There was a time when I wanted to own an action camera (I still do) but it seems they all do the same thing now (with an exception to the Insta 360; she’s just beautiful and functional) and there’s very little to be excited about anymore. The Go-Pro Hero 12 was launched last week (I almost missed with with all the craze happening in Tech-September). The features all the same things as the Hero 11 but better (according to the company) and a completely new Max Mod lens for when you want that extra width of focal length.
Before I get into the rant that is this piece; here’s what the Hero 12 is capable of’
- HDR (High Dynamic Range) Video + Photo for more vivid images
- New Enduro battery ensures longer runtimes, estimating 1.5 hours recording time when shooting video at 5.3K 30fps and over 2.5 hours when shooting 1080p at 60fps
- Optional Max Lens Mod 2.0 lens accessory enables ultra wide angle, 177-degree field of view in 4K60
- New Bluetooth audio support for Air Pods + other Bluetooth audio devices for wireless sound recording and voice control
- 5.3K60, 4K120 and 2.7K240 video resolutions
- Hyper-Smooth 6.0 video stabilization with 360° Horizon Lock³
- Large image sensor captures ultra wide 156° field of view in 8:7
- 27 megapixel photos with 24.7 megapixel stills from video
- Waterproof to 33ft + legendary GoPro ruggedness
- New Timecode Sync to wirelessly synchronize multiple HERO12 Black cameras at once
- GP Log and LUT support
All of this is exactly what the Hero 11 can do except a few new features like time code sync and Hyper Smooth 6.0. Camera tech in the last couple years has gotten really repetitive, one brand debuts some feature and every one immediately duplicates that feature (case and point the Canon R5 8K debacle and the craze of 8K cameras that followed). Its not just the camera market that’s seeing this; its all over the tech world.
I’m picking on the Hero 12 because I personally think it could have been more. Go-Pro once upon a time held a monopoly on the action camera market, that’s since changed which brands like DJI and Insta360 giving them a run for their money. On its own, the Hero 12 is an amazing camera but if you own the Hero 11 or even the Hero 10, there’s so much you can still do with those.
