Customer Ratings & Reviews

The GoPro Hero 13 Black makes for some fantastic action shooting. I’ll skip all the unboxing stuff…it’s in a box, and you take it out to use it. Keep in mind that you are going to want a fast and reliable micro SD card to go with the unit. Read up a bit and pick one up before you make your purchase. I found this camera super easy to use right out of the box. I had to run a quick update but otherwise, it was good to go. It does come with a USB charging cable, but not a power brick. The menus and settings were largely intuitive. The first thing I notices was the outstanding image stabilization. You really have to jar this camera to get a bouncy image. The first thing we did was put it on the dash of our truck and run around on bumpy dirt roads for a bit. Then we attached it to the hood of our jeep and went to the creek. I don’t have a waterproof case to put it in yet, but since it is water resistant out of the box, I wasn’t worried about splashing some water on it. Wow…it takes great video. As we crashed through the water, you could see individual droplets with excellent clarity and focus. It’s a lot of fun to play with. The quality of the image and the stabilization made for some great video that doesn’t make you motion sick when you play it back. It has a nice self mode and the voice activation makes it easier to operate when your hands are otherwise occupied. The companion app for my iPhone is excellent and easy to use. The fact that it’s BlueTooth enabled helps with accessories like microphones and such. I’d be lying if I said there isn’t some learning curve, but there are some excellent resources from both GoPro and users online that will make it a lot easier. Do yourself a favor and find a 1 hour tutorial. It’s a life saver. The color accuracy is very nice. Pretty true to what my eye sees. I will say that it isn’t super great in very low light. It’s fine in low light, but very low light, not so much. It’s not a deal breaker, as most cameras struggle in that environment. One of the things GoPro does in their marketing model is offer accessories. In particular, lenses and filter for different tones, shots, and environments. Unlike the previous generation of the GoPro, the 13 Black knows what lens you put on it and automatically optimizes settings so you don’t have to be a photography pro to use the camera. It’s worth noting that this new feature requires you to purchase lenses compatible with the 13 Black. Older lenses won’t fit. On a positive note, this has the same dimensions as the last model, so things like cases, mounts, and sticks are still good to go. I’m happy with the battery life. There is a trade off here to understand. The GoPro is better in cold weather than it’s competitors. Some other cameras won’t even turn on if it gets really cold. The GoPro is likely to be just fine if you mount it to a helmet for a few hours of skiing. The trade off I mentioned, is that it take longer to charge than other cameras. Like 50% longer. It’s a different battery technology as far as I can tell. Not a problem if you plan ahead, but something to understand up front. GoPro also seems to have made good progress on the heat sync front. I haven’t had the camera shut down in no air flow situations like some of the older models. That’s a great upgrade. The only thing I don’t love is the cost of some of the accessories. You can spend a lot of money gearing this thing up if you aren’t careful. Before you pull the trigger on the camera, think about how you intend to use it, and price out the extras you’ll need. If you do a little homework and plan for the accessories, I think you’ll really enjoy this camera. I can’t wait to use it while fishing for Musky this fall in the Northwoods. I highly recommend it for some engaging action content.

