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Those who were looking for 8K video or a larger sensor in the Hero 13 Black will now be disappointed, according to GoPro fans. This is due to the fact that GoPro’s most recent flagship, which was introduced alongside the new GoPro Hero and arrives 12 months after the Hero 12 Black, is essentially the same as its predecessor.
The industry-leading HyperSmooth stabilization, waterproofing to 33 feet/10 meters, and 8:7 aspect ratio sensor with 5.3K video and 27MP images are still present. All of it is also included in the Hero 11 Black, which was released earlier.
Is the DJI Neo the ideal Since the release of those earlier models, the competition for action cameras has intensified. For example, Insta360 unveiled the Ace Pro, an 8K video beast, while DJI’s Osmo Action 4 outperforms GoPro in low light (and there are speculations that it will soon be replaced by the Osmo Action 5 Pro) level drone for novice operators hoping to gain experience? After a week of flying it about my area, I’m ready to tell you.
Key Takeaways
- Same size as the Hero 12 Black
- Limited capture time for new Burst Slo-mo video modes
- Improved slow-mo video record modes
GoPro Hero 13 Black: OVERVIEW
No other brand can match this extensive selection of accessories, and GoPro has added even more with the GoPro Hero 13 Black, including the ND filters and lenses in the HB series.
Description
With better 5.3K footage and smoother slow-motion recording, GoPro's Hero 13 Black offers significant improvements without sacrificing its elegant style. For professional filmmakers, the new lens and ND filter accessories, as well as the simpler magnetic mounting, make it perfect. Particularly for vloggers, the Macro Lens Mod and auto-detection for HB-series lenses are noteworthy features. These improvements strengthen the Hero 13 Black's position as the best option for creatives by improving the user experience.Positives
- Superb range of accessories, including new auto-detected Lens Mods
- Improved battery life and heat dissipation
- Excellent-quality 5.3K video
- Decent Quik app for quick edits
Negatives
- Sensor and video resolution unchanged from predecessor
- Image quality of Insta360 rival remains better in low light
- Processing time needed for slow-mo videos
- Additional cost of Lens Mods adds up
GoPro has announced the Ultra-Wide, Macro and Anamorphic Lens Mods, as well as a 4-pack of ND filters. These mods rotate into place over the Hero 13 Black’s built-in lens, which has a newly designed mount that can auto-detect which mod is attached and adjust the camera settings accordingly.
The camera may be made into an immeasurably more creative tool that appeals to a larger variety of users with just one small new feature. Adding fast and dependable magnetic installation to its already-available “fingers” and 1/4–20-inch mounting options, GoPro has also taken a cue from the competitors.
GoPro Hero 13 Black: SPECS
| Specification | Details |
|---|---|
| Camera Resolution | 27 MP Photos |
| Video Resolution | 5.3K at 60fps, 4K at 120fps |
| Image Stabilization | HyperSmooth 5.0 |
| Max Video Bitrate | 100 Mbps |
| Waterproof | Up to 33 feet (10 meters) without a case |
| Display | 2.27-inch rear touch display |
| Battery Life | Up to 2 hours (varies with usage) |
| Battery Capacity | 1720mAh removable |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
| Field of View | Wide, SuperView, Linear, Narrow |
| Audio | 3 Microphones with Wind Noise Reduction |
| GPS | Yes |
| Weight | 153g |
| Storage | microSD up to 512GB |
Two more areas that have been improved are heat dissipation and battery life. The revised 1,900mAh battery has a 10% larger capacity and can shoot 5.3K footage for up to 1.5 hours and Full HD 1080p video for about 2.5 hours.
Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.
GoPro Hero 13 Black: DESIGN & HANDLING
Have you ever used a GoPro Hero Black camera? The GoPro Hero 13 Black will look familiar to you because it has the same external measurements as earlier models (71.8 x 50.8 x 33.6 mm), but it weighs 5.6 oz (159g) less due to a greater capacity battery that has been crammed in.
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The 1,900mAh battery has a 10% increase in capacity, allowing for 1.5 hours of 5.3K or 2.5 hours of 1080p video playback. According to GoPro, the real-world performance gain over the Hero 12 Black is an average of 13.5% with airflow and 26.7% without it. That’s a respectable performance increase.
Because of its changing size and construction, the battery is not backwards compatible with the Hero 12 Black and previous generations. It’s also not forward compatible with older batteries, so if you’re upgrading, you’ll need to account for the cost of any extra batteries.
The Hero 13 Black was configured for go-karting in 30 degree heat, and I managed to record 5.3K footage for about an hour while using the GPS and both front and rear screens. The battery life was pretty good, going from about 80% to almost completely dead. The camera’s battery life is respectable for its type.
