GoPros are on sale, and I’m thinking about grabbing one. What’s the best one for FPV drones?
If you have no budget limit, go for the Hero 8 or the Session 5 Black.
If you’re on a budget, the Session 5 Black and Hero 6 Black are great choices too. The Hero 7 is awesome, but it has some issues with Reelsteady Go, and you might need to soft-mount it.
I personally have the Hero 8. It’s fantastic and not as heavy as the Hero 9. Just a heads up: if you crack the lens on the Hero 8, replacing it is a bit tricky since you have to heat it up and pry it off. On the Hero 7 (and I think the Hero 6 too), you can just twist the lens off and replace it.
@Shan
What about the Hero 9?
The Hero 9 is heavier and bigger. That extra weight can be a downside for flying.
The Hero 9 is heavier and bigger. That extra weight can be a downside for flying.
I’m more focused on having the best features.
@Ben
I’ve been using the Hero 9 for a while, and it’s amazing. I’m flying a 5-inch drone, and the 5K footage looks incredible, especially with Reelsteady. GoPro also has a deal where if you break the Hero 9, they’ll replace it for $95, no questions asked.
@Ben
I bought mine from Best Buy, but I could still do the monthly GoPro subscription, right? Also, do you use Reelsteady with the Hero 9?
Hero 9 for sure.
I prefer the Session 5. It’s small, durable, and shoots good 1080p footage. I usually keep all my raw footage, but I don’t do a lot of editing. It’s survived a lot of crashes, and I’ve never broken one yet. I have three of them.
The downside with the Hero models is that they stick out a lot and are more exposed when mounted.
The Session 5 flies better because it’s smaller and lighter. The Hero 9 has better video quality and features, but it’s much heavier. Most people don’t need that level of quality unless they’re doing professional shoots. For regular flight performance, the Session 5 is perfect.
@Merrick
I’m actually doing professional commercial shoots.
Ben said:
@Merrick
I’m actually doing professional commercial shoots.
In that case, the Hero 8 strikes a good balance between features and weight. Just note that the front lens is molded in, not threaded on, but you can still change it if it breaks.
Ben said:
@Merrick
I’m actually doing professional commercial shoots.
If you’re doing professional work, then the Hero 8 or Hero 9 is the way to go. For paid jobs, you’ll definitely want the Hero 9.
@Drew
I went with the Hero 9. 
Nice! Take good care of it. You should definitely grab Reelsteady Go—it’s discounted right now!
Nice! Take good care of it. You should definitely grab Reelsteady Go—it’s discounted right now!
Wait, it’s on sale? Do you just record normally and then edit everything with Reelsteady?
@Ben
Yeah, exactly! Don’t use Hypersmooth or anything like that. Just record in 4:3 with ProTune on, and then run everything through Reelsteady Go. You can find a ton of info online about the best settings for the Hero 9 with Reelsteady.
@Drew
Sounds like I need to learn how to use Reelsteady Go. How much is it?