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GoPro HERO5 Black — Waterproof Digital Action Camera for Travel with...
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Customer reviews
- GoPro HERO5 Black — Waterproof Digital Action Camera for Travel with...
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- Customer reviews
Top positive review
From first-time action camera owner: Great versatility, decent video quality
November 26, 2016
This review is from my perspective as a freelance videographer and first-time action camera owner. I will keep the review short by going over the good, the bad, and the ugly of the GoPro Hero 5 Black.
The good (+3)
- Highly portable. I can quickly charge it and stick it in my pocket for on-the-go shooting.
- Waterproof. Drop this in water and you'll be fine. Swish it around, and still fine. Go diving, yep, still fine (up to 33' without housing).
- Android connectivity. It works fantastically! With the Capture app, I can pay attention to the shot on my 5" phone screen while guiding my arm.
- Stabilization. Unbelievably good. If I'm doing a panning shot or walking down stairs, I don't have to worry about arm jiggle. It's smooth on a bike.
- Audio. Multi-directional recording on this tiny camera is very good. Listen to the raw audio in the attached video to see what I mean.
- Sturdy construction. The smooth plastic, large touch screen, and heft give it a quality feel fitting to the price range.
- Timelapses look great! I recorded a 2-hour once-per-2-seconds timelapse on a single battery and was able to immediately wirelessly transfer it to my phone and share it.
The bad (-1)
- The flap on the USB C port on the side has jammed and fallen off several times. It is easy to put back on, though the possibility of it falling off again has made me think about accidentally losing it.
- The water-tight housing (allows it to go much deeper in water) bumps up against the record button and takes a bit of a squeeze to get it on. Not the worst thing in the world, but hey, it is a hassle.
The ugly (-2)
- At any light lower than near-direct sunlight, digital grain is visible. When in the shade or when it is cloudy, the quality is noticeably worse than in sunlight. Think of the grain as like a fine paint daub look, circa 2010 phone cameras. Yes, it can shoot 4K at a 60 Mb/s bitrate, but even downscaled to 1080p, the digital grain is noticeable. See what I mean in the attached video. My phone, Galaxy S7, takes far better video than the GoPro in lower-light settings. However, no phone camera beats the wide-angle, waterproofing, and general versatility of this camera.
Verdict
- The GoPro Hero 5 Black is a great $400 action camera intended for a very specific market of videographers. The major downside of this camera (video quality in low light) does not outweigh all that this camera can do. Throw this tiny camera in your bag, go skiing, surfing, traveling the country, and when you're all done, put together something worth sharing. What you don't get with video quality you in return get not having to hassle with lenses, extra batteries, external chargers, equipment bags, and the like, which all get in the way of the action.
22 total points with 4 taken off = 21/24, or about 4/5 stars.
The good (+3)
- Highly portable. I can quickly charge it and stick it in my pocket for on-the-go shooting.
- Waterproof. Drop this in water and you'll be fine. Swish it around, and still fine. Go diving, yep, still fine (up to 33' without housing).
- Android connectivity. It works fantastically! With the Capture app, I can pay attention to the shot on my 5" phone screen while guiding my arm.
- Stabilization. Unbelievably good. If I'm doing a panning shot or walking down stairs, I don't have to worry about arm jiggle. It's smooth on a bike.
- Audio. Multi-directional recording on this tiny camera is very good. Listen to the raw audio in the attached video to see what I mean.
- Sturdy construction. The smooth plastic, large touch screen, and heft give it a quality feel fitting to the price range.
- Timelapses look great! I recorded a 2-hour once-per-2-seconds timelapse on a single battery and was able to immediately wirelessly transfer it to my phone and share it.
The bad (-1)
- The flap on the USB C port on the side has jammed and fallen off several times. It is easy to put back on, though the possibility of it falling off again has made me think about accidentally losing it.
- The water-tight housing (allows it to go much deeper in water) bumps up against the record button and takes a bit of a squeeze to get it on. Not the worst thing in the world, but hey, it is a hassle.
The ugly (-2)
- At any light lower than near-direct sunlight, digital grain is visible. When in the shade or when it is cloudy, the quality is noticeably worse than in sunlight. Think of the grain as like a fine paint daub look, circa 2010 phone cameras. Yes, it can shoot 4K at a 60 Mb/s bitrate, but even downscaled to 1080p, the digital grain is noticeable. See what I mean in the attached video. My phone, Galaxy S7, takes far better video than the GoPro in lower-light settings. However, no phone camera beats the wide-angle, waterproofing, and general versatility of this camera.
Verdict
- The GoPro Hero 5 Black is a great $400 action camera intended for a very specific market of videographers. The major downside of this camera (video quality in low light) does not outweigh all that this camera can do. Throw this tiny camera in your bag, go skiing, surfing, traveling the country, and when you're all done, put together something worth sharing. What you don't get with video quality you in return get not having to hassle with lenses, extra batteries, external chargers, equipment bags, and the like, which all get in the way of the action.