I've used GoPro cameras occasionally since their introduction. They are a unique product, not meant to replace your dedicated camera or higher end smartphone camera, but rather, do something those devices can't. Action shots, underwater shots, extreme sports, etc. I have used them on a dog harness. I've also used them for snowboarding or time lapse videos of a thunderstorm where the camera was expected to get very wet. I have had friends take them wakeboarding as well. They are very popular for mountain biking. Lots of different uses. What makes a GoPro useful for those things is its durability, water resistance, small size, the ecosystem of mounts, and the excellent stabilization of the video. GoPro has operated much like the smartphone market the last 10 years. A steady improvement every year or two, yet not a big reason to jump from one to the next. But if you're using an older model, you will see some substantial improvements. For example, over my older GoPro hero 7, with this 13 black I now get a selfie video screen, I get much better stabilization. I get a built in GPS, I get a bigger battery, I get an all in one package, I get a proper tripod mount in addition to the standard GoPro mounting. I get improved video quality and photo quality. I found the unboxing experience to be pleasant due to the simple materials without a lot of plastic. Upon setting up the camera I was told to download the app. The app on my iPhone worked well and I was able to control the camera and if I wanted to, view and download video footage. To do the video/photo download you have to connect the phone to the camera's wifi network, but this was a seamless process. There is also an optional subscription service to upload footage to the cloud. I also found I had to enable the advanced settings on the camera, otherwise I couldn't tweak many of the settings. Once enabled, all the expected controls were there such as video resolution, frame rate, as well as more advanced settings like shutter speed or time lapse intervals. I really appreciate having the built in GPS. If you don't need the action oriented use, there isn't much to be gained with an action camera like a GoPro. However, I'd highly recommend the Hero 13 black to anyone who needs an action camera or who uses an older GoPro but would like to have some improvement to video quality, stabilization, battery life, or who wants some of the other improvements like the built in GPS or selfie screen.

If I could sum this camera up in a few words I would say that it’s a refinement of the hero 12 black. It looks identical to the previous version except for the heat sink that is located under the camera lens. I will elaborate on that later. The menu system is the first thing I noticed. It has been overhauled to be simpler and easier to use. There is an option to give you the full control menu, but I think for most users the easy menu will be what is preferred. It has everything that most shooters will need to access on the go. I appreciate that as the previous menu system I felt could be over whelming to some users. The pictures this camera can shoot are decent. I could see using this when your on vacation instead of pulling out your phone. When reviewing the file size it said it was a 27MP image. Now don’t get your hopes up while the image is clear and has good colors if you zoom in you will still see the image fall apart. But for most people who are looking to capture those special moments on the fly this will work great, especially if sharing on social media. In video mode you have the option to change the aspect ratio. You have 16:9, 9:16, 4:3, and 8:7. In photo mode it appears you are stuck with a 4:3 aspect. I suppose you could crop a 9:16 for social media in post-production, but it would have been nice to have the option to take a 9:16 natively on the camera. The camera comes with two modes for stabilization. HYPERSMOOTH and HYPERSMOOTH AutoBoost. Testing out I couldn’t really tell a difference. They both seemed to work amazingly well. There seemed to be a slight crop in the HYPERSMOOTH AutoBoost Mode. Shaking the camera vigorously the image in the video remains steady and smooth. GoPro has always had the best image stabilization in the industry and this camera lives up to their reputation. One thing that really impressed me was the horizon lock mode. When this is active you can literally turn the camera upside down and the image will remain in the same position. I truly have no idea how they are able to do this. The battery life on the GoPro Hero 13 Black seemed decent, maybe even better than the 12. I used the camera in 4K60 and recorded a 30-minute clip and lost about 40-45%. This is pretty good. The reason I recorded a 30-minute clip was I wanted to see how the camera performed in regard to heat dissipation (overheating.) In the clip I shot in 4K60 for 30 minutes the camera never shut down, but it did get very hot. So hot I couldn’t hold in in my hands for more than a few seconds. Interesting enough the heat sync on the front of the camera was just warm while the body of the camera was almost scolding. I’m not sure it the heat sync does much, but I guess having it can’t hurt. I would never shoot a 4k60 video more than 30 minutes, so the camera passes in my use case. Without making this review to long, I will just say that if you have a version 12 of this camera you might want to wait to upgrade your current camera. I just don’t see much that has changed. There is the new mounting system which was not provided to me so I cannot comment on how that works. If your looking to add a camera to your arsenal, then I say this camera seems solid and I would highly recommend it.

