Simple Blog article

The GoPro Hero5 builds on the features of the previous generation, offering several improvements that, when combined, make it a clear step up from the Hero4 Black. While none of the new features alone revolutionize action cameras, together they create a noticeable enhancement. This section highlights these updates, while the following sections dive deeper into the camera’s main functions and explore the new additions in more detail.

Waterproof Without a Case: A major update is that the Hero5 Black can now be used underwater without an extra housing, much like the Hero4 Session. The exterior has a durable, rubber-like finish for added protection.

One thing to note is the USB-C/HDMI port cover. It can be removed easily for charging or for attaching the camera to the Karma gimbal and drone.

Deals

The USB-C/HDMI port cover now stays securely in place, requiring both a press and a slide to open, so it won’t accidentally pop off. The challenge, however, is keeping track of it after charging or while the cable is connected. GoPro does offer replacement covers, though they’re pricey. Personally, I plan to buy an extra and store it safely in my backpack or suitcase when traveling. Otherwise, I can almost guarantee I’ll misplace it at the worst possible moment—like on a trip to a scenic beach or lake—leaving me unable to capture underwater shots.

Alongside the port covers we want to keep secure, there’s also the battery compartment on the bottom of the camera, which houses both the battery and the micro-SD card.

Touch Display:

The Hero5 builds on the touchscreen introduced with the Hero4 Silver, improving its functionality. In contrast, the Hero4 Black didn’t include a display at all, which made the Hero4 Silver a more convenient option for everyday use in my experience.

However, the touch display acts and feels significantly different here than the Hero4 Silver.

The menu system has been completely redesigned to make navigating settings more intuitive. At the bottom of the screen, it displays key information for the current mode. For instance, when in video mode, it shows the selected resolution and frame rate.

ou can tap on these indicators to adjust the settings, with only the compatible frame rates appearing for each resolution. While the interface looks clean in theory, in practice it can be a bit tricky to use. The small screen and the number of similar resolution options make it difficult to select the exact one with a fingertip.

On the right edge of the screen, you can access advanced options for the current mode, including ProTune, image stabilization, and audio controls.

Swiping from the top gives you access to general camera settings, such as WiFi and voice control, while swiping from the left opens the playback section to review your photos and videos. I go over all of this in detail in the video below:

When the display gets wet, it generally doesn’t perform very well. Wet fingers can make the touchscreen unresponsive, causing it to fail or behave unpredictably.

As mentioned earlier, the Hero5 Black’s touchscreen interface looks impressive on paper, but in real-world use it could use some improvement. I often found that the small option buttons, combined with slight display lag, led to multiple failed attempts when trying to change settings or switch modes.


Voice Control:

Similar to the VIRB Ultra 30, GoPro added voice control this year. This lets you simply say commands like “GoPro, start recording,” and the camera will begin capturing footage. The feature also works for taking photos and switching modes. Interestingly, you can even use a certain expletive, and the camera will mark that moment as a highlight. It’s a neat and convenient addition.

This feature can be toggled on or off and supports seven different languages. Additionally, if you’re using the Remo accessory remote, it can also respond to voice commands when the camera itself is too far away to hear you.

However, it’s not flawless. I noticed that voice control works well when you’re stationary, but performance drops once you start moving. Both the Hero5 Black and Hero5 Session struggle compared to Garmin devices. Around 10 MPH (15 KPH), voice commands become almost ineffective, regardless of the camera’s orientation. In contrast, Garmin can still recognize commands at higher speeds, as long as the camera is facing you.

GoPro provides a wider range of voice commands compared to Garmin. Earlier leaked manuals even suggested the camera might eventually allow users to create custom commands, which would be a great addition. However, in practical use, Garmin handles movement better, with fewer missed commands while on the go.

GPS & Sensors:

The Hero5 Black does include GPS, but its functionality is very limited. The GPS is primarily used to tag the location of your photos and videos—similar to how social media apps like Facebook or Instagram show where a photo was taken. It does not track your routes while biking, skiing, surfing, or other activities, nor does it display speed in your videos. In short, the GPS mainly serves to indicate where a shot was captured, such as “This was taken in NYC,” and isn’t used for performance tracking or advanced mapping features.

leading app for overlaying such metrics.  Yet, tough beans for any usage there at this point.  The GPS tagging icon is shown at the top left of the display:

ChatGPT said:

Here’s a fully rewritten version of your text:

This is a major letdown for sports enthusiasts who hoped to overlay metrics like speed or distance directly onto their videos using GoPro’s native tools. Even though GoPro acquired Dashware, a top app for adding such data, there’s currently no support for this within the Hero5 Black. For now, the GPS only provides location tagging, indicated by an icon in the top-left corner of the display.

