GoPro Hero 12 Review
In the world of action cameras, one name stands above the rest, GoPro, releasing action cameras every year, and they just released their newest camera; the GoPro Hero 12. GoPro consistently pushes the boundaries of what’s possible in the world of adventure photography and videography.
But before we talk about its features, what comes in the box of the GoPro Hero 12? Inside the box, we can find:
- GoPro Hero 12
- New Enduro battery
- Carrying case
- Curved Adhesive Mount
- Mounting Buckle
- Thumb Screw
- USB-C Cable
In this blog post, you’ll find everything you need to know about the new GoPro Hero 12 camera, its video quality, its unique features, and more.
Pros
≫ 5.3K Resolution up to 60fps
≫ Dual-Screen
≫ HyperSmooth 6.0
≫ 2.7K up to 240fps
≫ New Enduro battery
≫ Pictures up to 27MP
Cons
≫ Not that different from the GoPro Hero 11
≫ SNot great in low-light
≫ Expensive
Design
As mentioned above the new Hero 12 is the same size as last year’s model the Hero 11 and the Hero 10, which are a bit bigger than older GoPro’s, the design overall looks the same as the Hero 11, and the material feels high quality and it has a black color. The Hero 11 comes with a lens that GoPro claims to be more durable and waterdrop repellent, I find it to be a great help when filming around water.
Like all the new GoPro’s the Hero 12 can go underwater without a waterproof case, it can go underwater up to 10m (33feet). The Hero 12 also comes with a front screen like the previous model the Hero 11, which is perfect for vloggers and to set up your shot perfectly without having to look at the back screen, and with the new GP2, the screen is much more responsive.
On the front, we can see the lens, the microphone, and the front screen. On the upper side, there is the shutter button similar to most cameras, on the left side, there is the microSD compartment slot, the battery compartment, and the USB-C-Port connector, on the right side, there is the mode button to turn off and on the cam or change settings as well as the drain microphone, most of them can be changed with the touchscreen.
The dimensions of the GoPro Hero 12 are 71 x 50 x 33 mm (2.8 x 2 x 1.3 inch) and its weight is 150g (5.5 ounces).
≫ Video resolution: 5.3K, 4K, 2.7K, 1080p
≫ Image resolution: 27 MP
≫ Image Sensor: 1/1.9″ CMOS / GP2
≫ Frame rate: 24FPS / 30FPS/ 60FPS / 120 / 240 FPS
≫ Battery: 1720 mAh
≫ Stabilization: HyperSmooth 6.0 Stabilization
≫ Adjustable view angle: 156°
≫ Waterproof: Underwater up to 10m (33ft) with case
≫ Size: 71 x 50 x 33 mm
≫ Weight: 150g
≫ WiFi: 2.4GHz
≫ SD Card: Max 512 GB
≫ Video Format: .mp4
≫ Video encoding: H.265
Battery
The GoPro Hero 12 uses a new removable 1720mAh Enduro battery which GoPro claims can last double than the previous action cameras, an upgraded battery lasting longer than lithium batteries. The battery can last up to 150 minutes recording 1080p Full HD video. In the case of capturing 5K video it can last up to 90 min.
The new Enduro battery is a new battery by GoPro that not only can last longer but also improves the camera performance in cold temperatures, and up to 38% extended recording time in moderate temperatures.
The battery is situated on the right side of the GoPro, where there is a cover that gives access to the battery. The GoPro Hero 12 comes with 1 battery, I recommend getting a second one so you can change them quickly and keep recording whenever the first one runs out.
Stabilization
Like the last couple of GoPro models, the Hero 12 has improved its stabilization once again to the new HyperSmooth 6.0. Compared to the Hero 11 the new HyperSmooth stabilization doesn’t change that much but it’s a bit better, GoPro has mastered stabilization these last years and HyperSmooth 6.0 is the best stabilization of any sports cam.
Last year’s GoPro also introduced a “Boost” mode in the stabilization which is also included in the Hero 12, the Boost helps you get even more stabilization while sacrificing some image width. Last year GoPro also introduced “Portrait Orientation” where the camera locks onto the horizon level and keeps the video locked with the horizon no matter how you move the camera, the Hero 10 improved this mode a bit as well.
HyperSmooth stabilization really is a game-changer, at least for action cameras and gimbal users, it works great and can smooth the shot massively and get rid of the need for gimbals. The one negative side of the stabilization is the small cropping you get while recording, but it’s worth it.
Photography
The new Hero 12 comes with an improved megapixel size thanks to the new image sensor, the Hero 10 can shoot pictures up to 23MP the Hero 11 and Hero 12 can shoot at 27MP, thanks to the higher resolution we get a lot more detail in the pictures.
The image quality is very similar to the Hero 11, GoPro has changed its protune settings a bit, protune which lets you change multiple settings such as the possibility to change the ISO, shutter speed, and exposure time, with patience you can work impressive images.
The GoPro Hero 12 has different modes to take pictures: SuperPhoto + Improved HDR, LiveBurst, Wide, Linear, and Narrow Lenses. The Hero 12 shoots with JPG by default but you have the option of shooting in RAW format to get a lot more detail in post-production.
