However, GoPro has a few tricks here and there that are worth mentioning. As someone who likes to handle color grading in post-production software, the new and improved Log video support is very welcome. I would go so far as to say that this is the best registration profile I have ever seen on an action camera. The Hero 13 Black also has a new slow-motion burst mode that can record 5.3K images at 120 frames per second. However, it does this for just five seconds, so it’s best used in situations like when your child is jumping on a bike or diving into the pool – quick moments when you want to slow down later.
Another big video improvement is support for HDR and hybrid log-gamma (HLG) HDR video. The Hero 12’s HDR support wasn’t great, but HLG HDR is a widely used open source HDR format that offers much better support for displays that don’t have a wide color gamut. The footage also looks much better than the previous version.
I said earlier that the Hero 13 is the same size, which is true on the outside, but internally it is not the case. GoPro has expanded the battery compartment to fit a larger battery that the company claims will last 10 percent longer than the Hero 12’s battery. I found this to be more or less true. When shooting 4K video with the Hero 13, I consistently coaxed it for about an hour and 45 minutes, sometimes over the 1:50 mark if there was more ventilation (e.g. cycling).
The opposite was also true. When shooting through the window of a vehicle, for example, with almost no ventilation, the recording time was reduced to about an hour. I haven’t had a chance to test it in cold climates, but GoPro claims to have improved there as well. Overall, that’s about 15 to 20 minutes longer overall than I usually get with the Hero 12, which is great, but it’s miles behind the new one. DJI Action 5 Prowhich had no problems running for more than 2 hours and 30 minutes in the 4K test. The Hero still has the worst battery life in the action camera market and the new battery, although improved, also means that old batteries won’t work, adding considerable cost for those looking to upgrade.
An interesting battery-related addition to the Hero 13 Black is the new magnetic charging door, which GoPro calls contact. It’s a USB-C pass-through door with a magnetic charger on the outside, allowing you to power the GoPro with an external battery without keeping the door closed. There have been USB-C pass-through doors available through third parties for a while, but this is the only one I know of that is waterproof, meaning that if you forget you have it on and jump into the ocean, you won’t. Don’t fry your GoPro.