Great camera but it's a little complicated to use right out the box. It has a ton of features and uses. The instructions in the box gives you the basic functions of how to operate the camera. Once you get the hang of it, it also has information on some of the features of the camera. Once you download and pair the camera with the app, you can also control the camera remotely. The camera itself takes great pictures and videos in 4k. It also can take videos in 30fsp and 60fsp in 4k. It did really well taking video in low light. The camera has a feature that creates a highlight of the pictures and videos taken in a day. The camera has a screen in the front for selfie pictures and videos. The camera has additional features once you unlock the "Pro" mode. The back screen has a "touchable" screen to make selections. The camera is also waterproof. Overall, this is a great camera for vloggers and people who like to document their lifestyle in first person. There are a lot of great additions to add to the camera to upgrade its features but of course, at a cost. I would recommend this camera.

In the box: GoPro HERO13 Black Camera 1 curved adhesive mount (suitable for bike helmet) and 1 mounting bracket 1 battery 1 USB cable (C to C) pictorial set of quick setup instructions booklet containing product and safety instructions. Not in the box: User’s Guides or other instructions available online USB wall charger Quick Pros & Cons: Pros: • 5.3K video (30-60 fps), 4K video (60-120 fps), & 2.7K video (120-240 fps) • 24.7 megapixel stills from video • 27.6 megapixel still photos • Exceptional video stabilization • Replaceable lenses (sold separately) • Compatible with (all sold separately): o Media Mod o Volta (Battery Grip, Tripod, & Remote) o HB-Series Lens Mods Cons: • New Enduro Battery (1,900 mAh) only works with GoPro 13 • Difficult to remove memory card without removing battery Setup: • Battery came 40% charged (sufficient for initial software update). • HERO13 added to previously installed GoPro Quik app on iPhone. • Camera required firmware upgrade using GoPro Quik app before first use. Camera Design: Small and rugged is GoPro’s claim to fame and the HERO13 is no exception. Front and rear LED displays offer live color view. The rear LED is touch-enabled to allow quick access to camera settings. The fold-down mounting legs do not require a separate shell. The HERO13 uses a newly designed 1,900 mAh battery that is NOT compatible with older models. GoPro Quik Design: The GoPro Quik app is designed to allow control of the HERO13 using a smartphone. It is easy to setup and use. The app can be used to turn the HERO13 on and off and to control all features of the HERO13, to preview the image on the sensor, to live-stream audio and video, and to upload images to the GoPro cloud (subscription required). The app also has access to all images and photos on your smartphone, your local network, and cellular data. I am not entirely comfortable with default settings. On my iPhone, I was able to restrict access to images, local network, and cellular data. Because the connection between the app and the camera is via WiFi, the contents of the SD card cannot be viewed unless local network access is enabled. Most of the app is designed around managing and editing videos and images using features that are only available with a subscription to the GoPro Premium service. New Features (relative to HERO12): GoPro has developed a new set of HB-Series lenses (all sold separately) that are only compatible with the HERO13. These lenses extend the applications for the HERO13 Burst Slo-Mo lets you capture up to 15 seconds at 400 fps (720p) or 360 fps (900p) or 5 seconds at 120 fps (5.3K). WiFi 6 connectivity enables faster more reliable wireless communication with compatible equipment. Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) 5.3 improves wireless connectivity over Bluetooth. GPS receiver captures location, altitude, and speed. [Note: GPS is available in HERO11 but not in HERO12.] Old (Still Great!) Features: Easy to navigate touch-screen navigation. Wide range of time-lapse, video, and photo formats and aspect ratios. Exceptional image stabilization. Water resistance to 10 meters (33 feet). Compatibility with: • Media Mod • Volta (tripod/battery pack/remote) • Waterproof Dive Case (60 meters [196 feet]) Compatibility with Adobe Lightroom: Lightroom is an integral part of my workflow for still images. Lightroom has a camera profile for HERO13, but no lens profiles yet for the native lens or the new HB-Series lenses. The HERO10 lens profile seemed to work relatively well but under-corrects slightly due to the difference in effective 35mm focal lengths for the two cameras. Lightroom could recognize and process GPS metadata in JPG and GPR (raw) files. Overall: While the base features of the HERO13 remain similar to those of the HERO12, the introduction of the new HB-Series lenses extends the utility of the HERO13 for those who want macro focusing or 21:9 aspect ratio (Anamorphic Lens Mod “coming shortly”). The new battery is a blessing and a curse as it is more capable but only compatible with the HERO13. Compatibility with Media Mod and Volta is a big plus.

