GoPro - HERO11 Black Mini

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

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!

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!

I have the go pro hero 11 mini and its been amazing! It does weigh 133g so might be a bit heavy for your use but I cant even notice it on my 5inch

11 Mini should have been the best camera ever. But it will die and stay dead. Removable battery is a feature to not overlook. I won’t buy another GoPro with internal battery. Too many warranty issues with 11 Mini. Reddit search will agree.

Agree. The mini is great… when it works. I had 2 die under warranty and were replaced. Total hassle. It’s all good then one day won’t turn on. Can’t pull the battery to reset when frozen. Skip the mini.

To size down, the only ones I know of are Dji action 2, GoPro 11 mini, GoPro session 4 and 5, insta360 go series (the pill-lookin one). Theres also some from runcam and others but I don’t think they are quite on the same quality level. If you’re doing kitesurfing you’ll probably want something waterproof otherwise you might look into naked GoPros (which is a bit of a rabbit hole) If you’re looking for a freestyle unstabilized action look I’d say Dji action 2. If you want a stabilized cinematic look using gyro flow or something, I’d say hero 11 mini. They can be found on eBay usually for around $200-250 if I remember correctly. Biggest issue with these is that they both have inbuilt batteries that are not replaceable

If you don’t care about a display, the GoPro 11 mini is $139 at Best Buy. Great camera but there are some trade offs

GoPro Mini 11 was a broken product. Overheated repeatedly, couldn't run for more than a few minutes. Worst $200 I ever spent. My Hero 4 Silver is still running, but has poor resolution in this day and age.

My Hero 11 Black Mini's battery can only last \~20 min of footage. I love the video quality but whats the point if it just runs out of battery mid run?

DO NOT get an 11 mini for filming ANYTHING either stationary (blog stuff), or in high heat! I LOVE my 11 minis (yes, I have several) but they are not meant to be used as a stationary camera! I use them for FPV drones and they work great. If there isn't air moving over them they WILL overheat in hot climates. Personally, I love my 13. Yes, it's pricy, but it just works. It has built-in GPS, so I can track it if I lose it, and it doesn't overheat... Ever. That, combined with my gopro subscription ($50 year) allows for unlimited cloud storage of GoPro files and $99 "no questions asked" replacement for when I break stuff.

From personal experience I can say the following. Any normal version of GoPro will do as a basic camera for selfie shooting. Cameras like GoPro Hero 4K or Hero 11 mini. Great for shooting from a helmet (on the helmet, under the visor or on the side). Regarding the microphone, it is better to use a special helmet-headset with an adapter for internal mounting, for motocross helmets.When you have a microphone in your helmet, you can be heard better and there is less wind noise.

I can share them, but I dunno how helpful they'll be? I've designed them specifically to mount to my bike and its geometry. I don't think it'll help translate to other bikes very well, however if you know fusion360 or another CAD program I'm happy to share those files and you could modify it? They're also camera specific, so the footage above is from a gopro 7 black, but I now run an 11 black that sits on the front of the stem and an 11 mini that's at the rear, it's like a box it sits in but with a lock bar and heat inserts to keep it from flying out, but yeah other cameras wouldn't fit in it. I would worry if I only had the finger clamp bit to lock onto the plastic may break.

I can share them, but I dunno how helpful they'll be? I've designed them specifically to mount to my bike and its geometry. I don't think it'll help translate to other bikes very well, however if you know fusion360 or another CAD program I'm happy to share those files and you could modify it? They're also camera specific, so the footage above is from a gopro 7 black, but I now run an 11 black that sits on the front of the stem and an 11 mini that's at the rear, it's like a box it sits in but with a lock bar and heat inserts to keep it from flying out, but yeah other cameras wouldn't fit in it. I would worry if I only had the finger clamp bit to lock onto the plastic may break.