“GoPro Hero 12 Black Review: Big Upgrade or Waste of Money”?

Introduction

Today I’m bringing you my in-depth review of the brand new GoPro Hero12 Black. As GoPro’s latest action camera release, the Hero 12 Black brings some major upgrades over predecessor models like the Hero 11 and Hero 10. But are the changes enough to justify spending $450 on a new camera? Let’s dive into this GoPro Hero 12 Black review and find out!

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GoPro Hero 12 Black Review

1. New Hardware Changes

1. New 1/4-20 threaded mount on bottom- This new feature allows you to easily mount the camera to tripods or accessories without needing an extra housing or frame mount. Very convenient! Saves you from carrying an additional cage in your bag.
2. No more protective travel case- Rather surprisingly, GoPro removed the handy travel case from the Hero 12 Black retail box, likely to cut costs. As someone who travels a lot, I’m disappointed to see this go as I found the hard shell case provided useful protection for the travel camera.
3. Redesigned internal cooling system- Completely overhauled heatsinks and heat pipes help dissipate heat better and reduce overheating issues during long recordings in warm environments. Exact real-world impacts are hard to benchmark, but users in hotter climates could see benefits.
4. Built-in GPS removed- In an odd move, GoPro stripped out the built-in GPS from the Hero 12 Black. This eliminates the ability to capture telemetry data like speed, distance, and elevation in your footage metadata, which is a major downgrade for activities like mountain biking, skiing, etc., if you ever use that spatial data for analysis.

2. Intuitive New User Interface  

The Hero 12’s new user interface fixes long-standing pain points:

Simplified menu layouts: clearly display settings instead of transparent backgrounds that made current values hard to see. Massive usability upgrade!

Grouped capture presets and modes for logical access. No more hunting through convoluted menus trying to find that one obscure mode, like vertical video, you rarely change. Huge timesaver!

Shortcut added to connect Bluetooth devices/headphones from the main screen rather than needing to dig into wireless settings. Small tweak but reduces headaches dealing with finicky Bluetooth pairing.

Overall, the UI changes seem tailored towards making the Hero 12 Black more approachable for novice users while allowing power users faster access to advanced settings. Well done, GoPro!

3. New Capture Modes

The Hero 12 Black adds a few new capture modes over the Hero 11 Black:

HDR Video retains more highlight and shadow details by merging multiple exposures, helping avoid blown-out bright spots or overly dark areas in mixed lighting conditions. The HDR video is a significant leap in dynamic range.

GP-Log capture profile optimizes footage for color grading flexibility in post-production while retaining a higher dynamic range. Useful for professional cinematographers matching the look to other cameras or when using the GoPro Quik app for editing.

5.3K at 60fps allows incredibly detailed and smooth slow-motion footage by cropping in post or punching in on shots, enhancing the frame rate considerations for action-packed scenes.

While not revolutionary additions, they provide more flexibility for professional creators. Casual users are unlikely to notice real differences over the Hero 11, though.

4. Slightly Improved Hypersmooth 6.0 Stabilization

GoPro claims “even smoother” footage with Hypersmooth 6.0 by better compensating for intense shakes and vibrations.

In my testing, I did see minor improvements stabilizing very high-frequency movements and jitters. But for most use cases, footage remains just as gimbal-smooth as the Hero 11 Black with either version of Hypersmooth.

So while the boosted stabilization is great future proofing, most users probably won’t see a game-changing difference over their Hero 11 day to day.

5. Bluetooth Headphones As Mics

You can now pair Bluetooth headphones as wireless mic sources while filming! This awesome new feature adds a lot of conveniences.

Make sure to enable “Use Device Audio” if you still want ambient sound from the Hero 12 mics, a feature appreciated by those who use GoPro cameras for capturing natural soundscapes.

Opens up selfie vlogging and interviews without needing the Media Mod accessory, which is a part of GoPro’s ecosystem.

I encountered no latency or sync issues. But do ensure your headphones support the HFP Bluetooth protocol for the widest device compatibility.

6. Battery Life – Real World Runtime Boost

GoPro quotes up to 38% better battery life on the Hero 12 Black thanks to efficiency improvements. But does it actually deliver longer runtimes?

Indoor tests at 5.3K 60fps and Hypersmooth on, the Hero 12 lasted 1 hour 47 minutes before shutting down vs 1 hour 5 minutes for the Hero 11.

Adding a light fan breeze, Hero 12 hit 2 hours 33 minutes vs 1 hour 58 minutes for Hero 11.

So while not quite the full 38% GoPro claims, there’s clearly a real-world battery life benefit of ~25% on average for the Hero 12.

7. Backwards Compatibility & Accessories

The Hero 12 retains compatibility with GoPro’s existing mounts and accessories. But here are some important usage notes:

Updated Max Lens Mod 2.0 available for wide 177° FOV action shots. But attaching the mod prevents advanced capture modes like HDR and GP Log.

Hero 12 uses the same batteries as the Hero 10 & 11. So no need to replace your existing spares.

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GoPro Hero 12 Black Pros and Cons

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