GoPro - HERO13 Black

Yep, no prob - every lens mod has a different set of shooting modes that are optimized for that lens' distortion / the amount of light it lets through / the processing required / etc

Googling and surfing Reddit for reviews, seeing so much hate and under-appreciation I've decided to expand a little on my personal experience of what is essentially a great action cam with a simplified use and form factor... Bought the Hero 4K this month mainly for a MTB enduro event, mounting it to my Giro Fixture helmet on the front under the visor (not on the visor itself as its wobbly). Remember this mounting method as it'll make sense further down the review For what it's worth, when clips are ported directly from SD to your PC, the footage is entirely usable. It behaves exactly how a non-stabalized action camera would - bit shaky, standard field of view, nothing noteworthy or exemplary. The Gopro Quik app and its accompaning auto stabilization feature is absolute joke though. I would say it is akin to the early 2010s Youtube stabilization feature, which makes any clip that isn't a walking vlog unusable. I could try to stabilize clips on the PC using aftermarket software but I can't be bothered - like the cam purpose, the user wouldn't want to go the extra mile. The FOV is more than usable, the mild shakiness is tolerable and has a nice 2017 (start of mtb vlog era) to it which I don't mind at all, especially since I only use helmet cam and not chesty. If you look at Jack Moir on the big Y-tube, he has some new videos using this Hero 4K and even at warp speed, its usable footage. For the size, weight, simplicity and overall value the Hero 4K can't be beat. I was considering the Dji Osmo 3 and Insta360 Go3 but both cost at least 2x the price of this and were also 2x the weight and bulk. If you're not using a chesty, and only helmet mounted, you'd find this a strap on and go mini cam that serves its own niche pretty well.

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.

I don't necessarily agree that the latest one would be the best because though the 13 Black is the newest "best" model its upgrades over the 12 and 11 are minimal i.e. slight improvements in HDR/color and uses the same Enduro battery which is already in the 11 and 12. So the best would be to get the 11 Black. But if your budget is still too tight for that you can go for a more compact Hero 11 Mini that keeps the performance up but without the screens. If you're looking for more then you can try [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) Cheers and sorry for the long long reply!

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

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?

The Insta360 X5, GoPro Max 2, and DJI Osmo 360 will require a special case in order for it to take sharp footage underwater. The GoPro Hero 13, DJI Action 5, and Insta360 Ace Pro 2 shouldn't require a case as long as you don't go too deep.

I've had almost every GoPro since the GP4. Just got the Max2, but in all honesty, I think my favorite is the 13 black.

I sold my Hero 13 and kept my ace pro 2 because the performance was that much better. then the osmo action 6 came out and I jumped at the chance to test it. Here is some of the action 6 with some ace pro 2 comparison at the end. [https://youtu.be/J\_uSzR3w72k](https://youtu.be/J_uSzR3w72k)

I would choose the Max2 in most cases it looks pretty rad unless you want 120fps then get the Hero 13. Unless you live where I live (WA State USA) then all of the GoPros kind of suck at low light / overcast scenarios.

1) is it a Hero13? 2) is it in Standard Lens mode, and not using a Max Lens Mod, etc? 2) is it in Standard profile, and not HDR? 4K 120 fps 16:9 is a selectable option in the product manual and on the list of available video settings on my Hero13s themselves

I would recommend the GoPro 13, you have tons of accessories available and overall video quality it's pretty good. Also the Hypersmooth feature its great for stable footage.

The GoPro 13 can resist up to 10 m or 33 ft underwater. If you want to go deeper, you may need a underwater case. If you want space, you can use a 1TB micro SD card.

I have the 13 and max2. Prefer the hero 13 and I love it. Better than what I thought. Love the auto editing thru GoPro as well.

Yet another phallacy. Fact: not even the latest Gopro 13 camera sports a decent night mode video recording, while people actually using those latest "crappy chinese knockoffs" publish pretty decent night mode clips all over the socials. Are those clips all fake? Are those people all paid reviewers?

