Product test

The GoPro Karma on trial

24.4.2017

Translation: machine translated

Shortly before its official launch in Switzerland, we received a GoPro test model. Naturally, we tested it from top to bottom.

The camera's slogan is "More than a drone". GoPro has achieved this objective. Or at least when you buy the GoPro Karma set, available for CHF 1499.- and including, in addition to the drone, the GoPro Hero 5 and the Karma Grip.

With this kit, you can produce shots underwater as well as in the air and on land. As the GoPro Hero 5 is already waterproof, you don't even need to buy an additional housing. Even though other manufacturers have already brought smaller drones onto the market, GoPro's equipment is still more compact than that of the competition. GoPro also has a price advantage.

Our video blogger Linus Konetschnig and I tested the device and encountered a number of difficulties. While water, air and earth are covered for a price of CHF 1499, it takes a much bigger budget from other manufacturers to achieve the same result. It often happens that no equipment is supplied for the three environments. You would then have to work with cameras from different manufacturers, which would mean greater effort in post-production.

The Karma drone itself charges quickly and offers a flight time of 15 to 17 minutes per battery, which naturally depends on wind and weather. The drone is ready for use in 2 minutes and is compatible with the GoPro Hero 4 and Hero 5. What's more, the camera is extremely robust and has also survived a fall from a height of two metres.

Session cameras should, in future, also become compatible. In terms of technology, the GoPro Karma is not on the same level as the competition. While already the smallest drones are equipped with visual and acoustic sensors to determine position and avoid crashes, the Karma has no sensors and is therefore more difficult to fly. GPS errors are more frequent than with the competition. It's true that the flight distance is several kilometres, but the image transmission to the remote control fails after 500 to 700 metres and is no longer very reliable. We've also had to deal several times with a spontaneous increase or decrease in altitude. As well as a massive drift to the left or right. Inexperienced drone pilots should therefore take care on their first flights.

Drone

GoPro Karma incl. Hero 5

20 min, 1950 g, 12 Mpx

But once the drone has reached a safe altitude, there are still many things you can do with it. The drone's movements are, for example, smoother than those of the Phantom 4 which also allows beginners to quickly get quality shots. DJI drones can be placed in a 'Tripod' mode, which allows very precise movements to be made. Overall, the difference can certainly be put down to the massive difference in speed. DJI drones generally fly faster than GoPro's and therefore need to feature faster controls in terms of reaction.

The main problems already present in 2016 such as spontaneous falls have been corrected. All the same, the GoPro Karma is, on a technical level, not where one might expect it to be for 2017.

GoPro Karma Grip

The GoPro Karma Grip is part of the set. However, the Grip, also used as a stabiliser, was never affected by the recall and so GoPro has already been selling the Grip separately for some time.

If you own the whole set, getting the GoPro between the drone and the stabiliser is relatively easy. Using the stabiliser is typical for GoPro. There's an on/off button with which you can also navigate between the different modes, a red record button and a button to highlight the best moments. There's also an additional button for changing the angle of the stabiliser. By clicking on it, you can reorientate the stabiliser. To change the horizontal angle, you can hold down the button and, by double-clicking on it, you can track an object.

The stabiliser has a quality finish and looks like it will survive the occasional drop. For recording video on the bike, I put the stabiliser in my rucksack and protected the moving parts and camera with a T-shirt. I found the rucksack that came with the GoPro too big and impractical. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to take a water bottle or any small personal items in the bag. I expected better.

The shots I was able to take with the Karma Grip convinced me! We attached the Grip to our bodies with a chest harness and were able to produce very calm and stable videos. I was amazed at the quality! Even a short sprint in the forest between trees and on very uneven ground offered conclusive results.

Action camera accessories

GoPro Karma Grip

Hero 5 Black

The operating concept bothered me during the test. The GoPro Hero 5's touchscreen and menu navigation with swipe gestures from edge to edge worked rather poorly. And it was even worse once the camera was mounted on the stabiliser. To exit preview mode, I always had to briefly press the record button. Unfortunately, I never managed to exit the menu in any other way. The reason was the restricted access to the edge in stabilizer mode. But, all in all, I'm very happy with the Karma Grip and am already looking forward to planning new projects with it!

Assessment

All in all, the Karma set is pretty satisfying. Despite some difficulties, we managed to get some great shots, thanks in part to the rapid commissioning of the equipment and the flexibility when selecting locations. If you always want to be able to shoot wherever you are, the Karma kit is a good choice. However, if your aim is to make the best videos possible with the best technology currently available on the market, the Karma set won't do you justice.

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Manuel Wenk

Communications Manager

Manuel.Wenk@digitecgalaxus.ch

As a Multimedia Producer, preparing multimedia content and knowing about cutting-edge technology is my business. My main focus at digitec is producing videos. I can’t wait to try out new products such as cameras, drones or smartphones as soon as they’re launched. This is where being at the source comes in rather handy. When I’m not working, I’m probably skiing, biking or hiking – the mountains are my place to be.

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