“Can you hit that jump again?” I ask photographer Brooks Curran, who, I’m discovering, is also a very talented mountain biker.
“Yeah, no problem,” he responds, undeterred by how massive these dirt jumps are. The last time he went off the jump, I missed the shot with the GoPro HERO13’s new burst slo-mo feature. That was OK, though, because Brooks could hit these jumps all day long, eager to get the perfect shot.
This fall, I joined GoPro to test the new GoPro HERO13 ($399) in Tennessee’s Great Smoky Mountains for a week of hiking, running, helicopter riding, and, as I recently experienced, experiencing terror in the jump line at the local mountain bike park.
At first glance, the GoPro HERO13 looks the same as every GoPro released in the past 5 years. And not for nothing; the HERO13 even has the same-sized sensor as the HERO12.
But after performing more in-depth testing in Colorado, I have to say that the GoPro HERO13 presents itself as a clear jump-up in quality compared to previous generations of GoPro and other action cameras.
In short: The GoPro HERO13 improves quality overall, thanks to its new lenses. With the Macro Lens and ND filters, the HERO13 ventures into much more cinematic territory than other action cameras. The added motion blur and depth of field effects enabled by the new lenses broaden the capabilities of the GoPro significantly, and allow it to achieve a broader range of video. But, these new benefits come with a few downsides. For a deeper dive on this review, check out my video review above!
Review: GoPro HERO13 In-Depth Testing and Comparison
New for the HERO13, GoPro introduces a number of new features: HLG HDR Video, a burst slo-mo feature that enables slowing footage down as low as 720p 400 fps (although the video quality is subpar at this setting), improved battery with better thermal management, GPS capabilities, magnetic latching system popularized by competitor DJI, a continuous charging accessory, and a Lens Mod auto-detection setting.
In my opinion, aside from the slo-mo (because the slo-mo is pretty cool) there aren’t too many major updates to the inside of the camera. It has the same 8:7 sensor that the HERO12 had, after all.
I’ve said in my Action Camera reviews in the past that we have reached a plateau in action camera development. From one year to the next, it’s getting harder and harder to see differences in these cameras.
I do think there still is a lot of innovation outside of flagship models from large brands like GoPro. For instance, Insta360 is pushing the boundaries of how small an action camera can go. And 360-degree cameras are still improving and offer some very impressive shots. They’re my go-to option for POV footage for vertical video.
Yet, in my testing, GoPro’s new lenses really elevated the picture quality and capabilities over the existing GoPro, extending its use into much more cinematic territory. This is something GoPros have not been able to accomplish until now.
New Lenses: GoPro HERO13 Review
In addition to the camera, GoPro also released ND filters ($70), a Macro Lens ($130), and an Anamorphic Lens. As of October 2024, the Anamorphic Lens hasn’t been released, so I have yet to test that. But the demo footage of that lens looks pretty impressive — as most marketing content from GoPro does.
There’s also a new Ultra Wide Lens Mod, $100, but I’m not a big fan of how that lens performs, especially when compared to 360 cameras like the GoPro MAX. If you want to go really wide, I recommend a 360 camera.
To accommodate all of these lenses, GoPro also introduced a new auto-detect setting. That means if you screw on the Macro Lens, your GoPro will detect it, and adjust its settings on its own. It makes using these lenses much easier. This feature really shines with the ND filters, where your camera will tell you if you have the correct ND filter screwed on, or if you need to step up or down an ND filter.
What is an ND filter, you ask? ND stands for Neutral Density, and what these filters enable videographers to do is reduce the amount of light that enters the camera.
This is helpful for videographers because when shooting in sunny settings or specific lights, lowering the amount of light entering the camera allows you to lower your shutter speed to better align with the fps you are shooting with. This results in a picture that can often give a cinematic motion blur that is pleasing to the eye.
In-Depth Testing: GoPro HERO13 Macro Lens, ND Filters, Burst Slo-Mo
With the new camera, three specific features really shine: the Macro Lens, Burst Slo-Mo, and the aforementioned ND Filters. I tested out all of these features in-depth and shot comparison footage with and without the features enabled.
These are the reasons I think the GoPro HERO13 is worth investing in, even if most of these updates don’t have anything to do with the camera body itself.
Macro Lens
The Macro Lens Mod allows users to get really close-up shots with a subtle “bokeh effect” (the soft blurring of the background so your eye easily focuses on the subject).
The lens has an adjustable dial on top with a flower for up-close shots and a person for far-away shots. Pro tip: I recommend using silver Sharpie on the focus ring so you can tell when the ring is on “flower” or “person.”
In my experience, the “person” setting puts everything in focus, much like how a regular GoPro works. The flower makes things 11cm away in focus. With the lens, GoPro has a focus peaking option that will turn certain parts of the view screen in a color outline that tells the user what is in focus.
