now that you’ve hopefully made your decision, let’s throw in a curveball – if you’re obsessed with having the latest gadgets and being as future-proofed as possible (not easy when it comes to tech), you might want to wait a few months as GoPro has confirmed that it will be releasing its GoPro Hero 6 range later this year. The curse of being a tech buyer!

GoPro"s latest fleet of little action bricks are fortified with several advanced features that cannot be found elsewhere in the market. The GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition ($399.99) is the newest flagship model, replacing the GoPro Hero 3 by adding some key upgrades. While the GoPro Hero 3+ Silver Edition ($299.99) and Hero 3 White Edition ($199.99) have both been upgraded, it"s the Hero 3+ Black Edition that really showcases all the brand has to offer. Having owned the first HD Hero and Hero2, I wanted to know if the Black Edition was worth the extra cash, so I spent some quality time testing the camera in a variety of environments.

The GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition shares many similarities with its predecessor, the Hero 3. Although the Hero 3+ may seem like an incremental upgrade, there are a number of subtle changes that make this action cam stand out. First off, it"s 20% smaller and lighter than the first GoPro Hero and Hero2, measuring 2.30 x 1.55 x 0.08 inches (5.8 x 3.9 x 2 cm) and weighing 2.6 oz. (28g). Now while those physical stats remain identical to the Hero 3, the Hero 3+ ships with a smaller housing, with a streamlined lens covering without bolts, and devoid of the slide lock mechanisms. The resulting package is more compact and easier to access. The Hero 3+ also has slightly larger buttons.

GoPro also improved the lens of the Hero 3+, making it sharper and exhibit less artifacts. The microphone is improved to pick up on more subtle sounds and improve wind noise reduction. The Hero 3+ Black Edition"s built-in Wi-Fi has also been boosted to 4x faster speeds with a greater range, and the battery life has been increased by 30%. The Hero 3+ Black Edition also introduces SuperView FOV, which is available in select capture resolutions. SuperView is the widest recording angle GoPro has offered to date (I have samples later on in the article). Auto Low Light is a new feature that cuts the frame rate in half when the camera detects lower light levels.

The GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition carries over the same 4K video resolution from the Hero 3 Black, which is roughly four times the resolution of 1080 Full HD. 4K is where most televisions and programming are headed to, and GoPro placed themselves at the head of the game by incorporating the format into a wildly popular camera that is now smaller than it ever was. The Hero 3+ Black Edition also has a maximum still image resolution of 12MP and 30fps burst rate, which is beyond the 3+ Silver and 3 White"s capabilities. The latter two are not capable of 4K video recording either. Keep in mind that the 12MP still-resolution is native, not interpolated, so it"s a true representation of pixels.

And while all three new GoPros come with built-in Wi-Fi that"s 4x faster, the Black Edition is the only model to ship with a Wi-Fi remote. However, I don"t think that"s a deal-breaker because the GoPro app is far more user-friendly and quick than the remote. Just the fact that Wi-Fi is finally built-in is a win. With the older models, I had to use the Wi-Fi back, which prevented me from using a battery back or LCD back if I wanted remote functionality.

Since the GoPro Hero 3+ Black Edition is 20% smaller and lighter than the original GoPro Hero and Hero2, I was able to enjoy the minor benefits. I usually mount the GoPro to my motorcycle and hockey helmets, and the first two models make it easier to remember that they are strapped to the top of your head, thanks to their bulk. This is particularly evident while turning my head. While the Hero 3+ is not a prodigious reduction in bulk and size, it was definitely noticeable, and certainly more neck-friendly. The size reduction renders the Hero 3+ half the thickness of the first two models, but it retains the same height and width. The newly slimmed-down external housing on the Hero 3+ is the most compact and easiest to access housing yet. The latch mechanism is similar to the first GoPro models, requiring a simple flip lock to be engaged and disengaged to access the camera. The Hero 3 case has a convoluted series of slide lock buttons that made accessing the camera a royal pain. So, overall size and weight is very impressive compared to all previous models.

Now, this size reduction does come at a price. The Hero 3+ records to MicroSD cards, just like the Hero 3. I am not a huge fan of MicroSD cards because I lose things easily, and it"s not fun to scour a dirt bike trail for an hour looking for a minute plastic chip. I also noticed the omission of the 3.5mm audio jack, which is something offered on the GoPro HD Hero2.

The GoPro Hero 3+ has only two terminals: USB and HDMI. Both terminals and the MicroSD card slot are covered by a rubberized flap that matches the cross-hatched texture bordering the camera. Unfortunately, the terminal cover is not tethered to the body of the camera, so it popped off and sailed across the room the first time I removed it. It resurfaced two weeks later while digging through some photography equipment. So, for the next model, GoPro needs to tether that thing.

Despite the slim down, GoPro managed to cram an 1180mAh battery inside the Hero 3+, and promised a longer battery life compared to the Hero 3. I put this to the test by recording continuously at 1080p/24fps until the battery died. The GoPro Hero 3+ lasted a full 2 hours and 14 minutes. After researching many accounts of battery life on the Hero 3, my understanding is that it usually croaks at around 1 hour 35 minutes, so the Hero 3+ is a bit of an improvement as far as battery life goes. Of course, when using the Wi-Fi functionality, the Hero 3+ exhibits rather limited battery life. After using the Hero 3+ tethered to the GoPro application on my iPhone, I was down a battery bar after a half hour.

Another area of improvement is Wi-Fi range and speed. GoPro claims a Wi-Fi range of up to 600 feet with the included Wi-Fi remote and a more limited range with the GoPro application. I got about 145 feet of Wi-Fi range using the GoPro application, but did not test the full range of the remote. However, in my experience, I never lost connection with the Wi-Fi remote, and I have not found an application yet where I would need to be two football fields away from the action. Regardless, the Wi-Fi connection was strong and did not falter. I could keep my phone in my pocket while using the GoPro and it remained connected. Setting up is a snap as well, as the Hero 3+ only emits its own Wi-Fi network that is easily joined by a smart device in a matter of seconds.

