GoProHero5 Black (E-Commerce Packaging)

There's not a lot I can say that hasn't already been said about how fantastic the camera itself is, so I'll focus on the "refurbished" aspect and things that are less than stellar on mine.Even though this is a "refurbished" product by any other name, it arrived like new and for the most part everything has worked flawlessly. I'm not too worried about it being refurbished, as it comes with a full one-year warranty, and in addition I purchased the 3-year "accident protection" warranty which covers accidents from day one and everything else after the manufacturer warranty runs out. I feel pretty confident that any issues I run into will be covered, but will update my post if I encounter any problems.I am concerned about how sloppy/loose the USB-C port is, but I don't know if that's normal play for either the GoPro or the cable they provided or whether my unit is flawed. Maybe that's why it was a "refurb"? However, I haven't had any issues so far with connectivity or with charging.I'm a little less than thrilled with the android app to remotely control the GoPro. I've had some issues connecting or remaining connected to the unit, though usually a restart of the android device will solve the problem. There doesn't seem to be rhyme or reason as to why sometimes it won't connect or will drop connection. However, this is a common problem with a lot of bluetooth devices, so I'm not going to knock them too hard for it.As others may have pointed out, the GoPro lacks a timer function. I think between voice control ("GoPro Start Recording") and the android app, GoPro must have felt it was redundant. But voice control is not always optimal from a distance or in noisy environments, and there are several reasons you may not be able to use the remote app (for example, an older smart phone that won't run the app). In such situations, a solution DID occur to me. Record your voice saying "GoPro Start Recording" onto any voice recorder that you can set near the GoPro for playback. Add as many seconds of blank space as you need before the command. Voila, an ad hoc timer!! Alternatively, you can call one stationary phone near the GoPro from another remote phone, answer the stationary phone and put it on speaker phone. Walk to wherever you need to be in the shot with the remote phone, then say "GoPro Start Recording". This works quite well - I've done it with 2 cell phones in a noisy environment. But it's a good idea to put the remote phone on "mute" until you're ready to issue the command.Finally, I should mention that I purchased a HoHem iSteady Pro2 3-axis Gimbal for my GoPro, to add a little extra stabilization as well as a means to grip the camera better for handheld work. Additionally, it allows you to set up hands-free and time-lapse pans and tilts, and can be used to charge the GoPro. I think it was a very wise addition for just $100. I also sprang an extra $17 for the "smartphone holder clip" which will be handy now to hold a larger screen to see what I'm recording, but I eventually intend to use it to hold an audio recorder and stereo microphone for better sound (syncing up post-production).

The media could not be loaded. These gopros are great! the video quality is better than expected, when properly configured. I do find myself doing a bit of post-production, but it truly depends on the project.All specs, photo and video quality, splash and waterproof features are just some of the benefits of the Hero 5 black.Personally I didn't care about retail packaging, so saving a few bucks on OEM is always welcome.The batteries last quite a long time, depending on how you configured the camera. Time-lapse is really fun to do, photo plus video is extremely useful. I record mostly at 2.7k 4:3 and 4k, but for projects that require photo and video at the same time, 1080p is plenty good.The accessories that came with it are extremely sturdy and definitely feel high quality as compared to the normal third party action camera adapters you find pretty much everywhere.The one thing I like the most, is being able to leave the cameras connected to the charging hub, and that to an extension cord to keep the cameras in time-lapse mode uninterrupted for hours without worry. I am building a custom rig for special settings and configurations, but that's a whole different story.I could be picky about this, but being unable to keep the camera fully waterproof while connected might be a minus, but with a little bit of ingenuity you can get around that problem. I don't need to do that for the most part, but I always keep it in mind, specially with long timelapse recordings under unpredictable weather.Something I don't like much, probably how much the battery is drained when wireless connected devices are enabled, like the controller, mobile device, etc. I pretty much have to make sure that the cameras are all charged up when it's time for recording, otherwise I'll be with a half-dead battery the moment I head out to shoot. Voice commands don't always work as they should, which is why I use the remote mostly.I do lose connectivity to the remote sometimes, depending on distance or some other factors. I press record or shutter and sometimes to my surprise not all the cameras were working as they should. Live and Learn.The cameras do overheat after extended video recording sessions (2.7k+). If the battery dies, DO NOT charge right away... wait until it cools down to room temperature to extend their life.--- I have been using these for almost a year now and I've made several custom rigs and adapters, for advanced shooting. Working in a multi-cam environment is extremely easy with the remote and these cameras. Sometimes I just need one or two cameras... but whenever I need 3, 6 or more of them, they work in great unison with the old 2 button remote. You do have to pair it again, after extended inactivity (a couple of days), sometimes even with my iphone gopro app as well.I was waiting for the hero 6 to see if it's worth it, but seeing their specs, I think I'll just buy a few more 5's instead. I can honestly say they are worth every penny. I had no issues with the packaging or the cameras, so I'm happy