GoPro Hero 12 Black revealed: The new action cam to beat?

GoPro is set to release a new flagship action camera, the Hero 12 Black. It may look remarkably similar to last year’s Hero 11 – near identical, in fact – but GoPro has outfitted the Hero 12 Black with a selection of interesting upgrades that are certainly worth digging into.

Arguably, the most exciting updates concern the camera’s improved runtimes. GoPro claims that the Hero 12 should offer improved runtimes across all modes – this includes longer continuous recordings before hitting the camera’s thermal limits. GoPro claims the Hero 12 offers up to double the performance of previous Heros while recording in high-performance modes, equating to up to 70 minutes of continuous recording at 5.3K60 or 95 minutes at 5.3K30. It should also offer over 155 minutes of video recording in 1080p30 – all with video stabilisation enabled.

Speaking of video stabilisation, the Hero 12 Black comes equipped with GoPro’s latest and greatest stabilisation tech, Hypersmooth 6.0. While last year’s GoPro already offered the best video stabilisation we’ve seen from an action cam, the Hero 12 looks to up the ante with a new AutoBoost setting. This feature allows the camera to dynamically adjust the amount of stabilisation and digital cropping it applies, based on your current activity. The Hero 12 Black features the same 8:7, 1/1.9in, 27MP imaging sensor as last year’s model, allowing for easy editing of both vertical and horizontal footage and video capture at up to 5.3K. The difference this time around, however, is the Hero 12 now supports high dynamic range (HDR) video, which means more detail can be captured in high-contrast scenes. For those who like to grade their footage, there’s also a new GP-Log picture mode, along with a selection of Look Up Tables (LUTS).

For audio, GoPro has introduced Bluetooth support so the Hero 12 Black can pair with wireless microphones or even AirPods. And the camera can record simultaneous streams of audio from the internal and Bluetooth mics, giving creators plenty of options. You can even use a paired wireless mic to issue voice commands from a distance.

And there are also several usability tweaks on offer, including a new vertical capture mode, updated night effects, a stills-focused interval timer and a timecode sync function. In addition to its in-built mounting prongs, GoPro has finally decided to include a standard threaded tripod attachment point, allowing the Hero 12 Black to be mounted on just about any tripod. Alongside the new Hero 12 Black, GoPro also unveiled the Max Lens Mod 2.0. This new Lens Mod adds the ability to record 4K60 video with an ultrawide, 177-degree field of view, and a new Max HyperView recording mode.

GoPro is also bringing its Quik editing software to desktop devices. The new Quik desktop app will be exclusively available to GoPro subscribers (at no additional subscription cost) and enable creators to sync edits between devices. GoPro Quik is scheduled to launch for macOS in November, while Windows users will need to wait until summer 2024.

Both the GoPro Hero 12 Black and Max Lens Mod 2.0 are set to hit store shelves on September 13th but you can place your pre-orders from today. The Hero 12 Black will launch at £400 – the same price as its predecessor – while the Max Lens Mod 2.0 will cost £100 standalone or £80 for GoPro subscribers.

Keep an eye out for our full GoPro Hero 12 Black review coming soon.

READ MORE: GoPro Subscription explained