I use the session 5 quite frequently when I want POV snowboarding (terrain park) and surfing. The best thing about the session was it's small form factor. In it's housing, the session is 44x44 compared with 51 x 52 mini. Without the housing it's even smaller. Not sure why the designers would increase the surface area by 40% on this. That's a big increase in drag when travelling at high speeds or through the water. Remember, we don't want to have something big on our head, we want something tiny that noone will notice and reliable with fast upload to our smart phones for same day upload.
As a fellow Session 5 owner contemplating a GoPro11 Mini this is a great help as it's useful to see how much improvement the new camera actually offers. The video quality looked fantastic but the unreliability issues are a definite deal breaker for me and the lack of recording LED was something I hadn't noticed and I'd badly miss it, I frequently look to that light to see if I'm recording or not. As someone else mentioned I do like the frame of the Session as well which I tend to leave in place on the bike and pop the camera in and out rather than having to put the screw in and out each time.
I miss my session 5. It was a cool tiny cube. But it overheated and kept turning off and freezing up. I think i had the wrong SD card, it kept getting errors. I got the Hero5 Black in 2017 to replace the Session And still use it today, no SD card errors after some firmware updates. Hero5 is futureproof
@@JDMEXforme My Session 5 was incredibly reliable which was one of the main reasons I liked it, I knew I could just stick it in, hit record and it would work. Although the Hero11 seems to have various issues I was impressed with the improvement in video quality so decided to buy an Osmo Action 2. Which was a bad idea, the camera module on its own seems a good Session replacement but it isn't. Batterylife is just too short and you can't work around it with a pair of camera modules keeping one charged while the other is running (which I used to do with Sessions) because the storage is fixed and small. Adding the second module fixes all of these problems but it makes it into a strange tall shape and crucially loses water proofing making the whole system functionally useless. I'm on an Action 3 and 4 at the moment which are much bigger than the Session and don't fit my gimbal but the magnetic attachment system is fantastic, the cameras are reliable and at least it's easier to manage batteries on them
Great comparison, Thanks again Shane. I thought that the fact it wasn't that 'mini' was bad enough, but lack of LEDs and no way to know if it has locked up is a deal killer for me. Even that it seems common to lock up is not good enough. If I need/want higher resolution then I'd use the biggie, but I just don't think that the 11 mini actually answers the design brief the way the Session5 did. GoPro really should have just made a Session11 and just gone with the firm grounding it had.
With the Session, having the option to leave the frame fixed on the bike (with a proper screw rather than the big thumb-screw) and just pop the camera in and out is (was) very handy. I had been holding out for a Session replacement for years, but finally caved and bought the 11 biggie. The difference between the Mini and biggie just seemed so small it didn't seem worth it to compromise on the features. If they had made it as small as the session, I'd have gone for it, but at this size, no.
Ding, ding, bike back, immediately followed by the person crossing from one side of the path across to the other causing maximum inconvenience to everyone! 🤦♂️ Definitely one of my pet peeves on shared paths!
My friend's GoPro11 exploded on his head while he was playing with a ball. GoPro 11 cameras get very hot and may burn. Be careful this is a very dangerous video camera.
Exactly what I thought. Seems too smooth for my liking. I wonder if hyper-smooth has levels of smooth? You want the buzz taken out but not the hits of sway of riding in the pedals. Pic quality is quite nice though.
As a cyclists who records his rides, I am so looking forward to trying out my new 11 Mini on my bike once the weather warms up a little bit. The camera I've been using (a Hero 4 Session (even older than the 5 Session)), 'showcases' every bump my bike rides over, no matter how big or small. I am very excited to see how my future videos turn out with Hypersmooth turned on. Judging from what I saw in your review, I will NOT be disappointed. I've got my 11 Mini sitting right next to me, recording, and there is a blinking red light on the top telling me that the camera is indeed recording. Of course, this is only the case if one has the camera sitting (or mounted) upright, so you can see the top of the camera. Also, the little status screen indicates that the camera is recording, so in the absence of a light, someone would still know the camera is recording.
All similar frustrations Shane, no light to know it’s working, only the beep. Freezing up after just a few pushes of the record button. I’ve found the battery power not that much better than the Hero 5 of mine. Sigh. Spot on vid too 👍
I have a Hero 5 Session, Hero 7 Black, and.a Hero 10 Black. I use all 3 all the time. I love my Session.I record in a flat profile and color grade in post. I just love the small form factor.
Very helpful and informative video, thank you. I have the Hero 5 Session and believe it or not, the ORIGINAL Session. I was looking to buy the new 11 Mini to replace the 5 Session for my POV driving videos, but the reliability and lack of red lights is a dealbreaker for me. Setting up my cameras takes up enough time and I've already have GoPros that can be a bit glitchy, so I think the 11 Mini would be more hassle than it's worth. Yes, the smoothness of the video between the two is night and day, but if I'm careful with my head movements the the 5 Session offers passable footage. I may wait until the 11 Mini has come down in price and also when the teething issues have been sorted.
