GoPro HERO13 Black Creator Edition

While you can purchase the GoPro HERO13 Black on its own, I’ll be reviewing the GoPro HERO13 Black Creator Edition which comes packed with Mods to make it a much more robust and versatile video platform. Let’s take a look at what’s included, each Mod on its own, and then also some other mods you may want to add to make it even better.

Here’s what’s included:
1. HERO13 Black Camera
2. Media Mod
3. Volta
4. Light Mod
5. Enduro Battery
6. Magnetic Latch Mount
7. Curved Adhesive Mount

The Media Mod is the centre of the Creator Edition as it allows you to attach the Light Mod, Volta Battery Grip and provides improved audio recording thanks to the built-in directional mic which comes with a removable foam mic cover that can suppress wind noise from gust up to 20 mph or 32 kph. You'll also find a built-in 3.5mm mic port, HDMI-out for playback on external monitors, plus two cold-shoe mounts for lights, LCD screens or additional mics. The Media Mod is designed for vlogging and live streaming and comes with a removable windscreen, vertical mounting buckle and thumb screw—all for $109.99CAN / $79.99US.

The Volta Camera Battery Grip is a three-in-one device that combines the functionality of a tripod, remote and battery recharger to increase the versatility and ease of use of the HERO13 Black Camera. This premium battery grip provides 5.5 hours of 4K30 recording and thanks to the built-in controls you can easily shoot with one hand, switch modes and turn the camera on and off. With built-in Bluetooth, the Volta can also control the HERO13 Black Camera remotely from up to 98 ft / 30m away for even more flexibility. The Volta works with the Media Mod or directly with the HERO13 Black Camera’s mounting fingers. Recharging the Volta via USB-C takes 2.5 hours with the included USB-C Cable, you also get a thumb screw, lanyard and USB pass-through door so you can use it directly with the HERO10, 11, 12 and 13 Black Cameras. If bought separately the Volta will set you back $164.99CAN / $129.99US

The Light Mod is a compact yet super powerful LED light that affixes to the top of the HERO Media Mod and also works as a standalone light if needed. It is self-powered thanks to a built-in rechargeable battery with up to 6 hours of runtime. There are four levels of brightness, 20, 60 and 125 Lumens with an Overdrive Mode that produces 200 lumens (200 lux @1m). It is built tough with a small compact size and is waterproof to 33ft or 10m. With the Light Mod you also get a light diffuser, 2-finger adapter, and USB-C cable and it retails for $69.99CAN / $49.99US when purchased separately from the Media Mod.

As I previously mentioned there are a lot of new innovative features in the HERO13 Black Camera and since this is what you’ll likely make most of your buying decision based upon, here’s a list summarizing them:

• HB-Series Lenses with Auto-Detect—This is a suite of interchangeable lenses that are automatically detected, and the HERO13 Black adjusts its settings accordingly.
• Contacto Magnetic Door and Power Cable Kit – Magnetic battery connection points on a specially designed side door for HERO13 Black
• 13x Burst Slo-Mo – Captures up to 400 frames per second at HD-quality 720p video, as well as 5.3K at 120 frames per second and 900p at 360 frames per second video.
• Redesigned 10% Larger Capacity, More Power Efficient Enduro Battery – Extends runtimes in all weather conditions.
• Snap and Go Magnetic Latch Mounting – Joins built-in mounting fingers and 1/4-20 mounting threads for three ways to mount HERO13 Black.
• Faster WiFi 6 Technology – For up to 40% quicker content transfer speeds.
• Professional-Level Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR Video – Broadcast-standard 10bit and Rec. 2100 colour space and a wider colour gamut than HDR alone.
• More Customizable Audio Tuning - Choose a balanced true-to-life sound or a Voice setting that enhances vocal clarity, while also preserving ambient background sounds.
• GPS + Performance Stickers - Track speed, path, terrain, altitude and g-force, and help with geotagging in third-party media management apps.
• Plus, more custom preset options, improved QuikCapture and more.

