GoPro - HERO11 Black Mini
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Reddit Reviews:
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
82
3
"Literally bombproof! ... Vermont winters/rain subzero temperatures!"
"the IPX7 rating makes it perfect for wet environments like the shower."
"Mine has been stepped on, played with by my sheep, dropped, rained on, dunked in water, beat on by ducks and geese, you name it. Still works great."
31
5
"I also like the image stabilization software built into them. ... I record on my kayak a lot and it’s nice to not get seasick when viewing my footage."
"It is stacked with features INCLUDING horizon lock and works a dream."
"The most important thing if you're filming video is image stabilization, which gopro is best of class at for non-professionals. ... There's nothing worse than shaky cam footage underwater and it's really good at producing smooth footage even for beginners."
12
0
"I love using GoPro Labs for customizing the functions and controls."
"Gopro Labs which adds features no other action cam even comes close to. ... Those all help a lot for editing."
"Then there's the GoPro Labs firmware which gives you far more filming features, adjustable log, GPS triggers, Motion triggers, audio triggers, and the ability to run scripts when it comes to the filming you want to do (which saves a huge amount of times) then the ability to boost the bitrates even higher. ... Let us know how the Labs firmware on your Ace Pro and DJI Action 4 work! ... Let us know how you manage customize the bit rates they record in. ... Let us know how you manage to customize the onboard denoising. ... Tell us about the custom auto detection zones for motion detection use. ... Tell us how you use GPS action triggers to start and stop recordings based upon speed or even creating a distance based timelapse mode! ... Let us know all about running custom scripts on the camera to perform complex timed captured moments over the course of several days ... Let us know how easy it is to enable a command shell on the camera for scripting via a PC?"
5
2
"For me the killer features though are 5.3k 8:7 ... Those all help a lot for editing."
"purely for image quality gopro is quite ahead of DJI. Higher bitrates, three times the pixels in video for better cropping ability"
"What puts GoPro ahead of other similar cameras is the 5k resolution and Labs firmware which allows the cameras to operate at their full capability."
13
2
"For me the killer features though are 5.3k 8:7 ... Those all help a lot for editing."
"At first I thought it was a gimmick, but actually being able to reframe a shot is more than just liberating: it's actually increased my confidence to record just about anything and reframe later. ... I caught stuff I didn't even know happened at parties, for example. It's amazing. Truly. ... With this thing, I recorded the whole interaction, didn't worry about 'where it was pointed', and reframed afterwards I ended to with footage IMPOSSIBLE to get on an iPhone due to the removed friction."
"Best part is you can always revisit your clips and checkout what you miss, reframe it, and edit how U see it."
Disliked most:
3
17
"GoPro enduro batteries were dying quite fast when it was cold outside (snowboarding at -15 C/ 5F). ... Maybe that’s because of their age, but I didn’t use it that much. ... And 1 of 2 batteries is already swollen."
"Refreshing to see that action camera can actually be reliable and not crash and overheat all the time ... Gopro has always had a lot of overheating issues, corrupt files, crashing issues, super unresponsive UI, and horrible battery life. ... Constantly got those issues with gopro."
"Refreshing to see that action camera can actually be reliable and not crash and overheat all the time ... Gopro has always had a lot of overheating issues, corrupt files, crashing issues, super unresponsive UI, and horrible battery life. ... Constantly got those issues with gopro."
30
73
"If I record for more than 14 minutes it will freeze and battery is already almost dead. This is at night night by the way so temperature isn't high."
"and they also overheat. It could be that I'm in Australia, but I've mounted my Insta in my car to record random stupidity and then find it's off and recorded a minute or two before dying. ... Just Google Insta overheating, and it's an issue they are 100% trying to hide."
"My hero 12 is unusable in Thailand due to overheating issues. ... I’m just sitting here thinking really one decade later they haven’t fixed this thing from overheating?"
30
75
"I literally only got the Action cam because it was supposed to have the best low light but it’s just rubbish on my one, the fur has zero texture, you know?"
"X3 low light is just unusable."
"I have a GoPro 10 and it’s really really shitty in low light."
0
11
"they dont DELETE YOUR FOOTAGE FOR NO REASON ... from the hero -until the 12 black every single one at one point or another simply corrupted/deleted a whole days of videos. ... i will not give GoPro another single $ until they figure out wtf happens where it corrupts/deletes videos. its a useless camera if it cant save a video."
"my last gopro was the hero 8. i still have it but its doesn’t work as it constantly loses footage."