22 total points with 4 taken off = 21/24, or about 4/5 stars.
1,130 people found this helpful
Top critical review
Waterproof? Not even close.
March 3, 2017
Having been a GoPro user for years, I was very happy to see that the new Hero 5 Black would be waterproof on its own, without the cumbersome external case system. Happy, that is, until the reality of just how poorly designed the water-resistance feature of the camera really is.
15 minutes into my first snorkeling trip on my family's recent trip-of-a-lifetime to Hawaii, the camera inexplicably shut itself down without warning or explanation. Assuming it was the battery, I got back on the boat, dried it off, replaced the battery and tried again. Nothing. Further investigation showed that my brand-spanking-new "waterproof to 10 meters" GoPro Hero 5 wasn't so waterproof after all. The inside of the battery compartment was *soaked* and both batteries were ruined as a result. The camera was used 100% according to the manufacturer's instructions, and all due care was taken when closing and seating doors to make sure the seal was good. It's just poorly designed. A quick Google search shows that the Internet is littered with owners having the same kind of trouble.
Aside from the obvious disappointment of the camera's failure and its effect on ruining countless photo and video opportunities for me and my family, GoPro's response when I contacted them about the failure has possibly been even worse. After my initial contact and their requests for photos of the camera, batteries and receipt, it took them FOUR DAYS to get back to me. When they finally did, they sent a GROUND shipping label for a return from New York to California (a week in transit) and made no mention of the batteries that their defective product also ruined. They also said nothing about how long I would be without the camera.
I responded to that message and have AGAIN not heard back with any additional information. And I even purchased the GoPro Care package when I purchased the camera! Rediculous. My only thought is that they are having such trouble with the waterproofing on their new Hero 5 Black cameras that they are overwhelmed.
The bottom line is that if you are planning to use your action camera in the water (as so many of us are), you should spare yourself from the flawed Hero 5 black and, even more, from GoPro's terrible service. How the once mighty have fallen. Caveat emptor.
---UPDATE---
I *finally* received my replacement GoPro Hero 5 Black after two weeks, three follow-up phone calls and promises to send it second-day air so I would have it for my next trip. Instead, they sent it ground shipping and it arrived the day after I had already left. I was not surprised.
Overall, my disappointment in the failure of the camera remains and my disappointment in GoPro as a company has grown. Since I have invested in GoPro mounts and accessories, I will continue using this camera until it fails (again), but I will look elsewhere for future action camera needs and will not patronize GoPro in the future. Moreover, I would recommend *against* any of GoPro's add-ons like GoPro Care or GoPro Plus since the company clearly sees them as nothing more than a revenue enhancement and does not actually follow-through on the coverage.
15 minutes into my first snorkeling trip on my family's recent trip-of-a-lifetime to Hawaii, the camera inexplicably shut itself down without warning or explanation. Assuming it was the battery, I got back on the boat, dried it off, replaced the battery and tried again. Nothing. Further investigation showed that my brand-spanking-new "waterproof to 10 meters" GoPro Hero 5 wasn't so waterproof after all. The inside of the battery compartment was *soaked* and both batteries were ruined as a result. The camera was used 100% according to the manufacturer's instructions, and all due care was taken when closing and seating doors to make sure the seal was good. It's just poorly designed. A quick Google search shows that the Internet is littered with owners having the same kind of trouble.
Aside from the obvious disappointment of the camera's failure and its effect on ruining countless photo and video opportunities for me and my family, GoPro's response when I contacted them about the failure has possibly been even worse. After my initial contact and their requests for photos of the camera, batteries and receipt, it took them FOUR DAYS to get back to me. When they finally did, they sent a GROUND shipping label for a return from New York to California (a week in transit) and made no mention of the batteries that their defective product also ruined. They also said nothing about how long I would be without the camera.
I responded to that message and have AGAIN not heard back with any additional information. And I even purchased the GoPro Care package when I purchased the camera! Rediculous. My only thought is that they are having such trouble with the waterproofing on their new Hero 5 Black cameras that they are overwhelmed.
The bottom line is that if you are planning to use your action camera in the water (as so many of us are), you should spare yourself from the flawed Hero 5 black and, even more, from GoPro's terrible service. How the once mighty have fallen. Caveat emptor.
---UPDATE---
I *finally* received my replacement GoPro Hero 5 Black after two weeks, three follow-up phone calls and promises to send it second-day air so I would have it for my next trip. Instead, they sent it ground shipping and it arrived the day after I had already left. I was not surprised.
Overall, my disappointment in the failure of the camera remains and my disappointment in GoPro as a company has grown. Since I have invested in GoPro mounts and accessories, I will continue using this camera until it fails (again), but I will look elsewhere for future action camera needs and will not patronize GoPro in the future. Moreover, I would recommend *against* any of GoPro's add-ons like GoPro Care or GoPro Plus since the company clearly sees them as nothing more than a revenue enhancement and does not actually follow-through on the coverage.
