It’s probably not an exaggeration to say that GoPro is one of the most influential and consequential tech companies to spring up in the past two decades or so. Known for their easy to use, affordable, and compact action cameras, they have defined an entire product category, and influenced the way everything from YouTube videos and feature films are shot. Their ubiquity is obvious in the outdoor sports and recreation world, and they’re almost as essential a piece of gear as proper footwear and a pocket knife. Over the years, GoPro has continually refined and improved their core products, expanding use cases and making it even easier for just about anyone to capture high quality video of their lives, whether they be banal and mundane or a constant adrenaline rush. The newest GoPros, the Hero and the Hero13 Black, offer a suite of improvements of their predecessors that should benefit casual and more professional oriented users.
The Hero enters the lineup as a slim downed unit that is the smallest ever GoPro with an integrated screen. It weighs just 86 grams and is being positioned as an easy to use 4k video camera aimed at curious amateur videographers who might use it during hardcore outdoor activities like alpine skiing, mountaineering, or water sports (it’s waterproof to 15 feet), or something more sedate like vlogging a vacation experience. The rear facing LCD screen is meant to help frame up shots, and users then control the action from the same screen by touch.
The Hero13 Black is the more advanced of the two new cameras. This model is aimed at more experienced users, and specifically seeks to address some issues with previous cameras. For example, GoPro has made significant improvements to the camera’s battery life, claiming improved capacity in all weather conditions and double digit percentage performance increases. According to GoPro, the Hero13 Black will record for 1.5 hours continuously at 4K30 and 5.3K30 settings, and it can go for over 2.5 hours at HD-quality 1080p30.
GoPro has also updated the mounting system on the Hero13 Black, which now includes a “snap and go” magnetic latch mount in addition to the traditional mounting fingers and mounting threads. Three mounting methods offer a ton of versatility for different use cases, and the new magnetic system is envisioned as a fast (if slightly less secure) option. The new camera also uses the updated WiFi 6 protocol for faster wireless data transfer, as well as integrated GPS and user interface tweak to make the whole experience more pleasant.
Perhaps most importantly for the experienced user GoPro is targeting with this camera, they’ve updated the lens mod system, with optional ultra wide, macro, and anamorphic lenses in the pipeline. All are compatible with GoPro’s HyperSmooth image stabilization system, and the company says that when attached the camera and lenses will remain waterproof. The camera is said to recognize each lens when attached and makes adjustments to the user interface accordingly.
Pricing for the GoPro Hero is set at $199, and is available for pre-order right now. The GoPro Hero13 Black has a retail price starting at $399.99 and the pre-order goes live tomorrow. Lenses for the Hero13 Black will set you back $99 (for the ultra wide) and $129 (for the anamorphic and macro). GoPro
