GoPro Hero13 Black Australian camera and lens review
It started as a little company which offered film-based wrist cameras for surfers more than 20 years ago. Now it has a cult following with 50 million units sold. So what’s next for the world’s top action camera?
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GoPro has come a long way since it started as a little company which offered film-based wrist cameras for surfers.
In 22 years, its technology has not only evolved but also its ability to inspire extreme adventurers, travel, food and photo content creators, as well as highlight great environmental, wildlife conservation and humanitarian causes.
Nick Woodman, a surfer and outdoors enthusiast, founded the wearable video-camera company GoPro in 2002 and took it public in 2014.
It launched its first digital camera in 2006, went HD in 2009, became smaller and lighter in 2012, went 4K in 2014, launched its own Quik app in 2016, a 360 camera in 2019, and won its second Emmy award in 2022.
This year it reached a milestone in selling more than 50 million cameras, as well as passing 50 million #GoPro Instagram tags.
So where can it go next?
The answer is even better technology and a new suite of lenses which promise to take creativity to even greater heights.
A new ultra wide lens, macro lens, ND filters and an anamorphic lens (launching next year) will enable everyone from the professional videographer to world traveller to create even more ‘wow’ moments on film.
By itself, the all new Hero 13 Black is not a huge step up from last year but does offer more power, new magnetic mounting, HLG HDR video and slower slow-mo.
The new HB-Series lenses and ND filters which auto detect when you put them are pretty sweet to use. When you choose a lens and attach, the camera will automatically dial in the right settings for you.
We took the wide angle lens for a walk through a rainforest leading to a waterfall. (SEE VIDEO ABOVE)
Walking along shooting up towards the trees and walking through bridges you can get some very cool ultra stabilised footage.
We put a 32 ND filter on for surf and sunrise shoots and got some really beautiful images and video.
The macro lens, which allows you to get four times closer than the standard lens, was also super fun to play with as we tried to see how close we could get to the pooch to capture her big beautiful eyes.
It’s a harder lens to play with as you can find yourself out of focus, especially in lower light situations but you can adjust the focus ring based on the distance your subject is away.
You could use it for an up-close time lapse of a flower blooming, for example, while if you turn on Focus Peaking in the Protune settings, you can see your focus subject highlighted in red, blue or yellow.
All the lenses are HyperSmooth-compatible, scratch resistant with hydrophobic coatings, and waterproof when attached.
The macro is designed for creative close-ups and dramatic slow motion while the ultra wide offers 1:1 aspect ratio, an Ultra SuperView which stretches the 4:3 aspect ratio into a 16:9 format. Ultra HyperView uses 8:7 and stretches into a 16:9 format.
It has an expanded field of view up to 177°
In video, it shoots up to 4k60 or as slow as 1080p 120.
The Hero 13 Black, which retails for about $600, comes with a new 1900maH Enduro battery which offers a 10 per cent bump in capacity, including longer run times in hot and cold environments.
The Lens Mods are all optional extra with the Macro Lens costing $249.95, the Ultra Wide $169.95 and the ND Filter 4-pack $119.95.
The Anamorphic Lens Mod is expected to start at AU$219.95.
If you get a subscription to GoPro, which offers you a lot more options when it comes to video editing and music for your videos, as well as automatic uploads to the cloud and great automatic highlights videos, you can save quite a bit on the new lens mods.
The ultra wide mod, for example, is $135 for subscribers, while the macro mod is $175.
You can also have a GoPro replaced for $99 which is a good option if you damage it.
In recent years, GoPro has faced some pretty big competition.
DJI’s Osmo Action, for example, is said to have a bigger sensor and better low light performance while Insta360’s Ace Pro offers 8K video compared to the Hero 13 Black’s 5.3K video.
But whether you really need 8k in an action camera is debatable.
With GoPro’s new accessories, it’s arguably firmly back on top of the action camera category.
For travellers, video creators, adventurers, and just those wanting to capture great moments with their kids, it’s hard to go past as the best camera for the water, snow or strapping to your helmet as you hurl through rainforests on your bike.
What we particularly love is the Quik app which produces auto highlights of your best video and photos, as well as a large selection of filters and templates for easy video editing which can be done quickly on your phone.
It’s still one of the most favourite cameras to take on your next adventure.
Originally published as GoPro Hero13 Black Australian camera and lens review
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