Hero 12 Blackvs GH7
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?
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.
Video & Documentary — GH7 (2024): The GH7 is the GH series at its peak — phase-detect AF finally arrived, alongside 5.7K/60p open-gate, C4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2, and ProRes RAW. A landmark video camera in the Micro Four Thirds format, and the most complete GH Panasonic has ever built.
Who should buy what
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
GH7 (2024)
- Video professionals who want the best MFT camera ever made
- Documentary and event videographers who need reliable AF and great stabilisation
- Hybrid photographers who want high burst rates and serious video in one body
- GH5/GH6 owners ready for a major upgrade
Quick take: The hero 12 black has the highest resolution at 27mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hero 12 Black (2023) | GH7 (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £1,700 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 25.2MP Live MOS Micro Four Thirds |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 25.2MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 5.7K/60p (open gate), C4K/60p 10-bit 4:2:2, ProRes RAW via HDMI |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | Phase-detect + contrast-detect AF with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 5-axis Dual I.S. 2 (body + lens) |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 75fps (electronic), 14fps (mechanical) |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 535g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 138.4 × 102.3 × 91.6mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | Electronic, 3.68M dots, 0.76× |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.84M dots |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Dual slot: CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | GH7 |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history