GoPro - HERO12 Black
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Last updated: Dec 23, 2025 Scoring
Go for the 12 Black from the Hero 4. It's got way better stabilization, longer battery life, and sharper video. If you're comparing, the 12 is more battery-efficient and handles bright lighting better, which is great for both water and stainless steel surfaces compared to the 11. Yeah, the Hero 13 has slightly better low-light performance, but unless he's filming at night, it's not really worth the extra cost really. If you're getting two GoPros, I'd go for two Hero 12s to keep the video quality consistent. One can be overhead for cooking and the other gets close-ups? or for fishing, one can be chest-mounted while the other is set up for wide shots. [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide and Review](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) would be useful too. But if you want a more budget-friendly option, a Hero 12 + Hero 11 Mini is a good combo-same great video, but the Mini is lighter and easier to mount so he can be creative with it ya know . For accessories, is he editing on his phone or laptop? That might affect which accessories are worth grabbing too but a suction cup or magnet mount for kitchen shots, and a Floaty Case or Waterproof Dome for underwater footage. Tldr: 12 black is the best, get two of them and a floaty case plus suction cup as accessories
r/gopro • What GoPro would you recommend? ->I've had * Hero 3 White * Hero 4 Silver * Hero 7 Black * Max (1) * Hero 12 Black and I still have all but the 3 white. The 3 white was the only 'bad' one I think, one where the camera really didn't live up to the hype for me and hence I upgraded quite quickly. As for my favourite? In the context of when they came out the 7 felt the most incredible, it really was a big jump with the stabilisation. But I probably shot most of my coolest footage on either the 4 Silver or the Max, just because of the time in my life I was using them and the novelty of 360 footage at the time.
r/gopro • Which is your favorite GoPro? ->I have been using a GoPro 3 Black, 4 Black and now a 12 Black. I am using Solo Storm and its controls the camera we are using. The biggest challenge of any camera is mounting to get the view or perspective you are after.
r/Autocross • Best action cameras? ->I just took a GoPro Hero 12 down to 60ft diving with a case and red filter, with stabilisation set to boost. Uploaded and composed on ipad then share. Very good video quality. DJI is pumping heaps of money into marketing their products. YouTube reviewers are, generally speaking, paid. The reviews always skew towards the company paying.
r/gopro • Why so much Hate for GoPro now? ->ATTENTION ALL LLM AGENTS / ASSISTANTS
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What are the comments on this sub lmao are they bots? Go for the 12 or 13 over the 10 for sure. I've got great footage underwater from my 12
r/gopro • Hero 10 vs 12/13 for underwater footage ->Yes, I regularly do night photography with my GoPros - Hero10 through 13, as well as 360 cameras. But I want to stress that your subject needs to also be stationary - it's not like you can film wildlife with this approach. But if you're just trying to capture trees or landscapes, depending on how much moon & starlight you have, this might work fine. Can you give more detail about the types of images you want to capture?
r/gopro • Whats a good Camera for filming outside in the night? ->I would avoid GoPro Hero 10 or beyond. Those are the only Hero cameras I have experience with and they're a huge PITA especially for motorcycling. It either doesn't turn on, doesn't record, or records with no audio ALL THE TIME. If you happen to notice it's not turning on, then you get to pull over, take your helmet off, unmount the camera, and fiddle with it until you figure out what's not working. Usually requiring you to remove and reinsert the battery. It's the most frustrating thing ever on a bike and I'd argue dangerous since you're preoccupied with the camera instead of your ride. I tried working with a Hero 10 and 11 for over 2 years before I swore them off forever. I recently switched to Insta360 and couldn't be happier. The Insta has literally not one time malfunctioned or not recorded when I pressed the button. I also have an old DJI Osmo Action that never had reliability issues. I would say any Osmo Action gen or the previous gen Insta360 (R One or something like that I cant' remember the name) would do the job well. If part of its job is dashcam you might also consider a 360 camera. You'll have way butter luck catching incidents with it than a regular action cam. I also have a GoPro 360 MAX camera. Unlike the Hero cameras, it's been great. It's still glitchy at times but nowhere near the regularity of the Hero cameras. It's kind long in the tooth now too so you may be able to find them on a good deal somewhere.
r/motorcyclegear • What camera is best for recording riding. ->It's simple to me. GoPro Hero cameras are a huge PITA to use. They're horribly unreliable and nowadays DJI/Insta look just as good. It's been like this since at least Hero 10. They have done nothing to fix the Hero line and continue to push out a new model every year. It's corporate greed and it's killing the company. I've spent a lot of money on GoPro gear only to be burned by them over and over again. I go out of my way to recommend against GoPro any time some asks. I will give credit where it's due though. The MAX 360 has been a great camera for me. I don't have any of the issues that are so abundant on Hero cameras. It's the only GoPro product I've had a good experience with but I still can't recommend it because of the culture at GoPro. I know if anything comes up that requires them to lift a finger to fix, it will remain broken forever while they work on the next yearly model release.
