GoPro has released the latest update on its long line of action camera, the GoPro Hero12 Black. Those of you who have had one of the recent previous models, or who have been eyeing up this device for a while will notice there isn’t much change in the looks.
The GoPro Hero12 Black is still as small (71.8 x 50.8 x 33.6) and light (154 g) as before but packs just a few more features under the hood.
To start, it now has a ¼-20 mount that makes it much easier to utilise tripods and other accessories you might already have from other cameras. But this doesn’t mean it lost its “fingers”, those very flexible GoPro signature mounts that allow you to attach a GoPro camera to many adapters including helmets, dashboards, gimbal devices and more. And yes, the GoPro Hero12 Black is waterproof up to ten metres on its own, without the need of an external case.
The GoPro Hero12 Black supports a massive number of video resolutions and frame rate combinations, including the basic 1080p (16:9) with a range from 24 FPS to 240 FPS to the 5.3K resolution with options of two different aspect ratios – 8:7 with 24/25/40 FPS and 16:9 with 24/25/30/50/60 FPS.
On the back of its video capabilities, you can take single photos (JPG and/or RAW) up to 27.13 megapixels (5568 x 4872) or grab a frame from the video up to 24.69 megapixels from the 5.3K video. You can also use the new interval photo feature to capture photos at fixed intervals without worrying, so you can concentrate on the activity.
Time-lapse video options include TimeWarp for video capture while on the move or Star Trail and Light Painting effects.
The Enduro battery allows longer runtime, recording up to 1.5 hours of video at 5.3K 30 FPS or stretching it to 2.5 hours if recording video at 1080p 30 FPS.
Thanks to its new Bluetooth audio support, you can pair Bluetooth audio devices to take advantage of wireless sound recording and voice control.
The HyperSmooth 6.0 video stabilisation is impressive and you sure can get some tremendously smooth videos even on some challenging conditions.
This camera has a 156 FOV with its standard lens, but you can also use the optional Max Lens Mod 2.0 accessory to reach a huge 177-degree FOV in 4K 60 FPS. Combined with the 360-degree Horizon Lock, you can create incredible videos that put the viewer in the middle of the action. Overall, the GoPro Hero12 Black offers a Wide fisheye-style lens, a Linear wide-angle view without the fisheye, an ultra-wide SuperView and an even wider HyperView lens. The Wide lens is the only one that is native, while the others are created by software, which can cause some distortions, mainly at the edges.
It's important to note that using the Max Lens Mod 2.0 doesn't automatically enable the camera to use it full FOV. This is a menu option, so if you see your video coming as a globe, that means you need to go down the menus and turn on the option to use this accessory.
Other new features of the GoPro Hero12 Black include video with HDR for brighter videos and GP-Log profile support, which gives you more control over the video during post-production. To ensure easy post-production, you can wirelessly sync multiple cameras via timecode sync.
If you have a GoPro subscription, your camera can automatically upload new footage to the cloud via Wi-Fi, and a highlights reel will be created without any effort on your part.
But most impressive of all is the ease of use. The settings options are designed to be used by the casual videographer, or you can switch it to an advanced mode suitable for the more experienced content producer.
