GoPro HERO13 Black evaluation: into the wild

When the brand new GoPro HERO13 Black arrived at my desk, I used to be able to pack it up for my annual journey to Alaska. Alaska is the right sandbox for all issues motion and journey, and GoPro’s cameras stand on the prepared for something. I’ve seen many merchandise do nice and others completely horrible, so I made a decision to take the GoPro HERO13 Black with me for my month-long journey.

Be aware that I am not a video man — I am a photographer. I like stills and have by no means actually had time to study video abilities, so I used to be eager to see what I may do with only a GoPro, a couple of ND filters, and the newly launched lenses. I additionally needed to study the Quik app, which you should use to each management the GoPro HERO13 Black remotely, edit and create movies and obtain content material to your telephone. My studying curve seemed steep, however I used to be up for the problem.

GoPro does have some competitors — the Motion Cam by DJI is now obtainable and makes a robust case as a viable various. With the rising variety of options to the flagship model and the gold commonplace on this sector, I used to be wanting ahead to reducing my videographer enamel on this nifty gadget. Let’s dive in to see if the GoPro HERO13 Black rumors had been true in regards to the updates.

Editor’s Selection

GoPro Hero 13 Black

Professionals

• Characteristic wealthy
• Nice vary of codecs and body charges
• Slo-mo is superb
• Simple to make use of UI
• Battery life is improved

Cons

• Dear vs new competitors
• Deeper modifying wants a pc
• Cannot combine lenses
• App disconnects throughout obtain
• Some equipment dont work with extremely broad angle lens

Worth, specs, and availability

The brand new HERO13 Black and the HERO13 Black Creator Version arrived on the cabinets of tech retailers all over the world a month in the past. If you happen to’re out there for a brand new GoPro, you possibly can select from the HERO13 Black at $400 (which is the digicam by itself), or the HERO13 Black Creator Edition ($600), which incorporates the Volta Energy Grip, Media Mod, and Mild Mod, or go for activity-focused HERO13 Black accent packages which can be obtainable as effectively. There are a slew of recent options with a lot of the adjustments occurring on the outside of the GoPro HERO13 Black. The internals have not been forgotten with a couple of updates that really feel like an ideal evolution from the earlier outgoing mannequin.

The GoPro HERO13 Black’s internals have been reworked barely. The detachable 1900mAh battery now has round 10% extra capability, extra enhanced energy effectivity (unsure what that truly means but), and a redesigned battery enclosure. The HERO13 Black presents 1.5 hours of steady recording in high-resolution 4K30 and 5.3K30 modes, and over 2.5 hours at HD 1080p30, which is across the identical because the outgoing mannequin.

Slo-Mo has additionally been improved. The HERO13 Black captures as much as 400 frames per second in HD-quality 720p, 5.3K video at 120 frames per second, and 900p video at 360 frames per second. There’s additionally new and improved Wi-Fi 6, though no additional data is on the market with regard to the specification.

The opposite characteristic that stands out to me is the professional-grade Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR Video. GoPro says it delivers broadcast-standard 10-bit video with Rec. 2100 shade area, providing a a lot wider shade gamut than commonplace excessive dynamic vary, or HDR.

There are some new audio smarts, which look to enhance balancing ambient background sounds with the unique audio combine.

New lens HB collection lenses and automatic settings

New toys

Now for the thrilling half — on the outside of the brand new GoPro HERO13 Black sits one of many new HB collection of attachable lens filters and, when hooked up, robotically units the digicam to the suitable mode when utilized. Add the brand new HERO Black HB Collection Lenses to the HERO13 Black, and it’ll robotically detect every lens and regulate settings for optimum efficiency based mostly on the lens kind and surroundings. The 4 HB-series lenses are appropriate with GoPro’s HyperSmooth stabilization and have a water-proof, scratch-resistant design with hydrophobic coatings.

Extremely Extensive mod has a POV with a 177-degree discipline of view and a 1:1 facet ratio, permitting versatile cropping to widescreen (16:9) or vertical (9:16). It additionally enhances HyperSmooth stabilization with 360° horizon lock, supporting resolutions as much as 4K60.

Macro mod is strictly what it seems like with variable focus, capturing distant topics or close-ups as much as 4x nearer than a typical GoPro lens. The adjustable focus ring permits exact focus from as shut as 4.3 inches (11cm).

There’s additionally anamorphic mod for ultra-wide, cinematic type footage with a 21:9 facet ratio and diminished distortion in comparison with conventional wide-angle lenses. Add dramatic lens flares and use in-camera “de-squeezing” to simplify modifying. Sadly, I have not acquired this lens but to check out, however the ND Filter 4-Pack — possibly essentially the most important of the add-ons introduced in my view — permits you to obtain cinematic movement blur with impartial density filters (ND4 / ND8 / ND16 / ND32) in addition to used for tremendous shiny environments to sluggish the shutter.

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I took the GoPro HERO13 Black to Alaska

The last word harsh surroundings take a look at for the brand new GoPro

Yearly I head to Alaska to {photograph} Kodiak brown bears, the most important brown bears on this planet. One factor I’ve discovered over time is that the Alaska wilderness may be very unforgiving to digicam tools, not to mention tech of any form. Final 12 months, my Nikon Z9 determined it not wished to have a lens hooked up to the flange anymore.