Absolutely need a little red led light to tell you it's on. It's a no brainer now for me it's going to be the big version and my first ever Go Pro. This standard should last quite a few years and why I've held out for so long in buying one when smart phones were keeping up somewhat.
I agree with you about the red light. I was recording a race and it was freezing up and I couldn't work out if it was on or not. It also doesn't work with the Max Lense Mod yet. I will have to stick to my 10 until things improve.
I used to love the Session 5 but the batterylife was very low at the end, I now have a GoPro 8 for a few years but I keep having problems with corrupt files, how is the new Mini?
Hi, for better stabilastion one could use post produktion stabilizers like gyroflow. That gives a way better output on the Session5. And Softmounting it will make a huge difference.
I bought the Hero 11 Mini as my first GoPro. Thinking about sending it back. It is honestly the most frustrating and non-user-friendly piece of camera equipment I've ever used. It locks up when you charge it. You can never tell when it's charging or whether it has a full charge. Controlling it via the phone is absolutely useless. The GoPro cloud is also totally useless since the camera takes forever to upload anything to it. I left it plugged in for 3 days and nothing was ever uploaded for me. It does take awesome video on the bike, but it runs out of battery pretty quickly. There's no easy way for me to tell whether it's either on or recording when I have it mounted. If I leave it recording, it'll just die. On my last ride it died after only 20 minutes or so. When I checked the footage, it was all Horizon Lock at 240fps, so I had like 8 hours of super slomo footage that I didn't want. It's totally stupid.
Sort of picks up on the point (rant) I was making the other day. Piling all these features into the cameras is taking them out of our use-cases. Ps. You don’t happen to have. Spare Sony Action Cam do you Shane … asking for a friends 😊
Say, that's a very stable cow. I'm a bit torn atm. It's everything I sort of asked for from Garmin when they indicated they were effectively replacing the session. Just don't know if it's worth getting this over the big brother. The price differential isn't that large and replacable batteries on the full Hero 11 but not on the mini may be a deal breaker for longer rides. What's the full cycle batterylife for the mini at optimal settings for 2.7k & 4K. At the moment Hero-less and looking at the full size for the added flexibility. If this was £100 cheaper then it'd be more of an option as a second Hero.
I'll have to do some battery bench testing to get some figures of the battery life (which may include putting a fan on it so it doesn't overheat). I'll note this down and loop back to it soon.
Really interesting thanks GPL, as a Session 4 user with a lust to renew but a limited budget, I’ll prob go for a H10 biggie’ the new mini just isn’t really mini!, why did they drop the Session?…..or is that a video from a while back?. Also, the walkers not hearing your bell is classic and happens to me all the time!, I find people hear my ding (if they do!) and then reach for their phones because it sounds like an apple notification!…..then look surprised when you’re suddenly upon them!…..I’ve even had the shout of ‘why don’t you get a bell’!…….😮
Not so easy with the Mini, as I believe you have to use the Labs firmware and QR App to disable the WiFi…and then of course, you can no longer connect to the Mini with the App for Previews etc…I’ve also read the GoPro Remote no longer works when the WiFi is off, which confuses me as I believed the Remote used Bluetooth….
Personally I think you need to set the sharpness to low in GoPros in order to achieve decent image quality. These digitally oversharpened shots are not pleasing to the eye, and if you need more sharpness, you can always add afterwards.
Does anyone know/experience any Garmin headunit GPS issues when using the Mini (or any of the recent GoPros for that matter), as have been reported with the small DJI camera, when the camera’s WiFi is active…? I’ve long wanted something in the form factor of the Session, and thought I’d found it in the tiny DJI, but then read about the WiFi killing the GPS when mounted underneath Garmins….Was happy when I learnt the new 11 Mini was coming, but it does seem to have its issues and well, it’s not ‘that’ small for bike use…Just not sure now, as I don’t really like the size of the ‘biggies’ when mounted out front…… Bring back the Session! Wish you could get them more easily….Think all the last stock must have gone to the TdF for their on bike footage…! Thanks for review Shane, very useful. Though don’t know which way to jump now…! 🙄
The session stabilization is bad compared to the new go pros, but it’s still fantastic 😂. If the garmin radar dash cam had the same stability of the hero 5, it’d be flying off the shelves.
My bike footage still comes up shaky when I hit bumps here and there and that's when it's on my bag or helmet, it's practically useless when mounted to my handlebars as it's constantly jittery. But your Hero 11 footage is really smooth. I'm using a Hero 9 and now a Hero 12, hyper smooth, L+, 5k60 or 4k60, and an nd filter. Any advice, I see your settings there and I guess the difference is I have L+ lens not wide, you think that's why? Do you smooth it up in post? (You can see example footage of my rides on my channel with it on my helmet, it's pretty smooth but bumps still show up here and there - but I had to stop helmet mounting cause my neck just started killing me.)
Something isn’t right then. The HERO 7 was the first with HyperSmooth that really changed the game. I’m not sure what the issue would be, maybe one for GoPro support.
