I own 2 GoPro cameras and I have fallen in love with the session 5. My second GoPro is a Hero4 silver which is also a fabulous & durable action camera. I have used the Hero5, Hero5 Black & even the previous Gen Session4.
Built quality: This tiny camera is durable & the built quality is evident the moment you hold it in your hands. Really well constructed and is extremely compact - reassuring, to say the least given the price you pay for it. The rubber coating outer shell is soft to touch & offers a good in-hand grip. Feels like a very dense camera.
Form Factor: So small that sometimes it goes unnoticed. I admire the simplicity of the one button operation, it’s simple yet effective. In a world filled with complicated gadgets, this breaks the monotony. The tiny invisible camera. Comparing it with the pricier Hero5 & Hero5 Black, those are fantastic cameras but the session is so compact that it opens up the possibility of mounting it on places where you would not consider mounting bigger cameras.
It’s so light that mounting it on the helmet doesn’t feel like any additional weight or drag. I have tried it on both motorcycles as well as bicycle helmets.
Picture / Video Quality: Now this is why we spend soo much on a GoPro. Are there a cheaper camera out there which do the same thing - yes. But I have not come across any other cheaper cam which does it better than a GoPro or with more ease.
10mp photos look way better than the last gen hero session. That said, my Hero4 silver still has better image quality. Don’t get me wrong - Session5 images look great & unless you compare the 2 side-by-side, you won’t be able to tell them apart.
The biggest feature on the session5 for me is the inbuilt image stabilization which works well. It won’t replace a gimble or match up to OIS. This is still software image stabilization(EIS) which will essentially crop off 10% of the borders to introduce a more stable output. Works as expected - better than the shaky footage I get from the Hero4 silver any day. The sound is clear since both mics are exposed(not inside a case). Noise cancellation is just ok - not the greatest but I’d say adequate.
Overall I’d say the image & video is about 80-85% of what you get on a Hero5 Black. The higher range cameras also have a better dynamic range. But the session5 is perfect for everyday usage.
Some compromises you will have to make:
Images and video are slightly lower than say the Hero4 or Hero5 black. Those are bigger in size.
non-replaceable battery lasts between 1-2hrs of continuous use depending on resolution and features like voice control being switched on. I see people complaining that the internal battery limits the life of the session since its sealed inside. Let’s not forget that that’s the story with most smartphones nowadays as well yet we still buy are willing to spend 20k+ on something which is always on & running mostly on battery. GoPro won’t be powered on all the time. In theory, the battery should be fine for a few years before its efficacy dips to 80%(after say 500 charge cycles). By then - you would have used the cam a lot. Besides, there is nothing in India which cannot be fixed.
-No LCD display. I actually find this as a plus. Since it’s one less thing which could crack/break.
Advantages:
-Dense and compact size
-One button is all you need. Single press to record video. Long press to take photos in timelapse mode
-No housing means clearer sound and less bulk
-Type c port finally
-Compatible with previous GoPro mounts
-Image stabilization built in:)
It’s a bit unfortunate that despite the recent price-drop from 25k to 18k, the session5 is still an expensive buy in India. It is dangerously close to Hero5 & Black. Making it a hard choice for users to buy this one over the more feature-rich models which feel like a better value at this price. I had picked up mine from US for around 11k. For that price - it was an absolute steal-deal.