GoPro Hero camera hands-on review: $199 gets you GoPro's tiny 4K action camera
Don't call it the GoPro Hero 13 mini, but it does look and function like a sidekick to this year's flagship GoPro action camera
💸 The GoPro Hero is back and it costs only $199
📹 Shoot 4K60 video, 2.7K60 slo-mo, and 12MP photos
🫨 Hypersmooth stabilization and built-in fingers for mounting
💦 16.5ft waterproof build
🔋 Built-in Enduro battery: 100 mins (4K30) to 155 mins (1080p30) video
The GoPro Hero is about to be one of the most popular vlogging and action cameras of all time, thanks to its magical $200 price. For half of the price of the regular GoPro, it can shoot 4K30 video, 2.7K60 slow-motion, and 12MP photos and that’s it. Heck, you can only record video in 16:9 wide-screen or turn it 90º for 9:16 vertical video for social channels. GoPro is striking at pure simplicity with its latest Hero camera.
It’s also about 2/3 the size and half the weight of a GoPro Hero 13 Black, which makes it easier to strap onto bikes, drones, and more. GoPro hasn’t left out any of its mainline features for its smaller action camera; it has built-in fingers for easy mounting and supports HyperSmooth to keep your footage steady. We only had a few hours to handle the GoPro Hero, but it seems like a great low-price solution for vloggers and capturing action and we can’t wait to get more time with it in our full review.
🤏 Small but not the smallest GoPro. While it’s not as small as GoPro’s previous cube-shaped Hero cameras, its latest iteration is much smaller than a full-sized GoPro camera. The Hero is 35% smaller in volume and has 46% less mass than the GoPro Hero 13 Black it was announced alongside. That’s about the size of five tater tots smashed together.
👌 Easier than easy mode. The GoPro Hero only supports two recording resolutions for video (4K30 or 1080p30) and slow-motion (2.7K60 or 1080p60) plus 12MP photos – and that’s it.
😌 It’s a refreshing reprieve from the overwhelming number of recording settings a regular GoPro gives, including many more resolutions, aspect ratios, frame rates, record time-lapses, and so many options. It’s even more pared down than the easy mode GoPro introduced with the Hero 11 Black.
📱 Go vertical or horizontal. In another move to streamline the Hero camera, it only shoots movies in 16:9 and photos in 4:3. That’s another shift from GoPro’s previous decision to introduce a 8:7 aspect ratio that made converting videos between vertical and horizontal orientation easy.
📺 Full screen preview. The new GoPro Hero also has a bigger touchscreen, letting you see a preview and review your capture. It’s not nearly as big as the rear display on the Hero 13 Black, but it’s noticeably larger than the square screen on previous Hero cameras.
🔋 Enduro battery built-in. The GoPro Hero features a built-in, rechargeable Enduro battery – in fact, the camera is basically built around the battery since it makes up 70% of its volume. GoPro says the battery can last 100 minutes at 4K30 and 155 minutes at 1080p30. Of course, we’re going to put those claims to the test in our full review.
🪶 Leaning down. GoPro Hero is a lean 86g. It’s almost half as light as the 159g GoPro Hero 13 Black. That should make it a much lighter payload to strap onto any remote control cars or drones.
🔩 One-mounting option. Disappointingly, the GoPro Hero only has a pair of built-in fingers for mounting to accessories. Looking at the bottom of the compact action camera, I feel there’s plenty of space to add either or both a ¼-20 and GoPro’s new magnetic mounting solution.
🔍 Standard lenses only. Another disappointing thing about the Hero is it won’t support any of GoPro’s newly announced HB-lenses. It only has a protective Gorilla Glass lens you can replace.
Kevin Lee is The Shortcut’s Creative Director and has no less than three action cameras strapped to him. Follow him on Twitter @baggingspam.