GoPro’s products are so ubiquitous, they’re essentially the Band-Aid or Kleenex of the action camera category: People tend to refer to all cameras of this type as “GoPros.” But with such a stable position in the market, it can be a bit tough to release a new product every year without things getting stale. I didn’t feel too strongly about the GoPro Hero 12 Black, last year’s camera, as it was largely iterative on the 11 while losing GPS connectivity and performing worse when it came to thermals. This year, GoPro’s trying its best to offer something truly new, with a two-pronged approach that’s a little confusing to the ear.
Enter the GoPro Hero and GoPro Hero 13 Black. Despite sounding like the original GoPro from 2004, the Hero is a stripped down version of GoPro’s modern cameras aimed primarily at casual users and social media influencers. Meanwhile, the Hero 13 Black is the company’s new flagship, this time armed with a new modular lens system that feels like the freshest thing to come to GoPro in years.
The GoPro Hero feels like GoPro’s response to TikTok. A smaller, cheaper take on the GoPro design, it can still shoot in 4K and boasts the same waterproof and durable chassis for more extreme activity. It even has image stabilization and light slo-mo functionality.
But despite that capability, the company markets it more as a grab-and-go device, one to shoot TikToks on or keep in your bag in case something worth capturing happens. That’s because it’s roughly the size of a couple cherry tomatoes, and not much heavier at just 86g. At $199, it’s also half the price of GoPro’s new flagship, so it’s more accessible and not as much of a loss if it gets damaged or misplaced.
It still includes its own screen and access to the Quik app for easy edits or cloud backups, but that’s not to say it's free of any compromises. While vertical video is a thing here, 16:9 is the only aspect ratio available on the Hero. Its 2x slo-mo is also not nearly as generous as the maximum 13x slo-mo on the flagship Hero 13 Black. Perhaps most limiting, the Hero can’t use lens attachments like the Max Lens Mod, nor can it use the new magnetic mounting system that’s coming with the Hero 13 Black. Still, it does come with built-in fingers to connect to other GoPro mounts, although it lacks the standard tripod socket that was introduced on last year’s Hero 12.
These issues aren’t likely to bother casual users, but they do mean the Hero is probably only going to be a secondary camera on professional shoots. It’s available for pre-order now and will ship on Sept. 22, but for those who need a bit more oomph from their main shooter, there’s the new Hero 13 Black.
The Hero 13 Black boasts all the advanced specs one would expect of a new GoPro flagship, including 5.3K video capture, Bluetooth compatibility, and that 13x slo-mo. But being up-to-date is far from the most interesting thing about it—one could have said the same thing about the Hero 11 Black or Hero 12 Black. Instead, the Hero 13 Black’s real charm is how much it shakes up what was at risk of becoming a stale ecosystem.
First, there’s a new quality of life feature: magnetic mounting. While GoPro isn’t the first action camera with a magnetic mount, the company’s new magnetic accessories make it much easier for the Hero 13 Black to swap between tripods or other mounts. Available both with a latch ($24) and a ball joint ($39), you simply place a new magnetic connector into the bottom of the camera, screw it into your accessory, and pull the camera out of the connector when you’re done with it. It’s like MagSafe, and from my time with it, it’s very secure, holding up well while being shaken and tossed. You can even get a magnetic charger, called the Contacto Magnetic Door and Power Cable Kit ($79), that lets you charge the camera without removing the battery door. The downside is that each magnetic connector is sold separately, and to get the most convenience out of the system, you’re going to want a different connector for each of your mounts.
Still, it introduces a new layer of modularity to the camera, which brings me to the next big feature GoPro has in store here: an all new range of “HB-Series” lens attachments.
While GoPro’s existing Max Lens Mod already has ultrawide functionality, introducing 177 degree angles to the GoPro, the Hero 13 Black is getting far more options.
First, the Max Lens Mod is being replaced with the Ultra Wide Lens Mod ($99) that now offers a new 1:1 aspect ratio, giving you a perfect square that can be cropped for both horizontal and vertical video. But the real trick is that it’s no longer the only alternate lens you can opt for. There’s also now the Macro Lens Mod ($129), which can focus in on objects as close as 4.33 inches away for better close-up photography. A rotating dial controls focus, and GoPro even suggests you can use the Macro Lens mod as your main lens by simply adjusting the focus when far away from your subject.
Perhaps most interesting is the Anamorphic Lens Mod ($129), which enables a 21:9 cinematic aspect ratio for more “Hollywoodesque” shots. It also makes it easier to capture lens flares or soften corners, and you can use a “de-squeeze” effect in the camera’s UI to squish your anamorphic footage down to 16:9 for YouTube. That way, you can preserve those effects, but your video will take up the whole screen. The catch is that it won’t be available until next year.
Finally, there’s a new set of ND Filters, which selectively block out light and can be used to add motion blur to your shots. Your GoPro will automatically detect when an ND Filter is attached and change your settings accordingly, but you won’t be able to use an ND Filter with a lens mod attached.
Each lens mod costs a pretty penny and is only compatible with the Hero 13 Black, but getting even one makes this camera far more capable than its predecessors. With the right editing, one could conceivably now have every tool they need to shoot a whole movie on a single GoPro.
There’s a few other improvements here—GPS motion data makes a return here after being cut for the Hero 12 Black, the 13x slo-mo is faster than last year’s 8x maximum, and battery life is a little longer. Plus, there’s Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for faster uploading. Even if you don’t buy any accessories, this is a more capable camera than last year’s, and the new accessories offer a more tangible reason to upgrade.
The Hero 13 Black is available for pre-order now for $399, and will ship starting on Sept. 10. Buyers who want more than the standalone camera can instead opt for the $599 Hero 13 Black Creator Edition, which includes the camera but also comes with a Volta Power Grip, Media Mod, and Light Mod.
I’ve had a little bit of hands-on time with the Hero 13 Black, and while I’m not quite ready for a full review, I can say that I’m pretty impressed by the new lenses. I’ve only gotten my hands on the Ultra Wide Lens and Macro Lens so far, but while the Ultra Wide Lens produces footage that’s similar to the Max Lens Mod, the Macro Lens fixes one of my biggest issues with the GoPro—photography.
GoPro footage tends to look great, but close up or still shots can look blurry, to the point where you wonder if your phone could have done better. By contrast, still photos with the Macro Lens Mod look great, even under low light, and close-up video fares just as well. Here’s a taste of what I’ve shot so far, although I've compressed it a bit. Stay tuned for more.