There is a new Lens Mod mount for the Hero 13 Black. The Hero 12 Black is compatible with the new HB-series of lenses and filters, so it can detect the attached lens in a fashion that mirrorless and DSLR camera users are accustomed to. This is not how you attach a Lens Mod, as the Hero 12 Black already pairs with the Max Lens Mod.
Fortunately, your settings are immediately adjusted to match the lens that is in use because of the connection between the camera and lens. It’s a little thing, but it makes switching between lenses a little bit easier and opens up new creative possibilities for the GoPro Hero 13 Black.
The Macro Lens Mod, for instance, is amazing since it can focus up to 4 times closer than the Hero 13 Black’s built-in lens, at 4.3 inches / 11cm. In the past, when I’ve tried to vlog, I feel like I had to hold the camera farther away than I would want for my face to be in focus, and I also couldn’t capture minute details that assist to tell the tale. Traditionally, action cameras can’t focus extremely tightly, which pretty much rules them out. With the Macro Lens Mod, that is completely altered. This lens should be the solution for GoPro if they wanted to enhance the shooting experience for a large portion of their potential user base.
When I suggest that significant enhancements don’t always require flashy features like higher video resolution, the Macro Lens Mod is the ideal illustration. When a macro lens is added, the GoPro Hero 13 Black transforms into a useful tool for vlogging that other action cameras cannot match.
During my hands-on testing, I was able to get my hands on the Anamorphic Lens Mod, but I was unable to use the GoPro’s new ‘Contacto’ accessory. The latter has a magnetic charging mount for convenient on-the-go charging and replaces the battery/memory card door. Any compatible charger can be used with the included USB-C cable. In theory, you could record underwater while charging the camera via the Contacto that is, as long as the power source is either waterproof or not submerged in water, which may need a long cable. You also don’t lose the waterproofing, as this is still rated for 33 feet or 10 meters.
The new magnetic attachment will be invaluable if you frequently switch out the surface on which your Hero 13 Black is installed. Since DJI and Insta360 and other companies already use magnetic mounting, GoPro has finally followed suit and added various ball-head mounts that make it simple to move the camera.
In order to make the transition easier for users accustomed to the GoPro system, GoPro continues to support both its 1/4-20-inch mounting and its heritage “fingers” mounting method, which is the lowest-profile alternative.
One last thing about the Hero 13 Black’s design: it’s a tough camera. It can survive significant falls in addition to its outstanding waterproofing qualities. The camera’s mount broke off during a particularly violent section of go-karting action at about 35 km/h, and the gear dropped to the racetrack. When the Hero 13 Black was found later, it was found to have only minor external scratches.
Nevertheless, if I were the owner of the GoPro Hero 13 Black, I would research the premium subscription, which provides some coverage for replacing a broken camera. The subscription also includes savings on accessories, premium edits for the Quik app, and unlimited cloud storage. For the first year, the plan is free with the purchase of a Hero 13 Black.
Design score: 5/5
Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.
GoPro Hero 13 Black: FEATURES & PERFORMANCE
Just like with the Hero 12 Black, normal 5.3K video recording can record at up to 60 frames per second. However, with the new Burst Slo-Mo video option, you can record at 120 frames per second, or 4 times slower than before.
Both 360 frames per second at 900 pixels and 400 frames per second at 720 pixels are available in the same Burst Slo-Mo menu. The maximum capture time for each of these burst modes is five seconds for 5.3K 120fps, ten seconds for 360fps at 900p, and fifteen seconds for 400fps at 720p.
Before you can resume shooting, the GoPro Hero 13 Black needs roughly the same amount of time to process the files. Because of the processing time associated with these new burst modes which could cause you to miss important moments in demanding shoots I wouldn’t rely on them in all circumstances. One feature that looks great on paper and is entertaining to use but has little practical purpose is burst Slo-mo.
You can select between standard, HDR, and log color profiles in the video preset menu. The highest video resolution and frame rates that are possible will vary depending on the choice you choose and whether or not you have a Lens Mod active.
For instance, you can only record 4K video when the Ultra-Wide Lens Mod is mounted; you cannot capture 5.3K footage. There’s a 30 frames per second limit on HDR video, so you can’t shoot at 60. It takes some time to learn what the Hero 13 Black can and cannot accomplish because not all settings let you to use its headlining features.
For example, you cannot record 5.3K video; you can only record 4K video while the Ultra-Wide Lens Mod is attached. You can’t shoot at 60 frames per second in HDR video because of the 30 fps constraint. Because not all settings allow you to enjoy the Hero 13 Black’s flagship capabilities, it takes some time to figure out what the device can and cannot do.
