GoPro - HERO11 Black

Definitely the GoPro Hero 11

If you only asked a couple days ago walmart had a deal on the HERO 11 for $222 That was a great price even better than Amazon Renewed.

Do you already have accessories for the types of activities you want to do? Or is that a different amount you would spend? I have a Hero 11 Black Creator Edition with about $200 accessories. As well as an Action 5 Pro Adventure Combo with $150 of accessories. None of which includes water. I’d recommend doing some research on what you will need for the activities you want.

Upgrade to at least an 11 with the enduro battery and you won’t have this problem. I just did an 8 hour fat bike ride in 10° F winter with it on the handlebars and it lasted all day using it off and on.

I have the pocket 3 and just ordered the action 5 pro, they are different cameras for different situations. For instance I can't/won't take the OP3 in the rain when I run, or at the beach, or in any situation where it might get damaged. The A5P is a tank so I can be way more careless about it. That is not to say it can't be used as a travel camera, I will actually bring it with me in Bologna next month, as my only camera. I had a gopro 11 black for this but with the amount of stuff that are wrong with it and the abysmal app situation, I switched to the A5P

I’d sell you mine! It’s a cool device but I’m still reaching for my GoPro 11 more. I sometimes don’t know what I should capture with the Max 2 I’m into photography so naturally I thought adding a 360 becomes necessary but, 360 for me is too niche it’s part of my bag though

There’s larger sensors in the insta Ace Pro2 and the DJI Action 5 that handle low light conditions very well. I have the GoPro 8, 11, and the DJI Action 5 and I always grab the DJI over the GoPro for night work.

I film exclusively on my iPhone 16 pro and my GoPro 11. I film all my family videos (sledding, a Disney trip, summer, random day trips) using these two cameras. The iPhone is better in terms of availability (always in my pocket) as well as low light. GoPro is good for beach and pool activities. Getting unique angles. Time lapses.

I got the go pro hero 11 last November. It was on offer for 150 GBP. It is stacked with features INCLUDING horizon lock and works a dream. I believe it has pass through charging, which means you can use it whilst charging. I bought the official underwater housing, which was expensive, but I've used it for diving and works a dream. For airsoft, I bought a knock-off housing, which is practically identical, and it gives good protection that will crack 1st before any damage to the camera. If you want to see footage from an airsoft game let me know if can send you a link.

Since you're doing night photography, you'll be using long exposures and pretty much any GoPro that can shoot Raw will be fine. The 11 and higher have the highest resolution though at 27mp and are much better for things like timelapses.

Try for an 11, 12 or 13. Newer the better, yes, but the 11, 12 and 13 are all basically the same camera just with feature improvements. They are the "modern" generation of GoPros, which brings the taller 8:7 sensor, 10 bit color, Log encoding etc, noise reduction control etc.

Go for the 12 Black from the Hero 4. It’s got way better stabilization, longer battery life, and sharper video. If you’re comparing, the 12 is more battery-efficient and handles bright lighting better, which is great for both water and stainless steel surfaces compared to the 11. Yeah, the Hero 13 has slightly better low-light performance, but unless he’s filming at night, it’s not really worth the extra cost really. If you’re getting two GoPros, I’d go for two Hero 12s to keep the video quality consistent. One can be overhead for cooking and the other gets close-ups? or for fishing, one can be chest-mounted while the other is set up for wide shots. [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide and Review](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) would be useful too. But if you want a more budget-friendly option, a Hero 12 + Hero 11 Mini is a good combo—same great video, but the Mini is lighter and easier to mount so he can be creative with it ya know . For accessories, is he editing on his phone or laptop? That might affect which accessories are worth grabbing too but a suction cup or magnet mount for kitchen shots, and a Floaty Case or Waterproof Dome for underwater footage. Tldr: 12 black is the best, get two of them and a floaty case plus suction cup as accessories

Yeah it is overkill. Overkill in both price and features because though they’re great as action cameras, you don’t need the stabilization, high frame rates, and rugged design for your casual travel videos mate. If you really want one, you can get an older GoPro (Hero 9, 10, or 11) if you find a good deal since they still have solid stabilization and decent built-in mics (still relatively heavy when clipped to a cap, and after 30 minutes, you might feel the strain honestly) I’d suggest you check on the Insta360 GO 3, it’s tiny, weighs only 35g, and comes with a magnetic clip that can be attached to a cap more comfortably than a bulky GoPro. Otherwise, you could also check on the DJI Osmo Action 4 or Akaso Brave 7 LE too, all decent prices for your use case. You could try [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide and Review](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) for other options too. Tldr: GoPro overkill, Insta360 more appropriate, can consider getting an older GoPro like the 9,10 or 11 if you can get a good price

I don’t necessarily agree that the latest one would be the best because though the 13 Black is the newest “best” model its upgrades over the 12 and 11 are minimal i.e. slight improvements in HDR/color and uses the same Enduro battery which is already in the 11 and 12. So the best would be to get the 11 Black. But if your budget is still too tight for that you can go for a more compact Hero 11 Mini that keeps the performance up but without the screens. If you’re looking for more then you can try [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) Cheers and sorry for the long long reply!