I just don't get why action cams have to be that big. You can have pretty good video quality in a very small format, as smartphones prove. I don't need no 5K, no Bluetooth, no Wifi or screen on my cam. I just want a good, little, unobtrusive action cam to mount on my helmet. Any recommendations?
Does the 11 mini have looping? I vaguely recall hearing it didn't which defeats it's use as a bike 'dash can't. Though if it's locking up it's pretty useless in general...
I have two session 5's and don't think I have as fuzzy recording, then again I only use 1080p recording. Definitely wont be buying an 11 mini to replace mine just yet.
Looking for an updated camera to replace my Hero 5 Session, which was the greatest motovlogging camera ever made. The Session is getting a little long in the tooth so I'm considering this Mini. Your report on its reliability has me pumping the brakes, but I don't need the status light. I have it attached to my helmet and connected to the GoPro app on my cell, which is mounted on my handlebars. I can see its status right on my phone. Your video was very helpful and informative - thanks!
What software are people now using to overlay Garmin data (power, HR, speed, etc) over their GoPro videos (I'm looking at getting a Hero 12)? I think Garmin VIRB is now outdated, or no longer being maintained, and some people have had compatability issues with Windows 11... Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Could you try the 11 mini without the handlebar bag? It could be that you are not getting the flow of air around the back of the camera to cool it enough. (Just like Ineos following Ganna in a TT with 10 bikes on the top of the DS car).
Not enough clearance with the top of the camera to allow for this. It points towards the ground at about a 45deg angle.
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9:48 Well i guessed they will jump to the left as it's common to pass on the right in britain? just a guess from a german civilian with less experience of british left handed traffic
Does the Mini have some kind of decent clock built in, and does it sync with your phone whenever they contact each other? And does it put some kind of time stamps in the files? If so, I assume syncing the clips with the GPS track of the head unit should be a piece of cake. If not, I see some headache coming up...
I assume so. It has phone date/time sync in the app. It may even do the same over WiFi. Lining up GPS overlays isn't too hard without time data. I've done this many times after combining multiple MP4 files from a GoPro and using that as the video for an overlay setup.
@@gplama for shorter rides, like less than a day or so, I agree. It's a completely different kettle if I come home from a two week bike tour. In those situations I've often had trouble even remembering on what day I shot a clip.
What irritates me is GoPro coming back on their forum with ' check your sd card' when they sold the SD Extreme with the camera as compatible... As you say, the Session was great for just press and record and the weight was noticeably more manageable when helmet mounted. Mini 11 not so much. Why they think they know what their customer base wants , defeats me.
Have you compared the 11 mini to the 11 big? Im interested to see what the sound quality is like. I have a hero session atm and was looking at the 11 mini, but the fact it doesnt have gps has put me off it, plus the sound quality just doesnt seem amazing. I'm going to be strapping it to a motorbike doing 250+ kph, so any help reducing wind noise is a must
I need sum to record my airsoft videos with. I play at an indoor field but I make pretty rigid motions often. Someone who knows a good bit on this topic lmk, should I get a session 5 or look for something else?
The stabilization isn’t all that great? How did you mount it? I use the black holder (because in the white, magnetic ones it rattles) and I don’t see a difference to my Gopro 8. But it is super reliable. And aren’t all action cams bad in low light (maybe one more than others) 🤷🏼♂️
The 11 Mini stabilisation is impressive indeed, but I find that much stabilisation to be quite counter-productive. When you can't tell whether the road is bumpy, or whether you are riding out of the saddle, you are losing valuable information. Of course it depends on your use case, but I actually preferred the 5 Session stabilisation on these comparisons. Can you adjust the level of stabilisation or is it just on/off?
@@gplama Ohh maybe I described to many thing. so here's a short version 🙂 You can use GyroFlow with the Session 5 because the gyro data is embedded in the video, works very well. You can have ProTunes again (GoPro had to remove it) by using an old install file on an Android phone. And lastly, there is a registry trick to have VirbEdit still working. About the Mini, I still wonder why they don't put the lens centered with the attachment, it's a pain to see that wheel not centered in the image 😄 Thanks for the video, that was a proper test and comparison 👍🏻
The issue you mentioned regarding the 11 mini freezing up. I’ve had with my 7 black for many years now. I can be riding down an MTB trail and find the the camera froze 10 seconds into the recording. So infuriating..
The new stabilization is very cool but I don't like feeling like Aladdin on his magic carpet through the roads. I kinda like the reality of the Session.
Compared to the Session 5 - They were both sitting < 10% the morning after the side-by-side testing, so about the same. As for specific 'hours' battery life, it's difficult to measure. It'll depend on the settings used. I don't think even GoPro list any numbers on this. I can bench test it soon... hopefully once the reliability is addressed.
Great video thanks. If the Mini worked with the mic adapter then I'd like it a lot more, and as it stands the $100 difference with the biggie just isn't good value IMO. No Hero11 for me :(
night and day at least for the stabilization. decided to fix my hero 5 rather then buy the hero 11 thinking shouldn't be that much difference. That's until i saw this, oh well.