The choice between the GoPro application and the Wi-Fi remote was a no-brainer for me. While the remote has its advantages in the range and battery life department (you can save your phone"s juice), the GoPro application is just too pleasant to use, especially after enduring years of clunky GoPro menu systems on a monochromatic LCD screen smaller than a postage stamp.

With the GoPro application, I could make nearly every camera setting with a tap. The GoPro application also gave me a live preview of the camera, so I knew exactly how to set the angle for maximum coverage. One caveat is that the live preview is only available in select capture modes, so gigantic resolutions like 4K are not possible to preview. I could also watch what I shot on my phone, power the camera on and off, and start and stop recording, all from my iPhone. Other useful features like battery level status, SD card capacity, camera locator (prompts GoPro to beep if lost), were welcome additions, and I decided the GoPro application would be accompanying me on all of my adventures. Of course, I"ll need a backup battery pack for the GoPro and charging stick for my phone in order to make it through a full day.

The improved microphone on the GoPro Hero 3+ is twofold. First, its overall pickup quality is said to be improved, with heightened sensitivity to delicate sounds and nuance. Secondly, the wind noise reduction is apparently improved. The latter is a big one, as there"s nothing more vexing than sifting through hours of motorcycle footage with the deafening shrill of wind prompting you to reach for another aspirin. I"ve always wanted more engine sound, less wind noise.

My first test was general audio quality. What could be better than pounding on the drums? I tested the GoPro Hero 3+ with it mounted to my head in the case, and then again sitting stationary removed from its case. What I found was that in or out of the case, the GoPro Hero 3+ had some difficulty with bass, primarily during a thunderous cacophony. However, treble sounds like cymbals and snare hits were crisp and clear, particularly with the Hero 3+ outside of its case. On the in/out of the case debate, I found the sound to be a bit crisper when the Hero 3+ was removed from the case, but it was not a huge difference. So yes - small nuance sound pickup was impressive, but bass was a tad muffled. Now if only the Hero 3+ had that 3.5mm audio jack for attaching external mics.

My second test was of the wind reduction. I found a rare 45 degree window in this unrelenting New England winter and took my newly rebuilt dirt bike for a spin with the GoPro mounted to the Chesty harness. Now this was a noticeable improvement. At around 45-50 MPH amidst cold, thick air, the only audible wind noise was more of an intermittent lower toned muffling. Gone was the whistling, shrill wail-from-hell. At lower speeds, the wind noise was barely audible, and the Hero 3+ really picked up on the ring-da-ding of the two-stroke engine (which is still being broken in and sounds extra rough). I didn"t have a chance to exceed 50 MPH, and I"m really interested to see how the Hero 3+ fares at over 100 MPH on my street bike. But based on the improvement at lower speeds alone, I can project improved wind-reduction ability.

Recently, GoPro unveiled an entirely new product lineup. Not just the new Hero5 Black ($399) and Hero5 Session ($299), but also the Karma drone, a surprise hand-held gimbal -- known as the Karma Grip -- and a brand new cloud service called GoPro Plus. While it"s going to be another week or so before we can get our hands on the Karma drone, I had a chance to spend some time with the new flagship Hero5 Black and its sidekick, the Hero5 Session. Both come with some exciting, long-awaited new features, which I"ll lay out in detail below. With many of the upgrades addressing common pain points, it"s clear that this year, GoPro was mainly focused on polishing the user experience.

Tiny display makes menu navigation difficultUntil the Hero5, pretty much every new GoPro camera was defined by an increase in resolution. The first Hero HD was 1080p, the Hero2 added bumped photos to 11 megapixels from 5, and so on until the Hero4, which ushered in 4K at 30 frames per second. The Hero5 Session gets an upgrade this time around, also joining the 30fps/4K club (the original Session maxed at 1440p). But with the Hero5 you won"t see any upgrades of that sort.

In particular, there"s no 4K/60fps shooting mode, as some might have hoped for. In fact, the Hero5 Black"s sensor is the same one found in the Hero4 Black. That"s not a bad thing, per se -- you can still record in 4K, with additional options for 2.7K/60fps, 1080p at up to 120fps, and super slow-mo 720p at 240fps (plus all the quirky formats like 1440 that GoPro users will be familiar with).

That doesn"t mean there isn"t anything new here. In fact, the Hero5 and Hero5 Session come with a bevy of updates that make the cameras much more useful. Many of the new features come to both the Session and the Hero5 Black, though the flagship Hero5 gets a few extra tricks to keep its position at the top.

Perhaps the most obvious change with the Hero5 Black is that it"s waterproof without a housing (the original Session and therefore new Hero5 Session already were). This means you won"t need a separate case to protect it. The upsides are obvious: Though the naked camera is a smidge bigger than the Hero4 Black (a millimeter or so each side), it"s considerably smaller than the Hero4 encased in its housing (which is how you most often see it). The result is that the Hero5 Black is much more pocket-friendly, and you won"t need to pry open the case just to charge it or access the memory card.

The native waterproofing works to "only" a depth of 33 feet/10 meters, but that should be good enough for the vast majority of people. If you like, you can still buy a case for added protection up to 196 feet/60 meters. I took the Hero5 Black for several prolonged dips in the Mediterranean, and it"s much nicer to swim with the smaller camera. The rear LCD (also new) was still usable, though at times it took a few attempts to get my taps to register -- something most phone owners can relate to.

Another added benefit is that without a case, the camera"s microphones record better audio both in the water and on land. The classic "rattle" you hear on GoPro many water-based videos isn"t yet a thing of the past, but the setup here is much less distracting.

