GoPro Hero 13 Black Review: It’s All About the Kit

GoPro’s new action camera for 2024 is here to make your content creation journey better. The

Top to bottom: Standard lens, Ultrawide lens, Macro lens

 

GoPro Hero 13 Black Lenses: Makes the camera versatile

• Ultra-wide Lens – 1:1 aspect ratio, 177-degree FoV, up to 4K60
• Macro Lens – Variable focus with built-in lens ring, minimum focus of 11cm
• ND Filters – ND4 / ND8 / ND16 / ND32
• Anamorphic Lens – 21:9 aspect ratio, In-camera de-squeeze

GoPro has slowly been adding new lens options over the years. After the Max Mod lenses, this is the first time that the action camera gets new lenses. You could even call them the biggest upgrades this year, but not because they cost extra money. However, they do make the camera versatile. You can get close-up shots, cinematic blur, and a 1:1 aspect ratio with the lenses. They also feature auto-detection, which means that the Hero 13 Black will set the best settings as soon as you attach a lens.

The auto lens detection and new lenses only work on the GoPro Hero 13 Black

 

First, the new Ultra Wide lens has the same FoV (177 degrees) as the Max Mod 2.0 from last year but now enables a new 1:1 aspect ratio. The new aspect ratio is great for those who don’t want to take multiple shots for different social media. This is the best lens for action sports, but you can’t record ultra-slow-motion videos with this lens.

Second, the new Macro lens changes the core experience of the GoPro action camera. The GoPro was never really made for shooting vlogs or close-up shots in focus. However, you can now do so with the Macro lens mod. You also get an adjustable focus ring and focus peaking. Although the Macro lens has a minimum focus distance of 11cm, which isn’t super close, it’s great for an action camera. I had a lot of fun shooting close-ups of objects with this lens. Once again, the results are best when you shoot during daylight.

The anamorphic lens will be out in 2025

 

Third, there’s a set of ND filters (4,8,16, and 32), which lets you achieve cinematic motion blur when shooting action shots. The filters also help cut out the harsh lighting, and the camera will auto-detect which filter you’ve attached and tell you if you need to go a step higher or lower. Shooting with the ND filters gave my riding videos a cinematic feel thanks to the motion blur.

Lastly, the Anamorphic lens, which got a lot of ‘awes’ at the launch event, will give you a nice 21:9 cinematic field of view. The GoPro will also automatically de-squeeze the footage, so you don’t have to do it later. Unfortunately, this lens will only come in 2025, and I didn’t get to try it out.

GoPro Hero 13 Black Battery life: Slightly better

• Capacity – 1,900mAh

Alright, let’s talk about battery life. GoPro now includes a new battery on the Hero 13 Black, and that’s both good and bad. It’s good because you now get longer battery life from the camera, and bad because it’s not compatible with any of the previous GoPro’s and vice versa.

The Hero 13 Black gets a new 1,900mAh battery

 

There is a noticeable improvement in battery life with the new Enduro battery, but it’s not as much as GoPro claims. I managed to get 37 mins of continuous recording (while stationary) at 4K resolution (8:7, 60fps) before the GoPro shut off due to overheating. It did last longer on a motorcycle ride, about 50 minutes, thanks to the airflow. 

GoPro Hero 13 Black Verdict

The new GoPro Hero 13 Black on its own isn’t a big upgrade over the Hero 12 Black, so if you own the 12, you probably don’t need to get the new one. However, the new one does bring a lot of versatility to the quintessential action camera. Then there’s the magnetic mounting system and the slightly better battery life. The new GoPro is a great choice if you’re buying an action camera that you’ll use mainly during the day. It’s also a good choice if you plan on getting the lens attachments and doing more with your action camera. If it’s lowlight performance you’re looking for, then look elsewhere.