EOS Rvs Hero 12 Black
Canon
EOS R (2018)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Entry to full-frame mirrorless & RF lens exploration
View EOS R
VS
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Entry To Full-Frame Mirrorless & Rf Lens Exploration — EOS R (2018): The RF mount's founding camera — 30MP, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, and the proof-of-concept that launched Canon's mirrorless era.
Adventure, Sports & Travel Video — Hero 12 Black (2023): GoPro's best all-round action camera — better battery, 10-bit colour, and HyperSmooth 6.0 make it a genuine step forward.
Who should buy what
EOS R (2018)
- Canon DSLR users wanting to enter the RF ecosystem at the lowest full-frame price
- EF lens collectors who want an affordable RF body to use with the EF-RF adapter
- Photographers stepping up from APS-C who want full-frame quality on a budget
- RF system fans who want a second body without full EOS R6 pricing
Hero 12 Black (2023)
- Action and sports photographers who want the best stabilisation available
- Travellers who need a rugged waterproof camera for any conditions
- Cyclists, surfers, and skiers wanting helmet or handlebar footage
- Hero 11 owners considering an upgrade — notably better battery life
Quick take: The eos r has the highest resolution at 30mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R (2018) | Hero 12 Black (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £799 | £300 |
| Sensor | 30.3MP full-frame CMOS | 1/1.9-inch CMOS |
| Resolution | 30.3MP | 27.0MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (1.7× crop), 1080p/60p | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF — 5655 AF areas, Eye AF | Fixed focus (wide) |
| Stabilisation | None | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) |
| Burst Rate | 8fps continuous (5fps with AF/AE) | 27MP RAW burst |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) |
| Weight | 660g body only | 154g |
| Dimensions | 135.8 × 98.3 × 84.4mm | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.71× magnification | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display |
| Screen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display |
| Mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R | Hero 12 Black |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — |
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