GoPro Hero 12 Black review: All about refinements

GoPro's new Hero 12 Black doesn't break any moulds in terms of design and specifications. Compared to its predecessor, the Hero 11 Black, apart from a textured body and a few tweaks here and there, the Hero 12 Black is mostly about refinements. Is that a bad thing? Not always. What matters is what's inside, and there are certainly a couple of notable changes.

Some of the key features of Hero 12 Black include:
--Friendlier user interface.
--Longer battery backup in all modes.
--HDR video support.
--Bluetooth earphones and earbuds support.

While these are small steps towards a wholesome package, GoPro, unlike my tech companies, also understands the value of incremental changes. This year's Hero 12 Black starts at Rs 45,000, while the Hero 12 Black Creator Edition costs Rs 65,000. Mind you, the GoPro Hero 11 is currently selling in India for Rs 40,990, therefore the margin to get something newer and up-to-date is very low.

It also makes it easy for me to recommend the GoPro Hero 12 Black if someone is looking for a reliable action camera to capture sharp and stable videos on the go. Even for upcoming content creators who care about Reels and YouTube vlogs, the Hero 12 Black is much easier to operate. Naturally, there are some cons as well. After using the camera for a week, even in the sea, here's what you need to know.

GoPro Hero 12 Black design

If you look closely between the Hero 12 Black and Hero 11 Black, there's not much to distinguish. The former has some new textures on the body and a more rubbery texture for grip. However, both devices measure 71.8x50.8x33.6mm (WxHxD) and weigh 154 grams. The top retains the quick capture button, while the power sits on the right. There's still no audio jack for a wired external mic. At least, the good part is that now you can connect your Bluetooth headphones to record audio, which also works efficiently as long as the earbuds have good mics.

I also like that the bottom now includes a built-in attachment point for tripods. This makes GoPro 12 highly useful for those who already own a tripod for phones. The charging port sits neatly inside a pocket on the left. Here, you will also find the battery and microSD slot.

The standard GoPro Hero cameras have long featured dual displays. GoPro maintains the use of a 2.27-inch main LCD and a 1.4-inch LCD next to the lens. While the touch response of the primary LCD feels smoother, the low brightness issue persists. Browsing through settings under harsh sunlight can get particularly annoying, as I experienced during a snorkelling trip to Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.

Thankfully, the lag on the display next to the lens keeps getting smaller, especially while recording videos. Somehow, the Hero 11 Black's front display offers more sharpness. Overall, it won't be a concern for most users.

The GoPro Hero 12 Black also boasts a waterproof design. I can confidently vouch for its 10-foot waterproofing based on my snorkelling experience in Rameshwaram. If you opt for the protective housing (priced at Rs 5,500), the GoPro Hero 12 Black can operate at depths of up to 196ft. Thanks to the same-old design, this case is also compatible with the Hero 9 Black and Hero 10 Black models.

Pro tip: You can wash your latest GoPros with fresh water to clean dust and salt particles, especially after spending time at the beach.

GoPro Hero 12 Black photos

The Hero 12 Black can still capture 27MP photos with the option to take 24.7MP screen grabs directly from the video. The latter is useful as it allows extracting the perfect moment from the video without losing details, especially for your social media posts.

The camera maintains an excellent dynamic range, although achieving precise focus on a specific object can be challenging. Nevertheless, GoPro photos are designed to offer a wider Field of View (FOV) without compromising details, which most smartphones cannot offer. Images remain sharp and vivid with HDR, and the processor enhances the contrast in darker areas for a dramatic effect.

However, the GoPro Hero 12 Black tends to smooth out the scene in low-light conditions. If you increase the sharpness, the image may appear noisy. In such situations, I believe your smartphone would still deliver better results.

Since GoPro has reintroduced a new user interface (called Easy Controls), users can now easily distinguish between linear view (19-39mm) and wide view (16-34mm). In the time-lapse modes, there are new modes, including light painting, vehicle lights, and star trails. If you switch to the Pro Control mode, you can access old settings and easily access the option to create pre-sets.