Only issue is with each level of stabilization on the newer ones you lose the sensation of speed even more. Your 11 mini footage looks like you’re going 1/3 the speed
Please help me with 3D. I drag and drop two mp4 2d files into the "import+" window and they should merge into one 3d side-by-side file. but for me they are imported as two 2D files, without merging. What am I doing wrong?!
the session 5 is sooo much smaller and lighter. this 11 mini is actually bigger and weighs more than the hero 8 which has a screen.... go pro 11 mini is a HARD PASS. definitely buying a hero 8.
@josephpetrosso4178 12 days ago Shane, what does it mean after finishing my ride on zwift it shows in the box 4 people in orange and 647 people in black ?
Did you hear how much warning I gave with the bell and verbally? Watch the video before making incorrect statements. It's a SHARED path. All users have to be courteous and aware. I was both. Clearly you're neither.
READ THIS BEFORE BUYING THE 11mini I am returning mine The gopro is controled by 2 buttons, pain in the a** right ? I as a ''genius'' i thought that i would simply edit all my settings (video modes) on the Quik App and then scroll with the 2 buttons in betwens my settings on the camera. Brilliant ? nope ! YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE VIDEO SETTINGS AT A TIME ! When i use my gopro i always switch in between my 4-5 favorite video modes : Sunny - Sport - Underwater - Slowmo (2x 4x 8x) ... And each video modes have differents settings (resolution - frame rate - stabilisation - shutter speed ...) So now, to ''switch'' in between video modes, i have to clicks 15 times on the gopro, 15 TIMES AND THATS NOT ALL more precise settings like shutter speed and stabilisation (and many more) CAN ONLY BE CONTROLED ON THE APP !!! Gopro are meant to often be use where you cant take you phone out.. especially with the smaller version.... That. is. a. shame. Gopro failed on this one. Yes it can be fixed in a software update, but for now, my vacation is in 4 days and i am pissed (probably like a lot of people were) Other thing, the volta handle (with battery built-in) comes with a usb pass-through door for the gopro 11 standard only, not the mini (second time they pissed me off)
I use the session 5 quite frequently when I want POV snowboarding (terrain park) and surfing. The best thing about the session was it's small form factor. In it's housing, the session is 44x44 compared with 51 x 52 mini. Without the housing it's even smaller. Not sure why the designers would increase the surface area by 40% on this. That's a big increase in drag when travelling at high speeds or through the water. Remember, we don't want to have something big on our head, we want something tiny that noone will notice and reliable with fast upload to our smart phones for same day upload.
As a fellow Session 5 owner contemplating a GoPro11 Mini this is a great help as it's useful to see how much improvement the new camera actually offers. The video quality looked fantastic but the unreliability issues are a definite deal breaker for me and the lack of recording LED was something I hadn't noticed and I'd badly miss it, I frequently look to that light to see if I'm recording or not. As someone else mentioned I do like the frame of the Session as well which I tend to leave in place on the bike and pop the camera in and out rather than having to put the screw in and out each time.
I miss my session 5. It was a cool tiny cube. But it overheated and kept turning off and freezing up.
I think i had the wrong SD card, it kept getting errors.
I got the Hero5 Black in 2017 to replace the Session And still use it today, no SD card errors after some firmware updates. Hero5 is futureproof
@@JDMEXforme My Session 5 was incredibly reliable which was one of the main reasons I liked it, I knew I could just stick it in, hit record and it would work.
Although the Hero11 seems to have various issues I was impressed with the improvement in video quality so decided to buy an Osmo Action 2. Which was a bad idea, the camera module on its own seems a good Session replacement but it isn't. Batterylife is just too short and you can't work around it with a pair of camera modules keeping one charged while the other is running (which I used to do with Sessions) because the storage is fixed and small.
Adding the second module fixes all of these problems but it makes it into a strange tall shape and crucially loses water proofing making the whole system functionally useless.
I'm on an Action 3 and 4 at the moment which are much bigger than the Session and don't fit my gimbal but the magnetic attachment system is fantastic, the cameras are reliable and at least it's easier to manage batteries on them
I have a new to me hero 5 session... Does GoPro labs help increasing the bit rate it records at?
Great comparison, Thanks again Shane.
I thought that the fact it wasn't that 'mini' was bad enough, but lack of LEDs and no way to know if it has locked up is a deal killer for me. Even that it seems common to lock up is not good enough. If I need/want higher resolution then I'd use the biggie, but I just don't think that the 11 mini actually answers the design brief the way the Session5 did. GoPro really should have just made a Session11 and just gone with the firm grounding it had.
With the Session, having the option to leave the frame fixed on the bike (with a proper screw rather than the big thumb-screw) and just pop the camera in and out is (was) very handy.
I had been holding out for a Session replacement for years, but finally caved and bought the 11 biggie. The difference between the Mini and biggie just seemed so small it didn't seem worth it to compromise on the features. If they had made it as small as the session, I'd have gone for it, but at this size, no.
