Two years on from the launch of the Hero 4; GoPro's latest action camera, which is named "The Hero 5," is now on market.
While keeping the camera itself largely unchanged, GoPro has added key features like waterproofing, voice controls, video stabilization and a touch screen to make this the biggest update in the Hero line's history.
The Hero 5 Black offers up the same video recording options as the Hero 4 Black; this means resolutions ranging from WVGA all the way to 4K Ultra HD, and frame rates spanning from 24 per second to 240. The same limitation (4K can't go above 24 frames per second) still applies, and photos remain the same at 12 megapixels.
Rather, GoPro has focused on the key areas of waterproofing, voice control, image stabilization and user interface to convince users to upgrade.
Developing to a different resolution, image width or frame rate is easier now thanks to a new 2in touchscreen. Before, only the mid-range Hero 4 Silver had a screen of its own, while other models could be fitted to a display sold separately.
The Hero 5 Black takes what the Hero 4 already did perfectly and adds a set of genuinely useful features which will be welcomed by most GoPro users. Where voice controls on a smartphone often feel like a gimmick, here they make perfect sense and work reliably.
Waterproofing is also a useful addition with little downside, while the video stabilization software does an admirable job in most situations.
Battery life is a concern, as it always has been with GoPro, and at £350 the Hero 5 Black certainly isn't cheap. At that price consumers need to be absolutely sure they will make good and regular use of the camera before taking the plunge. If that's you, then the Hero 5 Black will be the perfect camera for the job.
