This review is from my perspective as a freelance videographer and first-time action camera owner. I will keep the review short by going over the good, the bad, and the ugly of the GoPro Hero 5 Black.

The good (+3)
- Highly portable. I can quickly charge it and stick it in my pocket for on-the-go shooting.
- Waterproof. Drop this in water and you'll be fine. Swish it around, and still fine. Go diving, yep, still fine (up to 33' without housing).
- Android connectivity. It works fantastically! With the Capture app, I can pay attention to the shot on my 5" phone screen while guiding my arm.
- Stabilization. Unbelievably good. If I'm doing a panning shot or walking down stairs, I don't have to worry about arm jiggle. It's smooth on a bike.
- Audio. Multi-directional recording on this tiny camera is very good. Listen to the raw audio in the attached video to see what I mean.
- Sturdy construction. The smooth plastic, large touch screen, and heft give it a quality feel fitting to the price range.
- Timelapses look great! I recorded a 2-hour once-per-2-seconds timelapse on a single battery and was able to immediately wirelessly transfer it to my phone and share it.

The bad (-1)
- The flap on the USB C port on the side has jammed and fallen off several times. It is easy to put back on, though the possibility of it falling off again has made me think about accidentally losing it.
- The water-tight housing (allows it to go much deeper in water) bumps up against the record button and takes a bit of a squeeze to get it on. Not the worst thing in the world, but hey, it is a hassle.

The ugly (-2)
- At any light lower than near-direct sunlight, digital grain is visible. When in the shade or when it is cloudy, the quality is noticeably worse than in sunlight. Think of the grain as like a fine paint daub look, circa 2010 phone cameras. Yes, it can shoot 4K at a 60 Mb/s bitrate, but even downscaled to 1080p, the digital grain is noticeable. See what I mean in the attached video. My phone, Galaxy S7, takes far better video than the GoPro in lower-light settings. However, no phone camera beats the wide-angle, waterproofing, and general versatility of this camera.

Verdict
- The GoPro Hero 5 Black is a great $400 action camera intended for a very specific market of videographers. The major downside of this camera (video quality in low light) does not outweigh all that this camera can do. Throw this tiny camera in your bag, go skiing, surfing, traveling the country, and when you're all done, put together something worth sharing. What you don't get with video quality you in return get not having to hassle with lenses, extra batteries, external chargers, equipment bags, and the like, which all get in the way of the action.

22 total points with 4 taken off = 21/24, or about 4/5 stars.

First impressions: This review will be updated as I get more of a chance to play with this camera. I received it Oct 4th so still plenty of playing around to do!! So far I have added 1 additional con, updated some of the pros, and added a few pros.. I will continue to update!!

Short Review: I have owned GoPro cameras since the Hero 2.. I have recently been introduced to other brands that work just as well but I am loyal to GoPro and had to try out the new hero 5.. I am glad I did because GoPro is now on top of their game again and this is now the best Action Camera I have ever owned!!.. I used to hate all in one designs (Waterproofing being built into the camera) but I actually feel it works very well with this camera and provides much greater protection! No more "Naked" GoPros getting broken! (I have broke a few)

While the Hero 5 doesn't really have any major improvements in resolution or shooting specs, the improvements that have been made in design and software actually work well and really make the photo and videos appear much better! The most notable improvements include built in stabilization that works very well and much better audio! Audio is where action cameras have always been lacking, but GoPro has made a huge improvement here. GoPro has also improved their user interface which is a great improvement. Old models took a little while to learn, but not the Hero 5.. I haven't seen an action camera this easy to use ever! So even though GoPro has carried over the same sensor from the Hero 4, this camera is very much worth the improvements

Pros:

1.) Video Quality - Is outstanding. The software changes they made, actually make the video quality look much better even though the same sensor was carries over

2.) Much easier to use interface - No more learning curve! Includes Voice Control

3.) Much easier to use - Thanks to the new interface

4.) Audio Quality - This is the most noticeable difference. The audio quality is simply outstanding

