GoPro HERO13 Black review: all about the lenses

GoPro has been in the action camera game for around twenty years now, and in that time it has cemented its reputation as the best action camera brand for absolute top-quality footage. But GoPro can't afford to rest on its laurels, with plenty of competition coming for its crown, and beating GoPro to higher resolutions and bigger sensors. The market has possibly never been more tight – yet probably never been more dull.

The last few years have seen more iterative updates with far less to get excited about. And a year after GoPro's last flagship release, the latest GoPro Hero13 Black seems to follow suit, with another minor spec update. But don't write the Hero13 off just yet. To see what's new in the Hero13 Black, you just have to look outside of the camera.

The Hero13 is all about accessories, from a new magnetic power door to a magnetic latch mount, but the real potential game-changer is – lenses. The new HB-Series of lenses feels like the beginning of the next chapter for GoPro, and potentially for action cameras.

GoPro HERO13 Black: Specifications

GoPro HERO13 Black: Price

The Hero13 Black has kept its price the same as the previous version at $399 / £399 / AU$649.95. This is still a great price for a powerful camera and is a smart move to hold steady with plenty of action cameras nipping at its heels and often undercutting on price.

However, if you want to take advantage of everything the Hero13 is capable of then you'll find you’ll need a much bigger budget. The new HB Series lenses range from $69.99 to $129.99 each, or accessories like the Contacto Battery Door add an additional $79.99. In fact, if you want to go all in – for the Creator Kit including the Media Mod, Light Mod and Volta, a magnetic latch, the ball mount, Contacto battery door, and all four lenses it will set you back $1149.93. This is obviously hyperbolic, but you can see how costs can quickly escalate.

There are also GoPro’s Premium and Premium+ subscriptions, which are both expensive and possibly unnecessary for most people. You can currently do most things you need in the Quik app without paying, but if you want to use GoPro’s cloud storage or advanced stabilization and editing options, then you'll have to factor this yearly subscription into your budget. Subscriptions range from $9.99/year to $99.99/year.

GoPro HERO13 Black: Design & Handling

The Hero13 Black isn’t much of a departure from previous models, but it has undergone a bit of a revamp, with the camera switching from the blue-speckled material of the Hero12 back to classic black from prior models. There is also now a small sporty-looking ridged grill-like section under the camera lens, which I think goes beyond aesthetics and has some effect on the camera’s thermals.

However, the shape and size are still the same, and although the Hero13 Black is 5g heavier than the Hero 12, the new camera perfectly fits cases and housing for older models – mine is currently housed snuggly in a silicon case for the Hero12. If you already own the GoPro Media Mod then you'll be relieved to know it will fit the Hero13.

The Hero13 keeps the same 2.27-inch touch-enabled LCD screen on the rear and a 1.4-inch non-touch LCD on the front. However, the glass on the front screen has been extended lower on the Hero13 to incorporate the GoPro logo. I find this an interesting design choice as it seems like a larger surface area to potentially impact. Both screens are sharp and plenty bright enough to be viewed outdoors, and there are also tally lights next to both the front and rear screens for reassurance when you are actually recording.

On the right-hand side of the camera, you’ll find the removable battery door for accessing the USB-C port or charging and transfer, the MicroSD card slot, and the interchangeable Enduro batteries. The Hero13 has a new Enduro battery which has 10% more capacity than previously (more on this later). While of course more battery power is great, it has the unfortunate consequence of rendering older Enduro batteries incompatible, so if you are looking to upgrade and already have a cache of batteries you're out of luck.

There is also a new battery door on the way. Called Contacto, it offers a Magsafe-style connection for charging and continuous power with a fully weather-sealed magnetic cable connection. You can just snap this on and off for all-day power and so long as the power source remains safe and dry, you can even power the camera underwater (although you might need a pretty long cable). It looks really cool, but unfortunately, due to cost it does not come as standard with the Hero13, and is available for an additional $79.99/£79.99.

For mounting the camera, the Hero13 Black now has three ways to mount it. And yes, there is the one we have all been waiting for – finally playing catchup with the competition, GoPro has added an optional Magnetic Latch Mount. Again the word optional pops up, with each latch mount costing $24.99/£24.99, but this is by far the quickest and easiest way to mount and unmount the Hero13, and the only method I can see myself using going forward.

The Hero13 Black does still has GoPro’s mounting fingers built into the bottom of the camera which flick down to attach to dozens of GoPro mounts and accessories. GoPro recommends you use the finger mounts still for situations with heavy movement or a lot of vibration. I chose to ignore this advice and took the camera for a very bone-rattling go-kart ride, and luckily my camera did stay put, but a few others did lose their cameras around the track. Last but certainly not least, there is also a 1/4-20 thread for mounting to tripods, gimbals, or selfie sticks.