There is a downside to the new design, however: The Hero5 won"t fit many accessories such as drone/hand-held stabilizers that were specifically designed for the Hero3 and 4. Ditto for any accessory that uses the rear connector, because the Hero5 no longer has one (now everything goes through either the USB-C or HDMI ports on the side). I tried jury-rigging the Hero5 into a Feiyu-Tech hand-held stabilizer (pro-tip: Use a hairband to hold it in place) and it worked pretty well. It"s not ideal, but it might ease the transition for those with a sizable GoPro accessory kit.

The benefits of not needing a case will likely outweigh the downsides for most people -- though of course if you"re invested in certain accessories, you"ll need to consider whether the Hero5"s other new features are enough to sweeten the deal.

The Hero4 Silver was the first GoPro with a touchscreen. That single feature made it our top pick for most people, besting the screen-less (but more advanced) Hero4 Black. This time around there is no Hero5 Silver; GoPro just added a touchscreen to the Black and made the Hero5 Session the step-down model. The Hero5"s display is slightly larger than the one on the Hero4 Silver, thanks in part to the removal of the bus port on the back. As I found, too, it"s clearly visible even in direct sunlight.

Perhaps the bigger story, though, is the user interface, which feels more simple compared to the Hero4. Access different menus (e.g., gallery, settings, camera modes) by swiping from one of the four of the edges, where"ll you then find related submenus. You might encounter a small learning curve if you"re familiar with the old UI, but I find it"s faster and easier to use once you get the hang of it.

Some of the submenus require you to scroll or swipe through options, much like on your phone. At times, the menu wasn"t always as responsive as I"d hoped, often switching back to the previous selection or registering a swipe as a tap and choosing a menu option by mistake. This didn"t happen every time -- it seemed to occur more in humid weather or when my hands were wet -- but it was very annoying when it did happen. When it works, though, navigating options and viewing menus is an improved experience. It"s also great that the flagship camera now has the touchscreen it deserves (remember, the Hero4 Black didn"t have one, but the Silver version did).

Just weeks before the Hero5 launch, GoPro updated the Hero4"s firmware adding manual white balance, ISO and shutter settings. The humble action camera might be about living in the moment, but plenty of photographers like to get their hands dirty with manual controls. The Hero5 comes with the same manual exposure controls plus -- drumroll, please -- support for RAW image files. This is great news for those who want to develop their own digital images. It"s also an advanced feature that will keep GoPro in favor with professionals.

Unlike some formats, the RAW files on the GoPro won"t eat into your memory card. In fact, often the ".GPR" file (compatible with Adobe Light Room and Camera Raw) is smaller in size compared to the accompanying .JPG (about 3.6MB compared to an average of 4.3MB for a 12-megapixel shot).

If, on the other hand, you do want a little help with your exposure, the Hero5 Black comes with a so-called WDR mode. It"s similar to the HDR function found on many other cameras, just with GoPro calling it "wide" dynamic range, instead of high. If you"re taking photos looking into the sun, or where there"s a great variation of light levels, WDR mode can help you get a more balanced exposure.

Not so much of a new feature, but the battery inside the Hero5 Black is different than the one used in the Hero4 and Hero3. This too is bad news if you"ve built up a collection, as the ability to interchange them was always something of a bonus, especially given how easy it is to burn through one. Worse, GoPro tells me that the batteries in the Hero5 have a chip on them that only allows official cells to work. Of course, the company line is that this ensures the best user experience with only approved batteries working, but that pretty much wipes out the cottage industry of third-party (and usually cheaper) batteries that many people like to stock up on.

As for battery life, in my tests, it managed just over two hours of constant recording at 1080p/30fps without GPS or any of the other energy-draining modes. Incidentally, this is almost exactly the amount of time it"ll take to fill up a 32GB SD card. The Hero5 Session faired worse, clocking in between an hour and a half and an hour and 45 minutes.

Unsurprisingly, the pricier Hero5 Black got the lion"s share of new tricks, but there are some decent upgrades that apply to both cameras, including some features GoPro users have been demanding. The addition of these to the cheaper Hero5 Session make the smaller camera a tempting proposition. If you can live without the LCD and some of the advanced image modes, but still want 4K (and the features below), the $300 Hero5 Session is definitely worth considering.

"GoPro start recording." Expect to hear that a lot this winter on the slopes. Both new cameras respond to a slew of voice commands that let you start and stop recording, take photo bursts, set a highlight tag, shoot pictures, change modes and switch the camera off. This is great for when you have the camera mounted just out of reach (selfies!), or when pressing the button would ruin the moment like jumping off a cliff (or small diving board, in my case).

Voice commands are available in seven languages: English (US and UK), French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese and Japanese. It works well -- once you stop being self-conscious about speaking to your camera. Often I found myself using voice commands even when I didn"t strictly need to; it was easier to say "GoPro take photo" than navigate the menus, change modes and press the shutter. Be warned that if there"s a lot of wind or background noise, the camera often won"t hear you and you"ll miss your shot. Or, at the very least, you"ll feel a bit silly having to say the command again.

There"s also a secondary benefit/downside, which will depend on whether you have idiot friends or multiple GoPros: The Hero5 literally responds to anyone"s voice. So, on the plus side, if you have a few cameras rigged up, you can easily trigger them all at once. On the down side, so can anyone else within speaking range. Pranksters can easily say "GoPro, stop recording" to ruin your moment, or, of course, by accident. To counter this, GoPro says future versions will learn your voice similar to Siri, but for now, it"s open season. The cameras come with a list of commands, but there are a few easter eggs not included on the list that are actually genuinely useful (hint: They are mostly things people say after landing a trick or doing something exciting).

This is another biggie: Both Hero5 cameras finally have built-in stabilization. There are some caveats, though. It"s not full optical image stabilization (OIS) like what Sony"s Action Cam has. Instead, it"s electronic stabilization (EIS), which means the camera is using software to stabilize the image. Typically, OIS is the preferred method, as this steadies the image when it enters the camera. EIS trims a little bit of the image around the edges and uses that as a buffer to digitally create a sense of stability.

