GoPro HERO12 Black Review with 4K Video Samples

After using the GoPro HERO12 Black, to document our recent trip to Tokyo, Japan, we share our thoughts with the new action camera.

GoPro HERO12 Black startup front screen

To recap, the new GoPro HERO12 comes with a 1/1.9-inch CMOS sensor with a 156-degree field of view an 8:7 aspect ratio that is paired with the GP2 processor, and a removable 1,720mAh Enduro Battery.

It features a front and rear LCD and the outer shell can withstand 10M of being submerged under water. Other standout features include 27MP still capture, Bluetooth audio support, and its ability to record up to 5.3K at 30fps to a microSD card.

On paper, it is a very promising action camera that could also be great for content creators like bloggers. How does it actually perform?

In the Philippines, customers can nab it for only PHP 24,990.

Let's dive into the review!

For our review part 1: GoPro HERO12 Black Unboxing and First Impressions

Multimedia Experience

GoPro HERO12 Black's front screen, camera and speaker

In front is the aforementioned 1.4-inch screen that displays a square image with the battery, storage, recording and field of view indicators. 

The screen isn't as good as the one on the back but for the ability to frame the composition and to see important indicators, it is good enough.

GoPro HERO12 Black's rear screen

At the back is a 2.27-inch touch screen with touch zoom and touch controls. The screen is bright enough to be visible in daylight and it produces decent images. It responds quickly and accurately to our taps, gestures and swipes.

It has built-in speakers for the beeps and sound effects when using the device. However, the speaker is not loud enough to effectively monitor the audio of vocals or conversations.

The microphones do a decent job of picking up sounds from a meter away however, we recommend pairing the device with a Bluetooth earphone with a microphone or the GoPro accessory that adds an external microphone for the best audio quality.

One of the newest features of the GoPro HERO12 Black is the ability to pair the GoPro HERO12 Black with a Bluetooth audio device that allows for low latency audio monitoring thur the earphones and low latency audio recording with the microphones from the earphones.

With the built-in time code function, it will also be easier to match the audio and video in the post.

Cameras

GoPro HERO12 Black's Max Lens Mod 2.0 is worth PHP 7,500 extra

As mentioned earlier, the HERO12 Black comes with a 27MP 1/1.9-inch CMOS sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio, a 12 to 39mm equivalent focal length and digital stabilization only. It has a maximum aperture of f/2.5 and an angle of view of 156 degrees with the 8:7 aspect ratio.

It has three main modes: Photo, Video, and Timelapse. When the Max Lens Mod 2.0, they become Max Photo, Max Video and Max Timelapse.

On the main screen, users can then switch between framing (Widescreen, Vertical, Full Frame), Slo-Mo (1x, 2x, 4x and 8x), and Horizon Lock.

When the Max Lens Mod 2.0 is attached and when the mode is turned on, users have the option to switch between Wide (16-34mm), Max SuperView, and Max HyperView.

Rear Camera Samples

The HERO12 Black's 10-bit 5.3K 8:7 full-frame, 10-bit 4K 16:9 widescreen or 10-bit 4K 9:16 vertical is stunning. It is decently sharp with vibrant colors and good contrast. The files are also malleable because of their wide dynamic range.

Sold separately is the PHP 7,500 Max Lens Mod 2.0 which effectively increases the field of view of the camera in all four directions. Depending on the situation, it can add a surrealistic effect that adds to the action and immersion.

The vertical aspect ratio helps if you want the best possible footage for vertical formats that are used for shorts, reels and the like for smartphone viewing. We cannot embed the file as YouTube does not allow embedding shorts yet, but you can view it at this link.

However, the image quality noticeably drops when used in low light. We noticed an immediate loss of sharpness with the increase in noise.

It can timelapse footage too. The quality isn't as good as dedicated timelapse rigs but the HERO12 Black's implementation is easy to use and it can add a bit of spice to your visual storytelling.

Overall, the rear camera produced acceptable photos and video across most situations but still struggled with low-light situations and the built-in microphone could be better. To get better audio, we recommend pairing the HERO12 Black with an external microphone or wireless microphone.

GoPro has added other useful features that can make it easier to capture meaningful and important moments for all. Even for beginners and for the hardcore pros.

Performance

GoPro HERO12 Black's Enduro Battery

The GoPro HERO12 Black boots up in under 5 seconds after pressing the power button. 

When controlling the HERO12 with hardware buttons, the touch screen and voice controls are quick and responsive. The voice commands don't always work as they should. It generally runs smoothly except when transferring files from the camera to another device over WiFi. The file transfer itself is fast, but the camera slows down when in the process of transferring.

Regarding connectivity, we have the following: WiFi, 4G LTE, Bluetooth 5, OTG, GPS, and GLONASS. It has slots for two nano SIM cards and a microSD card as well.

The GoPro HERO12 Black and its 1,720mAh Enduro battery are rated to yield longer run times because of the optimizations and power management. When recording at its maximum 5.3K at 60fps or 4K at 120fps, the GoPro HERO12 Black can record up to 70 minutes or just more than an hour. 

In our daily use in Tokyo, we were able to record around an hour of footage that was broken down into multiple 5.3k at 60fps clips. When recording 1080p at 60fps, we were able to stretch the record times to just under two hours. 

It takes around 3 hours to charge the Enduro Battery from 0 percent to 100 percent through USB-C.

Pros - Eye-catching design, lightweight and solid build materials, waterproof body, 

Cons - Battery does last longer in specific situations but could be longer, built-in audio could be better,

Verdict

GoPro's logo during the initial boot

GoPro has refined and improved what was seen in the HERO11 Black to the new HERO12 Black. However, is that enough?

We immediately noticed that the footage was smoother and more pleasing to view and or use for editing in daylight. In low light, the footage isn't as great as it should be.

For the best audio, we recommend attaching an external microphone or using the new Bluetooth audio pairing which is leagues better than the just usable built-in microphone.

What surprised us is the simple UI, gestures and commands that the camera UI offers. What was even more impressive was the Quik app that you can install on your phone. We can quickly transfer files, update firmware and control the paired GoPro or GoPros smoothly. 

Because GoPro has been using the same form factor and same mounting options, it is compatible with the hundreds of accessories for it. 

Overall, the HERO12 Black is the best action camera that GoPro has made but is it enough? It will still depends on your needs. The GoPro HERO11 is still good too so if you do not need the new features, that is still an option for you.

What do you think guys?

Build/Design - 4

Multimedia Experience - 4

Cameras - 4

Performance - 4

Average - 4/5