When it comes to adventure photography, there is no disputes that the GoPro is one of the best devices on the market.
But for those who own a GoPro 4 and below you may have experienced some small frustrations. These may have included muffled sound quality, shaky videos and lack of preview mode.
The newly released [easyazon_link keywords=”GoPro Hero 5″ locale=”US” tag=”tbelles-20″]GoPro Hero 5[/easyazon_link] combines all the great features we came to love with its predecessors, but with many new features and improvements, making the device a lot more versatile.
In this GoPro Hero 5 review I cover some of my favourite features and settings!
Preview Mode
Probably one of the most useful upgrades they have made to the GoPro Hero 5 is the built in, touch screen display. It’s only small, but it does the job for previewing your snaps on the go without the need to download them first – as was the case in the [easyazon_link keywords=”GoPro 4″ locale=”US” tag=”tbelles-20″]GoPro 4[/easyazon_link].
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UI and Controls
The GoPro Hero 5 is pretty simple to use and most controls can be accessed through one of the two buttons on the device or through the new display.
But one of the biggest feature improvements in my opinion is the addition of voice controls. It’s very simple to continue to use the shutter button, but in some situations, especially with adventure photography or selfie sticks, reaching the shutter button can be difficult. For these situations you can simply speak a simple command to instruct your GoPro. An example would be “GoPro take a photo”.
There is a list commands to take videos, bursts, and photos, as well as power on and off your GoPro camera. The voice commands work best in low noise situations so be wary of this when you’re looking to get your shot.
HD Video
The other cool feature is that you are able to switch into either a timelapse photo or video mode. I really love this feature for running a day to night landscape scene.
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Waterproof
While previous models were also waterproof, it wasn’t so without the exterior casing around the GoPro unit. The big improvement is the inner casing is now waterproof up to 33 feet, abolishing the need for an outer casing. You will still need an outer case if you are intending to go deeper than that, but with a smaller sensor than an average camera the quality in those situations will be significantly reduced.
With built in housing this means you can expect better sound quality, which was a limitation of the previous models. It also means the unit itself is slightly less bulky.
I really love the GoPro for the beach or pool when my bigger professional dive case is less practical. As with any device you take into the water, be sure to either have a [easyazon_link keywords=”wrist strap or a waterproof floaty stick” locale=”US” tag=”tbelles-20″]wrist strap or a waterproof floaty stick[/easyazon_link].
Improved Stabilisation
Even without a GoPro handheld gimble, the GoPro Hero 5 has made some big improvements to the stabilisation of video. Of course if you want to achieve more of a smooth video effect then you will need to purchase the [easyazon_link keywords=”handheld gimble Karma grip” locale=”US” tag=”tbelles-20″]handheld gimble (Karma grip)[/easyazon_link] but if you’re just planning to use it for personal photography then you should notice the difference from previous models.
Overall I’ve found the GoPro Hero 5 to be a great addition to my photography kit. Aside from the new features listed above the GoPro Hero 5 captures super-wide angle shots making it great for the fish eye, landscape and selfie shot.
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