So, I used to be eager to take the Gopro HERO 13, in addition to all the brand new lenses and filters obtainable to me, to Alaska with the hopes it could last more than my Nikon did in one of the crucial distant and harsh environments on this planet.

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Earlier than I proceed, it ought to be famous once more that I am not a video kinda individual. When you will not discover me taking pictures the following Jurassic Park film, making a brief video for a single day of my journey was my purpose, utilizing nothing however the GoPro and the Quik app to edit and produce it.

What I appreciated in regards to the GoPro HERO13 Black

Extra of the identical, however some notable new standouts

The GoPro HERO 13 appears to be like and feels very very similar to its predecessor. In truth, it appears GoPro made positive the shape issue was similar, so you are not investing cash time and time once more on new equipment. It is all part of the GoPro success story, I am positive.

One of many standout options of the small motion digicam is the brand new lenses and filters that may be twisted and locked to the entrance. The ND filters labored effectively with the brilliant skies, though I noticed little blue throughout my September journey. Controlling the sunshine consumption from the reflection of water and the direct solar labored very effectively, though you possibly can solely use one filter at a time, and they don’t combine with the macro and broad angle lens.

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Which brings me to the video I used to be attempting to create. I liked utilizing the broad angle lens — it was a sport changer for a way I exploit a GoPro. As a large angle connoisseur, I used to be delighted to make use of the lens for my climbing segments. Switching lenses was straightforward sufficient — with a twist to the left, they popped off simply. The macro lens was a little bit of a wrestle and wanted a bit extra pressure to twist it onto the housing.

When switching lenses, the GoPro Hero 13 will change its settings and replace them for no matter is relevant for that digicam, like display width. I like utilizing GoPros for run-and-gun taking pictures, on-the-fly filming, or capturing b-roll. It is precisely the type of job the place GoPros really excel. The menu choices haven’t modified for a few years, and for newbies (and oldies like me) the UX is excellent — all of the choices are straightforward to seek out and intuitive. As soon as, you connect with the Quik app, you can even regulate settings remotely, obtain your movies to edit and create movies.

Attempting the hypersmooth characteristic whereas taking pictures from a aspect mount on a ship was superb — the video footage did not really feel uneven or uneasy to observe again, even with the broad angle lens that may exaggerate any tilt to the GoPro held quick and regular. The identical could possibly be mentioned for the climbing segments of the video that I made. No Blair Witch Undertaking type shaky cam manufacturing (or movies of my nostrils) was current right here.

The battery lasted all day on a single cost, which was spectacular and an enormous enchancment during the last gen. After all, although, I did flip the digicam on and off religiously between photographs since I solely had a single battery.

Need to see what I made? The video is beneath, test it out.

What I did not like in regards to the GoPro HERO13 Black

There’s not rather a lot to tug

It is actually arduous to criticize the GoPro Hero 13, however I’ve a couple of objects I would like to say. Firstly, it is getting your content material off the digicam by way of Wi-Fi. GoPro says they’ve Wi-Fi 6 onboard, however I am unable to perceive why it took perpetually to get a couple of one-minute clips of b-roll to my telephone. I used to be within the wilderness of Alaska, so there was zero interference from different units or Wi-Fi sizzling spots stinking up the airwaves. Nevertheless, it took about an hour for my content material to get to my telephone. I used to be taking pictures in 1080p at 60fps, so the information weren’t humongous 4K 120fps monsters, both.

I might’ve anticipated the switch of content material to be quick and simple. I acquired common disconnections or objects would not switch in any respect, prompting me to retry quite a few occasions earlier than a profitable switch. Hopefully, there might be some firmware updates to repair the problem, saying that it’s a notable concern.

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The rear display struggled in harsh mild too, one thing which makes utilizing the telephone a sound possibility to manage the gadget. Can we lastly have a brighter display now?

Do you have to purchase the GoPro HERO13 Black?

The USP of the GoPro HERO13 Black is definitely the lenses and filters. Different options are all good to have, however when you’ve got the GoPro HERO 12, I don’t assume there is sufficient to get enthusiastic about upgrading.

Positive, the battery life is superb and an enchancment besides. The slo-mo improve is fairly good, however the use case is proscribed as you are able to do loads of the identical in post-production.

What I like about GoPro is the flexibility to create rapidly. The Quik app and the GoPro digicam work effectively in tandem and movies may even be left to AI to make almost-there content material within the app. Modifying on a telephone is a little bit of a ache, however on a pill the expertise improves dramatically.

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I additionally tried a couple of equipment with the brand new GoPro, and I have to word the problems with becoming the broad angle lens and the macro lens into housing and covers. I needed to swap over to the usual glass lens to make use of older circumstances.

The place the GoPro HERO13 Again shines is the broad angle lens — it is great to create utilizing the 177-degree discipline of view and the glass did resist the battering Alaska gave it.

When you’ve got an older GoPro HERO of some form, the improve selection is a no brainer, however when you’ve got the GoPro HERO12, for instance, upgrading turns into a selection about needing the brand new lens system or not.

Editor’s Selection

GoPro Hero 13 Black