1,484 people found this helpful
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March 3, 2017
Having been a GoPro user for years, I was very happy to see that the new Hero 5 Black would be waterproof on its own, without the cumbersome external case system. Happy, that is, until the reality of just how poorly designed the water-resistance feature of the camera really is.
15 minutes into my first snorkeling trip on my family's recent trip-of-a-lifetime to Hawaii, the camera inexplicably shut itself down without warning or explanation. Assuming it was the battery, I got back on the boat, dried it off, replaced the battery and tried again. Nothing. Further investigation showed that my brand-spanking-new "waterproof to 10 meters" GoPro Hero 5 wasn't so waterproof after all. The inside of the battery compartment was *soaked* and both batteries were ruined as a result. The camera was used 100% according to the manufacturer's instructions, and all due care was taken when closing and seating doors to make sure the seal was good. It's just poorly designed. A quick Google search shows that the Internet is littered with owners having the same kind of trouble.
Aside from the obvious disappointment of the camera's failure and its effect on ruining countless photo and video opportunities for me and my family, GoPro's response when I contacted them about the failure has possibly been even worse. After my initial contact and their requests for photos of the camera, batteries and receipt, it took them FOUR DAYS to get back to me. When they finally did, they sent a GROUND shipping label for a return from New York to California (a week in transit) and made no mention of the batteries that their defective product also ruined. They also said nothing about how long I would be without the camera.
I responded to that message and have AGAIN not heard back with any additional information. And I even purchased the GoPro Care package when I purchased the camera! Rediculous. My only thought is that they are having such trouble with the waterproofing on their new Hero 5 Black cameras that they are overwhelmed.
The bottom line is that if you are planning to use your action camera in the water (as so many of us are), you should spare yourself from the flawed Hero 5 black and, even more, from GoPro's terrible service. How the once mighty have fallen. Caveat emptor.
---UPDATE---
I *finally* received my replacement GoPro Hero 5 Black after two weeks, three follow-up phone calls and promises to send it second-day air so I would have it for my next trip. Instead, they sent it ground shipping and it arrived the day after I had already left. I was not surprised.
Overall, my disappointment in the failure of the camera remains and my disappointment in GoPro as a company has grown. Since I have invested in GoPro mounts and accessories, I will continue using this camera until it fails (again), but I will look elsewhere for future action camera needs and will not patronize GoPro in the future. Moreover, I would recommend *against* any of GoPro's add-ons like GoPro Care or GoPro Plus since the company clearly sees them as nothing more than a revenue enhancement and does not actually follow-through on the coverage.
15 minutes into my first snorkeling trip on my family's recent trip-of-a-lifetime to Hawaii, the camera inexplicably shut itself down without warning or explanation. Assuming it was the battery, I got back on the boat, dried it off, replaced the battery and tried again. Nothing. Further investigation showed that my brand-spanking-new "waterproof to 10 meters" GoPro Hero 5 wasn't so waterproof after all. The inside of the battery compartment was *soaked* and both batteries were ruined as a result. The camera was used 100% according to the manufacturer's instructions, and all due care was taken when closing and seating doors to make sure the seal was good. It's just poorly designed. A quick Google search shows that the Internet is littered with owners having the same kind of trouble.
Aside from the obvious disappointment of the camera's failure and its effect on ruining countless photo and video opportunities for me and my family, GoPro's response when I contacted them about the failure has possibly been even worse. After my initial contact and their requests for photos of the camera, batteries and receipt, it took them FOUR DAYS to get back to me. When they finally did, they sent a GROUND shipping label for a return from New York to California (a week in transit) and made no mention of the batteries that their defective product also ruined. They also said nothing about how long I would be without the camera.
I responded to that message and have AGAIN not heard back with any additional information. And I even purchased the GoPro Care package when I purchased the camera! Rediculous. My only thought is that they are having such trouble with the waterproofing on their new Hero 5 Black cameras that they are overwhelmed.
The bottom line is that if you are planning to use your action camera in the water (as so many of us are), you should spare yourself from the flawed Hero 5 black and, even more, from GoPro's terrible service. How the once mighty have fallen. Caveat emptor.
---UPDATE---
I *finally* received my replacement GoPro Hero 5 Black after two weeks, three follow-up phone calls and promises to send it second-day air so I would have it for my next trip. Instead, they sent it ground shipping and it arrived the day after I had already left. I was not surprised.
Overall, my disappointment in the failure of the camera remains and my disappointment in GoPro as a company has grown. Since I have invested in GoPro mounts and accessories, I will continue using this camera until it fails (again), but I will look elsewhere for future action camera needs and will not patronize GoPro in the future. Moreover, I would recommend *against* any of GoPro's add-ons like GoPro Care or GoPro Plus since the company clearly sees them as nothing more than a revenue enhancement and does not actually follow-through on the coverage.
