Hero 12 Blackvs Lumix S5 IIX
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
Lumix
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
Starting from £2399 new
Best for Professional video, filmmaking & hybrid shooters on L-mount
View Lumix S5 IIX
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.
Professional Video, Filmmaking & Hybrid Shooters On L-Mount — Lumix S5 IIX (2023): The S5 II with ProRes RAW and 6K Open Gate — the most serious L-mount video tool in a portable, weather-sealed body.
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
Lumix S5 IIX (2023)
- Video professionals who need ProRes RAW output and 6K Open Gate in a portable L-mount body
- L-mount filmmakers who want USB power for extended recording without battery changes
- Hybrid shooters who need both 24MP stills quality and professional video specs in one camera
- S5 II users who specifically need ProRes RAW support for their post-production workflow
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) | Lumix S5 IIX (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £2,399 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 6K/30p Open Gate, 4K/60p 10-bit, ProRes RAW via HDMI — V-Log, LUT support |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | Phase-hybrid AF — improved over S5 with subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 6.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 9fps mechanical, 30fps electronic (6MP crop) |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~370 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 740g body only |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 134.3 × 102.3 × 90.1mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | OLED EVF, 3.68M-dot, 0.78× |
| 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) | L-mount (Leica/Panasonic/Sigma) |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB-C with power delivery, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks, HDMI full-size |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | Lumix S5 IIX |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Sports | — | |
| Street | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Hero 12 Black
Camera family history