Action & 360 cameras
Which GoPro to rent depending on what you are filming
We rent two GoPro, and the question comes up with each reservation: the 11 or the 12? They are so similar that we suspect a trap. There isn't — but the right choice depends entirely on what you're going to shoot.
What both do exactly the same
Let's start with what is not a criterion. On these lines, the two cards carry the same value word for word.
- Sensor — 1/1.9-inch CMOS — 27.6 MP active (5599 × 4927), f/2.5
- Photo — 27.13 Mpx (5568 × 4872) — JPEG and RAW
- Slow motion — 4K at 120 fps / 2.7K at 240 fps
- Waterproofing — Waterproof up to 10 m without housing, 60 m with protective housing
- Battery — Enduro 1720 mAh removable
- Video bit rate — 120 Mb/s
- Memory cards — A2 V30 microSD card at least — GoPro recommends models up to 1 TB
Weight doesn't separate them either. HERO 11: 154 g with battery and mounting brackets. HERO 12: 154 g with battery and mounting brackets, 121 g without battery. In other words: on the raw rendering of a plan, no one will see the difference. It plays out elsewhere.
Filming sports: stabilization
Both stabilize, but not in the same way. On the HERO 11: HyperSmooth 5.0 with horizon lock. On the HERO 12: HyperSmooth 6.0 with locking and 360° horizon leveling. The 360-degree horizon leveling counts as soon as the camera rotates on itself – a helmet on a mountain bike, a binding on a ski, a shot in a rotating hand.
There remains the question that comes up on the forums: GPS and route data. According to DC Rainmaker, the HERO 12 would remove the previous generation's built-in GPS. GoPro does not mention GPS on either of the two official sheets, and we were not able to verify it in a manufacturer's manual: we therefore do not make it a selection criterion. If inlaying speed, altitude or route is essential to your project, write to us before booking.
Filming for networks: the vertical format
The HERO 12 natively accepts vertical. Its image formats: 16:9, 9:16, 4:3 and 8:7. Those of HERO 11: 16:9, 4:3 and 8:7. In detail, the 12 films in 5.3K 8:7 (5312 × 4648) at 30 fps; 5.3K 16:9 (5312 × 2988) at 60 fps — without 5.3K at 4:3, but with 4K and Full HD at 9:16.
Nothing prohibits vertically cropping a shot shot in 8:7 on the HERO 11: that’s what this very high format is for. But you lose definition, and this has to be done during editing. If you publish directly from the phone, the 12 saves you the step.
Conversely, the HERO 11 retains a mode that the 12 has lost. It films in 5.3K 8:7 (5312 × 4648) at 30 fps; 5.3K 16:9 (5312 × 2988) at 60 fps; 5.3K 4:3 (5312 × 3984).
Filming a whole day: battery life and sound
This is the point on which the two sheets diverge the most. GoPro announces the HERO 12 with “up to twice as much autonomy” as the previous generation (press release of September 6, 2023) and publishes durations: 70 min in 5.3K at 60 fps, more than 1 hour 30 minutes in 5.3K at 30 fps, more than 2 hours 30 minutes in Full HD at 30 fps (measurements at 25 °C, wind of 0.6 m/s). GoPro himself figures the comparison in the note of this sheet: the HERO 11 lasts 35 min in 5.3K at 60 fps before thermal cut-off, under the same measurement conditions. The HERO 11 sheet does not publish any autonomy table. Both cameras share the same removable Enduro 1720 mAh battery.
On a wedding, a trail or a day of filming, everything is counted in battery changes — and each change is a shot that you don't film. Bring spare batteries regardless of the model.
Add sound to it. Wireless microphone on HERO 12: Yes — AirPods and other Bluetooth headsets. On HERO 11: Not supported. As soon as there are voices, speeches or an interview, the question is settled.
Calibrate, or shoot multiple cameras
If your images are going through grading, look at the color profiles. HERO 11: 10-bit HEVC — no logarithmic profile. HERO 12: GP-Log with LUT — 8-bit, and 10-bit in 4K and above. A logarithmic profile keeps material in the highlights and shadows; without it, what is burned when shooting is permanently burned.
And if you're shooting with two or more cameras, timecode decides your editing time. HERO 12: Timecode synchronization supported. HERO 11: Not supported. The two are also fixed differently. HERO 11: Integrated folding mounting brackets. HERO 12: Integrated folding mounting brackets and 1/4-20 thread. This thread counts on tripod or pole.
In summary, depending on what you are filming
- Sport, helmet or fixation that pivots: the HERO 12, for 360° horizon leveling — the HERO 11 if budget comes first, the image is the same.
- Vertical video for networks: the HERO 12, which films in 9:16 without cropping.
- Continuous day, speeches, interviews: the HERO 12, for autonomy and the wireless microphone.
- Calibrated or multi-camera montage: HERO 12, for the logarithmic profile and timecode.
- Weekend, vacation, diving: both give the same image — take the one that is available on your dates.
The encrypted detail, line by line, is in our comparison GoPro HERO 11 or HERO 12: which one to rent?. Sheets and availability are here: HERO 11 Black and HERO 12 Black .
In both cases, plan to hold something: it is the battery that limits an action camera, never its sensor. Breakage and theft insurance is included in the rental price of the cameras.