GoPro Releases All-new Hero 4 Session

GoPro has released an all-new action camera — the Hero 4 Session, the company’s smallest and simplest action camera to date.

Unlike GoPro’s earlier brick-shaped cameras, the Hero 4 Session comes in a cube-shaped body, is 40 per cent lighter and 50 per cent smaller. However, unlike GoPro’s Hero 4 Black, the Session cannot shoot video in 4K. Where the Session shines is in its simplicity and ease of use — key selling points which GoPro hopes will make it an appealing choice to all users, particularly those who find action cameras too complicated to use. The Session is also capable of withstanding up to 10m of water and is compatible with all GoPro mounts. In contrast, other GoPro cameras can only withstand 1 to 2 meters of water.

The Session’s smaller form factor presents many new ways to carry and mount cameras. This smaller form, along with the Session’s lack of complicated housings and mounts, provides users with an easy and painless shooting experience. This simplicity, however, does come with a penalty — the Session’s 2-hour battery is built-in and cannot be removed. This may be a bit of a disappointment for those who wish to shoot longer than 2 hours and wish to bring along extra batteries.

The Session can shoot HD video at 1440p and 1080p, including 720p slow motion video and 8MP still images with a burst rate of 10 frames per second. There is also a time-lapse mode of up to 0.5 frame per second. Audio in the Session is handled by two microphones — one in the front and one in the back. This versatile dual-mic system allows the Session to select the right microphone for optimal audio recording. For example, in high-speed activities such as motorsports, the Session will automatically select the rear microphone which is less affected by wind noise.

Like the popular Xiaomi Yi, the Hero 4 Session lacks a rear LCD screen or any form of display. The only way to tweak around with its settings is by using the GoPro Smart Remote — a small wireless remote the size of a key-chain that is sold separately. Alternatively, the Session can also be controlled via wi-fi using the GoPro Smart Remote app on a smartphone or tablet.