Lenses are attached to the Hero13 in the same manner as the Max Lens Mod 2.0 on the Hero12 – a hard twist 45º clockwise and the lens pops off. Each lens has a rubber gasket that fits into a recess in the camera and maintains the waterproof seal. After you get over the initial feeling that you are going to break it, (seriously, it does take some force to get it off) the system is incredibly easy to quickly swap over lenses.

However, the new HB Series of lenses has a new trick. The Hero13 can now recognize what lens is on the camera, and as soon as it's attached, it can automatically adjust all the necessary settings to give optimal performance.

One of the best examples of how useful this can be is with the new ND filters. The correct strength of ND filters is hard to get right even for seasoned photographers, but the Hero13 knows which ND filter to use for the available light while providing the best footage, and if it thinks you can go higher in strength or you need to drop down, then it will let you know.

The lenses themselves feel exceptionally well made, especially the macro lens which has a satisfyingly dampened manual focus ring, the lenses also come in fitted rubber cases that can double up as lens caps.

GoPro HERO13 Black: Performance

The most significant performance upgrade in the Hero13 is the brand new Enduro battery, not only is the cell itself 10% larger, with a 1900mAh capacity vs 1720mAh in the Hero12, but GoPro has worked on the thermals to push recording times as hard as possible. GoPro is quoting on average a 13.5% improvement to battery life when filming in environments with airflow around the camera or 26.7% improvements with no airflow, this translates to quoted times of around 90 minutes in 5.3K/30 or 150 minutes in in 1080p/30.

In my testing, I would say that I found these quotes to be pretty accurate. My times were slightly shorter due to the hot 30ºC+ (86ºF) weather conditions in Spain, however, even in this heat the camera performed well, and I didn’t experience any overheating or cutouts. I managed to record three consecutive clips of around 15-20 minutes in 5.3K with no issues, although this did take my battery from around 80% to flat.

The Hero13 does still give me battery anxiety. It's an action cam problem, powerful yet tiny cameras, something has to give. But just watching clips on the camera, transferring photos, or changing the settings, I could watch the battery level drop. I only had one battery for testing, and I really had to constantly think carefully about how I was using the camera. It depends on how you like to film, or how much you film, but I would advise investing in a few spare batteries as a priority, or as was my savior, a power bank to stay topped up.

GoPro’s UI is fairly intuitive to use, its gestures are very phone-like, and I quickly got used to where everything was. The UI has two modes, either easy or pro modes depending on how in-depth you like to get with your settings. Easy mode gives a point-and-shoot experience with the manual options, it is super simple, but it does lock you out of even things like changing the frame rate. Pro mode is the opposite and puts the Hero13’s often overwhelming amount of options under your control.

Maybe I am being greedy, but feel like the Hero13 still needs a Goldilocks option. I find the easy mode far too restrictive and the pro mode overkill for a lot of day-to-day shooting, and I would appreciate a third mode somewhere in the middle, or a custom option to turn off settings that I won’t touch.

GoPro HERO13 Black: Video and Photo Quality

With other action cameras pushing 8K video or larger sensors, those hoping for a big jump forward in video with the Hero13 Black might be a little disappointed that GoPro has chosen to stick with the same 1/1.9in 5.3K sensor as the Hero12 Black.

Sensors are complicated though, and larger sensors or pushing more pixels mean more processing power which can reduce frame rates and be more of a power drain, they tend to also push up camera prices. I think GoPro still just about nails the perfect balance between impressive frame rates and video quality.

In good light, the Hero13 video is excellent, especially in 5.3K where details are crystal clear. The camera also has an impressive dynamic range. I shot in a lot of challenging sunlight in my testing, but the camera balanced the highs and lows really well, and the Hero13 isn’t afraid of a little contrast, which is a welcome change from other action cams and phones' aggressive HDR producing some flatter lighting. The Hero13 also handles colors nicely, with true-to-life colors and accurate white balance.

However, with no change to the 1/1.9in sensor, the Hero13 Black still falls behind the competition for low-light quality. With a 1/1.3in sensor in the DJI Osmo Action 4 Insta360 Ace, that 0.6in makes a real difference to how much light the camera can gather at night. And while the Hero13 is still usable when the light drops, footage just isn’t as clean as those other cameras, or in fact, most phone cameras with their AI-magic night modes. If you shoot mostly in low light, then I would certainly think twice about the Hero13 over other manufacturers' flagships.

Above: you can overlay data from the GPS to videos in the Quik app.

The Hero13 uses GoPro’s proven HyperSmooth 6 for video stabilization and also has a few extra tricks with HyperSmooth Boost which uses a constant adaptive crop to try and produce the smoothest but still widest shot possible, which sounds like it might be jarring to watch, but it's very smooth. Horizon leveling can also keep the horizon level (duh) when the camera tilts and rolls, especially useful for racing or activities with lots of hard cornering.