July 18, 2017
Initially it seemed to be a good camera. Photo/video quality was good, the features were awesome, all the attachments available were also convenient. HOWEVER, it has now been approximately 5 months since my initial purchase (used only lightly and infrequently), and the first time I actually brought it into the water in Hawaii (you know, since it's "waterproof" to 10m or whatever), it stops working and I see water filling up the front LCD. This was shallow, surface-level snorkeling, and nothing out of the ordinary happened to the camera. I checked afterwards and both of the doors on the camera were tightly closed and free of water. It seems that water somehow leaked in through the front of the camera somewhere and caused the camera to no longer power on, which seems to be a manufacturing defect. I've read about the same issue with other people. It's extremely annoying that I waited this long to bring it in the water, as I'm outside the window for Amazon returns and I have never had positive experiences trying to file warranty claims. I have contacted both Amazon and GoPro and am waiting for a response.
2017/09/15 EDIT:
I talked to customer support and sent the product in for replacement a couple weeks ago - still waiting for the replacement to come. They said they normally don't cover water damage, but based on my description and photos, they said it was a manufacturing issue.
2017/09/15 EDIT:
I talked to customer support and sent the product in for replacement a couple weeks ago - still waiting for the replacement to come. They said they normally don't cover water damage, but based on my description and photos, they said it was a manufacturing issue.
November 26, 2016
This review is from my perspective as a freelance videographer and first-time action camera owner. I will keep the review short by going over the good, the bad, and the ugly of the GoPro Hero 5 Black.
The good (+3)
- Highly portable. I can quickly charge it and stick it in my pocket for on-the-go shooting.
- Waterproof. Drop this in water and you'll be fine. Swish it around, and still fine. Go diving, yep, still fine (up to 33' without housing).
- Android connectivity. It works fantastically! With the Capture app, I can pay attention to the shot on my 5" phone screen while guiding my arm.
- Stabilization. Unbelievably good. If I'm doing a panning shot or walking down stairs, I don't have to worry about arm jiggle. It's smooth on a bike.
- Audio. Multi-directional recording on this tiny camera is very good. Listen to the raw audio in the attached video to see what I mean.
- Sturdy construction. The smooth plastic, large touch screen, and heft give it a quality feel fitting to the price range.
- Timelapses look great! I recorded a 2-hour once-per-2-seconds timelapse on a single battery and was able to immediately wirelessly transfer it to my phone and share it.
The bad (-1)
- The flap on the USB C port on the side has jammed and fallen off several times. It is easy to put back on, though the possibility of it falling off again has made me think about accidentally losing it.
- The water-tight housing (allows it to go much deeper in water) bumps up against the record button and takes a bit of a squeeze to get it on. Not the worst thing in the world, but hey, it is a hassle.
The ugly (-2)
- At any light lower than near-direct sunlight, digital grain is visible. When in the shade or when it is cloudy, the quality is noticeably worse than in sunlight. Think of the grain as like a fine paint daub look, circa 2010 phone cameras. Yes, it can shoot 4K at a 60 Mb/s bitrate, but even downscaled to 1080p, the digital grain is noticeable. See what I mean in the attached video. My phone, Galaxy S7, takes far better video than the GoPro in lower-light settings. However, no phone camera beats the wide-angle, waterproofing, and general versatility of this camera.
Verdict
- The GoPro Hero 5 Black is a great $400 action camera intended for a very specific market of videographers. The major downside of this camera (video quality in low light) does not outweigh all that this camera can do. Throw this tiny camera in your bag, go skiing, surfing, traveling the country, and when you're all done, put together something worth sharing. What you don't get with video quality you in return get not having to hassle with lenses, extra batteries, external chargers, equipment bags, and the like, which all get in the way of the action.
22 total points with 4 taken off = 21/24, or about 4/5 stars.
The good (+3)
- Highly portable. I can quickly charge it and stick it in my pocket for on-the-go shooting.
- Waterproof. Drop this in water and you'll be fine. Swish it around, and still fine. Go diving, yep, still fine (up to 33' without housing).
- Android connectivity. It works fantastically! With the Capture app, I can pay attention to the shot on my 5" phone screen while guiding my arm.
- Stabilization. Unbelievably good. If I'm doing a panning shot or walking down stairs, I don't have to worry about arm jiggle. It's smooth on a bike.
- Audio. Multi-directional recording on this tiny camera is very good. Listen to the raw audio in the attached video to see what I mean.
- Sturdy construction. The smooth plastic, large touch screen, and heft give it a quality feel fitting to the price range.
- Timelapses look great! I recorded a 2-hour once-per-2-seconds timelapse on a single battery and was able to immediately wirelessly transfer it to my phone and share it.