One of the biggest features of the new HERO13 Black is the ability to use interchangeable GoPro lenses to customize the capabilities of your HERO13 Black and make it more versatile than ever. These include a Macro Lens Mod, Ultra Wide Lens Mod, Smart Motion Blur ND Filter 4-pack, and Anamorphic Lens Mod. Each of these lenses is compatible with GoPro's patented HyperSmooth stabilization and is waterproof and scratch-resistant thanks to a hydrophobic coating. The HERO13 Black detects when a lens or filter is attached and automatically adjusts its settings based on your environment so that you are sure to capture the perfect shot every time. (Sadly we did not receive a set of lenses so I can only provide details and specs and not photos or first-hand use of them).

The Ultra Wide Lens Mod retails for $139.99CAN/$99.99US and increases the HERO13 Black field of view to 177° with a 1:1 aspect ratio allowing you to capture more and have the ability to crop your footage to widescreen 16:9 or vertical 9:16. The Macro Lens Mod retails for $179.99CAN/$129.99US allowing you to focus on objects in the distance by bringing then 4x closer than the standard GoPro lens. The built-in variable focus ring lets you manually adjust the focus distance from as close as 11cm/4.3in. The Anamorphic Lens Mod retails for $179.99CAN/$129.99US and provides an ultra wide-angle 21:9 aspect ratio with less distortion than traditional wide-angle perspectives. The Neutral Density or ND Filter 4-Pack retails for $99.99CAN/$69.99US and allows you to create cinematic motion blur with ND4 / ND8 / ND16 / ND32 options. All lenses are sold separately from GoPro and are not included with the HERO13 Black or the Media Mod.

GoPro’s new Enduro Battery included with the HERO13 Black Action Camera is a higher-capacity 1900mAh battery that provides longer run times of up to 2.5 hours at 1080p30 or over 1.5 hours at 4K30 and 5.3K30 in hot and below-freezing temperatures. It is important to note that this new Enduro Battery is not compatible with older GoPros.

If you want even more convenience when charging then the Contacto Magnetic Door and Power Cable Kit which retails for $109.99CAN/$79.99US is a must-have. This power extension accessory magnetically attaches to a specially designed side door that you swap in for the standard side door that comes with the new HERO13 Black. The magnets latch onto the connection points quickly and provide a weatherproof way to connect an external power source and charge your camera.

The new Magnetic Latch Mount is a $34.99CAN/$24.99US upgrade that provides a fast and easy way to way to move your HERO13 Black between various mounts. A built-in quick dual-latch system quickly secures your camera and a simple pinch releases it. Of course, you can still use the built-in mounting fingers to secure your GoPro HERO13 Black or use the 1/4-20 mounting threads with tripods and standard professional camera accessories.

GoPro also has a smaller action camera which is simply called the ‘HERO’ which is aimed at those who want to spend less in exchange for giving up a little of the GoPro HERO13 Black’s performance and features. The GoPro HERO is 35 percent smaller and 46 percent lighter than the HERO13 Black with a built-in battery that is said to run for up to 155 minutes when recording 1080p video at 30fps. On the capture side, it records 4K video at 30fps and 2.7K slow-motion at 60fps.

• HERO13 Black Camera, Enduro Rechargeable Battery, Curved Adhesive Mount, Mounting Buckle + thumb screw and USB-C cable (A microSD card is required, but not included)
• New HERO13 Black accessories like lenses, filters, and magnetic mounts are sold separately.

• Water Proof down to 10m
• Built-in Wireless (Wi-fi)
• Bluetooth Connectivity
• 5.3K Video
• Touch Screen
• RAW Shooting
• 27.0MP - High-Resolution Sensor
• Environmental Sealing
• Timelapse Recording
• 1mm Wide Angle Lens
• Fast 2.80 Lens at Wide
• Fast 2.80 Lens at Tele
• Up to 240fps High-Speed Video
• Selfie & Vlogger Friendly LCD Screen
• Remote control with a smartphone
• High Video bit rate of 100mbps
• Digital video stabilization
• UHS-III Memory Card Support
• USB Charging

