GoPro Hero 13 Black vs GoPro Hero 12 Black: 5 headline upgrades in GoPro’s latest flagship

There’s not a great deal that’s new in the Hero 13 Black. Like the Hero 12 Black compared to its own predecessor, the improvements are tweaks that mostly favor serious filmmakers who want more cinematic footage, now including a new series of accessories. 

For example, many were hoping for 8K video or a larger sensor for better low-light performance, but instead we have the same 8:7 aspect ratio sensor with 5.3K video up to 60fps. That said, we now get the option of HLG HDR video to minimize the loss of detail in shadows and highlights, plus a slow-mo mode to up that 5.3K maximum frame rate to 120fps. 

The body is practically the same, as is GoPro’s already impressive HyperSmooth stabilization. But rather than emphasizing what’s the same this time around, let’s take a look at the five most noteworthy new features you can expect from GoPro’s latest flagship.

1. GoPro Hero 13 Black Vs GoPro Hero 12 Black: New lens accessories

• Hero 13 Black: HB-series of Lens Mods and ND filters, auto-detected by camera
• Hero 12 Black: Max Lens Mod only, manual only

The biggest point to unpack is Lens Mods. These are nothing new – the Hero 12 Black can be paired with the ultra-wide Max Mod – but GoPro has expanded the range with a new HB-Series of lenses, and equipped the Hero 13 Black with auto-detection skills. 

We now have a new Macro Lens Mod with 4x closer-focusing abilities than the Hero 13 Black’s built-in camera, plus it's equipped with manual focusing and supports focus peaking, which indicates which parts of your shot are in focus, when that's activated on the camera. 

Close-focusing limitations are the Achilles' heel of action cams, but with the Macro Lens Mod you can focus as close as 4.3 inches / 11cm – vloggers take note. If you rotate the focus ring to its infinity position, the mod feels a lot like the regular camera, albeit with a slightly tighter field of view. This is the Lens Mod that opens up the Hero 13 Black to all new kinds of content creators.

Then there's a new anamorphic lens, which will cause the ears of creative filmmakers to prick up, delivering as it does a cinematic letterboxed 21:9 aspect and signature lens flare. This Lens Mod is being launched in 2025, and was not available to TechRadar for testing at the time of writing, though we did get a quick hands-on. Finally we have the Ultra-Wide Lens Mod, which is effectively the same as the existing Max Mod lens for the Hero 12 Black. 

The key difference here, and that is thanks to a newly designed mount, is the new lenses can be auto-detected by the Hero 13 Black, as can all the HB-Series accessories, which also include a set of four ND filters. The Hero 13 Black will automatically detect which Lens Mod or ND filter is attached, and adjust the camera settings accordingly, avoiding a time sink for those who regularly switch between lenses.

A note on compatibility: the previous Max Mod lens can be used with the Hero 13 Black, albeit without auto-detection, but the new HB-series lenses are not backwards compatible. 

2. GoPro Hero 13 Black Vs GoPro Hero 12 Black: Slooooow motion video

• Hero 13 Black: 5.3k up to 120fps, 720p up to 400fps
• Hero 12 Black: 5.3K up to 60fps, 2.7K up to 200fps

The Hero 13 Black has a new set of slow-motion video recording modes that can be found in a Burst Slo-Mo menu, including 5.3k up to 120fps for up to five seconds of record time (with around the same time needed to process the file before you can use the camera again). 

In addition to higher 5.3k frame rates, which are otherwise 60fps with practically unlimited record time like before, we get up to 400fps at a 720p resolution – that's up to 13x slow mo. That mode can run for up to 15 seconds, as can the 360fps at 900p resolution. 

In real-world use, these modes are useful for capturing specific moments in ultra slow-motion, but they do demand significant processing time before the camera can be used again, so they're not practical in all situations. 

At the various video resolutions, the slow-motion frame rates of the Hero 13 Black are approximately double those of the Hero 12 Black.

3. GoPro Hero 13 Black Vs GoPro Hero 12 Black: 3 ways to mount which now includes magnetic mounting

• Hero 13 Black: magnetic mounting, fingers mounting, 1/4-20-inch threaded
• Hero 12 Black, as above, but no magnetic mounting

Another first for GoPro, although its rivals already implement this, is magnetic mounting. This kind of mounting is much quicker than GoPro’s legacy screw-in approach, plus magnetic mounting is just as secure and reliable. 

Rather than ditching its existing 'fingers' mounting in favor of magnet mounting, GoPro has included it here as well, plus you still have 1/4-20-inch mounting, meaning you effectively get three ways of mounting the Hero 13 Black to accessories, with the likes of arms and suction cups examples of the array of mounts available.

Utilizing the new magnetic mounting feature is a new Contacto accessory. This replaces the standard battery door, and offers-on-the go charging without compromising the waterproofing of the camera. Overall, GoPro boasts the most mature and developed action camera system around, and that gap between it and the competition just got bigger.

4. GoPro Hero 13 Black Vs GoPro Hero 12 Black: GPS is back

• Hero 13 Black: GPS enable, Stickers
• Hero 12 Black: No GPS

The return of the GPS – which was omitted from the Hero 12 Black – takes GoPro off the naughty step. And as before, in addition to being able to tag your videos and photos with location data, users can add ‘Stickers’ using the Quik app, with real-time data such as speed, altitude and G-force embedded in videos. It's a dream feature for extreme sports lovers and other active types, enabling you to track performance and convey your actual speed, which might otherwise not come across so well in footage. Note that with GPS active the battery life drains quicker. 

5. GoPro Hero 13 Black Vs GoPro Hero 12 Black: bigger battery

• Hero 13 Black: 1,900mAh battery
• Hero 12 Black: 1,720mAh battery

The Hero 13 Black comes with a 10% higher-capacity 1900mAh battery, delivering up to 1.5 hours continuous 5.3k video recording or up to 2.5 hours of 1080p video. It’s a new Enduro battery that isn't backwards compatible with previous-generation models, nor are existing Endure batteries forwards compatible with the Hero 13 Black, as the battery unit is physically bigger and the contacts are in a slightly different place. So if you have a Hero 12 Black or earlier and thinking of upgrading, note that your existing batteries are no good here. 

It’s always a shame when you need to reinvest in new batteries when upgrading to the latest model. However, the improvement in performance is welcome, and GoPro has been able to keep the external dimensions of the Hero 13 Black the same as before, meaning that existing accessories, such as the Media Mod, mounts and skins remain compatible. 

Which one should I buy?

Perhaps GoPro is running out of ideas, or maybe it's already hit the peak of action camera tech, but the Hero 13 Black is, like its predecessor, only a minor update. That said, the flagship series has matured, and with the new optional accessories, including Lens Mods like the macro lens, it's now open to a wider range of users, including vloggers.

If you acquire all the new Lens Mods and accessories, though, the cost is getting on for $1,000 / £1,000 / AU$1,900 – that's more than double the outlay for the new camera itself. However, the complete Hero Black ecosystem can get you the kind of shots that aren’t possible with another camera without a much higher outlay. 

This update might seem underwhelming at first, but GoPro has managed to elevate its flagship model without needing to shake things up too much. If you want slightly better battery life and the quick convenience of magnetic mounting, plus the added versatility of the new lenses, there's one winner here, and it's the Hero 13 Black. However, if those new accessories are of little interest, we expect there will be savings to be had on the Hero 12 Black.

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