"Turn it on and it records for 5 seconds then shuts off and won't power back on. ... Sometimes it won't turn on at all. ... Only fix is to remove the battery and put it back in. ... Sucks when you're riding and you think it's recording but it's actually not."
0
13
"they dont DELETE YOUR FOOTAGE FOR NO REASON ... from the hero -until the 12 black every single one at one point or another simply corrupted/deleted a whole days of videos. ... i will not give GoPro another single $ until they figure out wtf happens where it corrupts/deletes videos. its a useless camera if it cant save a video."
"GoPro Mini 11 was a broken product. Overheated repeatedly, couldn't run for more than a few minutes."
"Refreshing to see that action camera can actually be reliable and not crash and overheat all the time ... Gopro has always had a lot of overheating issues, corrupt files, crashing issues, super unresponsive UI, and horrible battery life. ... Constantly got those issues with gopro."
Alaskanarrowusa 1.0Go for the 12 Black from the Hero 4. It’s got way better stabilization, longer battery life, and sharper video. If you’re comparing, the 12 is more battery-efficient and handles bright lighting better, which is great for both water and stainless steel surfaces compared to the 11. Yeah, the Hero 13 has slightly better low-light performance, but unless he’s filming at night, it’s not really worth the extra cost really. If you’re getting two GoPros, I’d go for two Hero 12s to keep the video quality consistent. One can be overhead for cooking and the other gets close-ups? or for fishing, one can be chest-mounted while the other is set up for wide shots. [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide and Review](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) would be useful too. But if you want a more budget-friendly option, a Hero 12 + Hero 11 Mini is a good combo—same great video, but the Mini is lighter and easier to mount so he can be creative with it ya know . For accessories, is he editing on his phone or laptop? That might affect which accessories are worth grabbing too but a suction cup or magnet mount for kitchen shots, and a Floaty Case or Waterproof Dome for underwater footage. Tldr: 12 black is the best, get two of them and a floaty case plus suction cup as accessories
I don’t necessarily agree that the latest one would be the best because though the 13 Black is the newest “best” model its upgrades over the 12 and 11 are minimal i.e. slight improvements in HDR/color and uses the same Enduro battery which is already in the 11 and 12. So the best would be to get the 11 Black. But if your budget is still too tight for that you can go for a more compact Hero 11 Mini that keeps the performance up but without the screens. If you’re looking for more then you can try [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) Cheers and sorry for the long long reply!
Go for the 12 Black from the Hero 4. It’s got way better stabilization, longer battery life, and sharper video. If you’re comparing, the 12 is more battery-efficient and handles bright lighting better, which is great for both water and stainless steel surfaces compared to the 11. Yeah, the Hero 13 has slightly better low-light performance, but unless he’s filming at night, it’s not really worth the extra cost really. If you’re getting two GoPros, I’d go for two Hero 12s to keep the video quality consistent. One can be overhead for cooking and the other gets close-ups? or for fishing, one can be chest-mounted while the other is set up for wide shots. [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide and Review](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) would be useful too. But if you want a more budget-friendly option, a Hero 12 + Hero 11 Mini is a good combo—same great video, but the Mini is lighter and easier to mount so he can be creative with it ya know . For accessories, is he editing on his phone or laptop? That might affect which accessories are worth grabbing too but a suction cup or magnet mount for kitchen shots, and a Floaty Case or Waterproof Dome for underwater footage. Tldr: 12 black is the best, get two of them and a floaty case plus suction cup as accessories
Yeah it is overkill. Overkill in both price and features because though they’re great as action cameras, you don’t need the stabilization, high frame rates, and rugged design for your casual travel videos mate. If you really want one, you can get an older GoPro (Hero 9, 10, or 11) if you find a good deal since they still have solid stabilization and decent built-in mics (still relatively heavy when clipped to a cap, and after 30 minutes, you might feel the strain honestly) I’d suggest you check on the Insta360 GO 3, it’s tiny, weighs only 35g, and comes with a magnetic clip that can be attached to a cap more comfortably than a bulky GoPro. Otherwise, you could also check on the DJI Osmo Action 4 or Akaso Brave 7 LE too, all decent prices for your use case. You could try [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide and Review](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) for other options too. Tldr: GoPro overkill, Insta360 more appropriate, can consider getting an older GoPro like the 9,10 or 11 if you can get a good price
I don’t necessarily agree that the latest one would be the best because though the 13 Black is the newest “best” model its upgrades over the 12 and 11 are minimal i.e. slight improvements in HDR/color and uses the same Enduro battery which is already in the 11 and 12. So the best would be to get the 11 Black. But if your budget is still too tight for that you can go for a more compact Hero 11 Mini that keeps the performance up but without the screens. If you’re looking for more then you can try [10 Best Action Cameras to Invest in 2025: Full Guide](https://alaskanarrows.com/10-best-action-cameras-to-invest-in-2025/) Cheers and sorry for the long long reply!