It’s undeniable that the new HERO13 Black from GoPro is full of useful features, the most important being the more streamlined user interface and Power Efficient Enduro Battery as everyone will benefit from this new addition. Other features such as the 13x Burst Slo-Mo mode, 40% faster WiFi 6 Technology, Professional-Level Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) HDR Video, More Customizable Audio Tuning, and GPS + Performance Stickers will not appeal to everyone but are still welcome additions and will make life easier for a lot of people depending upon their specific needs. The rest of the new features such as HB-Series Lenses with Auto-Detect, Contacto Magnetic Door and the Snap and Go Magnetic Latch Mounting all require the purchase of accessories. While you can get these as part of a bundle, these accessories come at a price and quickly add up. GoPro is trying to keep the camera prices low (which I appreciate) and they can make additional revenue off the accessories which helps out the average user who may simply want the action camera and nothing else. My point is that the new HERO13 Black is definitely the best GoPro to date, there is no disputing that, but, it is made even better if you invest more money in some of these new features. It would have been nice to see the new magnetic contact charger and door included with the camera as it’s integral to the device and increases its efficiency considerably. Sadly, it’s a $79.99US addition. The story is the same for the lenses as mentioned above but that is more easily understood.

GoPro is looking to increase profits on an action camera that is now ubiquitous and with several competitors in the space that they created it is becoming more and more difficult for them. To date, they’ve had success with their existing subscription option which is a hell of a deal for only $24.99US (previously $49.99US) per year for the premium or $99.99US per year for the premium plus. The premium option provides you with Auto-upload to the cloud from your GoPro, Unlimited Cloud Storage of Your GoPro Footage, 25 GB Cloud Storage of Non-GoPro Footage, Automatic Highlight Videos, Guaranteed Camera Replacement, Up to 50% off Accessories at GoPro.com, $100US Off Your Next GoPro (Limit 1 Per Year) and Live Streaming. If you go for the premium plus subscription you get 500 GB Cloud Storage for Non-GoPro Footage and HyperSmooth Pro® Video Stabilization in addition to all the previously mentioned benefits.

The list of mods and options you can add to your GoPro HERO Black is growing and with the addition of these new accessories, you have more versatility than ever to create the GoPro that works best for you. I applaud GoPro for keeping the camera price the same as the last version at $399US but it would have been nice to see a bump in the sensor as it is the same as the previous version which delivers 27MP multi-aspect 8:7 quality.

Over the years GoPro has introduced some game-changing features to their action cameras, namely,4K quality, ditched the waterproof housing and retractable mounts. While the latest iteration of the GoPro HERO13 Black doesn’t fundamentally change the landscape of action cameras, it does come with a long list of new features that make using it much more versatile and easy. The only downside is that most of these features come with a required outlay of cash.

While the upgrade question is ultimately a personal one, you may be inclined to stick with your HERO12 Black or even 11 if any of these new mods or included features don’t address an immediate need for you. After using the new GoPro HERO13 Black’s features along with some of the new mods, I can say that for me, yes, it is worth the upgrade.

While the GoPro HERO13 Black Creator Edition is much more pricey than buying just the camera itself when you add up the cost of everything you get, you do save about $100CAN over buying the accessories separately. The Media Mod is required to use the Light Mod and has a built-in external mic which increases the overall size of the camera so that it's no longer as pocket-friendly as the GoPro HERO13 Black on its own. While I found the Light Mod to be a very bright and compact lighting system I found my need for it to be limited but it can also be used on its own so if you need a rechargeable light it's still very useful. The Volta Camera Battery Grip is another feature of the Media Mod that while it provides a lot of added functionality, it does increase the overall size of the camera unit. I found the Volta was worth its weight and size as it allowed me to shoot with just one hand, freeing up the other to complete additional tasks—It also relieves any battery anxiety I may have on longer shoots. Overall, the Media Mod is a great upgrade that turns the HERO13 Black into a true media platform but it does increase the price substantially so just be sure that the features simplify your workflow, otherwise, save some money and go with just the HERO13 Black Camera.