The addition of EIS is going to be well-received, but stabilization is actually a huge part of Karma too. That drone features its own mechanical stabilizer, which GoPro designed to be removable so it can be converted into a handheld gimbal as well. In fact, stabilization is so vital to the Hero5 with Karma, that we plan to give this feature a much more thorough test in our Karma review. For now, though, suffice to say that the in-camera EIS will smooth out your basic footage, with the trade-off being a dent in battery life and some light distortion at the edges.

GoPro is pretty much synonymous with the fish-eye lens at this point. It works well for a lot of action sports, but for casual videos, it can be a distraction. As GoPro cameras find their way into the pockets of those just looking for a versatile, rugged shooter, the constant fish-eye has become a bugbear for many. You could always remove it via desktop software, or reduce it on the camera by shooting in a medium field of view, but both of those options felt like a compromise. Now, there"s Linear mode.

GoPro has made a lot of progress with the apps that you use in tandem with your camera, particularly on mobile. The main app for your phone has been rebranded Captur, and although its functionality mostly remains the same, the pairing process with the camera has been greatly improved. I used to generally avoid using the GoPro app unless I really needed to because it always seemed to not connect properly or forget my camera completely. (I do change phones more than most, to be fair.) The setup process was also laborious, involving connecting to the camera"s WiFi hotspot, doing a little dance and hoping you remembered your password. Not anymore. Just switch the camera on, the app will find it, and, basically, that"s it. Much, much improved.

This brings me to GoPro Plus, a $5-per-month cloud service that will store 35 hours of video, 62,500 photos or some combination thereof. Again, this is an area where we"re likely to go into more detail when we review Karma, but I was able to try it and get a sense for how it works. The premise is simple: Come back from your day outdoors, plug in your GoPro to charge and it"ll automatically upload your videos and photos to the cloud. These files will then be available in the Captur mobile app or the Quik desktop app where you can use them to create edited videos.

The idea is that editing will be even more convenient. And it does, but my personal workflow is already built around handling memory cards and offline files. So now I find I"m manually importing for the most part, with Plus serving as a handy backup. As with all cloud services, the bottleneck is with the uploading and the downloading on the other end. GoPro tells me that, eventually, cloud videos will be directly editable from the Quik mobile app (currently, only offline videos are available). Once this is the case, Plus will be much more useful.

Cloud services have great potential, but there"s also a downside: the monthly cost. Five dollars isn"t a huge amount, and you get access to a large library of free-to-use music in addition to your storage space. But with Google and others offering a basic service for free, Plus will mostly appeal to hardcore GoPro users -- in the beginning, anyway. Not least because it"ll also get you a 20 percent discount on accessories, so it could pay for itself if you"re the spendy type.

If you"re not ready for the cloud just yet, GoPro also introduced a mobile accessory called the "Quik Key," which is essentially an iOS- or Android-compatible microSD card reader on a key fob that costs $20 for Android phones, or $30 for iOS. Place your memory card in the fob and stick it into your phone, and it"ll open the Quik app automatically, making file transfers incredibly fast and efficient. This is basically GoPro"s mission: to get you making mini-movies as easily as possible, and Plus, Quik Key and the Quik app are all designed with this goal in mind. My favorite combination is Quik Key and the mobile app. The first mini-edit I made with this combination was simple, and suprisingly fun. It makes you want to do more, and the best part is there"s no need to sit hunched over a computer.

GoPro made its name by making tough little cameras. Over time, those cameras got more and more capable, but in the race for more features, some of the fundamentals seemed overlooked. With Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session, GoPro has made a big push to rectify these neglected areas. Some of the new features are still under-exploited (GPS, Plus etc.), but for the first time in a while, GoPro looks like it has a clear vision.

The cameras are much simpler to use. Heck, more fun to use too -- and getting video and photos out of them is easier than ever. There are still a few areas for improvement, though. I"ll never stop wanting more battery life from a GoPro, and I"d love optical image stabilization, as well as some general image improvements. But all in all, this is a strong response from GoPro to a turbulent 18 months.

In tech, two years is a long time to wait for a new product, but that’s how long GoPro took to introduce the Hero5 Black ($399), and naturally, expectations were high. GoPro went back to a yearly release schedule for the newly unveiled Hero6 Black, which is built on the same platform as the Hero5 and looks nearly identical. But the Hero5 remains in the lineup — and at the same $399 price (the Hero6 is $499). It has also received new features since we originally tested it. It seemed the perfect time revisit our GoPro Hero5 Black review, and to compare the camera to the new Hero6.

At time of launch, the Hero5 Black represented a radical new approach to design for GoPro. Many features were designed to make the camera much more convenient to use; it still captures great videos and photos, but now you have benefits like voice control, image stabilization, and durability. Services and apps made it easier to pull content off the camera, edit them into short videos, and share them online. It’s a better camera than the Hero4 Black and Silver in every way, and it launched at a lower price.

With the Hero5 Black, GoPro also simplified its product lineup, distilling it down to just three cameras; the Hero6 Black adds a fourth, but the others all stay the same and are clearly delineated by features and price. The Hero5 Session ($299) and original Hero Session ($199) are both compact, lower-budget options that don’t include LCD screens, but the Hero5 version can shoot in 4K. The Hero5 Black also complements GoPro’s Karma drone and handheld gimbal, which were announced at the same time.

GoPro introduced the biggest design change in the Hero5 Black. While the evolution from the Hero2 to the Hero4 saw the camera get smaller in size, the Hero5 Black is slightly larger and heavier. It’s still rectangular, but the corners are now curved and the body has a softer feel. That’s because the camera is now completely rugged and waterproof without the need for a protective housing — an accessory included with previous Hero cameras. It’s a cleaner look with a rubberized exterior, and GoPro is using a new shade of gray and matte black from previous generations. GoPro really wants you to know that this is a brand new camera.