Alone-Kaleidoscope58 1.0I have the go pro hero 11 mini and its been amazing! It does weigh 133g so might be a bit heavy for your use but I cant even notice it on my 5inch
Ashamed_Bag_2522 1.011 Mini should have been the best camera ever. But it will die and stay dead. Removable battery is a feature to not overlook. I won’t buy another GoPro with internal battery. Too many warranty issues with 11 Mini. Reddit search will agree.
Agree. The mini is great… when it works. I had 2 die under warranty and were replaced. Total hassle. It’s all good then one day won’t turn on. Can’t pull the battery to reset when frozen. Skip the mini.
BudgetBiker7 1.0To size down, the only ones I know of are Dji action 2, GoPro 11 mini, GoPro session 4 and 5, insta360 go series (the pill-lookin one). Theres also some from runcam and others but I don’t think they are quite on the same quality level. If you’re doing kitesurfing you’ll probably want something waterproof otherwise you might look into naked GoPros (which is a bit of a rabbit hole) If you’re looking for a freestyle unstabilized action look I’d say Dji action 2. If you want a stabilized cinematic look using gyro flow or something, I’d say hero 11 mini. They can be found on eBay usually for around $200-250 if I remember correctly. Biggest issue with these is that they both have inbuilt batteries that are not replaceable
camthedon 1.0If you don’t care about a display, the GoPro 11 mini is $139 at Best Buy. Great camera but there are some trade offs
C-Randall-T 1.0GoPro Mini 11 was a broken product. Overheated repeatedly, couldn't run for more than a few minutes. Worst $200 I ever spent. My Hero 4 Silver is still running, but has poor resolution in this day and age.
Devertized 1.0My Hero 11 Black Mini's battery can only last \~20 min of footage. I love the video quality but whats the point if it just runs out of battery mid run?
Disher77 1.0DO NOT get an 11 mini for filming ANYTHING either stationary (blog stuff), or in high heat! I LOVE my 11 minis (yes, I have several) but they are not meant to be used as a stationary camera! I use them for FPV drones and they work great. If there isn't air moving over them they WILL overheat in hot climates. Personally, I love my 13. Yes, it's pricy, but it just works. It has built-in GPS, so I can track it if I lose it, and it doesn't overheat... Ever. That, combined with my gopro subscription ($50 year) allows for unlimited cloud storage of GoPro files and $99 "no questions asked" replacement for when I break stuff.
dutcapatrick 1.0From personal experience I can say the following. Any normal version of GoPro will do as a basic camera for selfie shooting. Cameras like GoPro Hero 4K or Hero 11 mini. Great for shooting from a helmet (on the helmet, under the visor or on the side). Regarding the microphone, it is better to use a special helmet-headset with an adapter for internal mounting, for motocross helmets.When you have a microphone in your helmet, you can be heard better and there is less wind noise.
DWin_01 1.0I can share them, but I dunno how helpful they'll be? I've designed them specifically to mount to my bike and its geometry. I don't think it'll help translate to other bikes very well, however if you know fusion360 or another CAD program I'm happy to share those files and you could modify it? They're also camera specific, so the footage above is from a gopro 7 black, but I now run an 11 black that sits on the front of the stem and an 11 mini that's at the rear, it's like a box it sits in but with a lock bar and heat inserts to keep it from flying out, but yeah other cameras wouldn't fit in it. I would worry if I only had the finger clamp bit to lock onto the plastic may break.
I can share them, but I dunno how helpful they'll be? I've designed them specifically to mount to my bike and its geometry. I don't think it'll help translate to other bikes very well, however if you know fusion360 or another CAD program I'm happy to share those files and you could modify it? They're also camera specific, so the footage above is from a gopro 7 black, but I now run an 11 black that sits on the front of the stem and an 11 mini that's at the rear, it's like a box it sits in but with a lock bar and heat inserts to keep it from flying out, but yeah other cameras wouldn't fit in it. I would worry if I only had the finger clamp bit to lock onto the plastic may break.
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