GoPro’s new HERO13 Black is all about the accessories
GoPro’s annual action camera update has arrived, with the company unveiling its new HERO13 Black today — as well as introducing its baby brother HERO.
This year GoPro’s flagship model doesn’t have many significant changes from last year’s HERO12 Black though, with the HERO 13 Black rocking many of the same specs. Like Malibu Stacy’s hat, the real upgrades here lie in the accessories.
GoPro HERO13 Black: If it ain’t broke
The $ 399.99 HERO13 Black unsurprisingly sees the return of GoPro’s tried and true form factor, making it compatible with most past accessories. The one notable change to its external hardware is in the new camera’s mounting options. While GoPro’s standard flip-down mounting prongs are still present, the HERO13 now has a 1/4-20 mounting thread enabling you to attach it to a standard tripod. Other than that, it’s the same GoPro body we’re familiar with.
Not much has changed regarding its capabilities either. The HERO13 Black’s maximum resolutions are the same as the HERO12 Black, maxing out at 5.3K at 60fps or 4K at 120fps. In fact, the vast majority of its specs are the same as last year’s model, from its digital lenses to its aspect ratio options, to its video stabilisation, horizon lock, and time lapse intervals.
Though that isn’t to say there’s nothing new at all.
The most notable new feature is that the HERO13 Black’s power capacity has been boosted with a new 1900mAh battery, up from the HERO12 Black’s 1720mAh. GoPro states that this larger battery combined with the HERO13 Black’s improved power efficiency provides the camera with enough juice to continuously record for 1.5 hours at its highest resolution settings, over twice the length of the HERO12 Black’s 70-minute limit. However, it’s worth noting that the HERO13 Black and its battery have no cross-compatibility with previous GoPros or their batteries, so you can’t mix and match.
Another new feature is the HERO13 Black’s Burst Slo-Mo mode, which captures short clips at high frame rate and resolution. Both the HERO13 and HERO12 Black already have a slo-mo mode, which has a maximum framerate of 240fps. Burst Slo-Mo mode bumps this framerate to a maximum of 400fps at 720p, turning 15 real-time seconds into a three-minute and 20 second video. It can also record 360fps at 900p, turning 15 real-time seconds into a three-minute clip, while its maximum resolution of 5.3K at 120fps turns five real-time seconds into a 20-second slow motion video.
Further changes include a new audio tuning option which allows you to prioritise voices while retaining ambient sounds. The HERO13 Black also sees the return of GPS data support, a feature which was first introduced in HERO5 Black but was missing from the HERO12 Black.
Even so, the HERO13 Black’s improvements are relatively minor overall. If you already have a HERO12 Black, there seems little incentive to upgrade to this year’s model. That is, unless you want to take advantage of GoPro’s new array of HERO13 Black-exclusive accessories.
GoPro’s new magnet mount is much more convenient
GoPro embraced the power of magnets this year, introducing a new Magnetic Latch mount. Previously, mounting a GoPro required taking the time to twist a thumb screw through the camera’s pronged mounting system. While undoubtedly secure, this system is irritating if you just want to quickly switch mounts and get back to the action.
The HERO13 Black’s Magnetic Latch mount bypasses this process by using magnets to snap the camera into place, as well as a dual-latch system to keep it there. You simply need to pinch the Magnetic Latch mount’s sides when you want to attach or remove the camera, making changing your mount so easy that you might actually do it more often.
Despite this, it’s important to note that GoPro’s Magnetic Latch does still need to be attached to your tripod, head strap, or other mount via the traditional thumb screw. As such, you’ll have to invest in several Magnetic Latches for each of your various mounts if you want to swap them out on the fly. The Magnetic Latch isn’t as secure as GoPro’s standard thumb screw mount though, so you’ll still want to stick with that for activities such as extreme sports.
GoPro has also introduced a new Ball Joint mount which will allow you to pivot your camera 180 degrees, simplifying the process of adjusting your camera angle.
New external charging accessory lets you record for longer
Another new magnetic accessory is the Contacto Magnetic Door and Power Cable Kit.
Attaching a GoPro to an external power source previously meant leaving the battery door open to access the USB-C port underneath, exposing it to the elements. This new kit allows you to swap out the HERO13 Black’s battery door for one with magnetic charging capabilities, letting you snap on the included cable and charge your camera while the cover is closed. You can also run your HERO13 Black on this cable alone, with no battery installed in your camera.
