New and tiny GoPro Hero4 Session goes official

GoPro has reinvented the way we use a camera by shrinking the bulky and usually clunky video cameras that we’ve grown to know. The company introduced the world’s first action camera with the GoPro series in 2004 from the first small GoPro 35mm to the newest GoPro Hero4 series. The action cameras that GoPro has created have evolved in such a way that it revolutionized our creativity both in photography and documentary field.

While consumers enjoy the already light and compact Hero series, GoPro launched a new and even lighter and smaller action camera with the new Hero4 session similar to Polaroid’s cube and is one of the big leaps that GoPro has taken since the Hero’s début.

The new Hero4 Session house an 8 Megapixel wide-angle camera capable of taking wide-angle shot at full 8-Megapixels or in 5-Megapixels in burst shots with up to 10 photos per second. Topping the device capabilities is its ability to take videos and is one of the reasons why such device exist. Unfortunately the Hero4 Session does not support 4K video recording or a 2K video capture either but it takes a full-frame 1080p (16:9) videos at 60 fps or with 1440p (4:3) at 30 fps plus a handful of modes to choose from where GoPro users are accustomed to.

With its size, GoPro has somewhat found a way of letting go off of a waterproof casing and let the Hero4 Session manage its own waterproofing features. The device is able to go as deep as 33 feet (10 meters) on its bare skin. The battery is non-removable and houses a microSD slot and a more popular micro-USB port which is now easier to connect the device to a computer to transfer files and source other compatible cables from other mobile devices when emergency arises.

Another improvements introduced with the new Hero4 Session is the dual microphone setup which is designed to reduce noise. When the device detects to much wind or noise from one microphone, it will automatically switch to the other microphone for better audio capture during video recording.

With its small size, GoPro had to sacrifice some features in order to make everything as practical as possible. One of which is the display which now sits on top of the device an it’s just a small window actually that provides the most basic information about the device operation. With that, the GoPro Hero4 Session has implemented a one button setup which basically turns the camera and start recording with a press of the button and pressing the button again would stop the recording and turning  the device off. Taking a pictures follows the same route, just press the button for 3 seconds and you’re good to go.

For other settings, luckily the Hero4 session has built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to communicate with a dedicated remote control which is sold separately or with a mobile device through the GoPro App for an even more manageable and flexible experience. As we’ve already know, the Hero4 Session incorporates a 1 button touch and go function so the mobile phone App is needed for a full-blown device management and its the only way to go to easily switch between video and photo modes if the remote control isn’t around.

The GoPro Hero4 Session like any other GoPro devices has its own set of accessories to fully utilize the camera’s ability. Its has its own low-profile frame and standard frame and mounts which goes to place where the traditional GoPro Hero has never been into. The new accessories including the new ball-joint quick release mounts makes something a must have accessory for GoPro users.

GoPro is gunning at a 400.00 price tag for the standard edition as well as the surf edition which comes included with a surf board mount. Despite the seemingly similar price tag as its full-featured counterpart, GoPro believes there are those that may want to get over with the lesser profile and the compactness of the Hero4 session despite a number of missing features along the way.