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Review: New GoPro Hero 4 Session easy to use, but quality not 100%

Jefferson Graham
USA TODAY
The new GoPro Hero 4 Session camera sells for $399.

MANHATTAN BEACH, Calif. — I've been playing with the new GoPro Hero 4 Session camera for about two weeks now, and I like it.

But with reservations.

The mini-camera, available Sunday, is about half the size of the previous GoPro models, way easier to use and much less of a battery drain.

However, the default image resolution is lower than similarly priced GoPro models — about on par with cellphone video. The question for consumers is whether the ease of use makes up for it — especially when considering that the Session sells for $399. That's the same price as the GoPro Hero 4 Silver, which shoots at higher resolution and has a built-in LCD viewfinder.

What the Session has over every other GoPro is the ability to toss it into water, without having to worry about packing it in protective housing. That's a blast – I swam with the Session, dunked it in a glass of water, positioned it in front of a sprinkler, with no issues whatsoever. GoPros have hit a huge chord with fans of action sports – surfers, skaters, skiiers and the like. Any sport that involves water is a no-brainer for this camera – swimming, kite-surfing, skiing, surfing and diving.

As with most GoPros, there's no viewfinder, but since you get to see the world with a super wide-angle field of view, your best guess is usually right on. Because it's so small and light, you won't need a selfie stick to get yourself into the shot. Just hold it in front of you, and you will definitely be in the frame.

The Session is unlike any previous GoPro. It's about half the size of the earlier models, and resembles a black ice cube. It also works differently from other GoPros, and that will take some getting used to.

Jefferson Graham poses with the new GoPro Hero 4 Session camera.

Turn it on, and it starts recording video. Turn it off, and this time, hold your finger on the shutter button a little longer, and you're recording time lapse stills.

One more button on the back of the camera turns on Bluetooth to pair the Session with the mobile app, which works with Apple and Android devices. A tiny preview screen atop the camera has a little bit of information, but not much.

Take a minute to download the GoPro app. You'll have way more controls and options this way, plus you'll be able to view footage just shot.

When you turn the camera on, in default, it shoots in 1080p 30 frames per second video. But in the app, you can opt for 1080p "SuperView" (a wider image) and higher res 1440p footage. You can go for 60 frames per second, instead of 30 and adjust your time-lapse to shoot from going off at 1 to 60 second intervals. You can use GoPro's "ProTune," setting to tweak exposure.

Let's talk time-lapse for a minute. Those videos where the world seems to fly by are great on a GoPro. Just stick it on a ledge, or the ground, and you don't have to worry about the need for a tripod. But processing the time-lapse images shot on the Session is more cumbersome than with the Hero 4 Silver or Black models. You need to import them into a video software program, like GoPro's free Studio software, import, convert and export. On the Hero 4 Silver and Black, the time-lapse videos can be processed in-camera, just like when you make them on a smartphone. GoPro needs to offer the same tools for the Session.

At $399, the Session is priced too high — especially when you consider that the Hero 4 Silver, which also sells for $400, can shoot in higher 4K resolution and different frame rates and has that built-in LCD monitor to track the action.

If the price ever comes down, the Session would be the GoPro camera for most folks to get. It's so much easier to use. And you'll get to play with it for much longer: The battery life is that much better.

Look for me online, where I'm @jeffersongraham on Twitter and Stitcher and TuneIn. where I file daily Talking Tech audio reports.

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