Hero 12 Blackvs KF
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.
Landscape & Outdoor — KF (2022): The Pentax KF is a rare thing — a weather-sealed DSLR with in-body stabilisation and an articulating screen at an accessible price. Video is modest at 1080p/60p, but for outdoor and landscape photographers who prefer optical viewfinders and want real weather sealing, the KF delivers in a format that is increasingly hard to find.
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
KF (2022)
- Outdoor and landscape photographers who want weather sealing at an accessible price
- DSLR users who want IBIS and an articulating screen without switching systems
- Pentax K-mount lens collectors who want a modern body for their glass
- Photographers who prefer the natural feel of an optical viewfinder
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) | KF (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £700 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | SAFOX 13 phase-detect AF with 11 points |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | In-body Shake Reduction (SR II), up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 643g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 131.0 × 101.0 × 76.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | Optical pentamirror, 0.95× magnification, ~100% coverage |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Pentax KF-mount |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | KF |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Casual | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
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