The GoPro Hero 13 was announced just over a month ago. It was announced as the brand’s newest action camera series, bringing high resolution video recording in a portable form factor. So let’s see all the upgrades and improvements over the previous generation.
1. GoPro Hero 13 Black with 5.3K@120fps Slo-Mo Video Recording
There aren’t massive changes between the two generations but GoPro’s new action cameras are getting improvements that help filmmakers who need more cinematic shots. The Hero 12 Black can record up to 5.3K resolution at 60fps, while its slow motion capture can hit 2.7K resolution at up to 200fps. In contrast, the Hero 13 Black is getting a new Burst Slo-Mo menu, which has a 5.3K recording at up to 120fps. These shots are up to five seconds in length.
That’s not all, the newer GoPro action camera can also record at up to 400fps at 720p resolution or up to 13 times slow mo. Users can opt for this mode for up to 15 seconds, the same as its 900p at 360fps mode. This is a great option for capturing specific moments, in improved slo mo and higher resolution. But it is worth noting that the camera takes a few seconds to process these recordings.
2. New Lens Accessories
One of the biggest updates to the Hero 13 Black is also with the new Lens Mods. The newer model still uses the same 27.6MP 8:7 sensor, but you can pair it with auto detection tech as well. There is also a new Macro Lens Mod that magnifies the Hero 13 Black’s focus by 4 times. This is also equipped with manual focusing and focus peaking support. So vloggers would definitely benefit from such a mod since the camera now has more versatile use.
For filmmaking enthusiasts, GoPro has a new anamorphic lens that lets you record at a cinematic letterbox 21:9 aspect ratio along with lens flare. However, this is arriving next year. GoPro is bringing all of these new lens feature with auto detection, so the Hero 13 Black can automatically detect which particular Lens Mod is attached to adjust the camera settings. This makes the entire processor more seamless.
3. Return of GPS
GPS is returning on the Hero 13 Black. GoPro had skipped this basic feature on the Hero 12 Black. But now, this feature is finally returning. So users can now tag the location of their videos and photos with location data. The action camera even lets you add ‘Stickers’ via the Quik app. Thanks to this, real time data can be embedded in your recordings like altitude, speed, and G-force. You might be wondering, what’s the point of all this, till you remember how GoPro has been a staple for extreme sports enthusiasts.
4. Longer Battery Life
GoPro packed the Hero 12 Black with a 1,720mAh battery pack, while the Hero 13 Black is getting a slightly large 1,900mAh cell. As per official notes, the latest action camera can deliver up to 1.5 hours of uninterrupted 5.3K video recording or up to 2.5 hours of 1080p capture. The bigger capacity is thanks to the Enduro battery. Unfortunately, these are not backwards compatible with the older models.
