Review: GoPro Hero 13 Black

GoPro has a few tricks here and there worth mentioning, though. As someone who likes to handle color grading in postproduction software, the new, improved Log video support is very welcome. I would go so far as to say this is the best Log profile I’ve seen in an action camera. The Hero 13 Black also has a new slow-motion burst mode which can record 5.3K footage at 120 frames per second. It pulls that off for only five seconds, though, so this is best used for situations like your kid going off a jump on their bike or diving in the pool—quick moments you want to slow down later.

Another big video improvement is HDR support and hybrid log-gamma (HLG) HDR video. The Hero 12’s HDR support was not great, but HLG HDR is a widely used open source HDR format that offers much better compatibility with non-wide-color-gamut displays. The footage also looks much better than the previous version.

I said above that the Hero 13 is the same size, which is true on the outside, but internally that’s not the case. GoPro has enlarged the battery compartment to fit a bigger battery that the company claims will last 10 percent longer than the Hero 12’s battery. I found this to be roughly true. Shooting a 4K video with the Hero 13, I consistently coaxed it for about an hour and 45 minutes, sometimes up over the 1:50 mark if there was more ventilation (riding a bike for example).

GoPro Hero 13 Black: Ultra Wide Lens

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

GoPro Hero 13 Black: Macro Lens

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The opposite was also true. Shooting through the window of a vehicle for instance, with almost no ventilation, saw recording time go down to around an hour. I have not had a chance to test it in cold weather, but GoPro claims improvements there too. Overall that’s about 15 to 20 minutes longer across the board than I generally get with the Hero 12, which is great, but it’s well behind the new DJI Action 5 Pro, which had no trouble running well over 2 hours and 30 minutes in the 4K test. The Hero still has the worst battery life in the action camera market and the new battery, while improved, also means your old batteries won’t work, adding a sizable cost to those looking to upgrade.

One interesting battery-related addition to the Hero 13 Black is the new magnetic charge door, which GoPro calls Contacto. It’s a USB-C pass-through door with a magnetic charger on the outside, allowing you to power the GoPro using an external battery without keeping the battery door off. There have long been USB-C pass-through doors available from third-party sellers, but this is the only one I’m aware of that’s waterproof, which means if you forget you have it on and jump in the ocean, you won’t fry your GoPro.