GoPro Hero 5 Black – Battery Life and Charging

The Hero 5 Black’s battery has a fractionally larger capacity than the older version, which is helpful considering you have GPS, a touchscreen and EIS to factor in. It does also mean the battery is physically different to older GoPro batteries, so you’ll be unable to reuse Hero 4 batteries, which is a shame.

Battery performance is a little better than the Hero 4 Black from my testing. I managed about 1hr 45mins of 1080p video at 30fps, where it was closer to 1hr 30mins on the Hero 4 Black. This was with the Wi-Fi connection, GPS and EIS all turned on. You should achieve longer if you start disabling functions. I managed about an hour of 4K video at 30fps, which is around the same as the Hero 4 Black.

It’s worth noting that this is when shooting one long continuous video, where the display turns off. While shooting numerous short clips, battery duration was far less.

Fortunately, you can carry a spare battery if you’re out on a longer shoot. As mentioned previously, the Hero 5 Black now uses a USB Type-C connection to charge.

Should I buy the GoPro Hero 5 Black?

By taking the best component pieces from older cameras and adding new features, the GoPro Hero 5 Black is the best camera GoPro has ever produced. It’s incredibly easy to use and the new form factor and waterproofing are fantastic additions. The electronic image stabilisation has been something I’ve been longing for for some time now, so it’s great to finally see it included, and it works really well. The image quality is best-in-class and there’s plenty to love for those taking photos alongside video.

Related: Best Action Cameras roundup

It’s worth noting that when the GoPro Hero 5 Black first launched, it had an RRP of £350, which at the time I commended for being a surprisingly positive move in this post-Brexit economy. That was less than the Hero 4 Black launched at to put things into perspective.

Now unfortunately a few months on since the original release, the price of the Hero 5 Black has actually been jacked up and the RRP is now £399 direct from GoPro, with many retailers also following suit.

That’s a hefty price increase you’re going to have to keep in mind and takes a little sheen off what is a fantastic action camera. Be sure to shop around for a good deal.

Verdict

The GoPro Hero 5 Black is the best all-round action camera you can buy today.

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