GoPro Hero5 Session Review

Jun 20, 2024

GoPro launched a smaller, simpler action camera last year in the Hero4 Session. Simplicity meant it lacked the ability to record 4K, or even 2.7K video. The new Hero5 Session changes that. It's the same size and shape as last year's model, but it can record 4K video, capture high-speed footage at 90fps in 1080p and 120fps in 720p, and at $299.99, it's $100 less than the Hero4 Session was at launch. It's an impressive little camera that's smaller, lighter, and less expensive than the full-featured Editors' Choice GoPro Hero5 Black. If you're focused on video quality and don't need an on-device touch-screen viewfinder and a raft of extra features, the Hero5 Session is worth checking out.

DesignThe Hero5 Session looks largely unchanged from the Hero4 Session, which GoPro continues to market simply as the $200 Hero Session. It's a slightly lighter shade of dark gray, but physically it's the same 1.5-inch, 2.6-ounce rounded cube with a Record button and monochrome information display on the top, a Mode button on the back, and a pop-out door on the left side that hides a microSD card slot and a USB port for charging. The Hero5 Session's port is USB-C instead of micro USB, but that's the only real design change.

Like the Hero4 Session (and the new Hero5 Black), the Hero5 Session is waterproof without a case, so the protective case included with the camera is very light and simple. It's a thin plastic bumper you pop the camera into before clamping it shut with a small latch on the corner. It holds the camera securely without any rattling. While the case isn't necessary for the Hero5 Session's protection, it is needed for its mounting bracket. The case adds the standard two-ring mounting bracket to the camera, meant to be threaded between the three-ring bracket used on the various GoPro mounts before being locked in by a threaded bolt, which lets you tilt the camera up and down on the mount with varying tension.

Case and MountsThe Hero5 Session comes with the aforementioned protective case, a mounting bracket with a foot that can clip onto fixed mounts, a pair of fixed mounts with adhesive feet for attaching to a flat surface or a curved one (like a helmet), and a USB-C cable.

Out of the box, you can attach the Hero5 Session to any flat surface or a helmet, but one of the things that make GoPro cameras so appealing is the variety of specialized mounts you can get to suit your needs. You can purchase additional mounts like grips, chest harnesses, and clamp mounts for different shooting scenarios. They generally cost $20 and above depending on the size and complexity of the mount. The Hero5 Session will also work with GoPro's forthcoming Karma drone.

Recording OptionsThe Hero5 Session records in 4K, and while it doesn't have quite as many resolution/frame rate combinations as the Hero5 Black, it's still much more flexible than the Hero4 Session. Its resolution modes range from WVGA (848 by 480) to 4K (3,840 by 2,160), its frame rates range from 24 to 240 frames per second, and it offers five field of view settings: Narrow, Linear, Medium, Wide, and SuperView.

In 4K, the Hero5 Session can only record at 25 or 30fps in Wide mode. A 2.7K (2,704 by 1,524) setting opens up your choices a bit, letting you record at 24, 25, or 30fps in Linear, Medium, Wide, or SuperView, or at 48fps in Medium. A 4:3 2.7K option is also available at 24 or 30fps in Wide.

You can capture 10MP still photos with the Hero5 Session as well, though like most action cameras, it emphasizes video recording over snapshots. You won't find tons of exposure controls for still photos, but there are plenty of burst and time-lapse shooting options. You can capture 3, 5, 10, or 30 photos a second, 10 or 30 photos every 2 seconds, or 30 photos every 3 or 6 seconds. You can also capture time-lapse video by taking a shot every 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 30, or 60 seconds.

You switch modes on the Hero5 Session by pressing the Menu button on the back, but you'll find much more control by pairing the camera with your smartphone using the free GoPro Capture app. The Hero5 Session uses both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, and the pairing process is a simple procedure that only takes a couple of minutes. Once your phone is paired, you can change recording settings on the fly, and use your phone as both a remote viewfinder and a remote control. Since the Hero5 Session doesn't have a display besides a small LED information panel on the top, this is extremely useful.

Because it doesn't have a display, the Hero5 Session's battery life is markedly better than the Hero5 Black's. I carried it around New York Comic Con all day and recorded about an hour of footage and the battery didn't dip below 60 percent. Obviously constant recording will drain the battery faster, but you can expect two or three solid hours of recording.

PerformanceVideo quality on the Hero5 Session is excellent for the size. It doesn't quite offer the flexibility of the Hero5 Black, but the 4K footage above shows how outdoor video is crisp and vibrant, and indoor video suffers only slightly from the comparably lower lighting. It's a notable step up from the original Hero4 Session, which tops out at 1440p.

The above clip shows 720p video recorded at 120fps, slowed to quarter speed of the RapidStrike, a Nerf gun that can fire five darts per second. This was shot in a more brightly lit corridor than where I shot the 240fps test footage for the Hero5 Black, and the video looks quite good. It's still a bit fuzzy because it was shot indoors, but you can clearly see the darts fly in slow motion at a smooth 30 frames per second.

ConclusionsThe GoPro Hero5 Session is a major upgrade over the Hero4 Session with the addition of 4K video capture. Footage quality is close to the Hero5 Black, though it lacks that camera's touch screen and some of its shooting modes, including the ability to record 4K in the SuperView field of view setting and capture 240fps video at 720p. At $300, the Hero5 Session is an excellent performer, but the extra features on the Hero5 Black make it our Editors' Choice in the category. If you don't need to record video in 4K, the Hero4 Session is available for just $200, half of its launch price.

With the Hero5 Session, GoPro adds 4K video recording to an impressively tiny midrange action camera.

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