This means you’ll need to use the companion app if you want to take more consideration over how you frame your shots, and there’s no basic in-camera video editing.įrom my experience, especially when shooting first-person perspective video, I just need to make sure the camera isn’t pointed too high or too low, so you don’t need to constantly have a live-view output. Of course, the big omission compared to the Hero 5 Session’s bigger brother is the lack of a touchscreen display. However, there is support for an external microphone, which was missing from the original Session – although you’ll need to pick up an adapter. There’s no external display output on the Hero 5 Session like you find on the Hero 5 Black through Micro HDMI. Like the Hero 5 Black, though, this is disabled when shooting in 4K.Īlong the edge you’ll find a USB Type-C port for charging and the microSD slot. You can change the usual settings, such as resolution, field of view and, new with both the Hero 5 Session and Hero 5 Black, you can turn on or off the electronic image stabilisation. The stability of the camera’s software has also been improved, and in testing I found it didn’t hang or lock up as often as the earlier software versions on the Hero Session. Puzzlingly, this wasn’t available when the original Session launched, so the only way to capture still images without using the app was to capture burst or time-lapse images by holding the shutter button. One such enhancement was the ability to access a Photo mode, in order to take still image captures. You’re able to change settings and capture modes directly on the camera, and the in-camera software has seen the same improvements that have been made to the original Session over the past year. On the rear of the camera is a multi-function power button that’s also used in conjunction with the shutter button to navigate the basic menu system. Another press stops recording and shuts the camera down. This will turn the camera on and begin recording following a single press. There’s a sliver of an LCD panel on the top of the camera, alongside the shutter button, which supports the one-button quick-recording function seen on previous GoPro cameras. A wrist-based remote control and microphone is available as a separate accessory, which might be a more reliable option if you do find yourself dependent on voice commands. I often found that in noisier outdoor environments – an ice rink, for example – the microphones would struggle to pick up my voice. That is, if the microphones can hear you. Like the Hero 5 Black, you can utter commands such as “GoPro take a photo” or “GoPro start recording”, and the camera will obey accordingly. The microphones are also used for the Hero 5 Session’s voice-triggered actions. Since there’s no external housing to obstruct the microphones, this makes for far better sound recording, and the Hero 5 Session now supports more advanced wind noise reduction too. The camera can dynamically switch between the two based on external conditions, such as windnoise. Once again, there are dual microphones – one on the front and one on the back. This remains with the Hero 5 Session it will happily go to 10m without a modicum of fuss. The main benefit of the original Session was its waterproofing, without the need for external housing – which has since been copied by the Hero 5 Black. This won’t be something you’ll notice unless you put the two cameras next to one another, however – and even then it’s barely noticeable. It’s still an adorable cube-shaped camera, but it’s ever so slightly bigger. In truth, the design has barely changed from the original Session. Even just holding the camera for shooting quick videos is made easier due to the Session’s size and shape. Think leg-mounting while climbing, for example. As such, it makes for a great secondary camera for multi-camera shoots. The Hero 5 Session will appeal for its smaller form factor compared to GoPro’s more traditional cameras, making mounting it to trickier positions an easier proposition.

GoPro Hero 5 Session – Design and Accessories Fortunately, if you shop around, most places are still selling the Hero 5 Session at or below its original retail price, so be sure to shop around. That’s the same £50 increase seen with the GoPro Hero 5 Black, which is a move seen across numerous tech products in the UK following Brexit. When the Hero 5 Session first launched, it arrived with a UK RRP of £249.99 but its official price has subsequently increased to £299.99.

Gopro hero session 5