Looking for a new action cam but having a hard time choosing between the different GoPro models? We break down your options to help you find Best GoPro Action Camera right one for capturing your adventures.
GoPro’s product line is all about action cams: small video cameras, typically built around a wide-angle lens and toughened up to withstand water and roughshod handling. They’re generally meant to document extreme sports and other activities that would endanger a smartphone or a swappable lens camera. GoPros are also good picks for vlogging, the latest models offer spectacular stabilization with 10-bit color and support external mics so your vlogs will look and sound great. You’ve got a few choices when it comes to cameras: the latest Hero12 Black is the best we’ve tested, but also the most expensive. Read on for a breakdown and buying advice for the current product line.
5 Best GoPro Action Camera
1. GoPro HERO12 Black
GoPro’s latest (and most expensive) camera, the Hero12 Black, is its most capable. It’s the first model to support HDR video, so it gets bluer skies and better shadows in mixed lighting, and it has a 10-bit GP-Log profile for pros who take the time for color correction. An 8:7 aspect sensor lets you record for YouTube (16:9) or TikTok (9:16).
The camera can push 5.3K60, 4K120, or 2.7K240, which gives you plenty of options for slow-motion looks. It also offers an immersive Hyperview angle and compatibility with the ultra-wide Max Lens Mod 2.0 add-on lens ($99.99). Support for horizon-locked video and as well as time-lapse modes for Star Trails, Auto Light Trails, and Light Painting are now available in the user-friendly Easy Control mode, too.
2. GoPro Hero11 Black
The Hero11 Black costs $50 less than the Hero12 Black, but we recommend the latter for most people because of its HDR video profile and improved interface. However, there’s an exception to that advice: GPS fanatics. If you travel the world (or nation) with your action cam and want to know where you were for every shot, you want a GPS. GoPro removed the feature from the Hero12 Black, but the Hero11 still has one.
You won’t miss out on too much to get the GPS. The Hero11 uses the same 8:7 aspect sensor, supports 5.3K60, 4K120, and 2.7K240 recording modes with 10-bit SDR color, and works with the same Media Mod accessory cage.
3. GoPro Hero10 Black
GoPro keeps its older models on sale when a new one comes out, but cuts the price. That means you can get the Hero10 Black for $249.99. It’s the best value GoPro you’ll find thanks to its 8-bit 5.3K60, 4K120, and 2.7K240 video. It also works with the same Media Mod accessories as the Hero11 and Hero12.
Vloggers looking to put a camera kit together may find it to be a good alternative to the Hero12 because it leaves a bit more room in the budget for the Media Mod or Volta handle. You can skip a gimbal for handheld recording and action too, as the Hero10’s Hyper smooth digital stabilization is nearly as good as in newer models.
4. GoPro Max
The GoPro Max is a dual-lens camera for 360-degree creators. It provides a substantially different creative experience than other action cameras, giving you the option to share an all-around view for VR headsets or pull out 16:9 frames for flat screens. The latter gives editing wizards the ability to highlight an important portion of a scene, and even pan from one portion to another to guide the viewer’s eye. Creative effects like the Little Big Planet extruded view and 24-style split-screen are possibilities too.
The Max is certainly a specialty tool, but one that can reward creators with skill in the field and the editing room. It’s an especially attractive pick for vloggers because of its microphone quality, which is the best of any GoPro.
What to Expect From a GoPro
All of the current GoPro cameras share some things in common—they support better-than-4K video with slow motion and superb digital stabilization, they have lenses with wide-angle views and integrated mounting clips so you can position them in interesting places, and they’re protected without the need for an external housing. They also work with the same mounts and accessories, a plus for creators using multiple cameras. The Hero12 adds a standard tripod socket, a first for the series.
The current Hero series shares a lot of features, including lenses with multi-angle support (ranging from ultra-wide to moderately wide angle), standard and flat color profiles, Hypersmooth digital stabilization, and Hyperlapse for moving time lapses. They also share the same big drawback—about one hour of capture time at the highest-quality recording settings. Extra batteries or a Volta battery grip come in handy for longer recording sessions.
There are differences, too. You miss out on some of the latest features if you opt for a Hero10 (now a couple of years old), but you may not need to spend for the Hero12 if its upgrades aren’t compelling.