I bought a Go Pro 13 while I was on vacation in Las Vegas & I could not figure out how to livestream from it so I went back & asked for help & they pretty much to me you bought it you figure it out on your own.

Okay so let me start by saying, this is the BEST GoPro yet. It checks nearly EVERY box, except ONE. I'll get to that NOW. The camera is for action, and people with an active lifestyle...and it works. However, I think it's time for the one thing it's missing, a 1 inch sensor. Don't get me wrong, this one is very solid. But I still find times in low light, where it lacks quality when compared to other cameras that it competes against. Other than that, it shines bright in nearly every other situation I threw at it. Just for reference, I have several other versions of the Hero black line, and they for sure don't compete with model in camera quality. So YES, it is an upgrade in that reguard. The new hardware is nice touch, not too much of a change. But enough to grab my attention, and probably yours if you are here. The battery life is good, not great. I can use it for long periods of time, but I still think it needs a bigger one. Yes you can plug in and do continuous recording with the camera, but at what cost? I found that I'm on the go a lot, and I don't plug in much. You can use a battery pack, but it's gonna be more things to put in your bag. All in all, the price is fair considering the competition. This camera is great, and I say grab it if you have any of the older models. You will be happy you did.

The protective stickers over the lens and screen surfaces are there to protect those surfaces, but if they are stuck so well that you have to scrape them off with a fingernail or tool, that is too much stickiness. It was mildly annoying to have to do so. The Hero 13 is incompatible with some GoPro accessories for previous models. It is possible that the write-ups have not yet been updated to include the Hero 13. I would expect them to be on top of such things, so I would expect the incompatibilities to remain. Camera with one curved surface mount like you would use to attach the camera to some kind of helmet. I would have preferred a flat surface mount. I guess I will have to buy one now. I think it’s interesting that camera manufacturers (including companies manufacturing cell phones) push ultra high resolution, when oftentimes, people are mostly shooting blurry snapshots. The maximum photo resolution of the Hero 13 is insane. It captures 27 megapixels. For comparison, a 24 megapixel image yields a 6000x4000 pixel image. Again, insane, in a really good way. Note that the 2x zoom is a digital zoom. This means that it does not add any resolution, and no interpolation is performed; the resulting image is merely displayed larger. You’re better off not using the zoom and just cropping the resulting image. It really is the same thing. The maximum video resolution is 5.3k, which is incredible. I have a 75" 4k UHD TV, and displaying a 4k image is already amazing to see. That kind of detail from such a tiny device is truly impressive. If you don’t need that level of detail (and in my experience, most people do not), you can select lower resolution levels. That will save you a lot of memory as well. Note that video is captured at 60 fps (frames per second), so it is also super smooth. The on-screen icons can be swapped for a variety of other actions, so the functions you want to have available quickly are right there.