Ding, ding, bike back, immediately followed by the person crossing from one side of the path across to the other causing maximum inconvenience to everyone! 🤦♂️ Definitely one of my pet peeves on shared paths!
My thoughts exactly and why I prefer to yell passing right!!!!
@@brettoau84 At which point they walk to the right thinking that's what you mean. :D There's no winning - slow down, and assume the worst.
I yell "On your left!" (right-handed traffic where I live). It works quite well.
My friend's GoPro11 exploded on his head while he was playing with a ball. GoPro 11 cameras get very hot and may burn.
Be careful this is a very dangerous video camera.
THe difference is amazing! Watching the 2 side by side, the 11 mini footage looks like drone footage compared to the 5 session.
Exactly what I thought. Seems too smooth for my liking. I wonder if hyper-smooth has levels of smooth? You want the buzz taken out but not the hits of sway of riding in the pedals. Pic quality is quite nice though.
As a cyclists who records his rides, I am so looking forward to trying out my new 11 Mini on my bike once the weather warms up a little bit. The camera I've been using (a Hero 4 Session (even older than the 5 Session)), 'showcases' every bump my bike rides over, no matter how big or small. I am very excited to see how my future videos turn out with Hypersmooth turned on. Judging from what I saw in your review, I will NOT be disappointed.
I've got my 11 Mini sitting right next to me, recording, and there is a blinking red light on the top telling me that the camera is indeed recording. Of course, this is only the case if one has the camera sitting (or mounted) upright, so you can see the top of the camera. Also, the little status screen indicates that the camera is recording, so in the absence of a light, someone would still know the camera is recording.
DONT GET THE 11 MINI IT WILL BLOW UP
@@KentRoads Hmmm, mine never blew up.
I’m well impressed with the Cow smoooooothing function on the 11. Impressive.
Just did this switch, night and day difference. No need for post stabilization, color correction. Weight is not an issue for me on a chin mount.
All similar frustrations Shane, no light to know it’s working, only the beep. Freezing up after just a few pushes of the record button. I’ve found the battery power not that much better than the Hero 5 of mine. Sigh. Spot on vid too 👍
Exactly the comparison I was looking for.
Brilliant implementation of cow-smoothing technology (@10:40)! 🐄
I have a Hero 5 Session, Hero 7 Black, and.a Hero 10 Black. I use all 3 all the time. I love my Session.I record in a flat profile and color grade in post. I just love the small form factor.
gopro should add this to the feature list.
smoothing cows better than ever
Very helpful and informative video, thank you. I have the Hero 5 Session and believe it or not, the ORIGINAL Session. I was looking to buy the new 11 Mini to replace the 5 Session for my POV driving videos, but the reliability and lack of red lights is a dealbreaker for me. Setting up my cameras takes up enough time and I've already have GoPros that can be a bit glitchy, so I think the 11 Mini would be more hassle than it's worth. Yes, the smoothness of the video between the two is night and day, but if I'm careful with my head movements the the 5 Session offers passable footage. I may wait until the 11 Mini has come down in price and also when the teething issues have been sorted.
Absolutely need a little red led light to tell you it's on. It's a no brainer now for me it's going to be the big version and my first ever Go Pro. This standard should last quite a few years and why I've held out for so long in buying one when smart phones were keeping up somewhat.
I agree with you about the red light. I was recording a race and it was freezing up and I couldn't work out if it was on or not. It also doesn't work with the Max Lense Mod yet. I will have to stick to my 10 until things improve.
I used to love the Session 5 but the batterylife was very low at the end, I now have a GoPro 8 for a few years but I keep having problems with corrupt files, how is the new Mini?
GoPro finally released a new firmware for the Mini 11. Working as expected. No issues with file corruption.
really interesting. thanks for the comparison shane!
Hi,
for better stabilastion one could use post produktion stabilizers like gyroflow. That gives a way better output on the Session5.
And Softmounting it will make a huge difference.
I bought the Hero 11 Mini as my first GoPro. Thinking about sending it back. It is honestly the most frustrating and non-user-friendly piece of camera equipment I've ever used. It locks up when you charge it. You can never tell when it's charging or whether it has a full charge. Controlling it via the phone is absolutely useless. The GoPro cloud is also totally useless since the camera takes forever to upload anything to it. I left it plugged in for 3 days and nothing was ever uploaded for me.
It does take awesome video on the bike, but it runs out of battery pretty quickly. There's no easy way for me to tell whether it's either on or recording when I have it mounted. If I leave it recording, it'll just die. On my last ride it died after only 20 minutes or so. When I checked the footage, it was all Horizon Lock at 240fps, so I had like 8 hours of super slomo footage that I didn't want. It's totally stupid.
Sort of picks up on the point (rant) I was making the other day. Piling all these features into the cameras is taking them out of our use-cases. Ps. You don’t happen to have. Spare Sony Action Cam do you Shane … asking for a friends 😊
That's insane stabilization. Tho the contrast seems a bit harsh on it. Thanks Shane!