GoPro Hero 12 Black videos

Video mode on the latest Hero 12 Black gets loads of optimisation, and the new UI to an extent makes it feel like a high-end camera-focused smartphone. This interface is also easy to understand and GoPro is getting rid of camera jargon, making the Hero 12 Black accessible to even hobbyists. Personally, I prefer the Pro mode better since I have been using GoPro for a while. Plus, it allows more customisations, which have case-by-case uses.

Simply based on the output, there is a marginal jump in the quality, though it is not dramatically different from what the Hero 11 Black offers. That's because the Hero 12 Black uses the same 1/1.9-inch sensor and GP2 processor. That does not mean the video output is poor by any means. Typically, GoPros are known for capturing natural colours -- be it in linear, wide or Hyperview modes. The GP2 processor has been excellent at detecting colours and sharpness. That means, be it a blade of grass or ripples on water, the Hero 12 Black will capture them reliably.

At night, videos can be soft or noisy depending on the amount of light. The stabilisation also falters under low light.

Speaking of stabilisation, the Hero 12 Black features Hypersmooth 6.0 -- GoPro's next iteration of in-built camera stabilisation. It works like butter (under adequate lighting conditions) even when the camera is hand-held. I recommend users to get a GoPro Handler, the company's floating hand grip that can be very useful if you're shooting under water.

I primarily used the camera in auto-boost mode, although it does crop a portion of the background in the wide frame. The support for HDR works quite well, and the stabilisation remains consistent. You can utilise SuperView, GoPro's term for a wider field of view (16mm). Hyperview allows you to capture videos in an 8:7 frame, which can be quite handy if you intend to use different aspect ratios later. It works best when the camera is level and the subject remains centred in the shot.

There are options to record HDR videos at 5.3K (up to 30fps in a 16:9 aspect ratio) and 4K (up to 30fps in 8:7 and 60fps in a 16:9 aspect ratio). For professional creators, the Hero 12 Black features options, including GP-Log encoding with available LUTs.

As mentioned, the new Hero 12 Black focuses on optimisation, and it finally offers some long-awaited features. You can now record videos in vertical format (9:16), which is very useful for Instagram. If you get the Max Lens Mod 2.0, the Hero 12 Black can capture videos at 4K60fps with the widest FOV at 177 degrees.

In case you're wondering how videos look, here is an Instagram Reel I completely shot on the GoPro Hero 12 Black.

GoPro Hero 12 Black battery

GoPro is making tall claims about Hero 12 Black's battery backup. To some extent, these claims are true, but only if you can maintain the ideal temperature of 25 degrees Celsius and a wind speed of 0.6m/sec. In places like Delhi, where the average temperature remains consistently above 30 degrees in August-September, you get roughly 30 minutes of continuous recording at 5.3K60fps (compared to the claimed 70 minutes by GoPro).

With HyperSmooth 6.0 at 1080p30, I was able to record videos for up to 50 minutes at a stretch (compared to the claimed 155 minutes by GoPro). Of course, there's still some juice left if the camera overheats, but the cooling process may take some time.

Overall, this is a decent improvement compared to Hero 11 Black, though GoPro still needs to find an effective solution for managing thermals.

GoPro Hero 12 Black verdict

Despite the same hardware (processor, battery, and camera sensor), the Hero 12 Black remains one of the most powerful action cameras that users can buy. While moderate upgrades generally irk potential customers, the difference of Rs 5,000 between Hero 12 Black and Hero 11 Black makes the former an easy choice to recommend.

I'm pleased to see that GoPro hasn't limited the Hero 12 Black to just professionals and enthusiasts. Thanks to the new interface, the latest GoPro action camera can also be used with ease by hobbyists.

Some noteworthy additions also make the GoPro Hero 12 Black a compelling option, such as support for Bluetooth earbuds for audio and HDR videos. However, continuous recording still needs improvement. This would make GoPro even more versatile for those interested in recording long walks in forests or cities.

Furthermore, the GoPro Quik app will soon be available on desktops. Unfortunately, I couldn't test the Quik app with the GoPro Hero 12 Black, as the company is yet to roll out official support.