Hero 12 Blackvs Z50
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
VS
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.
Beginner, Travel, Everyday — Z50 (2019): Nikon's Z system at its most accessible.
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
Z50 (2019)
- Nikon DSLR users wanting a lighter mirrorless
- First-time enthusiast camera buyers
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 | Hero 12 Black (2023) | Z50 (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £499 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 20.9MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 4K 30fps (1.5× crop), 1080p 120fps |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | 209-point phase-detect hybrid AF |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | None |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | 300 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 397g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 126.5 × 93.5 × 60.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF 0.68× 2.36M-dot |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.2" downward-tilting touchscreen, 1.04M-dot |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Nikon Z-Mount (DX) |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 4.2, Micro USB, Micro HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | Z50 |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — |
More comparisons with Hero 12 Black
Camera family history