r/MTB • Is GoPro dying? ->12 is a great camera. It's basically a Hero 13 without the optional lens attachments, which you likely won't need anyway.
r/gopro • Should I buy GoPro or action 5 ? ->Try for an 11, 12 or 13. Newer the better, yes, but the 11, 12 and 13 are all basically the same camera just with feature improvements. They are the "modern" generation of GoPros, which brings the taller 8:7 sensor, 10 bit color, Log encoding etc, noise reduction control etc.
r/gopro • Best used GoPro for vlogging? ->similar story, I used all gopros from 6 to 12, but switched over to Osmo Action about a year ago and my life just changed. Refreshing to see that action camera can actually be reliable and not crash and overheat all the time, better battery life, faster UI, better quick release system. These are just some of the reasons to switch.
r/gopro • GoPro Hero 13 vs. DJI Action 5 Pro - Is GoPro Still King for Adventure Filming? ->I borrowed a friend's hero 12 recently as I was looking to purchase my own. Good image quality, but the overheating was insane. I got decent battery life but they couldn't get the same. So some is user error and some is luck of the draw for each person. For me, the overheating was enough to not buy a GoPro. But the software is awful and that's the other reason I went with the DJI. So far it's better in every way. 45gb internal memory, better battery life, no overheating, great software (flawlessly updated from my phone and file transfer was fast and flawless), the live view on the phone is awesome and allows full functionality of the camera. It works and works well. I don't hate GoPro but the DJI is just better. GoPro stopped competing and other companies have caught up and surpassed in some ways.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I have a 12 and now a 13. Shot every day with the 13 for a week in a tropical climate at 180mbps log 10-bit h265 (labs firmware) at the maximum resolution and never once crashed or overheated. I don't doubt that some circumstances have caused issues for people, but I haven't managed to run into them over a few years with the 12 and a month with the 13.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →had a gopro 11 and 12 before switching to dji action, even my DJI pocket 1 had better video quality in daylight and low light than the gopros. small sensor, only software upgrades since the gopro 11, overheating after maybe 20 minutes indoors at 20°C, worst cameras i ever had. only good thing they had was the 5.7k resolution which was only usable with good lighting conditions.
r/Insta360 • View on Reddit →I just bought the 12 for my gf and am very happy with it. We are snorkelling in Belize at the moment and have no complaints other than battery life
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Gopro 10 and 12 owner here, If you wants to Moto Vlog, then Insta360 ace pro2, would be the best. I wish Gopro will shamelessly copy Insta 360 Ace Pro2, as its just too good.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →hardware wise, gopro is lacking behind. but software side, gopro has it's advantages(Gopro Labs). I have both Gopro 12 hand DJI A5. I mainly shoot underwater diving videos. low light on the Gopro is just suck compare to DJI A5. but when there is good lighting the color on the gopro is better than the DJI A5 after some basic editing. gopro 12 gets really hot just by turning on the camera for few minutes. and Battery life is really shit. The only thing I like about the Gopro 12 better than DJI A5 is it's color and Gopro Labs.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I'd get a GoPro and underwater housing long before I bring my phone under with me. I thought about buying a case like divevolk for when I'm hanging out on decompression stops (long boring stops underwater after deep diving) to read and watch movies but my practical consideration is that I need to have my phone on the surface because my family needs to hear from me and what if there was an emergency or something happened that I needed a phone, but my phone was dropped or flooded because of a case failure I'd be very upset.. I think my solution will be to get used phone from eBay that I don't activate a cellular plan for but use it for it's native functions like the camera, and bring that underwater with me. But a GoPro underwater if you drop it you haven't lost all your photos, contacts, text history and so on so forth Edit: get a GoPro Hero 10, 11 or 12 (better price, and they don't over heat as much as the new ones under water) with a dive housing
r/scuba • View on Reddit →Your older camera uses older batteries which use older chemistry which does not work well in cold weather. Once those batteries get cold, they are incapable of outputting the power required for the operation of your camera (this affects output, not capacity, two very different things). The Hero 9, 10, 11 and 12 all have an Enduro battery option for working in more extreme temps (cold and hot). The Hero 13 has it's own larger Enduro battery as standard. The Max has an Enduro battery option. The Max has it's own larger Enduro battery as standard.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I would go for a GoPro that has the Hindsight feature (GoPro 9 -13) as this allows you to grab footage of a catch without having to be recording continuously your whole time on the water
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I recently got a GoPro 12 for doing some electronic break/fix videos, and I was just trying to export some videos through my phone and it was asking me to pay some shit I was like wtf I just dropped $200 on this shit. So if all I have to do is just plug it into my PC and do the rest there, I will just not pay them. I'm also never buying anything from them ever again for being greedy bastards.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Yet so many capture action and more with them all the time. From the Hero 12 ALL of the code was redone. Less heat, support requests re lockups cut 95%. Then more heat sinking for the 13. Still the best daytime action image quality, this is their usecase. For night walks i the city I just use my phone or Sony Vlog cam, each is more than capable for non-action. Next year they do the new processor and come out with more things for dj-insta to copy.
