GoPro - HERO13 Black Ultra Wide Edition
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Based on 1 year's data from Jan 28, 2026 How it works
Liked most:
160
49
"the 8:7 aspect ratio and 5.3k. That gives me much more freedom when reframing shots."
"Nice crisp clear 4K especially if you keep your streams and upload them to YT later."
"reads all plates."
8
2
"When you hold it in the hand, you can tell you have a nice piece of hardware that will be able to withstand everything you can throw at it."
"Shot every day with the 13 for a week in a tropical climate at 180mbps log 10-bit h265 (labs firmware) at the maximum resolution and never once crashed or overheated."
"I’d recommend the GoPro Hero 13 — I used it on a recent trip at the pool and beach, even in the sand, without any worry about damage. ... It’s a rugged camera"
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."
8
0
"the 8:7 aspect ratio and 5.3k. That gives me much more freedom when reframing shots."
"For me the killer features though are 5.3k 8:7 ... Those all help a lot for editing."
"The taller 8:7 sensor (which was noticeable in my wife's scuba diving videos, as now she wasn't accidently cutting out parts of the video where her hands may have been reaching for something)."
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?"
Disliked most:
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?"
1
17
"Every GoPro I have ever used have at some point just snagged for no reason. ... It's great, but it did fail me once for no reason, right before doing a speedriding line which I really wanted to film."
"Missed a super lucky video of my wife with an eagle ray because at that precise moment the 13 decided that the memory card was too slow (it wasn't) and it won't record. ... That happened a few other times this same snorkel session, albeit I didn't miss anything else epic. And then it just fixed itself and I didn't have this issue until the end of the day."
"Well, when ever I try to video anything in 60fps the damn thing overheats and either freezes or turns off."
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
2
"the mic is WAY better"
"The bluetooth mic samples I have heard sound like the same garbage the Hero13 does"
0
1
"Transferring videos to a phone is slow as molasses and overheats the battery"
abekislevitz 1.0Either standard hero13 or hero13 plus ultra wide lens mod is the call for MTB. I do a lot of biking and the results are great on GoPro. Plus you can use GoPro labs and dial in the right exposure and bitrate settings to maximize the quality.
Either standard hero13 or hero13 plus ultra wide lens mod is the call for MTB. I do a lot of biking and the results are great on GoPro. Plus you can use GoPro labs and dial in the right exposure and bitrate settings to maximize the quality.
awrahhal 1.0Anything from GP11 till 13 would do just fine. All are waterproof and in general good action cameras. They are great for shots during daylight and night lapses, but not fantastic for low light shooting. In general 13 would be the best, and with all technology, buying the latest version future proofs your camera. I got a GP11 a couple of years back to go on a snorkelling holiday and i still use it. If you can get your hands on a good priced one then go for it. There will be minor benefits if you get a more modern one but I dont think i can give you a full rundown. Let me know if you have more specific questions
matiss00 1.0Been using the [GoPro HERO13 Ultra Wide](https://x.com/DealHopperHQ/status/1977619571025854496) for a few weeks and it’s honestly great. Super sharp 5.3K video, smooth stabilization, and the ultra wide lens makes every shot look more cinematic. Took it swimming a few times with no issues, so the waterproofing checks out. Battery life could be better, but overall it’s a tough little camera that delivers awesome footage for its size.
00mjn 0.4Another endorsement for GoPro. Have a 13, works great. Red filter needed.
adi_feier 0.4If you use the flat color profile, then GoPro handles the shadows quite ok
I use flat color profile without editing. To me it looks better than the other profiles
AdmirableSir 0.4Basic summary is the X5 is out for obvious reasons (curved lenses don't work great underwater), the Action 5 tends to overdo the "blue" correction and isn't always accurate to the real colors, and sometimes loses sharpness in some scenarios. The AcePro's colors are better, but the highlights tend to be quite soft which removes some of the punch from the image. It also loses sharpness in some scenarios. The GoPro tends to have the most accurate colors and the best overall sharpness in these tests.
For the most part. Same hardware, same lens, same processor. The 13 just has a better battery and updated firmware.
Try for an 11, 12 or 13. Newer the better, yes, but the 11, 12 and 13 are all basically the same camera just with feature improvements. They are the "modern" generation of GoPros, which brings the taller 8:7 sensor, 10 bit color, Log encoding etc, noise reduction control etc.
Alaskanarrowusa 0.4Go 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!
All-Sorts-of-Stuff 0.4Yes, I regularly do night photography with my GoPros - Hero10 through 13, as well as 360 cameras. But I want to stress that your subject needs to also be stationary - it’s not like you can film wildlife with this approach. But if you’re just trying to capture trees or landscapes, depending on how much moon & starlight you have, this might work fine. Can you give more detail about the types of images you want to capture?
That is not correct. You can shoot in 4K 120fps 16:9, or 2.7K 120fps 4:3 on the Hero13
1) is it a Hero13? 2) is it in Standard Lens mode, and not using a Max Lens Mod, etc? 2) is it in Standard profile, and not HDR? 4K 120 fps 16:9 is a selectable option in the product manual and on the list of available video settings on my Hero13s themselves
Correct - the Ultra Wide Lens puts the camera into a different mode, which has different shooting options and resolutions. If you install the standard lens cover (or just manually put the camera into Standard Lens Mode), you'll see the shooting options that are available with the standard lens, which is different from Ultra Wide Lens mode
Yep, no prob - every lens mod has a different set of shooting modes that are optimized for that lens’ distortion / the amount of light it lets through / the processing required / etc
ArnoTheArtist 0.4The GoPro is good for (some type of) underwater videography. For photography is it entirely unsuitable. Even an older Olympus TG is better than a GoPro.
auscadtravel 0.4Go pro. I had the DJI it sucked. Just awful. Spend the money to get good photos. Also make sure to not only focus on the puctures, you miss so much trying to capture an image that you ignore the actual experience. Set the camera down and dive, see the reactions of the wildlife, watch the sun get blocked out when you are surrounded by a school of fish, move with the waves and see what the coral hides, entire eco systems will be missed by you trying to get a good photo. Create experiences and memories, put the camera down and start living.
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