The bad (-1)
- The flap on the USB C port on the side has jammed and fallen off several times. It is easy to put back on, though the possibility of it falling off again has made me think about accidentally losing it.
- The water-tight housing (allows it to go much deeper in water) bumps up against the record button and takes a bit of a squeeze to get it on. Not the worst thing in the world, but hey, it is a hassle.
The ugly (-2)
- At any light lower than near-direct sunlight, digital grain is visible. When in the shade or when it is cloudy, the quality is noticeably worse than in sunlight. Think of the grain as like a fine paint daub look, circa 2010 phone cameras. Yes, it can shoot 4K at a 60 Mb/s bitrate, but even downscaled to 1080p, the digital grain is noticeable. See what I mean in the attached video. My phone, Galaxy S7, takes far better video than the GoPro in lower-light settings. However, no phone camera beats the wide-angle, waterproofing, and general versatility of this camera.
Verdict
- The GoPro Hero 5 Black is a great $400 action camera intended for a very specific market of videographers. The major downside of this camera (video quality in low light) does not outweigh all that this camera can do. Throw this tiny camera in your bag, go skiing, surfing, traveling the country, and when you're all done, put together something worth sharing. What you don't get with video quality you in return get not having to hassle with lenses, extra batteries, external chargers, equipment bags, and the like, which all get in the way of the action.
22 total points with 4 taken off = 21/24, or about 4/5 stars.
April 19, 2017
Hold on before clicking buy! While this camera may seem exciting, beware that many defective units are being sold and it does not function as advertised. And if you encounter an issue (which is highly likely) customer service won't do anything to help you. GoPro customer service is the worst I have ever dealt with. This could easily be $400 down the drain.
I purchased the camera for an big, upcoming trip. The camera worked great the first time I tested it out prior to the trip (no extreme activity). I was very excited about it and bought all the accompanying accessories. The second time I used it on my trip it completely froze up (again, no extreme activity). Anytime I tried to view my pictures it froze and just said "Loading". I needed to remove the battery each time to get it to unfreeze and it would just freeze up again any time I tried viewing the pictures. I couldn't even view the pictures on the capture app.
After reading endless blogs and trying every single troubleshooting step (inclucing erasing all my pictures) I spoke with customer service over online chat. My rep, Meryxcel, could barely speak English and proposed the most absurd solutions (like redownloading the capture app) which were very clearly not at the root of the problem. After explaining the problem in great detail and waiting an average of 5 minutes before each response he still thought the issue was with the LED backlight of the view screen. I also explained that I was traveling internationally and needed the camera for the trip I had specifically purchased it for. He offered no flexibility in coming up with a solution saying I needed to mail the camera back first so they could review it and then they would send another one but could not offer neither expedited nor international shipping. My trip would be over before I got the replacement. I requested to speak with a supervisor and Meryxcel ignored the request twice and then told me it was impossible. I was persistent and finally spoke with a supervisor after waiting a long time and still received no further assistance. At a loss, I asked that they send the return instructions.
Later that night I received an email requesting my receipt, serial number, shipping address, etc (all of which I had already provided over online chat). I provided it again immediately. No response with return instructions or even a case number. I've emailed 4 times since and it has been 12 days. No response.
I have been calling GoPro to follow up and am still waiting for the issue to be resolved. At this point I just want my money back. Save your money while you can.
I purchased the camera for an big, upcoming trip. The camera worked great the first time I tested it out prior to the trip (no extreme activity). I was very excited about it and bought all the accompanying accessories. The second time I used it on my trip it completely froze up (again, no extreme activity). Anytime I tried to view my pictures it froze and just said "Loading". I needed to remove the battery each time to get it to unfreeze and it would just freeze up again any time I tried viewing the pictures. I couldn't even view the pictures on the capture app.
After reading endless blogs and trying every single troubleshooting step (inclucing erasing all my pictures) I spoke with customer service over online chat. My rep, Meryxcel, could barely speak English and proposed the most absurd solutions (like redownloading the capture app) which were very clearly not at the root of the problem. After explaining the problem in great detail and waiting an average of 5 minutes before each response he still thought the issue was with the LED backlight of the view screen. I also explained that I was traveling internationally and needed the camera for the trip I had specifically purchased it for. He offered no flexibility in coming up with a solution saying I needed to mail the camera back first so they could review it and then they would send another one but could not offer neither expedited nor international shipping. My trip would be over before I got the replacement. I requested to speak with a supervisor and Meryxcel ignored the request twice and then told me it was impossible. I was persistent and finally spoke with a supervisor after waiting a long time and still received no further assistance. At a loss, I asked that they send the return instructions.
Later that night I received an email requesting my receipt, serial number, shipping address, etc (all of which I had already provided over online chat). I provided it again immediately. No response with return instructions or even a case number. I've emailed 4 times since and it has been 12 days. No response.