GoPro cameras are all the rage when it comes to battery life and overheating both of which have improved, incidentally. When there isn’t any ventilation, as when you’re filming in a room or just moving around, you’ll notice far better battery performance for video runtime.
Even when it was getting hot in 30C weather when I was using the GoPro Hero 13 Black in Spain, it never gave me any trouble. It’s evident that GoPro has made progress in heat dissipation, and the Hero 13 Black manages to prevent overheating wonderfully in comparison to competing action cameras.
Features and performance score: 4.5/5
Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.
GoPro Hero 13 Black: IMAGE & VIDEO QUALITY
You may read our evaluation of the Hero 12 Black to get a sense of the image quality of the Hero 13 Black; both devices have the same image sensor and the same maximum resolution for photos and videos.
But now that there are new Lens Mods available, you can take films that appear different. While ND filters let you lower the frame rate for dramatic motion blur during rapid action, the Macro Lens Mod opens up the GoPro Hero 13 Black to a wider range of producers, particularly vloggers. Once more, the auto-detection and auto-adjustment of the camera settings are particularly useful when using ND filters that lower the amount of light that enters the lens. I’m excited to use the anamorphic lens next year and to hear about any upcoming announcements of new Lens Mods.
I’ve attached a compilation film (above) created using the GoPro Quik app in its free edition. Along with automatically chosen highlights from the video files that were uploaded to my phone, it also included music and transitions.
The Go-Karting videos are produced in HDR at 5.3K resolution, utilizing the Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) color profile. As you can see, the strong highlights in and around the sun preserve a great deal of detail without sacrificing the racetrack’s remaining brightness. For some of these films, I also utilized the Ultra-Wide Lens Mod, which is only compatible with 4K footage.
Since timewarp is one of the primary options in the shooting mode menu and the clips are automatically made, creating timewarp sequences like the biking clips above is simple. I created that movie collection in no time at all, which is the genius of the Quik app, which is also where you can overlay Performance Stickers now that GPS is back.
Image quality score: 4/5
Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.
GoPro Hero 13 Black: TESTING SCOREBOARD
| Price | Reasonable for the camera, but the HB-Series is a costly extra | 4/5 |
| Design | About as rounded an action camera as you could hope for | 5/5 |
| Features & Performance | Improved battery life, heat dissipation and slow-mo video are appreciated | 4.5/5 |
| Image and video quality | Excellent image quality in good light, suffers a little in low light | 4/5 |
Should I buy the GOPRO HERO 13 BLACK?
Buy it if
Your ideal action camera should be adaptable.
Different viewpoints and video effects are made possible by new Lens Mods and ND filters, which are setting the flagship Hero Black line on a thrilling new course.
You desire an all-inclusive action camera for filming.
There is a ton of stuff to get your teeth into here, including versatile lens mods, good audio recording, log color profiles, slow-motion settings, portable charging, and extended battery life.
You want respectable quality without overanalyzing.
A benefit of using GoPro’s flagship action camera is that you may obtain reasonable quality footage without having to tinker too much with the manual settings. You have access to pro modes at your fingertips.
Don’t Buy it if
The regular lens works just fine.
The additional accessories for the Hero 13 Black are maybe its greatest upgrade. If you don’t want anamorphic effects or close focusing, you might purchase a Hero 11 Black or another earlier model of the camera with your savings.
The expenses shouldn’t mount up.
It’s true that the new accessories are more expensive. The cost of the camera and the new Lens Mods and ND filters is nearly equal.
You desire the optimal low-light capabilities.
The Osmo Action 4 from DJI, with its larger sensor and lesser resolution video and images, is nonetheless a better low light camera.
Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.
How I tested the GOPRO HERO 13 BLACK
Before the GoPro Hero 13 Black was released, I had the opportunity to spend two days getting hands-on with it. During that time, I was able to film timewarp sequences, go karting, and behind-the-scenes shots at the MotoGP (from which video clips cannot be published). I utilized the Ultra-Wide Lens Mod, strapped it to an arm for varying viewpoints, and experimented with the different color profiles, including HDR.
On the post-race podium, the slow motion burst modes were also used to slow down the flow of water and bubbly bottles. I also used the ND filters to produce motion blur during rapid action, and I tested the close focusing capabilities both with and without the Macro Lens Mod.
I’ve been trying the camera’s vlogging skills with the new Macro lens Mod and using it on bike rides ever since that trip.
- Best-in-class 5.3K60 video and legendary durability combine with new HB-Series Lenses1 and a...
Last update on 2024-12-04 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon.
Why Trust Factic
Berry Alex has been evaluating, testing, and reviewing tech, Household and travel items for several decades. He compiled all of the testers’ input, conducted extra research to assess each phone mount’s essential features and overall functioning, and reviewed professional profiles and verified customer reviews for each product.
