GoPro Hero5 Session is the smallest action camera GoPro has ever built, so it is easy to mount on helmets, trail-bike handles and car roofs where installing a larger GoPro could be tricky. It also makes it easier to shoot hand-held videos. The Hero5 Session is waterproof up to a depth of 10m and works with the other GoPro mounts, which is good news for existing users.
The Session can do 4K videos (at 30 frames per second) and take 10-megapixel photographs. In comparison, the GoPro Hero5 Black (Rs33,250; Amazon.in) has a 12-megapixel sensor and the Session, a 10-megapixel sensor. At Full HD resolutions, the Black can shoot at up to 120 fps, while the Session tops out at 80 fps—this makes the Black better for slow-motion videos.
The Hero5 Session doesn’t have a display to frame your shots, and you’ll need the GoPro Capture app (free on Android and iOS) to use the phone as the viewfinder. The app is smooth to work with, apart from the occasional connectivity drop.
Undoubtedly, the Session is easy and fun to use. There is one record button on the top panel to start and stop recording. You can change between the photo and video modes from the camera itself. The video-recording capabilities, at 4K or Full HD resolutions, are robust. Still images are quite well detailed, with well- distinguished colours. There are voice command controls too.
The smaller form factor means that the battery is also smaller than some of the other GoPro cameras, allowing for just more than an hour of continuous 4K video recording.
With the Session, you’ll get most of what you get with the slightly bigger Black, such as low-light performance and 4K video shooting. The Black has a touch display, a higher-resolution sensor and can shoot uncompressed RAW formats. But the Session’s size work to its advantage.