A few millimetres bigger in all directions, the Hero 5 isn’t going to fit any housings designed for older GoPros, such as the Hero 4. One thing that hasn’t seen much of a boost, if any, is battery life. }, 2000 ); Latest news: The 2017 GoPro Hero 5 Black has had a substantial chunk of its price cut on Amazon, with the portable shooter now only £299. AdUnitType: '2', Although the battery has been given a capacity boost in the Hero 5, in intensive stop-start use I found it failed to last longer than a morning. Period. scp.src='https://s.vi-serve.com/tagLoader.js'; If you’re on a bike, for example, the camera can intelligently swap to the rear microphone for less wind noise. Another big upgrade for the Hero 5 is evident the moment you fire it up: it has a 2in, colour touchscreen on the rear, designed to make controlling the camera and switching modes easier than ever. You do have to raise your voice somewhat in particularly noisy surroundings, however. I also had very occasional SD card error messages, which meant that recordings were abruptly stopped – not ideal. READ NEXT: The best smartphones of 2016 – these are our favourite handsets. This review is from my perspective as a freelance videographer and first-time action camera owner. It made keeping people at home updated really easy (also known as #holidayspam). GoPro Hero 5 Black long-term review. What’s the recipe for the best GoPro camera? On the inside, there isn’t all that much that distinguishes the Hero 5 from its predecessor. Jonathan Bray’s full GoPro Hero 5 Black review follows immediately below. The GoPro Hero5 Black can capture 4K/30p video and 12MP photos. scp.type = "text/javascript"; It’s a bit fiddly, and you can’t use it underwater or with gloves on, but it means you don’t have to memorise obscure combinations of button presses to switch modes. If you want to take your GoPro scuba diving, you’ll still need to pop it in a case, but surfers, sailors and skiers will be pleased that they can simply mount the camera and go. The dual microphones were also great when sat on a speedboat or when cruising through Ho Chi Minh City on a moped. This is because the Hero 5 Black is a few millimetres bigger in all dimensions than the Hero 4 Black when outside of its waterproof case. It retains its familiar rectangular shape, but the Hero 5 Black is now coated in a grippy, rubberised material. The GoPro Hero 5 Black lets you get some creative close-ups. Professionals love GoPro cameras, too, so the appearance of the GoPro Hero5 is a big deal. As a bonus, the Hero 5 Black weighs about 30g less than the Hero 4 Black in its case, which will make it slightly less noticeable if you have it attached to a helmet or on your body. The front display of my review camera has picked up a scratch and there are a few marks on the edge of the lens’ housing, otherwise, all things considered, it’s done pretty well. As mentioned earlier, audio is significantly improved, mainly due to the new wind-reduction feature and the fact that you no longer need to mount the camera in a case to ensure water tightness. The big upgrade comes in the shape of electronic image stabilisation. Fortunately, this only happened twice. The Hero 5’s sensor is the same size as in the previous model (it’s 1/2.3in) and it can record in resolutions up to 4K, but still only at 30fps. Your email address will not be published. The rubberised exterior makes it great to hold and it helps the camera when it comes to shock-proofing, too. Contact Us | Privacy Policy | TOS | All Rights Reserved. In the bit of downtime I had, I spent it transferring images and video to my phone and then knocking together an edit on Quik to share on social media. This is something GoPro seems to have now improved in the Hero 6 Black. Removing the need for the waterproof case in most shooting scenarios is a big deal. scp.async = true; A standard adhesive mount is included in the box, but the Hero 5 will work with practically all standard GoPro mounts that aren’t based on the specific size of the Hero 4 Black – as was the case with my aforementioned gimbal. Drop the resolution and you can record at higher frame rates – up to 240fps for ultra-slow-motion recording – but there’s no difference in capability here over the Hero 4 Black. Not needing a waterproof case for all but the deepest depths is also a real benefit. For bumpy shots, such as those when you have the camera mounted on the handlebars of a bike, this works reasonably well, but it’s less useful for head- or car-mounted shots where biological and mechanical image stabilisation comes into play. Head over to Amazon to snap it up. Feed it clips, stills and a few captions and it makes an incredibly impressive stab at producing a video ready for sharing. Related: GoPro Hero 6 Black vs GoPro Hero 5 Black. i[btoa('video intelligence start')].init(config); It also makes it far easier to frame your shots, and you don’t need an encyclopaedic knowledge of the camera’s various beeps and LED lights to know what it’s doing. The Hero6 Black offers 4K at … It’s the toughest, roughest, best-quality shooter in the business. The screen, GPS and image stabilisation all take their toll, and you’ll need to purchase some spare batteries if you’re planning on being away from base for longer than half a day. GoPro Hero 5 Black reviews, pros and cons, Amazon price history. Once again, this is a significant step forward over previous models, which didn’t even have a screen, let alone one with touchscreen abilities. config = { It has one-button control, and you can use your voice, as well. We may earn a commission if you click a deal and buy an item. DivID: '', Like the Hero Session, the Hero 5 Black features dual microphones, front and back, which the camera can swap between for the best performance – especially in windy situations. Inside, it’s much as it was before. Putting aside the outlier Hero Session, the Hero 5 Black sees the first drastic re-design to GoPro’s main range of cameras, which is both good and bad; mainly good, however. Shot in the GoPro Hero 5 Black’s ‘Linear’ mode for less distortion. How to Remove Netflix Recently Watched Shows, How To Use OneDrive: A Guide To Microsoft’s Cloud Storage Service. Powering off the camera and turning it back on again would fix the issue. Should you remove it? During those two weeks, I used the GoPro Hero 5 Black in a number of different scenarios and with a range of mounts. } ); The Hero 5 Black is the GoPro camera option for those who want the best action cam available right out of the box. }; If you're using an ad-blocker you might miss out on seeing the deals. Now, this isn’t anywhere near as advanced as Amazon’s Alexa voice recognition or Siri, but you can issue basic commands such as “GoPro turn on” or “GoPro start video”, and they work pretty well. Most noticeable is its depth, especially when you take into account its protruding lens. The dimensions of the camera have changed, which could mean it might not play well with a select few older accessories and mounts. It’s far more rounded at the corners, too. So when I booked in two weeks in Vietnam, I figured it would be opportune to break out what was then GoPro’s “best camera to date” for another spin. Of course that’s just anecdotal evidence, but it was interesting to see. 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