GoPro - HERO13 Black Ultra Wide Edition

Either standard hero13 or hero13 plus ultra wide lens mod is the call for MTB. I do a lot of biking and the results are great on GoPro. Plus you can use GoPro labs and dial in the right exposure and bitrate settings to maximize the quality.

Either standard hero13 or hero13 plus ultra wide lens mod is the call for MTB. I do a lot of biking and the results are great on GoPro. Plus you can use GoPro labs and dial in the right exposure and bitrate settings to maximize the quality.

Anything from GP11 till 13 would do just fine. All are waterproof and in general good action cameras. They are great for shots during daylight and night lapses, but not fantastic for low light shooting. In general 13 would be the best, and with all technology, buying the latest version future proofs your camera. I got a GP11 a couple of years back to go on a snorkelling holiday and i still use it. If you can get your hands on a good priced one then go for it. There will be minor benefits if you get a more modern one but I dont think i can give you a full rundown. Let me know if you have more specific questions

Been using the [GoPro HERO13 Ultra Wide](https://x.com/DealHopperHQ/status/1977619571025854496) for a few weeks and it’s honestly great. Super sharp 5.3K video, smooth stabilization, and the ultra wide lens makes every shot look more cinematic. Took it swimming a few times with no issues, so the waterproofing checks out. Battery life could be better, but overall it’s a tough little camera that delivers awesome footage for its size.

Another endorsement for GoPro. Have a 13, works great. Red filter needed.

If you use the flat color profile, then GoPro handles the shadows quite ok

I use flat color profile without editing. To me it looks better than the other profiles

Basic summary is the X5 is out for obvious reasons (curved lenses don't work great underwater), the Action 5 tends to overdo the "blue" correction and isn't always accurate to the real colors, and sometimes loses sharpness in some scenarios. The AcePro's colors are better, but the highlights tend to be quite soft which removes some of the punch from the image. It also loses sharpness in some scenarios. The GoPro tends to have the most accurate colors and the best overall sharpness in these tests.

The Hero 12 and the Hero 13 are the most stable cameras GoPro has released to date. The entire firmware was rewritten from scratch for the 12 to be more power efficient, more stable and more futureproof, with less technical debt. No idea where you heard that the 12 has overheating issues - I've literally never had mine overheat in the year I've been using it. The 13 took everything that made the 12 great and improved it. Get a Sony ZV-1 for your use case, you won't be happy with a GoPro.

For the most part. Same hardware, same lens, same processor. The 13 just has a better battery and updated firmware.

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

Yes, I regularly do night photography with my GoPros - Hero10 through 13, as well as 360 cameras. But I want to stress that your subject needs to also be stationary - it’s not like you can film wildlife with this approach. But if you’re just trying to capture trees or landscapes, depending on how much moon & starlight you have, this might work fine. Can you give more detail about the types of images you want to capture?

Go pro. I had the DJI it sucked. Just awful. Spend the money to get good photos. Also make sure to not only focus on the puctures, you miss so much trying to capture an image that you ignore the actual experience. Set the camera down and dive, see the reactions of the wildlife, watch the sun get blocked out when you are surrounded by a school of fish, move with the waves and see what the coral hides, entire eco systems will be missed by you trying to get a good photo. Create experiences and memories, put the camera down and start living.

I just went down the rabbit hole looking into a new cam. I think 1) GoPro is the biggest, and it’s popular to reject the “me too” and “everyone has one”. 2) a few generations ago they were pretty glitchy, freezing, overheating, and a lot of people got soured on the brand. I do believe these issues are better now, but it’s hard for a brand name to recover from design and QC problems. And 3) I have read that DJI and Insta360 do a lot more new style marketing where they support influencers and GoPro doesn’t. Can’t confirm or deny but based on what we see and hear I believe it. Objectively researching all three- as someone who prioritizes image clarity, color depth, and ability to edit and grade the footage- I just ordered a 13 and feel great about the choice (at the current sale price). Might also get a 14 if they drop in Sept and are way improved, rumors are they will have a new processor chip and may have better codec and battery life, but all speculation…