Hero 12 Blackvs Z6 II
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.
All-Round Full-Frame Photography — Z6 II (2020): The Z6 II is the Nikon most photographers should buy. It's balanced across every discipline — stills, video, autofocus, weather sealing — without overpaying for megapixels you don't need. The Z-mount glass is superb.
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
Z6 II (2020)
- Nikon DSLR users ready to move to mirrorless
- Photographers who need a reliable all-rounder without specialising
- Video creators wanting 4K/60p in a weather-sealed body
- Enthusiasts who shoot everything from portraits to travel
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) | Z6 II (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 24.5MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW) |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 705g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | Z6 II |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | — |
More comparisons with Hero 12 Black
Camera family history