5.) Stereo Sound

6.) Ability to shoot RAW WDR (Also a Con because RAW is only available on a few options)

7.) GPS - Can now track where your photos are taken

8.) Camera is now much more durable thanks to the built in housing

9.) Photos are still simply amazing

10.) Battery life is now AMAZING - no more 1 hour battery.. I received a full two hours out of all three of my uses so far

11.) Love the built in screen

12.) I haven't ran into any bugs YET but I own several Action Cameras so the little quirks here and there, I know how to get around them. I'm not really sure they are bugs, but just how action cameras are

13.) Voice Control - Thanks to Amazon, Apple, and others we now live in a day and age of controlling things with our voice.. Voice control is now included on this camera and works well!! This is what action cameras have needed! No longer do you need an app or bluetooth remote to control the camera on a selfie stick.. You can now do it with your voice!!

14.) Supports up to a 128GB memory card! Plenty of room for 4K videos!

15.) The new GoPro software is better than the past.. I like quik and find it to work fine for basic task.. I still use Final Cut for most of my stuff!

16.) Cloud - While the cloud is a good idea, and for some this is a GREAT advantage for the new GoPro. YouTube is free so is my Prime Photo account.. I will continue to use those but I am very happy to see GoPro integrate a REAL cloud solution for their cameras.. I know a lot of people don't like this decision but it isn't required to use their cloud. I was a GoPro Plus Beta tester and I found it easy to use.. I no longer have the account now that it cost money but I did find it to be very well thought out software!

17.) Still works with most OLD accessories!! Of course you need new batteries and stuff but old mounts, chest straps, selfie sticks, grips, and even cases should still work!! (Like storage cases, not waterproof housings)

18.) Higher ISO options than previous GoPros

19.) Improved connectivity to my phone, much easier to pair and connect than previous GoPros

20. Built in Waterproofing works down to 33FT BUT they have an external housing available for divers that makes it waterproof to 196FT

Cons:

1.) While I was a fan of GoPro plus I no longer use it now that its out of beta. I wish GoPro would integrate free services a little better to their apps and not require the use of their services for their apps.. I would use their apps more often if it was integrated better with services such as YouTube. Final Cut integrates very well with other services, not only Apple Services. I feel that GoPro plus is going to be great for a lot of people, that is why it is also listed in my "Pros"..

2.) The biggest accessory that no longer works that I have a few of, are "Domes" for half underwater photos.. Most Domes that I own have an old GoPro housing that you place the GoPro into.. Something to keep in mind!

3.) Raw is only available on a few options

4.) The REAL waterproof housing now cost $50. This housing allows the camera to go down to 196FT.. The camera HOWEVER IS WATERPROOF already! But only down to 33FT... If you plan to use the camera for scuba this will run you another $50.. The standard housing on the OLD GoPros allowed it to go down to 131FT and then 197FT with the dive housing.. This is why I don't really like built in waterproofing.. We lost a lot of depth on the hero 5!!

Tips:

1.) Make sure you grab a high quality memory card to go with this. I personally use SanDisk Extreme but GoPros website list a lot of cards they suggest. Using a card that is cheap or not suggested MIGHT cause freezing, the camera to overheat, or even your videos to corrupt.. SanDisk has never given me any issues

2.) There are several Action Camera accessory kits on Amazon that will "Jump Start" your collection of mounts.. Remember, this camera has a basic mount but nothing major.. I recommend a good kit from Amazon to save you money!

3.) GoPro PLUS and GoPro software IS NOT REQUIRED.. I still use it for basic task, and think it works great for basic task but one of the complaints this camera is getting is the new software.. I use more of a professional video editing software such as Final Cut and it still works fine. Also, I don't need GoPros cloud service. YouTube is FREE so is Amazon Prime Photos

Overall: After a few hours of playing with this camera I simply love it and feel it offers great improvements over previous versions! I look forward to updating this review as I play more with the camera.