Cons
- Low-light performance is quite poor
Editors’ note: This review of the GoPro Hero 13 Black was originally published on Sept. 4, 2024. It has been updated with current pricing and an Editors’ Choice award for 2025.
GoPro Hero 13 Black Review: It’s All in the Accessories
The Macro, Ultra Wide and ND Lens Mods bring extra shooting flexibility. An Anamorphic Lens Mod is also available for more cinematic-looking shots.
More lenses, expanded possibilities
Since the Hero 9 Black, GoPro has sold a Max lens mod, a twist-on ultrawide-angle lens that creates a huge field of view that matches the one from the company’s Hero Max camera. The second-gen version of the Max Lens Mod will work on the Hero 12 Black, but GoPro is adding four more options made for the 13 Black.
Like the Max 2.0 Lens Mod, the Ultra Wide Lens Mod ($100) expands the camera’s field of view up to 177 degrees. With the option to shoot with a 1:1 aspect ratio, it’s the lens you want for capturing expansive landscapes and immersive action.
Then there’s a four-pack of neutral density filters ($90), which can slow the camera’s shutter speeds, letting you create motion blur in bright lighting. You can manually control the shutter speed and exposure when the ND filter is on. There’s also a Macro Lens Mod ($130) that can focus as close as 4.3 inches (11 centimeters). There’s a manual focus ring around the lens, and focus peaking is available, outlining in-focus subjects in a choice of blue, red or yellow.
GoPro also developed an Anamorphic Lens Mod ($150) that gives the camera the widest field of view ever with no circular distortion. The lens lets you shoot with a 21:9 aspect ratio, has in-camera desqueeze for streamlined editing and adds classic anamorphic lens flare and soft corners.
The magnetic latch mount means the camera now has three built-in mounting choices.
Another new accessory that makes setup easier is the magnetic latch mount. GoPro isn’t the first to have a latch system like this, but the addition means you’ve got three ways to mount: you can use either the flip-down fingers, the 1/4-20 tripod threads or the magnetic latch mount. This means you can put the camera on a tripod for studio shots, switch to the built-in fingers for the most secure attachment and then use the magnetic latch mount for those times when you want to quickly switch to different mounts or flip the camera 180 degrees for easy selfies.
There’s one more important new accessory: a battery door. It’s a special battery door, though, with magnetic pogo pins and a USB-C cable that snaps onto it. It’s called Contacto ($100) and, at first, I thought it was just for easy charging. However, it lets you continuously power the camera via its magnetic link — with or without a battery in the camera. The best thing about it is that it’s waterproof to 10 meters. Well, that and it has magnets.
Speaking of batteries, the camera has a new, higher-capacity Enduro battery pack redesigned for improved efficiency. I tested the camera for about 2 hours off and on with a variety of settings, mainly shooting 4K60 video with the camera’s GPS turned on while jet skiing on the Hudson River. When I got done, I still had about 50% of the battery. That’s obviously not full-blown, tested proof, but I’ve used enough GoPro cameras to know it’s better, and even just a few extra minutes can mean the difference between getting a shot or not. GoPro says, on average, the Hero 13 Black has a 13.5% improvement in runtimes compared to older models.
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Enhancements and tweaks aplenty
The rest of the camera updates are smaller but still important. For fans of slow-motion, GoPro added new burst slow-motion settings, letting you shoot at higher resolutions and faster frame rates, up to 400 frames per second, though only at 720p. You can use it for 5.3K120, however.
The tiny GoPro Hero camera should be just enough for people who want a durable, waterproof camera for those times when you don’t want to lose or damage your phone.
The last Hero camera I tested was about a decade ago, and while the basic concept is the same here — a small, simple camera for more casual use — the features and design are vastly improved, as you might expect in 10 years. The updated one is considerably smaller, shoots 4K30 video and has a tiny touchscreen for control, preview and playback. Like GoPro’s other tiny cameras, though, the battery is built in. The Lit version adds LEDs to the front to brighten your close-up shots and can shoot at up to 4K60.
Again, with the Hero 13 Black, there aren’t many shooting option changes, but accessories are a big part of the story here. It’s also the first camera that I thought you might want to invest $100 in a GoPro subscription, which will knock not only $100 off a new camera but also get you up to 50% off accessories at GoPro.com. Accessories have always been a big part of what made GoPro’s cameras so flexible, but for the Hero 13 Black, they really ramp up the versatility.
