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UPDATE May 28th 2021: $729? ... 😳 That's nearly double what it cost when it came out. 🤣 This is a GREAT camera. I purchased one back in Aug 2018. GoPro made a huge mistake not making the Session camera anymore. 🙁 I would have loved to see a new version with a small screen. This camera has everything. Good picture image stabilization good audio external mic input and its waterproof. Can't imagine how much better it would be now had they not dropped it. Yes they can put a tiny screen just like what's on the Pocket. Love the size. They could have improved everything added motion detection night vision and it would be a formidable spy cam. 😉 Bring it back ... but at less than $400. Like half that price. That's when these moved off the shelf. This one is so much better than the Hero4 Session. The audio actually works. You can hear good audio and it has an external mic input via the overpriced obtrusive GoPro dongle. It has image stabilization that was missing on the Hero4 Session. It works better than the Hero 5 but not as good as the Hero 6. You can delete files from the cam without having to use their invasive app. But if you want to shut off the LEDs you have to use the app and let GoPro know what you are doing and where you are doing it. If you don't give the permissions it's no go for you. The battery lasts longer but also takes longer to charge. This one only comes with 1 mount as the Session 4 came with 2. One of them being low profile which I use the most. I hope I don't lose it or break it bc I can't find another one anywhere. I bought this bc GoPro in their infinite wisdom decided to drop this from their lineup. I was just going to wait for the Hero6 Session but that won't happen now. This camera has huge potential but GoPro priced it too high at launch. Hope they rethink their decision to can this and bring it back with even more improvements and at a good pricepoint of $150 or less. It's a great camera now with 4k and all the improvements.

Product Description GoPro Hero5 Session is a high definition video recording device that is waterproof. There are currently three different versions of camera along the Hero series while the Hero5 Session is considered a mid-range camera with a reasonable price compare to its counterpart. This camera is highly portable due to its small size and weight. This camera is now more powerful compared to its previous version because it has many features such as voice control, video stabilization, advanced wind noise reduction, waterproof, and it can shoot up to 4k resolution at 30 fps. It can also connect to smartphone through an official GoPro app wirelessly. Ideal User This camera is suitable for people who love to go outdoors and want to capture every moment in crystal clear 4k resolution at 30 fps. Extreme sport enthusiast who like surfing, diving, skydiving, motorsports and paragliding will love this product. Besides, this product is also extremely suitable for travelers like drivers and hitchhikers due to its flexibility and hand-free feature. Furthermore, it is not only suitable for taking pictures and videos for extreme sports, but it also good for capturing family activities such as picnic or birthday parties. Ease of Use I brought this camera one week before my summer trip, there is a learning curve, but it only took me an hour to learn how to use it. The one-button simplicity feature shortens the learning curve; hence, it is best for beginner user like myself. Also, it comes with an official GoPro app that enable users to connect to the camera via Bluetooth, which in my opinion, is very convenient since users can manage the camera storage with ease. Advantages The camera itself is waterproof up to 20 feet, so there is no necessity for external case. Video stabilizing is another GoPro feature that outperform other cameras. It allows users to steadily record and take picture in some extreme situation such as skydiving and other extreme sports. Given the extreme conditions where the pictures or video were taken, GoPro 4K resolution will ensure that the quality of the pictures and videos were met. It works perfectly well in not just shaky conditions but also places with limited light intensity because of its diverse settings and filters. Overall This Camera is one of the best Camera I have owned so far. Its awesome features, size and user-friendly design did not fail my expectations. It allows photographers to snap pictures and record videos with perfect resolution. GoPro definitely provides an experience that no other camera does.

Great video camera! I've used it for snorkeling, ATV/Dirtbike trail riding and even as a dash camera with great results. Two complaints... the voice control doesn't work to well with background noises, and the battery isn't replaceable. So far, I haven't run into a problem with the battery running out, but over time rechargeable batteries fail and if that happens, the camera is worthless. Hopefully the battery will last a long time. Video quality is excelent, I like that you can view your videos on your smart phone with go pro app. I miss not having a screen on the camera, but love the smaller size. I dont even notice the camera on the side of my helmet. I wasted time, money and memories buying Chinese knock offs on older "Go Pro" cameras...to only be disappointed in missing great videos of memories in my life due to crummy/cheap video cameras. The Hero 5 Sessions hasn't let me down yet. Make sure you spend the money on high quality SD cards too. Good luck.