HyperSmooooooooth. 🐮👌🏼
Say, that's a very stable cow. I'm a bit torn atm. It's everything I sort of asked for from Garmin when they indicated they were effectively replacing the session. Just don't know if it's worth getting this over the big brother. The price differential isn't that large and replacable batteries on the full Hero 11 but not on the mini may be a deal breaker for longer rides. What's the full cycle batterylife for the mini at optimal settings for 2.7k & 4K. At the moment Hero-less and looking at the full size for the added flexibility. If this was £100 cheaper then it'd be more of an option as a second Hero.
I'll have to do some battery bench testing to get some figures of the battery life (which may include putting a fan on it so it doesn't overheat). I'll note this down and loop back to it soon.
Thank you this is super helpful!
Session 5 with all my heart!
Why’s the picture lagging in focus? It appears choppy and with poor quality 🤔
Which picture? The other variable here is RUclips and the system you're viewing/streaming this on.
I’m such a noob🙄 My resolution was set to automatic, embarrassing 🫣
9:28 the 11 adjusts the shutter speed a tad faster than the 10 when you are out of the woods.
Really interesting thanks GPL, as a Session 4 user with a lust to renew but a limited budget, I’ll prob go for a H10 biggie’ the new mini just isn’t really mini!, why did they drop the Session?…..or is that a video from a while back?.
Also, the walkers not hearing your bell is classic and happens to me all the time!, I find people hear my ding (if they do!) and then reach for their phones because it sounds like an apple notification!…..then look surprised when you’re suddenly upon them!…..I’ve even had the shout of ‘why don’t you get a bell’!…….😮
I had the same problem with my GoPro 10 randomly freezing. I turned off the wifi wireless connection feature and the problem stopped.
Not so easy with the Mini, as I believe you have to use the Labs firmware and QR App to disable the WiFi…and then of course, you can no longer connect to the Mini with the App for Previews etc…I’ve also read the GoPro Remote no longer works when the WiFi is off, which confuses me as I believed the Remote used Bluetooth….
@@stevencoleman3963 I'm not familiar with the Mini but if you turn off the WiFi while recording and then turn it back on maybe that fixes the problem?
Personally I think you need to set the sharpness to low in GoPros in order to achieve decent image quality. These digitally oversharpened shots are not pleasing to the eye, and if you need more sharpness, you can always add afterwards.
Does anyone know/experience any Garmin headunit GPS issues when using the Mini (or any of the recent GoPros for that matter), as have been reported with the small DJI camera, when the camera’s WiFi is active…?
I’ve long wanted something in the form factor of the Session, and thought I’d found it in the tiny DJI, but then read about the WiFi killing the GPS when mounted underneath Garmins….Was happy when I learnt the new 11 Mini was coming, but it does seem to have its issues and well, it’s not ‘that’ small for bike use…Just not sure now, as I don’t really like the size of the ‘biggies’ when mounted out front……
Bring back the Session! Wish you could get them more easily….Think all the last stock must have gone to the TdF for their on bike footage…!
Thanks for review Shane, very useful. Though don’t know which way to jump now…! 🙄
The session stabilization is bad compared to the new go pros, but it’s still fantastic 😂. If the garmin radar dash cam had the same stability of the hero 5, it’d be flying off the shelves.
True!
And yo can use GyroFlow to stabilize afterwards for free, works fantastic on the Session 5 🙂
My bike footage still comes up shaky when I hit bumps here and there and that's when it's on my bag or helmet, it's practically useless when mounted to my handlebars as it's constantly jittery. But your Hero 11 footage is really smooth. I'm using a Hero 9 and now a Hero 12, hyper smooth, L+, 5k60 or 4k60, and an nd filter.
Any advice, I see your settings there and I guess the difference is I have L+ lens not wide, you think that's why? Do you smooth it up in post? (You can see example footage of my rides on my channel with it on my helmet, it's pretty smooth but bumps still show up here and there - but I had to stop helmet mounting cause my neck just started killing me.)
Something isn’t right then. The HERO 7 was the first with HyperSmooth that really changed the game. I’m not sure what the issue would be, maybe one for GoPro support.
I just don't get why action cams have to be that big. You can have pretty good video quality in a very small format, as smartphones prove. I don't need no 5K, no Bluetooth, no Wifi or screen on my cam. I just want a good, little, unobtrusive action cam to mount on my helmet. Any recommendations?
Does the 11 mini have looping? I vaguely recall hearing it didn't which defeats it's use as a bike 'dash can't. Though if it's locking up it's pretty useless in general...
Place the camera up and you can see the red LED blinking.
Doesn’t quite work that way with the mounts.
I have two session 5's and don't think I have as fuzzy recording, then again I only use 1080p recording. Definitely wont be buying an 11 mini to replace mine just yet.
