What’s up everybody. Its Oswald here with the tech side of this blog. While my gorgeous co-writer & best friend, the lovely Joselle, will have her say on the beauty side of this blog, I will be writing about the latest & best in tech. So here goes my first post.
GoPro Hero 5 Black Edition
Those who have been closely following the tech world will have probably heard of it. Even those who do not follow may have heard of it. But the fact remains that this company, GoPro, has literally shaken up the way we capture memories, the places it can travel & the ease of which literally any amateur or professional can use it. After watching so many content creators on Youtube, Instagram & other places, I too wanted to own one & experience the power of this device. Hence here’s my take on the GoPro Hero 5 Back Edition.
It’s been over a year I’ve owned this device. And I got to say, I enjoyed every single moment with it. I haven’t turned into a full-fledged content creator yet, though I’d love to turn that into a full profession one day. I work in the oil-rich country of Kuwait, it has traveled the length & breadth of this small country, gone through extremes of this place in terms of temperatures & weather elements. And of course, as I am from Goa, the tiny beautiful state of India, I’ve had many wonderful moments with it.
So coming to the camera. It’s small. It’s compact. It’s light. It’s powerful. I don’t have any of the packaging left with me since this was purchased over a year ago. But it came in nice packing. The camera was located in a clear plastic case with a cardboard base box that contained the accessories.
The camera has a 2-inch touch screen interface at the back with an indicator small screen at the front of the that displays various status data. It has a record button at the top which on pressing begins recording or taking pictures depending on the mode it is. Also if the camera is powered off and you need to capture any moment instantly, you can directly press this button to begin video recording. There is a considerable lag by the time the camera powers up and starts recording. That’s one downside of the camera. Overall the body of the camera has a rubbery grip that gives you the confidence to hold the camera securely in your hand.
On the right side of the body is the Hi-Lit/ Mode key. Hi-lit is a feature in the GoPro camera that enables a user to select any moment while recording to be a highlighted event that can be easily selected while creating a video later on. On the left side of the body is the connections panel. The GoPro has a USB-C connector and a micro-HDMI connector to enable connectivity to other devices like TV, etc.
Now let’s talk about the internals of the camera. On the hardware side, at the heart of this camera is an Ambarella A9SE7, which is a Dual Core Cortex ARM A9 with a 4k Image processor. The video sensor is a CMOS one, SONY IMX117, which is the same as a GoPro 4, the previous version of this camera. Also, there is 8 GB RAM. The device has low power Bluetooth, WIFI & GPS inbuilt in it. The battery is Li-ion 1220mAh battery.
On the software side, the interface is pretty smooth and intuitive. On the first boot, I had to perform am mandatory software update. Options are pretty easy & well laid out. Resolutions to record in, framerates, modes to select, and much more. The camera also has voice base commands to control the camera like taking a picture or starting and stopping a video recording, etc. the various options and modes are illustrated in the images below.
There is also the GoPro App available for Android & IOS. You can control the camera & its various functions via the app. Also, you can create some really cool content from the captured media & share it online.
Now as I’ve said the camera has been used for a year, I’ve captured a lot of videos & photos. It has gone through a lot of stress tests too hahaha as evident from the damages visible.
A few are showcased below. These are photos and videos from my personal Instagram handle.
Let’s begin with my messy workplace :-p
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbPcnaeFzvE/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bhe_ZwQhe-f/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/BWqI1DhFjfn/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/BgHOLTdlXKn/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
This below video was taken using the GoPro Karma Grip, which I will review in a later post.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfQ40v-BAUR/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/BetOggBh9Ez/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
This was almost entirely shot on the GoPro while on vacations in Goa.
https://www.instagram.com/p/Bd1GjQMhrPb/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdDhdW8BilY/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
https://www.instagram.com/p/BcsV9qTFatp/?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet
Pros:
1)A small form factor really is a great feature. It can be worn anywhere.
2)Ruggedness. It is an all-weather camera. Can stand extreme temperatures & rough handling.
3)Ease of use. It is decently simple enough. Few settings set them & you are good to go.
Cons:
1) Pricey. The price is a little too much for some enthusiasts to buy and create content.
2) The fragility of some components. The lens cover for example cracked when dropped from a height. So also the same with the screen.
3) Battery Life. Extremely short. If WiFi & GPS is enabled it reduces even further.
So with that concludes my take on the GoPro. Hope to make many more memories. Until the next review…..au Revoir.