I have been calling GoPro to follow up and am still waiting for the issue to be resolved. At this point I just want my money back. Save your money while you can.
June 28, 2017
Wow. Wouldn't turn on nor charge straight out of the box. Couldn't get a hold of Go Pro customer service by chat or by phone. I'm not wasting anymore time on this and returning it!!! Google "Go Pro 5 black won't turn on" and you'll see there is a huge problem with these things. Very disappointed.
June 26, 2017
I have only had the HERO5 Black for a few months now and it will not charge anymore. On top of that, when it was charged I couldn't get my images to download to the CAPTURE APP or to my Mac. Yes, I know for sure that I was connected correctly to CAPTURE because I had a GO PRO employee walk me through it. EVEN WORSE..... I've tried calling their customer services phone number multiple times on multiple different days at 1-855-635-3578 and it rings once and then hangs up on me. I'm not impressed, and once I am able to get ahold of customer services my GO PRO is getting returned. I am a very bust mom, and I honestly don't have time for all of the problems that it has.
August 21, 2017
Just bought this gopro and use for my trip but it hangup many times, the video turn black, and no function is working. I need to remove the battery to make it work again. Ask for replacement.
June 5, 2018
Got my first GoPro - very exited even though I was worried because there were quite a few bad reviews. I should have listened to the bad reviews. Right out of the box the display on the back of the camera did not work. Tried the updates, bought the best SD Card off the company website. Tried several batteries. Tried with camera directly powered by computer. Nothing worked. Sending it back for a refund. When something has 25 percent 2 star or less ratings, and most of the three star ratings mention numerous problems, I should listen. Lesson learned the hard way. DONT BUY THIS CAMERA!!!!!
October 3, 2016
Pros:
- Waterproof all the way. All ports are covered so there is no fear of them being submerged in the dirt.
- Design itself has smoother edges and overall has a professional feel.
- Voice command that beeps when you speak one of the 12 commands. It also takes into account your accent if you’re in the U.S, UK, AUS, etc.
- GPS for tagging your exact locations on where you've filmed
- Built-in touchscreen that is now 100 times easier to pick the settings you want in a faster / efficient rate.
- One button for recording, no extra steps involved.
- 4K video at 30 fps as well 2.7K, 1440p, 1080p, 960p, 720p, and even 480p resolutions. Overall, a beautiful / image sharp experience when watching what you’ve filmed (One of the best out there).
- Higher resolution sensor than any of its counterparts.
- Brilliant brightness and color contrast when low lighting becomes an issue at sunrise or at night time.
- As usual, you’ll get all the extra filming opportunities that most GoPros provide.
- Video stabilization works extremely well when your GoPro is bumping up and down.
- Battery is not built in; you can swap batteries when you need to.
- Incredible wind noise reduction. It’s built in stereo will hold its ground when you’re facing almost any windy / crazy loud events.
- No need to buy any other accessories to change the setting; watch what you just filmed, and so forth because this GoPro is all in one.
Cons and Oks:
- Battery is 2 hours; this sucks because you’ll most like need to buy extra batteries to have a full day with it.
- There is a lag when using the touchscreen. Swiping down on the touchscreen does become a little challenging, lagging wise.
- The touchscreen is also a great battery killer.
- Voice commands only work if you say the “EXACT” phrasing or else nothing will happen, better off using the screen.
- Charging time I got was around 45 minutes.
- Connecting with a smartphone is a little difficult. Can’t find a reason why it just happens a lot for my iPhone 6.
- GoPro is being pretty aggressive on making you use their apps when you want to see your videos on the computer. I don’t care for it and personally, I’ll like to just say no thank you and move on. It’s hard to do that every time you want to edit or view your videos on the computer, especially if I don’t have the internet sometimes.
Overall:
You can go both ways on this because this GoPro will not fit all needs. It’s a good GoPro but it’ll really depend on why you need a GoPro. Waterproof, GPS tracking, built-in touchscreen are some great perks when getting this as we now live in a smartphone world where these three perks are now in our everyday life. The video and sound quality are beautiful but the battery life, I believe, is going to be a deal breaker for many of you. If you snowboard, sailing, mountain biking, and any other outdoor actives that revolve around the natural elements then this is going to be something you’ll use. I’m giving it four stars because this GoPro does offer a lot, but it’s not useful to everyone. If you’re facing the outdoors then yes this will be good (keep in mind, 2 hours of battery). Any other reason, stick to another GoPro. You're going to get 4k of awesomeness filming, but keep in mind that this isn't the only GoPro that can do 4k. Verdict: It depends on what you like to film.
Hopefully, I was a help to you all.
Love,
Honest Reviewer
- Waterproof all the way. All ports are covered so there is no fear of them being submerged in the dirt.
- Design itself has smoother edges and overall has a professional feel.