its a gopro, so you can see on your own exactly what picture quality you get- the BEST!!! the image stabilization is pretty useless, since you get a very blurry image and sometimes its even better not to have it since the camera movement looks more natural when its off. over all- its a nice little thing specially the form factor- its a really small camera compared to what video you get. also, my main use of this camera is for FPV quadcopter. here are some things to note before buying this camera, and since i have experience with the latest models as well of Gopro i think i will be able to give you the best review and recommendation. 1: Image stabilization- most of the time its useless (because if it is not Hypersmooth- its no good) any way you look at it- i have the hero 6 black (which has a much better stabilization but still in many cases its not doing a great job). the image get cropy, weird feeling when you watch- it kinda hearts the eyes. i found it help full only when the camera doesnt move much (it sounds strange, because why would you need stabilization if you are not moving right?) well- it works the best if you mount it to your car or motorcycle- because then it eliminates the small movements that you get in the care- so if its mounted on a moving object- it will o the job- any other case- you might be disappointed- i look at this camera like there is NO stabilization. 2- USE ND filters, you wont believe the difference- gopro have a very high shutter speed, so the image can look too sharpe at times, and you will get dizzy from watching it (specially when doing sports)- ND filter will smooth it out- just get one and try- you will get much more of a cinematic look :) 3- NO long shoots- one disadvantage of this camera is that it get hot after using it for a while- i hae this problem probably with every gopro i had- even the new ones, but the problem here is that since its a super small camera- overheating can cause damage- and i have heard this kind of cases already- so this camera will perform the best when taking a short videos at a time- i usually dont record more than 10 mins at a time- its easier to watch later but also it will save you camera for the long run. sum- great camera, small, durable (i mean, its really is durable, you have no idea what im doing to my gopros- total abuse). but know what are your need before byuing- it can be mounted everywhere- but keep in mind- if you dont really need the camera to be super small and light (where every gram matters) go with the regular size gopro- you will benefit much more (you will also get a screen) . you can even got as far as gopro 4- about the same pic quality- but much more durable and you record for much longer- and replace batteries I do recommend this product- works well.

I got the GoPro Hero 5 Session with a very specific purpose in mind. I wanted a small form factor action camera that I could use in places that I wouldn't be able to use my other video and photography gear. During the very first shoot I did with this camera I put it through a scenario that probably was a pretty good test for both its ability to survive as well as its low light capability. We did a splatter paint video in the dimly lit bathroom of a hotel in which an artist friend and I were collaborating on projects at. The camera did surprisingly well in lower light situations despite what I've read on other reviews. I definitely recommend using the protune settings and capping your ISO at about 800 if you don't want a ton of grain though. You can always adjust your exposure later in software. But the camera also survived the onslaught of paint we threw over-top of it, as well as the bath we gave it to wash it off after haha. But overall I'd say the camera is a great performer for what it is. I wasn't expecting it to be GoPro's best as far as image and audio is concerned, but I was legitimately surprised with how well it did. If you're considering this GoPro with specific needs in mind, then definitely get this one as it won't disappoint you! However, if you're looking for the best GoPro out there in general, you could probably invest a little more money and get something that'll work a bit better for you.

Amazing little camera in the palm of your hand. It's my first GoPro, and I love how simple it is to use. One tap of the button on top starts recording in the default mode. By going through the menu, you may switch it to take pictures instead at a tap. At the price range it has been in, I dont think there's a better alternative in video quality. The design is simple and impressive, build quality seems great, and paired with decent accessories, such as a tripod, stick, or chest mount, you can of course have some great videos. Get a good case to protect it as well. it can be easy to misplace it if your clumsy. As for water, be careful. Make sure the casing is closed properly. Batteries cannot be switched out on this model. Plan accordingly, or miss out on great footage. The only issue I have with this product may be more Apple related, but I will mention it in case someone needs help. My problem was i couldn't get GoPro videos to play in the ipad. I used a microsd adapter and the Apple sd card reader cable to move fresh videos over to the ipad. They would transfer, but not play. bummer. The workaround i found, is to upload Go Pro vidoes to a pc, then to a cloud storage, and then download to your ipad. Not ideal for travel, but the current solution for myself.

