I’ve been using all three lenses for over a year now. At least I was, until I got the Ultra Wide, and then that just sort of stayed on the camera. I only really use my GoPro to shoot looking forward, generally from the handlebars of my bike, so the wider the shot, the better and more immersive the footage becomes, hence my love of the Ultra Wide.
What’s WIRED About the Hero 13
After over 10 years of testing them, I have come to have very low expectations of cameras, and yet, despite that, almost every camera fails what I consider the most basic thing it needs to do: turn on fast. What good is a camera if it’s not recording?
This is near the top of the list of why I love the GoPro. GoPro understands a camera has one job, and if it’s taking time to start up, it’s not doing its job. The Hero 13 turns on fast. I press the button, and very shortly thereafter (about 1.5 seconds), it’s recording. How is this so hard that my Sony (which costs 10x as much) cannot do it? Nor can any other camera I’ve tested (except the DJI Action 5, which is also speedy on the startup). I don’t know, but the GoPro can do it.
The ability to switch lenses is also very WIRED and unmatched in this space. I also happen to like GoPro’s color rendering better than any of its competitors and find that there is less smearing and blurring in fast action shots. Personally, I have always liked GoPro’s “fingered” mounting system, but I know many people are happy that GoPro finally got on the magnetic mounting bandwagon.
What’s TIRED About the Hero 13
The battery. No matter how good the Hero 13 Black’s battery is, it still isn’t enough. Maybe I am asking too much. I mean, the fact that you can get almost an hour of 4K out of a battery this small does seem remarkable. But that’s the worst run time of any action camera. The battery could be better. At least it doesn’t overheat like it used to.
The next issue for some people will be shooting in low light. The thing about the Hero 13’s low-light performance—there isn’t any. Personally, I don’t shoot with an action camera in low light, but if you do, grab the Insta360 Ace Pro 2. Its footage is overly processed and smeary-looking, but at least you can sorta see what’s happening.
If you want more information before you commit to buying a new GoPro Hero 13, be sure to read my full review and have a look at our GoPro buying guide.
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