Looking for an updated camera to replace my Hero 5 Session, which was the greatest motovlogging camera ever made. The Session is getting a little long in the tooth so I'm considering this Mini. Your report on its reliability has me pumping the brakes, but I don't need the status light. I have it attached to my helmet and connected to the GoPro app on my cell, which is mounted on my handlebars. I can see its status right on my phone. Your video was very helpful and informative - thanks!
The Hero 11 Mini improved a lot with firmware. I’ve still gone and purchased a full 11 with the recent sales though.
What if you use Reelsteady with the Hero 5 Session?
What software are people now using to overlay Garmin data (power, HR, speed, etc) over their GoPro videos (I'm looking at getting a Hero 12)? I think Garmin VIRB is now outdated, or no longer being maintained, and some people have had compatability issues with Windows 11... Any help would be appreciated. Thanks.
Could you try the 11 mini without the handlebar bag? It could be that you are not getting the flow of air around the back of the camera to cool it enough. (Just like Ineos following Ganna in a TT with 10 bikes on the top of the DS car).
What do you get from max lens on 11 black? Any improvements or more resolutions etc. ? I don’t understand why you’d use it
@gplama With regards to the non-visible led lights… couldn’t you mount the mini, the right way up (the top screen up) using the rear fingers?
Not enough clearance with the top of the camera to allow for this. It points towards the ground at about a 45deg angle.
9:48 Well i guessed they will jump to the left as it's common to pass on the right in britain? just a guess from a german civilian with less experience of british left handed traffic
This was Australia. Same left hand traffic rules here though.
Does the Mini have some kind of decent clock built in, and does it sync with your phone whenever they contact each other? And does it put some kind of time stamps in the files? If so, I assume syncing the clips with the GPS track of the head unit should be a piece of cake. If not, I see some headache coming up...
I assume so. It has phone date/time sync in the app. It may even do the same over WiFi. Lining up GPS overlays isn't too hard without time data. I've done this many times after combining multiple MP4 files from a GoPro and using that as the video for an overlay setup.
@@gplama for shorter rides, like less than a day or so, I agree. It's a completely different kettle if I come home from a two week bike tour. In those situations I've often had trouble even remembering on what day I shot a clip.
mini 11 looks like animation and removes the feeling of speed and risk
What irritates me is GoPro coming back on their forum with ' check your sd card' when they sold the SD Extreme with the camera as compatible... As you say, the Session was great for just press and record and the weight was noticeably more manageable when helmet mounted. Mini 11 not so much. Why they think they know what their customer base wants , defeats me.
Out of curiosity what handlebar bag are you using ?
How do you reset the gorpo mini when it freezes since it doesn't have a removable battery?
Hold the power/settings button for about 10 seconds
Have you compared the 11 mini to the 11 big? Im interested to see what the sound quality is like. I have a hero session atm and was looking at the 11 mini, but the fact it doesnt have gps has put me off it, plus the sound quality just doesnt seem amazing. I'm going to be strapping it to a motorbike doing 250+ kph, so any help reducing wind noise is a must
I need sum to record my airsoft videos with. I play at an indoor field but I make pretty rigid motions often. Someone who knows a good bit on this topic lmk, should I get a session 5 or look for something else?
Garmin virb still works, just need to edit the registry to stop it using Microsoft explorer as default….
Can you advise how this is done…?
Brilliant as usual!
This had everything! Wild grannies, rabbits, and confused cows! 👌🏼
Dear Shane: Have you ever give the insta360 Go 2 a try for a replacement of the session?
I have one here that I use every now and then. The stabilisation isn't all that great. It's also useless in low light.
The stabilization isn’t all that great? How did you mount it?
I use the black holder (because in the white, magnetic ones it rattles) and I don’t see a difference to my Gopro 8.
But it is super reliable. And aren’t all action cams bad in low light (maybe one more than others) 🤷🏼♂️
Shane… any update on the freezing??
It’s still happening every now and then. Hoping to see a firmware update from GoPro…. soon.
@@gplama Ok… lol… almost bought one right before I opted to re-review your video… I’ll wait for a subsequent update from you… lol… Happy Holidays!…
What kind of handlebag did you use for this video ?
Rapha
The 11 Mini stabilisation is impressive indeed, but I find that much stabilisation to be quite counter-productive. When you can't tell whether the road is bumpy, or whether you are riding out of the saddle, you are losing valuable information. Of course it depends on your use case, but I actually preferred the 5 Session stabilisation on these comparisons. Can you adjust the level of stabilisation or is it just on/off?
You don’t think it’s just overheating? Is there a way the 11 mini tells you it’s overheated, without the screen?
If it's overheating at around ~12C ambient temp with high airflow, it has a big problem.
@@gplama my hero 10 overheated inside the ice box
Yesterday I left a comment about GyroFlow, ProTunes and VirbEdit , but I don't see it. Do you have to review all comments ?
I have strict filtering on due to spammers. No URLs are allowed without moderation. I don’t see anything sitting in the list though.
