GoPro is the first—if not only—name most people think of when it comes to action cameras. It's not just because the company conquered the market early, but also because its cameras have remained the best and most widely used for a long while.
However, in recent months GoPro's latest flagship camera (the Hero4 Black) has been usurped by the likes of the high-end Garmin Virb Ultra 30 and the solid yet affordable Yi 4K Action Camera.
Now GoPro has answered its challengers with two new cameras, the Hero5 Black and the diminutive Hero5 Session. These new shooters update the capabilities found to the older GoPro models, and they add new features—like voice control and built-in GPS—that the contenders introduced in their new models. After testing the new GoPro cameras alongside their older versions and the latest cameras from the competition, I can tell you that GoPro has done just enough work to recapture the throne it very briefly lost.
The Hero5 Black has the same rectangular shape as its predecessors, but there are some big physical changes. It's now waterproof to 33 feet without a case—it took a pounding in six-foot waves on my surfboard, and it also made it through some cliff jumping, all with no leakage whatsoever. The now-watertight port covers are a bit harder to open, but that's a small tradeoff.
Another change: the touchscreen. In the last generation of GoPros, the high-end Hero4 Black was the most capable camera in the line, but it was missing a touchscreen. The mid-tier Hero4 Silver, however, did have a touchscreen. GoPro has corrected this oversight and given its top-of-the-line camera a really nice touchscreen. The 2-inch diagonal panel is big and responsive, and the menu system is easy to understand. Make sure you remember to lock the screen before you take it in the water, though, as water drops can cause accidental settings changes.
This is the first GoPro to offer voice controls, a really slick feature Garmin built into its recent Virb Ultra 30 action cam. The GoPro understands far more commands than the Virb, though, and you can talk to it in seven languages. It certainly isn't perfect—ambient noise like rushing wind confuses it, and I ended up with some footage of me biking downhill yelling, "GoPro stop recording! GoPro Stop Recording! GOPRO STOP RECORDING!!" It's still very nice to have another way to work your camera, but you can't rely on it 100 percent. (GoPro will soon be launching a tiny remote control with a mic that clips to your collar that should improve audio pickup.)
Image quality is excellent. At 1080p and 2.7k, the image is much sharper than the Garmin, but the edge goes to Garmin when shooting at 4K. Personally, I give 1080p performance more weight because that's what I shoot 90 percent of the time, but if you know you want to be shooting a lot of 4K, that's a compelling case for the Virb. The GoPro's audio is much better that the Virb, though, especially since you don't need to put it inside a waterproof case in wet conditions. If it takes a dunk, the mics eject water extremely quickly.
This is the first GoPro that has built-in GPS, but all the GPS can do is geotag the photos you take. You don't get any fancy overlays on your video that show your speed or elevation, though GoPro says its working on a software update. It's a shame they missed it for the launch, since other cameras offer this.
Gone is the button of the front of the GoPro, a staple since the first generations. Now there's just a side button for toggling power and modes, and a button on top to start and stop recording. But fret not! Pressing both buttons together still lets you change all the granular stuff while just looking at the small LCD screen on the front of the camera. It's nice to have that option for when you're surfing or snorkeling and can't use the touchscreen. Also, GoPro replaced its bright LED recording indicator lights with teeny little dinky ones. It's almost impossible to tell if you're rolling or not when you're looking at the camera in bright light. Big miss.