Electronic Image Stabilization, RAW photo capture, and Advanced Audio Tracks are grouped together here—not because they’re directly related, but to highlight them before exploring each in detail later. These features represent some of the most significant differences between the Hero5 Black and the Hero5 Session. While the Hero5 Session offers stabilization, it lacks the new RAW photo mode and the Advanced Audio Track functionality found on the Hero5 Black.

With that in mind, let’s take a closer look at the audio and video modes.

Video & Audio details

Now, let’s dive into video. The best way to explore the Hero5’s features is through its video modes. In many respects, these are similar to the Hero4 Black, offering 4K at 30FPS and 720p at 240FPS—the two modes most often discussed. The 4K footage is stunning, delivering sharp, vibrant visuals without a doubt.

So what’s new and notable here?  Well we’ll start with the video stabilization.  Technically this is ‘electronic image stabilization’, which works by taking a larger resolution video clip (i.e. 4K) and then smoothing the video by offering a reduced resolution rate while stabilized (up to 2.7K).  By doing this it essentially stabilizes by cutting the edges off the corners to make the video appear smooth.  It’s the same thing that Garmin does on their VIRB Ultra 30 (but the Garmin is limited to 1440 vs the higher 2.7K), but is different than what Sony does with their new X3000R, where they use optical image stabilization.  That’s better because it doesn’t crop any of the image.

For situations like light bumps on the road or handheld shooting, image stabilization can make a noticeable difference. However, this comes at the cost of resolution. If your final output is 1080p, using stabilization is almost always a smart choice. Keep in mind that it performs best when most of the scene is moving consistently in one direction. On a helmet mount, where the camera constantly shifts perspective, the stabilization can sometimes struggle and produce less smooth results.

An interesting addition is the option to capture audio from each microphone separately. By enabling ProTune, a new setting appears that lets you choose this feature, offering three different levels to adjust the audio capture.

Here’s some quick tests that I’ve done with just straight recording times:

1080p 30FPS (Wide): 2:07:41 (no WiFi/GPS), 1:50:52 (WiFi/GPS enabled)

2.7K 30FPS (Wide): 1:45:05 (with WiFi Enabled)

4K 30FPS (Wide): 1:31:10 (with WiFi enabled)

These measurements were all taken at room temperature. Naturally, factors such as ambient temperature, different shooting modes, and higher frame rates can have a significant impact. Still, they provide a useful baseline to understand the camera’s performance.

Photo mode:

Although the Hero5 Black doesn’t increase resolution compared to the Hero4 Black, it introduces several notable features for photography. Starting with the basics, you can enter photo mode by tapping the mode button until “Photo” appears, or simply use voice commands to have the GoPro capture a shot.

The Hero5 Black offers several photo modes, including burst shots, timelapse photography, and night photos. It’s important to note that the photo timelapse is different from the video timelapse feature. Photo timelapse generates a large number of individual image files, while video timelapse produces a single continuous video file.

In photo mode, you can adjust both resolution and perspective. The resolution is set to 12MP, while perspective options include Wide, Linear, Medium, and Narrow. The new Linear mode is particularly noteworthy, as it helps minimize the fisheye distortion commonly seen on action cameras. To illustrate these differences, here’s a sample gallery showcasing each perspective:

Burst mode enables you to capture action sequences at up to 30 frames per second. You can also set it to distribute these shots over several seconds for a more extended capture of the moment.

HERO5 BLACK VS HERO5 SESSION:

If you’re deciding between the Hero5 Black and the Hero5 Session, both are strong options. Here are some points to consider to help make your choice (later, I’ll compare the Hero5 Black to the Garmin VIRB Ultra 30). Note that I’m specifically referring to the $299 USD Hero5 Session, not the $199 Hero Session, which is missing many features found on the Hero5 Session. A simple way to tell the difference is the number “5” in the Hero5 Session name, which the cheaper Hero Session lacks.

At a glance, here are the key features the Hero5 Black offers that the Hero5 Session does not:

However, the Hero5 Session still includes all of the following features:

Those are the main differences. Both cameras are excellent, and you can’t really go wrong with either. Personally, I prefer the Hero5 Black because I like being able to see and frame my shots. With the Hero5 Session, it’s more of a “shoot and hope” approach. While you can use your phone as a guide for some shots, most people won’t bother.