GoPro Hero5 Action Cams, Karma Drone Slated for October Delivery

Go Pro’s Hero5 Black and the Hero5 Session feature new voice-control capabilities and other improvements. The company is also launching its first drone, GoPro Karma.

The new $399.99 GoPro Hero5 Black action camera has a 2-inch touch-screen display, a 12-megapixel camera and provides video resolutions up to 4K at 30fps.

The latest flagship Hero5 Black action camera also gets updated one-button controls to make it easier to use, along with automatic uploading of photos and video to a cloud-based subscription service while the unit is charging. The Hero5 Black is also waterproof to 33 feet without a separate housing.

The new voice control feature includes support for seven languages so far, with more to come. Also included are stereo audio recording capabilities and advanced wind noise reduction, professional-grade electronic video stabilization and wide-angle video and photo capabilities. A new linear-view setting is also featured.

The Hero5 Black can capture images in RAW and WDR (wide dynamic range) photo modes for more control of images and includes built-in GPS. The device is also compatible with existing GoPro mounts to enable it to be used in a wide variety of applications, sports and activities, such as snowboarding.

For users on a budget, the $299.99 Hero5 Session model shares the same small design of the Hero5 Black flagship device, but comes with a lower price tag and less lofty specifications, such as a 10-megapixel camera. Similar to its big brother, the Hero5 Session gets voice control, video resolutions up to 4K at 30fps, one-button control and is waterproof to 33 feet without a separate housing.

The Hero5 Session also includes stereo audio recording capabilities, advanced wind noise reduction and professional-grade electronic video stabilization, like its big brother. Also featured are wide-angle video and photo capabilities and a new linear-view setting.

GoPro’s first drone has a maximum speed of 35 mph and can cover a maximum distance of 3,280 feet at up to 14,500 feet. The Karma drone folds up for storage into an included small backpack and features a flight controller that replicates video game controller feel and action. The controller has an integrated 5-inch touch-screen display that allows users to fly the drone without the need for a separate phone or tablet to view what the drone is seeing in flight. It is 12 inches long, 16.2 inches wide, 4.6 inches high and weighs 35.5 ounces.

The Karma drone includes a Karma Stabilizer image-stabilization device that can be dismounted and used to capture shake-free video during almost any activity. The 3-axis camera stabilizer can also be used with the included Karma Grip handle to capture footage by hand or while using the stabilizer with other gear. Without a GoPro camera, the drone will sell for $799.99, while a bundle with a Hero5 Black sells for $1,099.99. A Karma bundle with a Hero5 Session camera will be priced at $999.99 and will be available in early 2017.