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Which GoPro is best for me? GoPro action camera comparison

Which GoPro action camera is best for you? We compare the specs and features of the current GoPro camera line-up, including the Hero 5 Black, Hero 5 Session, Hero 4 Silver and Hero Session, to see which GoPro suits your needs across a range of price points.

From the top-end GoPro Hero5 action cam through to the more budget-friendly Hero Session, the world of GoPro can be pretty confusing to a newcomer. All you want to do is capture your outdoor activities, but which GoPro is best for you? Do you really need to splash out on the best models, or will the cheaper cameras be up to the job?

Here’s our full GoPro camera comparison, to help you decide which one will be best to buy. And don’t forget that GoPro isn’t the only action cam manufacturer out there – check out our best GoPro alternatives, for some great-value and feature-packed possibilities.

Which GoPro camera is best: Specs comparison

GoPro Hero 5 Black Hero 5 Session Hero 4 Silver Hero Session
Megapixel count 12MP 10MP 12MP 8MP
RAW capture? Yes No No No
Max video resolution 4K 4K 1080p 1440p
Video stabilisation Yes Yes No No
Timelapse? Yes Yes Yes No
Voice control Yes Yes No No
Touch controls Yes No Yes No
WiFi? Yes Yes Yes Yes
Battery 1220mAh 1000mAh 1160mAh 1000mAh
Water resistant? Yes (10m) Yes (10m) Yes (40m) Yes (10m)
Price £349 £249 £229 £179

Which GoPro camera is best: Hero 5 Black

If you want the best of the best, then the GoPro Hero 5 Black is the current top-of-the-range action cam. This camera is aimed at professionals, producing gorgeous, smooth-looking action footage.

You get a 12-megapixel sensor that can capture up to 4K video at an impressive 30 frames-per-second, as well as pretty much every other resolution going. 1440p can be captured at up to 80 frames-per-second, 1080p up to 120 frames-per-second, 960p up to 120 frames-per-second and 720p up to 240 frames-per-second. As for photos, you can shoot RAW images for easy editing on the go.

Built-in video stabilisation helps to cut the judder from your movies, which is ideal if you’re shooting lots of action footage. You also get location capture, which is embedded in your video on demand.

This is the only GoPro camera of the current round-up to feature a touchscreen display, which can be used to cycle through the video and photo capture modes and other features. That means less reliance on the app to check and fiddle with your settings. Of course, that also means the GoPro Hero 5 Black is a bit bulkier than some of the other cameras. And there’s also voice control, to start and stop recording without pressing any buttons if your hands are busy.

The body is water-resistant up to 10 metres for capturing underwater footage. There’s also advanced wind noise reduction, plus automatic uploading of photos and videos to the cloud.

Which GoPro camera is best: Hero 5 Session

The next step down is the Hero 5 Session, which is a cheaper GoPro but at the cost of some key features. As a result, this is more of a top-end consumer action camera.

You can still record 4K footage at 30 frames-per-second, while 1440p drops to 60 frames-per-second, 1080p drops to 90 frames-per-second, 960p to 100 frames-per-second and 720p to 120 frames-per-second. There’s a 10-megapixel sensor and you can no longer snap RAW images or capture your location with built-in GPS. However, you do still get image stabilisation, to remove the worst of any shaky action from your footage.

There’s no touchscreen display on this GoPro, although you do get a single button for starting and stopping when it comes to recording footage. You also have the option of voice control, if you’re going hands-free.

Good news for swimmers as the Hero 5 Session is once again water resistant to 10m. You also get advanced wind reduction and auto cloud upload.

Which GoPro camera is best: Hero 4 Silver

Like the Hero 5 Black, the Hero 4 Silver comes with a built-in touch screen for easier control. There’s also a single button for quick video recording, but no voice activation sadly.

The 12-megapixel sensor can capture high-quality photos but there’s no RAW image support. You can’t shoot 4K video, as the Hero 4 Silver maxes out at 1080p resolution, at 60 frames-per-second. You can also shoot 720p video at 120 frames-per-second.

Divers might like the Hero 4 Silver more than the other GoPros in this comparison as it’s water-resistant up to 40 metres. That’s four times the depth of the others here.

Which GoPro camera is best: Hero Session

The Hero Session GoPro is best if you’re on a tight budget, coming in at £179.

The Session’s sensor is reduced to 8-megapixel, and video recording maxes out at 1440p resolution (at 30 frames-per-second). You can also shoot 1080p video at 60 frames-per-second or 720p at 100 frames-per-second. There’s no support for RAW images, location capture or image stabilisation, while wind noise reduction is also now basic.

Of course there’s no touchscreen controls or voice activation, but you do get the same simple one-button recording of the other GoPros here. And the Hero Session is water resistant to 10 metres again.

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