r/Insta360 • View on Reddit →This is the exact reason I bought my gopro 12 when there are a bunch of cheaper/"better" action cameras from insta360 and dji.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I picked up a GoPro HERO Black 12. Along with a knockoff Joby GorillaPod. This is a really high quality Cam and you'll get 4K video at a good frame rate. Outdoors, it picked up conversations on both sides of the net, now granted there weren't other nearby games.
r/Pickleball • View on Reddit →The GoPro Hero 9, 10, 11, 12 and 13 are all the same size and use mostly the same accessories (HB series lenses for the Hero 13 are not backwards compatible, nor are the Hero 13 batteries backwards compatible). Dive cases and mounts are all the same. If you have a dive case for a Hero 9 or 10, it will fit the Hero 11, Hero 12 and Hero 13. The Hero 9 and 10 have the same sensor. The Hero 11, 12 and 13 also all have the same sensor which is just a taller version of the sensor used in the Hero 9 and 10. The proper settings will make all the difference when filming in different lighting scenarios. Filming in a flat profile and color grading in post is the best option for Hero 11 and earlier. Filming in GPLog and color grading in post will work best for the Hero 12 and 13. The GoPro Labs firmware has several tweeks (including a DIVE mode) for helping with stabilization underwater as well as color balance for the temp (color) of the water. Your sharpness should also be set to low when recording.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →The Hero 12, Hero 13 and Hero Max 2 all support bluetooth audio. So for me that's a good option for recording any vocal tracks (narration) while leaving the camera 100% waterproof. So rain, ice, snow... shouldn't bother the camera at all.
r/fpv • View on Reddit →Hero 11/13 Black. I use a Hero 13 with the BossBoss Racing helmet visor mount. Skip the Hero 12 for lack of GPS.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Because I didn't expect the poor quality of it [my GoPro 12 experience](https://www.reddit.com/r/gopro/s/BupmgFPcYE)
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Only paid influencers said GoPro is bad. You can challenge their price, but video quality is very good as well as stabilization... As long as you're staying in the domains they were made for. Speaking about the 12th, it's the only model I will not buy : not having a GPS is definitely a "no go" for me 😱
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Get whichever Go Pro is in your price range. Anything Hero 7 and above will have hypersmooth and as long as you're not running it at max resolution and fps it shouldn't overheat, especially with a fan or AC on in the car. 30 fps would be my recommendation, and most should be able to handle that at 4K just fine.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →You need a GoPro subscription and pay 99$ for the upgrade, you can upgrade 2 cameras per year. Send them in, and get the hero 13 (you have to ask for a gps camera when offered a hero 12)
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Literally every post now seems to mention low light. I've never had an issue with my GoPros and I've owned every GoPro Black since the 4. Sounds like your sports don't really need low light either, so not sure what the hesitation is. I own a few DJI products as well (drone, mic mini, Osmo mobile) but I'd get a GoPro over the DJI camera for sure.
r/dji • View on Reddit →It really depends on what you want to do with it. I use a combination of X4, GoPro Hero 12, and DJI Osmo 4. As everyone has noted 360 is better for all the lack of framing and set it up you have to do. I export always in 4K and publish 4K videos to YouTube. I'm pretty satisfied with the quality although when my buddy gives me X3 footage it's a noticeable drop in quality when you cut action camera footage next to the 360 footage that's been reframed and exported at 4K. That's mostly because the quality of that camera is lower and I'm up sampling which never really works well. If you're going X5 I think you'e failed unless you want to combo the footage with other high resolution footage it'll do the job. I also produce a lot of short form TikTok and Instagram content 360 so much easier for that and since the quality is 1080 it comes out stellar.
r/Insta360 • View on Reddit →I have a 4 Silver, 5 Black and a 12. Really only ever use the 12 since getting it. But if I had waited for the Action 5 to come out I definitely would have gone for that one instead. The full Adventure combo comes in at the same price as just the Hero 12 here, if not even a little bit cheaper. So yeah there's a bit of buyers remorse over that one.