I consider myself a more advanced user of cameras, so my criticisms mainly fall into that bucket. This is a great simple camera for recording high quality video while using a very compact format. Video quality is outstanding. Wind and noise cancellation are pretty good for such a small camera. The on-camera controls are simple to use and provide most hobby and casual users with easily accessible functionality. The only reason this camera gets three stars is because it can shoot 4K video and does a pretty decent job of that. I couldn't give a camera that is able to shoot video this well a really bad review, it does achieve the intended purpose of taking good videos. However, the reason I am currently not a fan of this product lies completely within the realm of usability. Most of the issues with this device could be corrected with a firmware update if GoPro chose to listen to its customers feedback and correct the issues people have been complaining about. There are numerous threads on the GoPro site that echo many of my sentiments below. The issues I have with usability are as follows: The app used to connect to the camera wants you to create an account on the GoPro site and log in to connect to the camera. I shoot far too many videos in places where there is NO INTERNET CONNECTION. Since the application won't let you past the log-in screen, and you need an internet connection for this to function properly, major fail. In particular, if you take a new camera in the box out to a location where there is no internet, you are basically stuck using a computer with GoPro Quik or using the on-camera setting options to get your device set up. I should NOT need an internet connection to use my phone app to connect to the device and manage it - EVER. Using multiple cameras with the GoPro app is a ROYAL PITA. For whatever reason, GoPro has decided that the camera should serve as a wireless access point and you should connect your phone to that network in order to manage the device. Not terrible if you have only one camera. If you have multiple cameras, you have to constantly switch your network association to a different access point (camera) before you can manage the device (or even turn it on remotely). If GoPro would simply allow you to specify the IP network scheme on the camera, a competent networking engineer can easily set up a wireless bridge and route to all the cameras, the application would just need to know which camera you wanted to connect to, and you could remain inside the management app to switch to a different camera. The latest session - HERO5 - no longer allows you to change the name of the camera. You are stuck with some "GP12345678" name of the device. This behavior differs from previous models where you could change the camera/WiFi name making a fleet of multiple cameras infinitely more user friendly to manage. The video management and editing software and their respective attempts at vendor lock in just feel "dirty" to me. You have to agree to all the GoPro content ownership and content policies in order to gain access to some useful content management features built into the mobil or desktop applications. I agree to their terms so that I can get firmware updates, but I put NONE of my content in their system so that I retain full rights to it. I manage my content the "bad ol fashioned way" and pull out micro SD cards and download the videos to a video editing machine. So, in the end, I have an expensive camera that shoots really good video, but I'm paying a TON of money for GoPro to develop a mobil app, a desktop app, video editing software, and a content sharing system that provide me zero usable features.

Ok, I might fix the issue. I have been using a class 10 SD card (sandisk ultra plus), but it is not extreme family, and not an recommended list for Gopro. After having problems on 4 different GoPro and 3 different SD cards, I started to realize that there must be some other reasons and started to research on line, and most popular answer is SD card compatibility issue. After switching to a sandisk extreme, the response did get faster, and so far no SD issue any more. ==========original review============== I chose session5 over hero5 because my kid is trying to play with anything with a LED screen, so session5 is ideal for my case. The video quality is nice, perfect for beach vocation. The voice control is good for video, but the response is too slow for pic, so you need to hold your smile for a while after voice command. I don't really care, since I don't usually use it in order to extend the battery life. However, the quality of this product is terrible. I am requesting my 4th right now, and it is the last chance I will give to this product. 1st one: card reader issue. I tried several cards, and randomly I would get SD card error and asked me to format the card. The issue can be fixed by taking card out and re-insert, or formating the card, but this is usually not an option when you are in the pool. Requested for replacement. 2nd one: works fine for 3 weeks and I used it a lot on a trip to Hawaii. One day, after the charge, it is just dead w/o any reason. Can't turn on. Requested for replacement. 3rd one: I tested it Day 1 I got it, no issue. Today card reader goes bad again. Requsted for 4th one, and last one. I tried all those cards on my canon 5d3, and none of them gave error there, so I think it is GoPro's issue. My friend has a HERO5, and so far it is good. Not sure if this is only a session5 issue. Very frustrated.