- Voice command that beeps when you speak one of the 12 commands. It also takes into account your accent if you’re in the U.S, UK, AUS, etc.
- GPS for tagging your exact locations on where you've filmed
- Built-in touchscreen that is now 100 times easier to pick the settings you want in a faster / efficient rate.
- One button for recording, no extra steps involved.
- 4K video at 30 fps as well 2.7K, 1440p, 1080p, 960p, 720p, and even 480p resolutions. Overall, a beautiful / image sharp experience when watching what you’ve filmed (One of the best out there).
- Higher resolution sensor than any of its counterparts.
- Brilliant brightness and color contrast when low lighting becomes an issue at sunrise or at night time.
- As usual, you’ll get all the extra filming opportunities that most GoPros provide.
- Video stabilization works extremely well when your GoPro is bumping up and down.
- Battery is not built in; you can swap batteries when you need to.
- Incredible wind noise reduction. It’s built in stereo will hold its ground when you’re facing almost any windy / crazy loud events.
- No need to buy any other accessories to change the setting; watch what you just filmed, and so forth because this GoPro is all in one.
Cons and Oks:
- Battery is 2 hours; this sucks because you’ll most like need to buy extra batteries to have a full day with it.
- There is a lag when using the touchscreen. Swiping down on the touchscreen does become a little challenging, lagging wise.
- The touchscreen is also a great battery killer.
- Voice commands only work if you say the “EXACT” phrasing or else nothing will happen, better off using the screen.
- Charging time I got was around 45 minutes.
- Connecting with a smartphone is a little difficult. Can’t find a reason why it just happens a lot for my iPhone 6.
- GoPro is being pretty aggressive on making you use their apps when you want to see your videos on the computer. I don’t care for it and personally, I’ll like to just say no thank you and move on. It’s hard to do that every time you want to edit or view your videos on the computer, especially if I don’t have the internet sometimes.
Overall:
You can go both ways on this because this GoPro will not fit all needs. It’s a good GoPro but it’ll really depend on why you need a GoPro. Waterproof, GPS tracking, built-in touchscreen are some great perks when getting this as we now live in a smartphone world where these three perks are now in our everyday life. The video and sound quality are beautiful but the battery life, I believe, is going to be a deal breaker for many of you. If you snowboard, sailing, mountain biking, and any other outdoor actives that revolve around the natural elements then this is going to be something you’ll use. I’m giving it four stars because this GoPro does offer a lot, but it’s not useful to everyone. If you’re facing the outdoors then yes this will be good (keep in mind, 2 hours of battery). Any other reason, stick to another GoPro. You're going to get 4k of awesomeness filming, but keep in mind that this isn't the only GoPro that can do 4k. Verdict: It depends on what you like to film.
Hopefully, I was a help to you all.
Love,
Honest Reviewer
January 16, 2017
Totally awesome. Snorkeled with this on my full face snorkel with gopro adapter for 1 week and captured the most unreal movies and never once fogged up or stopped working. completely waterproof. Crystal clear, easy to figure out. Also bought the 'selfie stick' and I walk around now recording everything I do like all the other lunatics on youtube.
Totally fun and 4k video is UNREAL!
You only live once so GET ONE!
----
Update: Been using for over 1 month almost non-stop. And, forgot to mention; I had this camera attached to the bodi-floaty all day long, floating in water without any case what-so-ever and did that for 7 days straight. Totally waterproof out of the box. I have been posting vids online and editing on the gopro cloud (too easy) and everyone loves the vid's/images. Actually had a relative think we hired someone to shoot vids of our condo lol.
I went straight for the Samsung Pro Plus 128GB MicroSDXC Memory Card and it works flawlessly and holds TONS of video in 4K.
-----last update for newbies like me that don't know what else to order or what they might need. I got lucky as all of the addons I bought worked out excellent. Take a look and maybe this will help you pick a handy accessory:
start----
1-29-17
My new memory came in and works perfect. Different model than my first 128gb but I see no difference other than price.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DOB6YUQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My addons - took with me on the trip.