This is the newest iteration of the GoPro line and it is packed with features. If you are new to the GoPro scene, there are many reasons to invest into this camera, allowing you to capture the moment in the best way possible. Starting off with the setup, it is quite easy to do. There are printed instructions that you cannot miss telling you to update before use, and how to sync with the mobile app. After that, you are all set and ready to record. If you are using a GoPro for the first time, you will find the instructions a bit lacking. On the device itself, it has a touch screen and two buttons. Swipe left and right to select the recording mode, swipe down for settings, and swipe up for the library. For most of the camera settings, there is a small description so that you do not have to remember all the different icons. However if you find the camera controls lacking, you will want to switch to Pro Mode instead of Easy Mode. This allows you to have full control to set everything and even save presets for different shoots. Also keep in mind if you find the GoPro hard to configure because of the tiny screen and such, the mobile app is an excellent substitute. A major benefit of the app is that you can turn on the GoPro from it, and see what is being recorded. Basically through the app, you can control your GoPro remotely and this is extremely useful if you have the camera in a hard to reach spot. As for the media that this is able to capture, it is quite stunning what it is able to do with such a small form. Video stabilization is incredible and there is stunning detail from the 5k videos captured. Low light performance is not the greatest, but in well light conditions which is most of outdoors, it has no trouble capturing all the details. It is, unfortunately, only about 2 hours of battery life so you do have to plan your usage accordingly. For those deciding to upgrade from the previous model, there are a few changes that will be worth it. A slightly larger battery and additional slow motion frame captures and well is more HDR shooting modes can be beneficial in the field. Unfortunately the camera is basically still the same hardware so it does make it harder to recommend an upgrade. Overall, the newest version of the GoPro Hero improves slightly over the previous design. If you are coming from a Hero12, know that you will have to invest in new batteries, but your other accessories should still work. However if this is your first GoPro, then it is worth considering as it does have some newer technology to future proof you a little.

Overall, the GoPro Hero 13 Black is a great action camera with some great features. The design feels premium and tough. There are a few small quirks that pop up here and there, but they’re minor enough that I wouldn’t dock many points. Performance-wise, it’s fast and reliable. The processor handles 4K, even 5.3K footage without an issue, and the improved image stabilization is a nice plus, especially for action shots. I’ve tried it out mountain biking and for some basic underwater shots, and the results have been crisp and steady so far. Battery life is okay. I haven’t had enough time to really stress-test it, but it's not quite as good as I would have liked. I don't have many experiences with action cameras in general, but I was somewhat surprised that at some settings you can't even get 2 hours out of it. Logically makes sense, but not what I was expecting. It stays cool enough to touch even when recording in higher resolutions, it does get warm though. Not really an issue at all. As for noise levels, the internal mics pick up clear audio even in windy conditions. I haven’t felt the need for an external mic yet, which is a good sign. The screen is very responsive, and it’s nice that it stays visible even in brighter outdoor settings. There’s a slight delay sometimes when switching between modes, but nothing major. One odd thing I noticed: occasionally, there’s a bit of lag when swiping through the menu, almost like it’s thinking a bit longer than expected, but it only happens rarely. Build quality is great overall. It feels solid with a water-resistant build that actually feels capable of handling rough environments. My last experience was with a 4 I believe, and I was rather surprised that I didn't actually need an external case to use it underwater.

Some great features but over heats easily just by charging it, downloading photos and filming. Battery doesn’t last that long. It’s very sensitive when it comes to the SD cards.If they are damaged they can cause the camera to completely stop working. The remote on the quick app loses connection frequently.

This the best GoPro I have owned. I have had almost everyone since the six and the removable lens and auto detection of the mid lens is fantastic!

The best purchase I've made, very good quality Five stars

I bought the Hero 13 Black directly from GoPro late last year for an overseas trip (thanks to the airline I wasn't able to go). When I opened the box I was taken aback because the camera requires an update before it's first use (shouldn't these cameras be ready to use once they're purchased?). Customers are advised to use the app or try a manual download. Neither worked for my camera, so I returned it for a refund. I then purchased another Hero 13 Black from another vendor. When I tried to update the camera with the app, it didn't work. Fortunately, I was able to get the update done manually. But it is a troublesome process. A process that, I believe, the customer should not have to do. I recently discovered that GoPro has another update for the Hero 13 Black (version 2.02). This update will allow the camera a anamorphic option that it did not have before. Once again when I used the app to do the update, it did not work. I tried the manual update, and it did not work either. I contacted GoPro and ultimately they offered to exchange my camera for a new one. This new camera will be my THIRD GoPro Hero 13 Black! And the best part is, I never used any of them! All these issues stem from the updates that they issue for the camera. All these problems are an inconvenience for the customer, and they're just plain ridiculous! In the future, I won't be buying anymore GoPro cameras. Their cameras and their reliability have tanked! Ultimately, I do not recommended this product. Buyer beware!