The ruggedness means you can take the Hero5 Black into water (down to 33 feet) or toss it around, as is. We carried our review unit through the rain, dunked it in water, and dropped it more times than we count, and it continued working fine. The downside is that the camera body will suffer dings and scratches (we didn’t notice any damage to the 2-inch LCD, although we could imagine that happening), so for some protection, it’s best to use the camera with the Frame housing ($30). An optional underwater housing, the Super Suit, is available for $50 if you want to take the camera into deeper water.

As with all rugged cameras, you still have to make sure the doors are properly closed and sealed. The removable cover on the side is now a hinged door that protects the Micro HDMI and USB Type-C ports. (The cover is easy to remove for mounting the Hero5 to the Karma Grip handheld gimbal or drone.) Yes, GoPro finally ditched the Mini USB port, bypassing Micro USB in favor of the faster, reversible standard. That does mean you’ll need new cables if you haven’t adopted Type-C yet; fortunately one is included with the camera.

The MicroSD card slot is now located in the battery compartment, at the bottom. A new and higher-capacity 1,220mAh battery charges faster than before, but that also means you won’t be able to use the one from the Hero4 Black. Still, you can expect around one-and-a-half hours before it dies — a little more if used casually, less if it’s used continuously with the display and wireless on. If you plan on long shooting sessions, you can pack spare Hero5 batteries or an external battery pack.

Previous Hero cameras usually suffered from terrible audio, since they had to be stuffed in an underwater housing. Now that the Hero5 Black doesn’t need one, you can capture higher-quality audio, thanks to the three stereo mics. With manual audio control enabled, the mics can switch between stereo or wind-noise reduction. If you’ve ever used a GoPro at speed, you know this is an issue. No amount of noise-reduction technology could compensate for the really strong winds we encountered, but it does bring it down to a more comfortable level.

Because the Hero5 Black uses a Type-C USB connector, we could no longer use our Mini USB microphone adapter with higher quality microphones. You’ll need to shell out another $50 for one. As for the many GoPro accessories in the market and the ones you already own, they will still work.

For video and photo capture, the Hero5 Black retains the same specs as the Hero4 Black, although it’s not repurposing the same chipset. It can shoot up to 4K at 30 frames per second and Full HD 1080p at 120 fps (max bit rate is 60Mbps), and photos up to 12 megapixels (burst, time-lapse, night-lapse modes are still there). With Protune enabled, you can adjust shooting parameters like color, white balance, ISO, shutter, exposure, etc (note: some settings are unavailable in select modes). Most consumers probably wouldn’t bother with Protune, but it lets pro users like filmmakers adjust the picture quality to match the other cameras they are using in a production, for example.

GoPro fans have been clamoring for image stabilization (IS), and the Hero5 Black introduces electronic IS for the first time. Unlike optical IS, EIS uses software to compensate for shake. It’s not going to make the bumps from your bike ride disappear completely, but it will make it considerably less jittery and easier on your viewers’ eyes. Note that when enabled, the sensor crops a bit into the image.

The Hero5 Black also now has GPS built in, which embeds location data into your videos and photos. The camera has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for pairing with an optional remote control (there’s a new version, called Remo) or the new GoPro Capture smartphone app.

Perhaps the biggest improvement GoPro made to the Hero5 Black is the controls. The front power/mode button is gone, leaving only a shutter button and side button, which now handles power, mode (photo, video, burst, or time-lapse), and HiLight tagging.

The camera retains the front monochrome LCD, but it now functions more as a status display for important stats like battery life and remaining storage capacity, whereas in the past it was used to change settings. That’s no longer necessary because the Hero5 Black has a 2-inch touchscreen for handling all controls, live view, and playback.

The bright LCD was one of the best features about the last-gen Hero4 Silver, but the Hero4 Black couldn’t support both 4K and a display due to battery and heat issues. Now the Hero5 Black has one, and the new user interface makes it even more useful. The touch sensitivity is way more responsive, making it easy to swipe through menus as fluidly as any good smartphone can, and we didn’t have issues viewing it under bright sunlight. You can adjust every feature and menu option, and the menus are more intuitive than before. GoPro includes an onscreen tutorial that quickly guides you on how to use the screen, which is a nice touch. We encountered some lag and response issues when we had the camera inside the Frame, however.

But the coolest addition is voice control. When you’re engaged in an activity or your hands just aren’t free, it’s not easy to fumble with on-camera controls. Some companies, like Sony, offer a wrist controller accessory, but with the Hero5 Black you can just say, “GoPro, take a photo,” “GoPro, start recording,” “GoPro, HiLight,” or other commands – a total of 12 at the moment. More will arrive via future software updates. It supports seven languages (Chinese, English, French, German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish) and some, like English, have regional options, like Australian and U.K.

The three mics are capable of picking up commands, even if there’s background noise — so well, in fact, that you could activate multiple Hero5 cameras at the same time, provided they are close by. We didn’t need to talk very loud for our commands to register.

Making a connected camera seems to be the Holy Grail that eludes camera makers, but GoPro has done a better job than most. GoPro said that the Hero5 would be the company’s most connected camera, and part of that solution, besides Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, is a new cloud service called GoPro Plus.

For $5 a month after a 60-day free trial, users can set their Hero5 Black to automatically upload content to the cloud, while it’s charging (wireless needs to be enabled, naturally). This isn’t just a backup solution, but it lets you access the content later for editing, either from a phone or computer. Membership also lets you use licensed music, and offers discounts on accessories and other products, as well as technical support. GoPro hasn’t officially capped storage capacity, but to make the content easier to upload, edit, and share, videos are restricted to 1080p at 30 fps. You’ll need to pull 4K content off the camera the old-fashion way, but that’s the method video editors working with 4K content employ anyway.

Although GoPros are handy for capturing video and photos, many people don’t know what to do with that content. GoPro is acknowledging this issue, in part by making its Quik editing app for mobile and desktop part of the solution. With Quik you can access the content off GoPro Plus or a camera paired with a smartphone or tablet, and quickly create short video clips that are shareable.