Stabilization is handled within the camera itself so you can immediately play back footage to check its smoothness without having to offload to an app and wait for it to process. HyperSmooth is still excellent, but other top action cams have closed the gap now on stabilization and it's no longer a clear GoPro advantage.

The one big upgrade the Hero13 brings to video is in its new burst mode – this mode allows you to shoot up to 15 seconds of 720p footage in an incredible 400fps (which translates to a 3-minute 20-second video), you can also record 15 seconds of 360fps video in 900p, and finally 5 seconds of 120fps video in the camera’s full 5.3K resolution. Oh, and the videos also have HyperSmooth stabilization.

Above: 5.3K video filmed in 120fps burst mode.

These frame rates are as incredible as they are a little ridiculous. The 400fps footage is so so slow, but it is silky smooth and the stabilization works flawlessly, although I can't see many day-to-day uses for video this slow, especially in max 720p. I mostly stuck to the 5.3K/120 which was perfect for catching action like the go-karts I was filming sliding around corners, and it seamlessly blended into my other 5.3k footage without an obvious drop in quality.

Audio performance is actually very good from the Hero13’s built-in microphones, with good ambient sound pickup, and now there is the option to isolate your voice. However, if you are really serious about audio then I would recommend either looking at the Media Mod which adds a better microphone and a jack, or using a Bluetooth mic.

Bluetooth microphone compatibility was added with the Hero12, the audio track from the Bluetooth mic is then baked into the video alongside the audio from the camera, these tracks can then be selected between in post-production. Unfortunately, most of the best microphones work via a mic jack or USB-C connection.

GoPro HERO13 Black: Lenses

I'm not going to go into too much depth with reviewing the new HB Series of lenses as firstly, they are all optional extras and the core camera experience should be judged on its own, and also the lenses really deserve their own reviews. But I can't review the Hero13 Black without talking about the lenses, as they are the selling point of the new camera.

And after spending a week with the Hero13 and three of its lenses (I don’t have the anamorphic lens yet, as it isn't due until 2025), I truly believe that this is the future of action cameras. We have seen GoPro and other action camera manufacturers dabble in lenses already, you can buy ND filters for the Osmo Action series for example, but these HB lenses are the first ones I have used that feel like the beginnings of a fully realized system.

There is a reason why the best professional cameras come armed with a plethora of lenses and filters, as yes, you can't do everything with just one.

I have also never really loved the standard wide view of action cameras. I rarely shoot wider than 35mm on my mirrorless camera – so it's perhaps unsurprising that the new macro lens has barely left my Hero13 as the narrower focal length is more suited to my style, and I really like the additional depth of field. 

I hope the lens system keeps growing. Why shouldn’t GoPro make a telephoto lens? Imagine shooting wildlife photography on GoPro with a telephoto lens at 400fps. Sign me up.

GoPro HERO13 Black: Verdict

The GoPro Hero13 Black is a brilliant action camera. But of course, we've come to expect this as GoPro has reused much of the same camera as the Hero12. However, that's not to knock it – footage is smooth and sharp, with great dynamic range and accurate true-to-life colors. The Hero13 also continues to be the king of frame rates with a new incredible burst mode. But while it might still be the action camera to beat in good light, the Hero13 remains behind in low-light video quality, which might be key to your decision if you are a night owl.

On its own, I honestly can't say there is much reason to upgrade to the Hero13 Black if you already own one of the last couple of generations. The new bigger battery is a nice win, but it's not like it adds all-day power, so you'll still be required to carry a couple of spares. I'm also very happy to see the return of GPS, even if I will only use it occasionally, it's nice to just have the option.

But where the Hero13 Black makes its case is in accessories – especially lenses. We’ve seen lenses before, but the Hero13 Black is the best I have seen them done yet, with auto recognition making swapping out each lens a breeze without having to worry about settings. The addition of a magnetic mount also brings the camera in line with the competition and will satisfy anyone who changes mounts a lot in a hurry. The Contacto battery door also looks like a fantastic new way to keep powered up. It is just a shame that to take full advantage of everything the Hero13 can do costs so much money in extras.

Alternatives

DJI Osmo Action 4
The chief rival to GoPro has rapidly become the king of drones DJI. The Osmo Action 4 is its current flagship, with a larger sensor, we found the Osmo performed better in low light than the current Hero Black sensor, but GoPro takes the crown for resolution and frame rates.

GoPro HERO (2024)
Announced alongside the Hero13 Black, the new budget HERO model offers the essential GoPro experience of a stabilized, all-weather action camera for around half the price. The camera is tiny but still has a screen and mounting fingers. If you just want a simple 4K action cam, then this is a great option.