By Brady Betzel
Besides the kids going back to school and wishfully thinking that Southern California will be 70 degrees from here on out, it’s starts to look like a gift giving season in the production and post world. GoPro has announced the release of the Hero 12 Black — the same waterproof, pocket-sized camera you have come to love… well, at least I have. I am getting to work on reviewing the new camera, but before that, I wanted to touch on some of the updates that directly affect professional production and post users.
The GoPro Hero 12 Black inherits the same form factor, camera sensor and battery size as its predecessor the Hero 11 Black. What’s improved is mostly under the hood, except for the addition of a 1/4-20 mount thread between the traditional GoPro “finger” mounts. This is a welcome addition to anyone in the field looking to securely mount the camera to a rig.
Important Updates for Pros:
- HDR video (5.3K/4K resolutions)
- GP-Log with downloadable .cube LUTs
- Timecode sync across unlimited Hero 12 Black cameras
- Wireless mic support from Bluetooth devices like AirPods
- Improved HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization
- Vertical capture mode when mounted horizontally
- 2x longer run times
Upcoming Review
The hot topics for my future review will be HDR video and GP-Log with the available Cube LUTs. I am hopeful this is what will really set GoPros apart from competitors and phone-captured footage. Previously, to get a GoPro to look as unsharpened as possible, I would recommend users set sharpening to none or low. Now in addition to lowering the sharpening, increasing the bit rate and shooting in a high resolution, HDR and log-based recording options will hopefully elevate footage to a truly professional level.
In addition to the upgraded Hero 12 Black camera, GoPro is also releasing a highly anticipated follow up to the Max Lens Mod with the Max Lens Mod 2.0. With an increased field of view of 177° usable in 4k, 60fps format, shooting action sports for television and social media will give the viewer the most immersive perspective possible. The GoPro mobile app Quik is being ported over to Windows and MacOS based PCs with MacOS being launched in the fall of 2023 and Windows in 2024.
I can’t wait to test out the HDR and Log capabilities of the GoPro Hero 12 Black to really stretch the dynamic range of this already incredible waterproof camera. Find out more on the GoPro site, and sign up for the subscription service, which not only offers unlimited online storage space, auto-highlight and auto-upload on charging capabilities but also streaming options and easily created shareable links. I use them all the time for my middle son’s baseball games — and if while we are on sports, if you use GameChanger to record your kids’ games, the GoPro Hero 12 Black would be a great way to stream them.
Look for my hands-on review soon!
Brady Betzel is an Emmy-nominated online editor at Margarita Mix in Hollywood, working on shows like Life Below Zero and Uninterrupted: The Shop . He is also a member of the Producers Guild of America. You can email Brady at bradybetzel@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @allbetzroff.