@@gplama Ohh maybe I described to many thing. so here's a short version 🙂 You can use GyroFlow with the Session 5 because the gyro data is embedded in the video, works very well. You can have ProTunes again (GoPro had to remove it) by using an old install file on an Android phone. And lastly, there is a registry trick to have VirbEdit still working. About the Mini, I still wonder why they don't put the lens centered with the attachment, it's a pain to see that wheel not centered in the image 😄 Thanks for the video, that was a proper test and comparison 👍🏻
Thanks for the comparison! Do you normally film with your GoPros in 4k?
2.7 or 4K.
The issue you mentioned regarding the 11 mini freezing up. I’ve had with my 7 black for many years now. I can be riding down an MTB trail and find the the camera froze 10 seconds into the recording. So infuriating..
The new stabilization is very cool but I don't like feeling like Aladdin on his magic carpet through the roads. I kinda like the reality of the Session.
Wow huge difference. Oh and you need new handlebar tape :)
What's the battery life comparison?
Compared to the Session 5 - They were both sitting < 10% the morning after the side-by-side testing, so about the same. As for specific 'hours' battery life, it's difficult to measure. It'll depend on the settings used. I don't think even GoPro list any numbers on this. I can bench test it soon... hopefully once the reliability is addressed.
@@gplama That would be fantastic thank you. To be much use as a commuter camera I need a couple of hours minimum. Your videos are fantastic.
Спасибо! Отличный обзор, то что надо! 👍
Great video thanks. If the Mini worked with the mic adapter then I'd like it a lot more, and as it stands the $100 difference with the biggie just isn't good value IMO. No Hero11 for me :(
10:56 this whole section just illustrates the youtube compression making action videos ugly.
To be honest I thought the GP10 looked like it had more detail and far less overexposed than the 11 mini. Certainly when viewed on a 4k display.
night and day at least for the stabilization. decided to fix my hero 5 rather then buy the hero 11 thinking shouldn't be that much difference. That's until i saw this, oh well.
Thanks, wish you compare both with same settings
The Session is discontinued, so it's a bit of a wash. The Mini is a MUCH better product now with a few firmware updates.
It would be great for RLV for training.
Only issue is with each level of stabilization on the newer ones you lose the sensation of speed even more. Your 11 mini footage looks like you’re going 1/3 the speed
Previously on Lost: gopro hero 5 session :))
Please help me with 3D. I drag and drop two mp4 2d files into the "import+" window and they should merge into one 3d side-by-side file. but for me they are imported as two 2D files, without merging. What am I doing wrong?!
I'll stick with my Hero HD tyvm! 720p is plenty for me
the session 5 is sooo much smaller and lighter. this 11 mini is actually bigger and weighs more than the hero 8 which has a screen....
go pro 11 mini is a HARD PASS.
definitely buying a hero 8.
.Go Pro Camera Movie Channel in Year Monday March 20,2023.😐.
Feels bad at 9:46
L 700..wow hero 11 mini because this camera was upgraded on the max quality
@josephpetrosso4178
12 days ago
Shane, what does it mean after finishing my ride on zwift it shows in the box 4 people in orange and 647 people in black ?
session it just the worst scenario!
The session better, its darker because you have hdr on in the secret settings, session 5 looks better than 11 mini with hdr off, thats it
DO NOT BUY THE 11 MINI
Did you want to add more information?
@@gplama it will blow up on you, had 3, all fizzed and stopped working
Ok. I have one that’s still working.
@@gplama do you use it?!
@@KentRoads Well... yes. That's how I know it's still working.
9min48... typique du woke... toi la courtoisie pas ton fort avoue. fait moi pas la morale a 2 sous si tes si irespectueu enver les dame agé
Did you hear how much warning I gave with the bell and verbally? Watch the video before making incorrect statements. It's a SHARED path. All users have to be courteous and aware. I was both. Clearly you're neither.
READ THIS BEFORE BUYING THE 11mini I am returning mine
The gopro is controled by 2 buttons, pain in the a** right ?
I as a ''genius'' i thought that i would simply edit all my settings (video modes) on the Quik App
and then scroll with the 2 buttons in betwens my settings on the camera.
Brilliant ? nope !
YOU CAN ONLY HAVE ONE VIDEO SETTINGS AT A TIME !
When i use my gopro i always switch in between my 4-5 favorite video modes :
Sunny - Sport - Underwater - Slowmo (2x 4x 8x) ...
And each video modes have differents settings (resolution - frame rate - stabilisation - shutter speed ...)
So now, to ''switch'' in between video modes, i have to clicks 15 times on the gopro, 15 TIMES
AND THATS NOT ALL
more precise settings like shutter speed and stabilisation (and many more) CAN ONLY BE CONTROLED ON THE APP !!!
Gopro are meant to often be use where you cant take you phone out.. especially with the smaller version....
That. is. a. shame.
Gopro failed on this one.
Yes it can be fixed in a software update, but for now, my vacation is in 4 days and i am pissed (probably like a lot of people were)
Other thing, the volta handle (with battery built-in) comes with a usb pass-through door for the gopro 11 standard only, not the mini (second time they pissed me off)