You can let Quik automatically compile the clips and find what its algorithms think are the best moments, or fine-tune the editing yourself. Lay a soundtrack that fits the mood of your video, add some text, and you’re set. It’s a simple editing app to use, but the smaller smartphone screen makes it a bit difficult to trim down the videos, if you’re editing on the go. The latest firmware update introduces auto download from the camera to a paired phone, plus a new feature called QuikStory, which automatically compiles a day’s worth of clips into a story you can share.

At time of launch, GoPro renamed its mobile app to Capture app (iOS and Android), but it’s essentially the same app. We guess the name didn’t catch on, because with the launch of the Hero6 Black, GoPro has reverted to its namesake. GoPro’s app has one of the easiest pairing methods for connecting a camera to a phone or tablet, and you can perform the same functions as you can with the rear LCD, but remotely and much faster.

This is one of the big areas of improvement that GoPro made with the Hero6 Black. Thanks to a new custom processor in that camera, it performs more accurate stabilization that the company says is akin to mounting the camera in a gimbal. In our testing, we were impressed, but the Hero5 Black may be just fine for the average user.

With the Auto Low Light function enabled, the footage we shot displayed more details than the one with it off. However, the noise level is more noticeable and the camera will lower the frame rate to compensate. A camera like the GoPro isn’t really a low-light champ, but it’s capable when needed, or when used creatively with an external light source. If you set the camera still, you can capture some interesting night shots using the Night Lapse feature.

For a small camera, the Hero5 Black is able to record smooth videos with nice details and colors. Compared to the Hero4 generation, the Hero5 Black seems to handle bright conditions better, as images don’t look as washed out. We didn’t notice any jittery frames or any major issues that were distracting.

We recorded most of our videos in 1080p, and some in 2K and 4K. The 1080p videos allowed us to edit and share straight from the camera and to our phone – using the Quik app – and then online. Some pros like to shoot in the highest resolution and downscale it for today’s screens, but unless you have the ability to view and edit 2K and 4K videos, sticking with 1080p should be sufficient unless you want to future-proof the videos.

With ample light, the Hero5 Black continues to be a very good camera for shooting stills. They’ll look nice when shared on social media or printed out in small sizes, but we wouldn’t blow them up, as picture quality begins do degrade at larger sizes. Color accuracy is good, with no noticeable color fringing, although some photos exhibited rolling shutter issues. With that said, the camera and other small cameras like it really need light; photos (and videos) shot under overcast skies weren’t as vivid as we would like.

The option of fine-tuning the settings via Protune is nice to have. If you’re shooting a video meant for production, or if you’re trying to combine GoPro footage with another camera, it’s worthwhile to play around with the settings. As we said earlier, we don’t think most GoPro users would bother, and just use the auto settings instead. That’s just fine, because the Hero5 Black is capable of delivering nice videos and photos in its default setting.

Announced sometime after the camera itself, GoPro updated the Hero5 Black with the ability to log all sorts of telemetry data alongside the video. Using the onboard GPS and other sensors, the camera tracks altitude, elevation gain, speed, G-force, distance traveled, direction, and course position. Each data point can be toggled on individually, and gauges can be resized or moved so users can customize the video overlays to their liking. For example, a rock climber could turn on altitude and elevation gain, while a race car driver could go with speed, g-force, and course position.

While working with the telemetry data in GoPro’s Quik desktop app is easy, it is also considerably more limiting than competitor Garmin’s VIRB Edit app. GoPro allows just a single display style for every gauge and piece of information, as opposed to the many different graphical overlays, text options, and color choices offered by Garmin. Still, it’s nice to see telemetry information come to GoPro, especially as a surprise announcement after the Hero5 Black had already been available.

The Hero5 Black comes with a standard one-year warranty. GoPro now also offers a two-year replacement plan, called GoPro Care, which covers accidental damage and includes premium customer support and consulting, with some limitations. GoPro Care costs $79 for the Hero5 Black.

Despite being dethroned by the Hero6 Black as the flagship, the GoPro Hero5 Black is still a very capable camera. It has become what GoPro would have called the Silver model, if Silver was still around. Importantly, it is simple to operate out of the box, but it can be as advanced as you need it to be thanks to ProTune. And no other manufacturer offers software — mobile, desktop, and online — that nicely complements the cameras like GoPro. While we certainly would have appreciated a price drop now that the camera is a year old and the Hero6 is here, at $399 the Hero5 Black is still a good value — and the fact that the price hasn’t changed is a testament to GoPro’s commanding position in the action camera market.

It took GoPro two years to introduce the completely redesigned Hero5 Black, but just twelve months later, the company has already one-upped it. The Hero6 Black is the most obvious alternative, and offers 4K video at 60 fps, improved stabilization, and better dynamic range, and low-light capabilities. It does cost $100 more, however, which will put it out of reach for some action cam shoppers.

Some of GoPro’s competitors also offer compelling alternatives: Sony, for one, offers great options in its Action Cam series, in terms of image quality, features, and use (its flagship model supports 4K and optical image stabilization). But Sony hasn’t updated its product line for some time. The Yi 4K+ was the first to introduce 4K/60p recording, beating the GoPro Hero6 by several months (and a couple hundred dollars), but that camera does not have the same build quality as the Hero5/Hero6 Black and requires an external waterproof case. But in the action cam world, it’s not just about hardware; software plays a big role, and GoPro clearly has a lead.

Still, no other action cam we’ve used offers the combination of ease of use, features (rugged build, voice control, image stabilization, and touchscreen LCD are just some of the highlights), and image quality the Hero5 Black does.

We used the Hero4 Silver and Hero4 Black models for years after their release — and they still have plenty of life in them, mind you. The Hero5 Black should get similar longevity (assuming you don’t lose it over a cliff or at the bottom of the bottom of the ocean). The camera’s 4K/30p footage is more than sufficient for most people and most applications today. We do ponder the camera’s physical robustness, as it no longer requires a protective housing. The Hero4 models are better secured due to the tough polycarbonate housing that’s included, so there’s a chance the Hero5 may be more susceptible to damage. We recommend getting the SuperSuit housing, or purchase GoPro’s extra warranty plan.