This kit means you no longer need to weigh up the risk of your GoPro dying in the middle of a time lapse with the danger of it getting destroyed by inclement weather. The Contacto Magnetic Door and Power Cable Kit is also waterproof to 33 feet (10 metres) deep, even while the charging cable is attached. It is only compatible with the HERO13 Black though, so you’ll have to pick up GoPro’s new camera if you want to benefit from this functionality.
GoPro’s HERO13 Black gets special eyes
While the HERO13 Black can be operated more or less straight out of the box, this year GoPro has revealed several new lenses offering alternate filming options.
Fortunately, you won’t have to fiddle around with the settings on your GoPro every time you swap out its lens. The HERO13 Black automatically detects when a new lens is attached and adjusts its settings accordingly. All the lenses are waterproof to various depths, so you can safely take them on beach trips as well.
However, buying these lenses can feel like a lot after you’ve already shelled out $ 399.99 for the camera itself. GoPro’s new lenses are all sold separately to the HERO 13 Black, and are unfortunately incompatible with previous models. As such, you’ll probably want to see if the base camera alone is enough to fulfil your needs before you consider investing in a new lens.
Ultra Wide Lens Mod
The Ultra Wide Lens Mod allows you to capture footage in a 1:1 aspect ratio, allowing you to crop it to your preference later on. This ability to choose between landscape or portrait later seems particularly handy for people who want to create both YouTube videos and TikTok clips from the same footage.
With a 177-degree field of view, the Ultra Wide Lens Mod isn’t compatible with the HERO13 Black’s maximum resolution, topping out at 4K at 60fps. Even so, that’s still more than enough for the average user. Its flexible aspect ratio still means it’s arguably the HERO13 Black’s most versatile optional lens.
Macro Lens Mod
Close-up shots probably aren’t the first thing to come to mind when you think of an action camera. Even so, getting up close and personal can let you highlight the subtle details of a scene, as well as produce good B-roll fodder for your final edit. The new Macro Lens Mod allows you to focus on objects as close as 4.3 inches (11 centimetres), four times closer than the GoPro’s standard lens. It also has a variable focus for manual adjustments.
Anamorphic Lens Mod
The Anamorphic Lens Mod offers an ultra-wide 21:9 field of view, the widest ever offered on a GoPro HERO camera. It does this with little distortion as well, so you don’t get that fish-eye look that frequently appears in wide action camera shots. GoPro’s Anamorphic Lens also adds horizontal lens flares to help make your shots look more like movie scenes than home videos.
ND Filter 4-Pack
Finally, GoPro’s ND Filter 4-Pack set adds a motion blur to your footage for a cinematic effect, allowing you to choose between ND4, ND8, ND16, and ND32 filters. You don’t have to have a deep understanding of videography to use GoPro’s new neutral density filters either. The HERO13 Black automatically detects whichever ND filter you’ve added, adjusts its settings accordingly, and even suggests you switch out the filter if it isn’t the optimal choice for your environment.
More advanced users can still choose to adjust the shutter speed and exposure manually, but the HERO13 Black’s ability to automatically optimise its settings makes its ND filters much easier for the average person to use.
Introducing GoPro’s little HERO
GoPro strayed into the tiny camera space in 2022 with the HERO11 Black Mini, a screenless 133-gram device comparable in size to an AirPods Pro case. This year the company’s going even lighter, introducing the 86-gram HERO. And this time, it has a screen.
Like the HERO11 Black Mini, the $ 199.99 GoPro HERO is capable of shooting 4K video and has just one physical button. Unlike the HERO11 Black Mini, the HERO has a LCD touchscreen making it easier to frame up shots and swap between modes. It also claims up to 100 minutes of recording at its highest settings on a single charge, and can take 12MP photos while the HERO 11 Black Mini is restricted to video.
Not everything is an upgrade. The HERO is only waterproof to 16 feet (five metres), half the depth that the HERO11 Black Mini and HERO13 Black can handle. It also isn’t as small and lightweight as other options, such as the thumb-sized 39g Insta360 GO 3S.
Even so, the addition of a screen makes the HERO an intriguing prospect for those who prefer a smaller camera, but still want to see what they’re filming without referring to an app.
The $ 399.99 GoPro HERO13 Black and most of its lenses are available for preorder now, with shipping to begin Sept. 10. The exception is the Anamorphic Lens Mod, which will arrive in 2025. The $ 199.99 HERO is also currently available for preorder, however it will only begin shipping Sept. 22.