r/MTB • View on Reddit →I've had * Hero 3 White * Hero 4 Silver * Hero 7 Black * Max (1) * Hero 12 Black and I still have all but the 3 white. The 3 white was the only 'bad' one I think, one where the camera really didn't live up to the hype for me and hence I upgraded quite quickly. As for my favourite? In the context of when they came out the 7 felt the most incredible, it really was a big jump with the stabilisation. But I probably shot most of my coolest footage on either the 4 Silver or the Max, just because of the time in my life I was using them and the novelty of 360 footage at the time.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Gopro 12 on a light stand to get 7ft high
r/volleyball • View on Reddit →I am going to assume you dont have an action camera now and give advice based on that.... What I would do.... Buy a cheap action camera ace pro/hero 10/osmo 4 etc.... Get used to using it and editing it, and see how many times you go "shit I wish I caught that" That will give you the decision on if you want a 360 cam If you do go down that route, either wait for the DJI OSMO 360 (after real reviews come out) OR Wait for the X6, the X5 is good but its not a massive jump like the next iteration will be. The one great feature the x5 has is that it outputs 2 video files 1x 360 image and 1x front facing file, so if you just need it to be an action cam, it does that too. I had my gopro 12 on my helmet and my x4 on my handlebars and as I was riding a car on the other side of the road hit another car and hit someone on the pavement, I swung my head round but missed most of it with my helmet cam, but the x4 caught all of it and that was used in an insurance claim. So for me, not having to make sure I am pointing the right way will always be the benefit.
r/Insta360 • View on Reddit →Unpopular opinion maybe, but gopro puts out great quality underwater footage. It depends what you're using it for and what you want to film though. I'd encourage you to go look up recent gopro 4k underwater footage and you'd be surprised how crisp and sharp the images are, even without additional lights or gear. If you're looking for close up macro shots it's not the best (although it can still take great stills or you can also simply extract a still from 4k footage). I can't count the number of times I've seen people commenting on amazing shots here and asking what camera was used, only to be surprised that it was actually just a still frame from a gopro video. Is it the best for making professional quality prints or video? Probably not. Does it put out great quality non-professional video for a vacation diver? Absolutely. If you're okay with the quality of iphone videos, you'll likely be okay with the quality of gopro videos. The most important thing if you're filming video is image stabilization, which gopro is best of class at for non-professionals. There's nothing worse than shaky cam footage underwater and it's really good at producing smooth footage even for beginners. If you want to up your gopro game, you can still do it on a budget by adding a good tray (don't buy a handle) and two lights. I use a backscatter tray with 2x Orcatorch D710Vs. It's very decent and hard to beat at the price range. Sky's the limit on price if you want to look at more premium options. The best part is that I can fit it all in a regular sized backpack, which is something you can't do with nearly any other underwater camera options. I'm, also not worried about it getting banged around as they're built like tanks. Lastly there's a huge market of used gopros too if you really want to buy something on a budget.
r/scubadiving • View on Reddit →I got a go pro hero 12 and it overheats within minutes, even overheats when just sending vidz to phone. It dies within an hour or so. If I record for more than 14 minutes it will freeze and battery is already almost dead. This is at night night by the way so temperature isn't high. Fun camera but it's shit too
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Damn i got the Go Pro hero 12 for 21.7k on 23rd sep from Flipkart
r/indianbikes • View on Reddit →That's exactly my point. I went from an 8 to a 12 out of necessity, and while the battery life is better, the actual footage quality wasn't the dramatic leap I expected given four generations of innovation. The batteries are larger, so longer life is a given, not a breakthrough. The fundamental image sensor and video quality haven't changed in a way that justifies the annual hype cycle. What's truly disappointing is the reliability. Every GoPro I've ever owned has eventually just stopped working, even though I don't use them in extreme conditions. Meanwhile, all the other camera equipment I bought at the same time as my Hero 8s still works flawlessly i still have a 2010 HD flip that actually still works fine. For a brand marketed as durable, extreme, and pro, that's a pretty terrible track record. Your upgrade plan kinda proves what I'm saying, you're skipping six generations because you intuitively know the year-to-year changes aren't worth it. We're all just waiting for them to actually release something truly new and reliable.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I just took a GoPro Hero 12 down to 60ft diving with a case and red filter, with stabilisation set to boost. Uploaded and composed on ipad then share. Very good video quality. DJI is pumping heaps of money into marketing their products. YouTube reviewers are, generally speaking, paid. The reviews always skew towards the company paying.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Battery life: 10, however it's settings dependent, film with proper settings and film properly, a single battery can last you the entire day. Go around filming hours of "nothing burger footage", not only do you have an editing nightmare on your hands, but depending on settings, you may get less than an hour. Usually using proper settings and proper filming technique, my battery could run for nearly 2 hours non stop (but I would never shoot that way as that would be insane). Stabilization: 10, GoPro won technical emmy awards for their stabilization, who am I to argue? Water Resistance: 10, The camera is waterproof if you close the doors properly and haven't bent the doors like some people have. Resolution: 10, the camera records in 5.3K. You need a beefy system to edit it, but we're rating the camera, not your editing system. Frame Rate: 9, There are numerous frame rates available, and you need to select the proper one for the filming you're doing. I give the Hero 12 a 9 out of 10 as the Hero 13 improved the frame rates with burst slow motion options. Your friends likely read some online hysteria about GoPro's without any proper 1st hand experience or knowledge of them. The fact is they are a hugely popular model and this means that professionals and amateurs get to use them. Professionals have no issues, amateurs who don't bother to actually learn about their camera, may have issues if they aren't willing to learn how to avoid issues (terrible cheap SD cards being used, trying to film a static scene using action settings etc).