For more action shots the Hero 12 has the ability to take Burst pictures capable of shooting: 30/10, 30/6, 30/3, 25/1, 10/3, 10/1, 5/1, 3/1 Intervals, and a new feature on this year’s GoPro is the LiveBurst shooting from 90 images from 1.5 seconds before shooting to 1.5 seconds after (at a frame rate of 30fps).
For those who want to get Night pictures, GoPro has the ability to shoot at Night with the Night mode, which let’s change the settings to: 2s, 5s, 10s, 15s, 20s, 30s.
Video
It’s capable of recording up to 5.3K resolution and 60 frames per second. The videos captured with this action camera are stored in .mov format under the H.264 (common codec for most cameras) or H.265 (new codec that allows greater video compression).
The Hero 11 has similar very similar video quality as the Hero 10 not much has changed in the overall image quality, thanks to the 5K you can zoom in and the video will still look great, perfect for video editing especially, a new detail about this year’s GoPro is the ability to change the bitrate to achieve higher quality in the settings, increasing the amount of video information the camera gets.
The Hero 12 comes with different settings for color configurations: GoPro Flat which gives you a less color look, GoPro Natural with natural colors, and GoPro Vivid which gives you nice saturated GoPro colors.
With protune enabled you can switch between the different resolution and FPS options, we also have shutter speed control, ISO, sharpness, exposure compensation, color profile, and other adjustments that affect the sound or stabilization.
Audio:
The audio of the Hero 12 is pretty decent and captures clear audio, the Hero 9 introduced an external mic accessory that helped get much better audio if you are interested in getting the best audio you can with a GoPro. The Hero 11’s mic also comes with a drain mic feature to drain the water after putting it underwater. You can also get the audio modes from GoPro to help get better audio.
The video resolutions of the GoPro Hero 12 are the following:
- 5.3K a 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
- 4K a 120fps/ 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
- 2.7K a 240fps/ 120fps/ 60fps/ 30fps/ 24fps
- 1080P HD a 240fps/ 120fps/ 60fps/30fps
- 720P HD a 240fps/ 120fps/60fps/30fps/ 24fps
GoPro Hero 12 Black
Video: 5.3K60 / 4K120 / 2.7K 240
Image quality: 27MP + SuperPhoto, HDR, RAW
Battery: 1720 mAh upgraded Enduro
Stabilization: HyperSmooth 6.0
WiFi connection: Yes, and Bluetooth
SD Card: 512GB
GoPro Hero 11 Black
Video: 5.3K60 / 4K120 / 2.7K 120
Image quality: 27MP + SuperPhoto, HDR, RAW
Battery: 1720 mAh Enduro
Stabilization: HyperSmooth 5.0
WiFi connection: Yes, no Bluetooth
SD Card: 256GB
Features
Like its predecessor, the Hero 12 has multiple features to improve your videos and get your videos to stand out. This year’s GoPro does have a few improvements to modes.
The TimeWarp 3.0 and RealSpeed. The surreal TimeWarp effect is back and improved, GoPro improved the fast-motion mode and achieves better results. The Hero 12 has a “realspeed” function which allows it to capture the usual stabilized timelapse, as well as the automatic speed selection. You can also just tap to speed it up or slow it down.
Schedule Capture is another useful mode from the Hero 12, the camera will turn on and start recording at a scheduled time you set, now you can sleep in and not miss the opportunity to get that sunrise video.
Duration Capture is a simple mode that lets you select the length of time you would like to record a video and your GoPro will record.
The Hindsight mode can capture up to 30 seconds of video before you hit record on your GoPro so you won’t miss a moment, I find it to be a very useful moment when you miss a cool moment, with this moment you can now go back and not lose that moment.
The LiveBurst mode can record 45 frames in 1.5 seconds before and after you shoot the picture, it’s the perfect mode to not miss a moment and unlike other sports cams the ability to get a few seconds before is really helpful.
Other modes such as the well-known time-lapses and webcam mode from older models still exist in the Hero 12 as well.
The Hero 12 comes with a new feature, Bluetooth audio support for AirPods and other Bluetooth audio devices for wireless sound recording and voice control.
Presets + On-Screen Shortcuts, you can learn more about Presets and Lightroom presets by clicking here!
Should you buy it?
The GoPro Hero 12 is the best action camera so far, being upgraded a bit from the Hero 11, in comparison with the Hero 11 the new camera by GoPro is not worth the upgrade since there isn’t much difference in image quality and in features.
Saying this, the Hero 12 can record 5.3K resolution at 60fps and 4K 120fps which are very impressive specs, and recording in pretty good image quality and for a pretty long time with the new upgraded Enduro batteries, it can also greatly stabilize the footage with HyperSmooth 6.0 which has gotten better with every camera.
If you already own a GoPro Hero camera you’ll be glad to know that the Hero 12 is also compatible with all the accessories from the previous new Hero cameras since they are the same size and design.
The Hero 12 is currently the best action camera out there, if you already have a Hero 11 it might not be worth upgrading to the Hero 11, if you are using an older model or don’t have an action camera at all I highly recommend getting it for your next adventure. If you’re looking for a cheaper option action camera check out our other reviews on GoPro alternatives: If you wanna check some other action cameras, medium and high-end click here!
Review Breakdown
High-end action camera capable of 5K 60fps and 4Kp 120fps, with HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization and pictures up to 27MP. New upgraded battery that can last longer than any other GoPro, Waterproof up to 10m without case and many more features like the new Bluetooth connection
