Yet another year has passed and a brand-new Gopro is finally here, potentially assisting you in becoming a professional. The GoPro Hero 12 Black has recently been launched worldwide, but I’ve had the pleasure of using it for nearly a week now. GoPro organized a delightful event for some media members in India, where we were able to test the Hero 12 Black in its natural environment. As always, the older Hero 11 Black will still be available in India, but at a reduced price. The new Hero 12 Black is priced at Rs. 45,000 for the basic kit, while the Creators Edition will cost you Rs. 65,000.
While it will take a little longer to write the complete review, I’d like to share my initial impressions of GoPro’s latest action camera.
In terms of hardware, there isn’t much that sets the Gopro Hero 12 Black apart from the Hero 11 Black. The GP2 processor and a 1/1.9-inch image sensor with support for the taller 8:7 aspect ratio remain the same, and many of the features found on the Hero 11 Black are also present. Design-wise, it closely resembles its predecessor, but now features blue specks on the body. The dimensions are identical to the Hero 11 Black, which means that any accessories for the Hero 11 Black will fit the Hero 12 Black without any issues.
GoPro Hero 12 Black has blue specks on its body
The GoPro Hero 12 Black still offers waterproofing up to 10 meters with the need for additional casing. It has a 2.27-inch touch display at the back and a smaller 1.4-inch color non-touch screen at the front. The lens cap is removable and now supports the Max Lens Mod 2.0. Additionally, it has mounting fingers at the bottom, and now has a universal tripod thread mount between the two collapsible feet.
GoPro Hero 12 Black features a tripod thread
On the right side, the Hero 12 Black has the battery flap, which is difficult to open and close. Come on GoPro, I believe we all deserve a better engineered flap by now, don’t you agree? Underneath, you’ll find the USB Type-C port and the microSD card slot.
At the top of the camera, you’ll find the record button and a microphone. There’s a mode button on the left side and another microphone at the bottom with the mounting feet. Similar to the Hero 11 Black, the new GoPro Hero 12 Black also comes with the Enduro battery, which offers extended battery life. However, GoPro now claims that due to more efficient hardware and software optimizations, the new Hero 12 Black can provide up to double the battery life compared to the older model. I will have to test this claim, but during my initial usage, I managed to get approximately 7-8 hours of intermittent recording with a 30-minute continuous video recording in 4K 8:7 mode.
GoPro Hero 12 Black with Max Lens 2.0 Mod
Speaking of video recording, the GoPro Hero 12 Black now introduces an HDR video mode. HDR video is available in resolutions up to 5.3K, but only when shooting in 16:9 mode. In 8:7 aspect ratio, HDR video is limited to 4K at 24fps or 30fps. Slow motion videos can be recorded in up to 2.7K at 240fps. There are various other video recording options to experiment with, including timelapse, night video, and Star Trails, all of which now support 8:7 recording.
I will be extensively testing all of these in the complete review. Photos are captured at a resolution of 27 megapixels, and you can also extract stills with a resolution of 24.7 megapixels from videos. The camera also features a vertical capture mode, support for GP-Log with LUTS, and TimeWarp 3.0.
GoPro Hero 12 Black HDR sample image (Wide 8:7)
In addition to the new HDR video mode, the GoPro Hero 12 Black also includes a highly requested feature that allows you to use any Bluetooth earphone or headphone for audio recording. In my opinion, this is a fantastic addition. You can now connect your AirPods or any Bluetooth headphones and wirelessly record audio. The Hero 12 Black can record audio from both Bluetooth headphones and the internal microphones.
The GoPro Hero 12 Black now incorporates HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization along with the Auto Boost option, which was introduced with the Hero 11 Black. GoPros are renowned for having some of the best stabilization in the industry, and the new Hero 12 Black lives up to that reputation. It retains most of the features of the Hero 11 Black while improving upon them.
I will be spending more time with the GoPro Hero 12 Black and testing out the new features such as HDR video, Bluetooth audio recording, and others. Will it be a worthwhile upgrade over the Hero 11 Black? We will find out in the complete review.
Disclosure: GoPro sponsored the correspondent’s flights and hotel for the trip to Rameshwaram, Tamil Nadu.