Initially, I didn’t find this lens very intuitive to use. It’s hard to tell what is in and out of focus, even with the focus peaking enabled. I even tried this lens synced with the Quik app on my phone to hopefully get a better idea of what was in focus. And, even with my phone’s larger screen, I had a hard time telling what was in focus. Expect some trial and error to find scenarios that work for you.
Even with the user difficulties, I appreciate that this lens achieves depth-of-field on an action camera, something that hasn’t really been available for action camera users. In general, action cameras make everything in focus, which leads to really detailed, but often times, dull imagery.
My favorite uses with this lens were detailed shots of small things and videoing people’s faces up close. I really liked the contrast this lens produced with the background.
I also wanted to see if this could be used for vlogging scenarios — picture a YouTube video of someone talking behind a desk. But it didn’t really work for that. The bokeh effect didn’t take place unless you held the camera right in front of your face, which isn’t my favorite shot.
But interestingly, when I tested this outside, where perhaps there was more flexibility in focus, color, and picture, I was able to appreciate more of a bokeh effect. In my experience, the depth of field was better applied when the subject was in motion or when shooting outside.
Burst Slo-Mo
Burst Slo-Mo was another one of my favorite features on the HERO13. It allows you to shoot much higher fps than the camera typically allows. With this feature, the GoPro only takes a short “burst of a video,” depending on your settings.
At 5.3K120, the highest resolution with this mode, the shot only lasts 5 seconds. At the other settings, it’s 15 seconds long. I loved this setting, as it allowed me to get some really cool slow shots. At the 5.3K setting, it was sometimes difficult to get the timing right, but it wasn’t too bad once I, and my patient mountain biking friend, got the hang of it.
GoPro could already shoot at 2.7K 240 fps with the HERO12, but getting even slower, the burst slo-mo feature allows users to get as low as 400 fps. But note that at 400 fps, you have to shoot at 720p, which can often produce grainy and less detailed imagery. The last setting for burst Slo Mo is 900p and 360fps.
And for comparison, the DJI Osmo Action 5 shoots at its slowest at 1080p and 240fps.
ND Filters: A Must Have
At first, the effect the ND filter applies seems to be quite subtle. But after watching my footage over and over again, I now seriously appreciate how these ND filters change my footage.
The ND filters applied a slight amount of motion blur to my footage, which I thought really elevated the quality and feel of my footage. I found the ND filters work best when shooting any amount of motion, but they really shine when there is a subject in the frame that is steady and the background is moving.
In comparing footage of myself cycling with the GoPro facing my handlebars, with footage of myself cycling with the GoPro held on a selfie stick and pointing at me, the footage pointing at me had a way cooler blur effect and helped give it that cinematic feel. The shot facing my handlebars still had some blur, but it was more subtle.
I think these ND filters help address one issue I’ve had with GoPros basically since its inception. The issue is that GoPros typically make everything in focus, and have an extremely sharp picture.
It’s great for stills from video or photos, but it also makes the video appear too detailed, almost as if it lacks emotion — which is a weird way to describe my POV mountain biking footage. But most films try to elicit some emotion from the viewer.
After a quick search, aftermarket ND filters have existed for GoPro cameras already, but using these required users to manually adjust the exposure and settings in the camera. The HERO13 automatically does this for you with the GoPro ND filters thanks to the nifty auto-detect lens setting.
GoPro HERO13 Review: Drawbacks
After testing this camera for the past month, I’m impressed with the new capabilities it offers. But there are downsides.
I’m a little upset that all of these features are basically add-ons that require purchasing a new GoPro. For example, the HERO13 battery only fits on the HERO13 camera, so if you have a bunch of old batteries, those won’t work here.
Then, the new lenses don’t fit on older cameras. It would be great if GoPro could have designed the lenses to be backward compatible and released some sort of firmware update for the camera for lens detection. I imagine there’s probably a larger design reason for why these lenses don’t fit on the old GoPros, but it really feels like the company is luring you into buying the new HERO13 so you can also use the lenses.
But I get it; the company is trying to sell cameras here.
Should You Buy the GoPro HERO13?
If you can get past the annoying part that these lenses aren’t backward compatible, I think the HERO13 is still an impressive little camera. I wouldn’t exactly recommend buying a new HERO13 unless you plan on also purchasing some lenses, because the HERO12 and 11 shoot plenty good enough.
But, for the HERO13, GoPro managed to seriously up the video quality and breadth of shots someone can get with the release of these lenses. It’s why I like the HERO13 so much more than the 12 and 11, even if the insides of these cameras aren’t that different.
If you would like to learn more about the GoPro HERO13, I recommend checking out my video review included in this article.
