Hero 12 Blackvs A1

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

GoPro Hero 12 Black GoPro Hero 12 Black (2023) Starting from £300 new Best for Adventure, sports & travel video View Hero 12 Black
VS
Sony A1 Sony A1 (2021) Starting from £5999 new Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting View A1

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 Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting — A1 (2021): 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.

↓ Full specifications below

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

A1 (2021)

  • Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
  • Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
  • Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
  • A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything

Quick take: The a1 has the highest resolution at 50mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Hero 12 Black (2023)A1 (2021)
Price £300 £5,999
Sensor 1/1.9-inch CMOS 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS
Resolution 27.0MP 50.1MP
Video 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p
Autofocus Fixed focus (wide) Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points
Stabilisation HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) IBIS — up to 5.5 stops
Burst Rate 27MP RAW burst 30fps electronic with full AF/AE
Battery Life ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) ~430 shots (CIPA)
Weight 154g 737g (with battery)
Dimensions 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes
Viewfinder 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps
Screen 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen
Mount GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II
Connectivity USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI
Genre Hero 12 BlackA1
Adventure & Sports
9.0
Vlogging & Video
9.0
9.0
Travel
9.0
Underwater
9.0
Cycling & Hiking
9.0
Everyday
7.0
Sports
9.0
Portrait
9.0
Wildlife
9.0
Landscape
9.0
Wedding
9.0
⚡ Compare specs side by side Hero 12 Black prices → A1 prices →

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