1) Extra Thumbscrews: Perfect fit and look cool in alloy purple. Nice rubber washer on each one too for snug fit -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUAEOJ6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2) First 128gb mem I bought works perfect. Tried a new brand (up top) for the hell of it. Can’t tell the difference between either – both work just fine and store major amounts of movies and/or a billion images. -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CO48M36/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3) 2 extra batteries kit. Identical to the stock GoPro Batteries and last all day doing scuba and taking shots. Never left the recorder going for more than 15 mins at 4k so cant say exactly how long you will get out of these but I easily recorded over 1 hours worth of 4k movies with images tossed in. -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWKCIQN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
4) Floaty was awesome. Keeps the camera boyant if you drop it under water and does not get in the way of shooting at all. Easy to see and fit perfect. Looks cool too. -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ETXS4MO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5) Dual charger for my 3 batteries. Works fast charging two at a time in about 1 hour. No problems and shows green light when batts are charged. Small and fits nice in my accessory bag -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ETXS4MO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1
6) Perfect accessory bag fits everything and more. Mine is packed! Small slots for mem, all my batteries, charger and cables. Holds my floaty, my short gopro stick (the fat one that comes with the accessory kits) and my extended type selfie stick. Nice and light and zips up. Good quality. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PMMB4X8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s09?ie=UTF8&psc=1
7) Not really a gopro accessory but if you are going snorkeling you MUST get one of these. We had them sucked to our face for a week and got some awesome underwater footage of kids and fish that look like ‘finding nemo’ movie. Try them out – they are awesome. Not cheap $$ wise but I sent so much on crap for my trip that I said what the hell, just do it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K3Q16AI/ref=od_aui_detailpages02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9) Lastly, this kit has more crap in it than you can imagine. I don’t know what half of the parts are for but maybe someday I’ll have a need and reach in the bag to figure out what to do with what. The floaty stick in this kit is good for snorkeling. The selfie sticks are too skinny and both of mine are metal so I didn’t want to take them underwater. The fat floaty stick in the kit compliments the bodi floaty (above) and again, looks totally cool. A few of my thumbscrews wound up rusty after 2 days in the saltwater and I cant remember if they were the ones that came with this kit or what. Either way, get some extra thumbscrews – longer the better. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PLBXUMS/ref=od_aui_detailpages05?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thats it!
Totally fun and 4k video is UNREAL!
You only live once so GET ONE!
----
Update: Been using for over 1 month almost non-stop. And, forgot to mention; I had this camera attached to the bodi-floaty all day long, floating in water without any case what-so-ever and did that for 7 days straight. Totally waterproof out of the box. I have been posting vids online and editing on the gopro cloud (too easy) and everyone loves the vid's/images. Actually had a relative think we hired someone to shoot vids of our condo lol.
I went straight for the Samsung Pro Plus 128GB MicroSDXC Memory Card and it works flawlessly and holds TONS of video in 4K.
-----last update for newbies like me that don't know what else to order or what they might need. I got lucky as all of the addons I bought worked out excellent. Take a look and maybe this will help you pick a handy accessory:
start----
1-29-17
My new memory came in and works perfect. Different model than my first 128gb but I see no difference other than price.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01DOB6YUQ/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
My addons - took with me on the trip.
1) Extra Thumbscrews: Perfect fit and look cool in alloy purple. Nice rubber washer on each one too for snug fit -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00CUAEOJ6/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o08_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
2) First 128gb mem I bought works perfect. Tried a new brand (up top) for the hell of it. Can’t tell the difference between either – both work just fine and store major amounts of movies and/or a billion images. -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01CO48M36/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1
3) 2 extra batteries kit. Identical to the stock GoPro Batteries and last all day doing scuba and taking shots. Never left the recorder going for more than 15 mins at 4k so cant say exactly how long you will get out of these but I easily recorded over 1 hours worth of 4k movies with images tossed in. -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01LWKCIQN/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
4) Floaty was awesome. Keeps the camera boyant if you drop it under water and does not get in the way of shooting at all. Easy to see and fit perfect. Looks cool too. -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ETXS4MO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1
5) Dual charger for my 3 batteries. Works fast charging two at a time in about 1 hour. No problems and shows green light when batts are charged. Small and fits nice in my accessory bag -> https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ETXS4MO/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s03?ie=UTF8&psc=1
6) Perfect accessory bag fits everything and more. Mine is packed! Small slots for mem, all my batteries, charger and cables. Holds my floaty, my short gopro stick (the fat one that comes with the accessory kits) and my extended type selfie stick. Nice and light and zips up. Good quality. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PMMB4X8/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o04_s09?ie=UTF8&psc=1
7) Not really a gopro accessory but if you are going snorkeling you MUST get one of these. We had them sucked to our face for a week and got some awesome underwater footage of kids and fish that look like ‘finding nemo’ movie. Try them out – they are awesome. Not cheap $$ wise but I sent so much on crap for my trip that I said what the hell, just do it. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01K3Q16AI/ref=od_aui_detailpages02?ie=UTF8&psc=1
9) Lastly, this kit has more crap in it than you can imagine. I don’t know what half of the parts are for but maybe someday I’ll have a need and reach in the bag to figure out what to do with what. The floaty stick in this kit is good for snorkeling. The selfie sticks are too skinny and both of mine are metal so I didn’t want to take them underwater. The fat floaty stick in the kit compliments the bodi floaty (above) and again, looks totally cool. A few of my thumbscrews wound up rusty after 2 days in the saltwater and I cant remember if they were the ones that came with this kit or what. Either way, get some extra thumbscrews – longer the better. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00PLBXUMS/ref=od_aui_detailpages05?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Thats it!