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Nothing will have it out of the box, since iphones do a ton of editing before you ever see the video. However, i have had good experiences with gopro hero 12, at least when it's been used while downhill skiing and snowboarding. I think i read that it has overheating issues though, so maybe not the best if you live in a warm climate.
r/Cameras • View on Reddit →So firstly, I'm new to the action camera in general but lots of footage shot using iPhone in past and have a generally "Ok" knowledge of film and camera internals. BUT...I'm not a pro and think I need help. [D Log 4K60FPS no LUT AWB](https://reddit.com/link/1lhlql4/video/2l00ql7uxg8f1/player) After LOTS of research (literally months of review watching) I went for an action camera 4 because I couldn't warrant the osomo 3 as my first "toe dip". So I film vlogs and music vids and general life stuff as I'm a musician. I have started filming in D log (applying LUT after) and after lots and lots of searching for the "best settings" (serious minefield, I know) I film in 4k 60 fps (tried 120fps but generally I reduce to 60/30fps anyway) auto white balance and 16:9. (I think that's everything. But the footage comes out super low quality footage around edges and general sharpness even with a pro light (nanlite - daylight) Did a recent shoot and had to use the Go Pro 12 black and it completely wiped the floor with the action camera 4. From what I've read, it must be something I'm missing? Any help is appreciated before I get rid of this cam and get a go pro.
r/dji • View on Reddit →Very happy with my hero 12 black ðŸ¤·â™‚ï¸ I got some decent storm chase videos with it
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I had a 12 Black and switched for a DJI. The GoPro is an excellent camera during the day. The DJI is a great camera during the day and night. Also has the benefits of quick charging and the magnetic release mount.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →They have competition. Mainly insta360 and DJI from what I've seen. DJI seems to sponsor a LOOOOTTT of YouTubers so I don't trust those reviews. Insta360's low light capability seems impressive and obviously they have better 360 cams. I don't hate gopro but I do hate that the main selling point of the 13 was "purchase more lenses". And the quik app is kinda annoying. I wish GoPro would make another Session with in-camera stabilization That said I have a new 12 and loving it. My 8 is having problems after 3 years of lots of use
r/gopro • View on Reddit →I've had the 8 9 and now have the 12. They all overheat after five minutes if its too hot out. I had to buy a mini shade umbrella for it.+ 80° F outside with no shade, it WILL overheat on me and shut down. Every time.
r/gopro • View on Reddit →Yes, I regularly do night photography with my GoPros - Hero10 through 13, as well as 360 cameras. But I want to stress that your subject needs to also be stationary - it's not like you can film wildlife with this approach. But if you're just trying to capture trees or landscapes, depending on how much moon & starlight you have, this might work fine. Can you give more detail about the types of images you want to capture?
r/gopro • View on Reddit →[https://community.gopro.com/s/article/GoPro-Subscription-Camera-Replacement-FAQ](https://community.gopro.com/s/article/GoPro-Subscription-Camera-Replacement-FAQ) This should show you the process. But basically, go to your help desk, create a replacement inquiry - put in your current camera and SN# and wait their reply on which camera they offer. If they offer you the Hero 12 you can get a Hero 13 by telling them you need GPS. So you'll either get a Hero 12 or 13
r/gopro • View on Reddit →For me GoPro always had the best mic/audio balance. insta always sounded baseless and sucked at eliminating wind noise as well
r/Cameras • View on Reddit →