Well then look into the ace pro 2 better low light than both . I have both GoPro 13 and ace pro 2. GoPro is the better all around and ace is better in low light

they are all 90% the same (this includes older models) with similar advantages and drawbacks (compared to other camera types) unless you compare them side by side, the results will be more than good enough, no matter which you choose gopro has slight disadvantage in low light - but its action camera, low light isn't what its designed for or its intended use on the other hand it has advantage in the new lenses (even thou I think they are a gimmick) its up to you what among the little detail differences is import to you dji action 5 seems like the best option right now, but DJI had (has) its own problems (like release with limited bitrate) personal I hate the way dji is controlled (but that might be because I am long time gopro user) just pick the you one like and you can buy cheapest and dont forget to consider older models, gopro 11 was sold on sale for 100€ and its perfectly comparable to the 13 or action 5

Because they're like the Apple of action cameras. They make amazing products and then just have weird flaws and people are either used to them or despise them. For example, the cameras overheat badly. Look at the bones, that thing gets maybe 5 minutes of stationary runtime and disassembling it to put it in a better case is nearly impossible to do without destroying it. Many people also just prefer how other cams look. I think the osmo Action 5 does better in darkness, for example. All this to say I do use a 13 and I'm going to buy a media mod for it because I like the camera and the subscription is decently cheap to act effectively as a log of all of my bike rides ever. $50/yr to stick a terrabyte of 4k LOG into the cloud every month is worth it.

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.

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.

That is not correct. You can shoot in 4K 120fps 16:9, or 2.7K 120fps 4:3 on the Hero13

I have the 13 black and i don't think i need anything else for now. It has mostly all i need. But in terms of complaining, damn that app has bugs and laggs a lot. They really need to start improving it to make it more stable.

For me GoPro always had the best mic/audio balance. insta always sounded baseless and sucked at eliminating wind noise as well

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.

I don't know which will be better for you. But I have been on the Go Pro train way too long and I will be getting off. The Go pro over heats non stop. BTW I have the Hero11 and the Hero 13. Both of them have overheating issues. That's really it but it's enough that I'm not able to continue recording in the southeast for more than about 20 minutes. But I have been wanting The newest insta 360 and DJI always has a premium feel. Now aside from that I use the Canon R6mkii for video or photos. But I always said that if I went more in depth with video I would purchase a Sony line up.

Absolutely 💯 is. I have both the 11 and 13. Gopro finally upgraded the heatsink on the 13, which is the biggest reason I bought it.

Additional note 1: Gopro 2024 4K doesn't support bluetooth external mic but I found that the inbuilt mic combined with a dead cat muff is more than sufficient. Again, nothing magical but totally usable and not garbage. Additional note 2: At the battery saver 1080p setting this camera will last a respectable 12-20 hours if you use the quick capture (record from power-off) feature and record short, 1 to 3 minute snippets - like most of us do out on the trail. Under warm trail conditions* 30 deg C. Additional note 3: The touchscreen on this Hero 4K is much more sensitive and usable compared to the flagship Hero cameras. Don't know why, but its close to Dji's level of usability. Additional note 3.5: This review is educational, and it is essentially a comparision to other action cams with similar form factor and purpose - e.g Go3 (bulky), Osmo 2 (outdated hardware), 11 Mini (not reliable), Session 5 (old), all of which have their major pros and cons.

One big complaint here (been using GoPro13 for about 7 months now)... It overheats so, so easily. :(

I have a GoPro Hero 13 and just switched to a DJI Action 5 Pro. The difference is not even funny. DJI is cheaper, has far, far better low light performance and better battery run time. It also comes with a charger and 3 batteries at that lower price point.

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

Go pro. I had the DJI it sucked. Just awful. Spend the money to get good photos. Also make sure to not only focus on the puctures, you miss so much trying to capture an image that you ignore the actual experience. Set the camera down and dive, see the reactions of the wildlife, watch the sun get blocked out when you are surrounded by a school of fish, move with the waves and see what the coral hides, entire eco systems will be missed by you trying to get a good photo. Create experiences and memories, put the camera down and start living.