The Hero5 Black was a proper successor to the Hero4, and definitely worth the upgrade. Even in the shadow of the new Hero6 Black, it remains a very capable action cam. The lower list price makes it more affordable, so if you’re shopping for a new action cam, definitely still consider the Hero5 Black at the top of the list.

This review was originally published on October 5, 2016. The product has been re-tested to address new features and firmware, and we note its difference with the newly announced Hero6 Black. The article has been updated to reflect any significant changes.

Well, it lasted a whole week, but I had to pop the hood on the new GoPro HERO5 (Australia - Streaky MP) and see what makes it tick. Let"s start with the hardware

GoPro completely apart. Note the cover is on with tape, and ultrasonically welded around the LCD no need for that hole, but its tough. The lens just twists off.

The surprise is the Atmel SAM D21E16 part (Australia MCU) which is used for Identify Friend or Foe Challenges and to offload some of the smarts talking to HEROBUS (GCCB Protocol) devices. It also coordinates all the USB-C PD (power delivery controller) and USBC pin muxing. When an accessory is detected by communications over CC1, authentication is done to a ATSHA204A over i2c on the TX+/TX- pins. Once authorized, D-/D+ pairs, become their appropriate functionality. VCONN also remains active. We"ve done a through-all analysis on  this encryption, but will keep it internally.

The first devices that use the new HEROBUS are GoPro Karma, a Spherical Camera solution, a display port dongle for the Session, and the Gantry (Pro 3.5 mic adapter). The MCU"s bootloader and "app" are encrypted and they"ve code protected the device. It appears Atmel"s appnote was followed so perhaps they used the default keys of C0DE or GoProGoPro....

Sure the Chinese are on it right now after GoPro Inc. left a carrot out on the third party batteries then swiped it away with the v.1.55 firmware release. That"s a lot of inventory they have to throw away and sure they are not happy.

UPDATE -GoPro HERO5 BLACK version 1.55 does test for authentic batteries and locks customer"s out if the identify friend or foe is incorrect. I don"t have any HERO5 third party batteries to test out, but it appears this test is done within the Atmel MCU and probably to a ATSHA204 via 1-wire.

The "HEROBUS" is now over USB-C via the PD (CC1:2) channel. Once the device is determined, it can enable I2C, SPI, USB, I2S etc. The USB-C debug accessory is not enabled so communication to the RTOS or Linux needs to be done slyly. Kirkwood (GoPro KARMA) uses MTP over USB to control the camera once the PD determines the Kirkwood via the Sentinel is inserted. Find out more on our GoPro HERO5 Interfaces article.

You probably didn"t realize, but BLE (Bluetooh low energy) stays on after the camera has been powered off. Luckily, BLE takes almost no energy but the GoPro will shut down BLE after 8 hours. This low power connection allows your phone and controllers such as the REMO (Code named Sniper) to power on the camera without the drain of Wifi. Gone is the blinking blue LED, because honestly it doesn"t matter anymore. As a note, most BLE devices last a couple years with a coin cell battery. According to Abe Kislevitz, after 8 hours BLE shuts off and the battery only drains 2%.

The "Spherical Camera" and third party "wired" devices will shortly be released. GoPro does not release their full API even to official developers so feel they will keep the multi-camera solutions in house and only allow wired solutions for those select application they choose. BLE is a super nice interface and we expect a few aftermarket BLE GoPro devices to ship.

It"s apparent, with the lack of 3rd party solutions, that GoPro did not give their Developer Program any forewarning about the HERO5. Sounds like they got GoPro HERO5s in early October too.

We"re honestly ticked with the Developer Program. All I can say is stay tuned. Nothing illegal with releasing an API (Google vs Oracle / Lexmark vs. Static Control). For the meanwhile here is our github GoPro HERO5 repo with some of the linux dumps. Listen up GoPro Inc.!

LEGAL: This product and/or service is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or in any way associated with GoPro Inc. or its products and services. GoPro, HERO, and their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of GoPro, Inc. HEROBUS and BACPAC are trademarks of GoPro Inc.

Today GoPro announced three new action cameras, a drone, and a rather interesting flotilla of accessories.  These include a handheld gimbal, external microphone/remote combos, and even a nifty $19 adapter to quickly sync your videos to your phone sans-battery.

Now, I’ll be putting together a more hands-on piece over the next 24-48 hours, but until then, consider this a bit of an appetizer and landing place to discuss the new units.  Obviously there’s quite a bit of interest given it’s been two years since a major GoPro camera lineup launch (or, over a year if you count the Session).

Now technically, there are two new Hero5 branded cameras and one new non-Hero5 branded, but that’d have made for too long of a section header.  So what has GoPro done?  Well, they’ve simplified.  Over the past two years they had amassed a wide number of camera price points that confused the market.  Back in April they reduced that count a bit, but now they’ve cut everything down to these three new models:

This means that the entire lineup has received a refresh, and it’s also down to just three camera models (from six).  Note that down below I have a comparison table comparing the features of the higher-end Hero5 Black to that of Garmin’s VIRB Ultra 30 offering, but for this section I’ll highlight the key new features.

The Hero5 Black is in many ways the features and specs of a Hero4 Silver & Black merging together.  It’s got the resolution/quality specs of a Hero4 Black (4K video @ 30FPS), but it’s got the touchscreen like a Hero4 Silver did.  However, that touch screen menu system has been greatly simplified, making it easier for folks to figure out what they’re doing:

As you probably noticed above, the touchscreen is on the exterior of the camera case – and that’s because the cameras are now fully waterproofed – no external case required.  The entire GoPro lineup of cameras is now waterproof to various levels, with the Hero5 Black being waterproof to 10 meters (33ft).

