SAN FRANCISCO – GoPro took the lid off the Hero5 Black ($399), the Hero5 Session ($299), and its Karma drone ($799). The cameras arrive on October 2, and the drone follows on October 23. Along with the new hardware, and new software.
The new GoPro Karma drone appears to have an original, user-friendly design—which means it might have a pretty good shot at making an impact in the crowded drone market.
Karma is small and foldable, designed to fit inside a daypack (or the small, rectangular backpack it comes with). You don’t have to assemble the drone each time; the four arms (one rotor on each) just fold snugly against the body and click into place in seconds. It’s also very flat. As someone who has used the DJI Phantom line for years, I can say that’s a big deal. Most drones are awkward to carry and require a specialized Pelican case.
Like most drones of this caliber it has a 3-axis gimbal to stabilize video, but unlike others, the camera hangs off the front of the drone and keeps the propellers out of the shot. More unique is the ability to remove the gimbal from the quadcopter and attach it to the included Karma Grip, so you can get stabilized video when you’re going handheld, too. The Grip has buttons to control the camera’s shutter, modes, and the angle of the gimbal. You can attach the gimbal rig to other mounts as well, which definitely adds a lot of value.
