EOS R50vs Hero 12 Black

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS R50 Canon EOS R50 (2023) Starting from £599 new Best for Beginners & family View EOS R50
VS
GoPro Hero 12 Black 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?

Beginners & Family — EOS R50 (2023): Canon's most beginner-friendly RF body — Dual Pixel AF and beautiful colour science in an approachable package.

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.

↓ Full specifications below

EOS R50 (2023)

  • Beginners buying their first interchangeable-lens camera
  • Family photographers who want reliable subject tracking in a compact body
  • R100 buyers who want a step up with better video and subject detection
  • Casual content creators who want a simple, capable RF camera on a budget

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 hero 12 black has the highest resolution at 27mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable; only the hero 12 black is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification EOS R50 (2023)Hero 12 Black (2023)
Price £599 £300
Sensor 24.2MP APS-C CMOS 1/1.9-inch CMOS
Resolution 24.2MP 27.0MP
Video 4K/30p (uncropped 4K/24p), FHD/60p 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, face/eye/subject tracking Fixed focus (wide)
Stabilisation None (no IBIS) HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS)
Burst Rate 12fps mechanical, 15fps electronic 27MP RAW burst
Battery Life ~380 shots (CIPA) ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery)
Weight 375g body only 154g
Dimensions 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm
Weather Sealed No Yes
Viewfinder EVF, 2.36M dots 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display
Screen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display
Mount Canon RF-S / RF 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 USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS
Genre EOS R50Hero 12 Black
Family & Everyday
9.0
Portrait
9.0
Vlogging & Video
9.0
9.0
Street
7.0
Landscape
7.0
Sports & Action
4.0
Adventure & Sports
9.0
Travel
9.0
Underwater
9.0
Cycling & Hiking
9.0
Everyday
7.0
⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS R50 prices → Hero 12 Black prices →

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