The Hero5 Black does see improvements in video and audio though.  For example, on the audio front they’ve introduced three microphones, including noise cancelling.  This puts it more inline with the VIRB Ultra 30 in terms of minimizing wind noise.  On the Hero5 Black, these mics are located on the sides and top of the camera, and the unit will automatically choose the best sounding microphone during recording.  Here’s the three mic locations:

Next, both the Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session include voice control, fairly similar to what Garmin introduced with their VIRB Ultra 30 cameras a few weeks ago.  However, GoPro both allows you to customize these commands and has more commands than the VIRB Ultra 30.  GoPro’s voice control supports seven languages: English, French, Italian, German, Spanish, Chinese, and Japanese.

Next, GoPro added the ability to record GPS data.  Some of this is a bit unclear as to how exactly the GPS data will be used (for example, can you overlay speed during a recording?).  Right now it just says it records position. But I’m sure those answers will become clear soon.  This feature puts it back in the camp of the vast majority of action cams these days that have GPS within them.

However, GoPro has set itself apart by introducing the ability to record RAW images (photos) – which is pretty cool. They also introduced a new HDR mode (which they call WDR).  It allows you to get more dynamic shots for photos.

GoPro has introduced a field of view option, which aims to simplify how the images will turn out from a zoom and perspective standpoint.  So now you’ve got Medium, Linear, Wide, Superwide, and Narrow.  Some of these were there before, but Linear is new.  The idea there is to remove the fisheye effect.  Other companies have had this for a while, but it’s nice to see GoPro join that crowd.  More importantly though, what GoPro does is make it easy to see the impact instantly within the preview window – as opposed to after selecting the option.  Garmin doesn’t currently do this today for field of view types (though they do it for pro settings).

Next, the Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session both got image stabilization.  It’s electronic image stabilization, which like the new Garmin action cam means it’s done within software rather than through hardware.  So basically it takes the 4K image and uses a portion of that to give you a smooth 1080p image. Thus, the highest EIS (Electronic Image Stabilization) mode is 1080p.

Speaking of hardware, you’ll notice the unit now uses USB-C instead of mini-USB.  This port area is also used to funnel information to the Karma Grip/Drone.  So the Karma drone will actually power the GoPro using the USB-C port, and then it streams video using the HDMI port:

Note that like the Hero4 cameras, it has user-swappable batteries.  This is different than the Hero4/Hero5 Session, which do not have changeable batteries.

Next they introduced an updated version of the Hero4 Session, called the Hero5 Session.  You’ll remember this is the cube-like camera that was introduced last year.  This time they’ve spun out two variants:

So for many people, the Hero5 Session will be perfect.  Yet for others (like me), I like the touchscreen on the back of the camera for quick validation of framing and playback. It’s something I’ve come to love on the GoPro Hero4 Silver and the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30.

GoPro announced their new cloud platform called GoPro Plus.  This platform will allow you to sync your content to their cloud platform as soon as it finishes charging while plugged in, (and connected via WiFi) with a Hero5 Black or Hero5 Session.  Which in turn enables you to edit it from the cloud.  For the Hero4 and older cameras, you’d link to your computer first to upload to GoPro Plus.

The GoPro Plus account will set you back $4.99/month, though you can use a free trial version initially.  Now what’s interesting here is that the subscription also gets you 20% off any mounts or accessories.  That’s pretty solid, considering GoPro’s mounts are often pretty pricey.

Of note is that GoPro has tweaked the pricing on their ‘GoPro Care’ warranty option, which covers you in case you kill your camera. They’ve also extended it to cover the Karma drone. The new pricing is:

To me these prices are fair, and a nice dip from the previous $99 for the Hero4 Black price as well. I’ve got no doubt I’ll pick up the GoPro Care package on the drone, though will probably skip it for the camera (given it’ll be far more difficult to kill than the drone will).

In fact, GoPro is including the backpack in their kit price, along with the gimbal.  The backpack will hold the Karma drone, the controller, and the gimbal, as seen above.

It’s also compatible with the Hero3 cameras, but it won’t be able to control those. Instead, they’ll fit in a frame for the Hero4 Silver/Black on the gimbal/drone – but there is no control or connectivity of the settings.  So you’d press record prior to take-off, but no preview mid-flight or ability to change modes.  You can control the up/down of the camera though through the gimbal’s remote control wheel on the back of the remote.  The Hero4 Session won’t be supported because the door frame design won’t support the mounts (vs the Hero5 Session allows the door to pop-off.  On both the Hero5 Session/Black, the door pops off to fit into the gimbal connector.

The Karma drone is controlled by this fold-up remote.  The remote has a 720p live preview screen on it, as well as simplified modes for control – similar to what we’ve seen from 3DR, Hexo and DJI (among others).  Upon setup completion, the controller will also walk you through a flight simulator mode  to practice your aerial prowess.

GoPro says they’ve designed the controller’s display for use in bright outdoor settings, specifically snow and other places where you’d likely be wearing polarized sunglasses/goggles.

Now, these modes are handy and do make up the vast majority of basic drone shots that you’d want in a video edit.  But in many ways GoPro falls short of the competition here – even competitive options from 2 years ago.  Drone maker 3DR is probably the most advanced here in terms of cinematic shot options, with DJI coming up next behind it (and many others as well).  Of course, all of these companies started with much smaller shot options and have expanded through software updates over time.  Below you can see one of the Auto Shot Paths in progress.

Further missing from this list is any form of follow-me or tracking options, both of which DJI added this past year and have become a key selling point.  GoPro says that they don’t find these competitive options all that great, however, the market mostly disagrees.

Speaking of crashing, in the event you do crash you can replace a number of parts by yourself.  These include the arms, landing gear, stabilizer, and props (in fact, GoPro includes 2 extra props in the Karma Case).

Now, GoPro makes up for some of my aforementioned software omissions by introducing the GoPro Passenger app.  This app allows you t