GoPro
Hero 12 Black 2023
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
£300
list price · used from £150 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
Hero 12 Black vs A1 II
Quick take: The A1 II has the highest resolution at 50MP; the Hero 12 Black is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·16 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 II 2024
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & high-resolution studio work
£5699
new today at Clifton Cameras
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
Hero 12 Black — Adventure, Sports & Travel Video: GoPro's best all-round action camera — better battery, 10-bit colour, and HyperSmooth 6.0 make it a genuine step forward.
A1 II — Professional Sports, Wildlife & High-Resolution Studio Work: The most complete camera ever made — 50MP, 30fps, 8K, and the world's best EVF in a single flagship body.
Who should buy what
Hero 12 Black (2023)
is the right camera for you if…
- 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 II (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional sports and wildlife photographers who need 30fps, 50MP, and the best AF available
- Commercial and advertising photographers who demand 50MP resolution alongside pro video specs
- Photojournalists who need a single body capable of handling every assignment
- Sony system shooters ready to invest in the absolute best
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | Hero 12 BlackGoPro · 2023 | A1 IISony · 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300Best | £5,699 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 50.1MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 8K/30p, 4K/120p 10-bit, S-Log3 |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | AI subject recognition — human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle, aircraft, train |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 8.5-stop IBIS (with in-lens OSS) |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 30fps electronic (with full AF/AE), 10fps mechanicalBest |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~530 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 154gBest | 743g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF 0.9× 9.44M-dot — the highest resolution EVF available |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony E-mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, HDMI full-size |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
Hero 12 Black
A1 II
Sports & Action
9.0/10
9.3/10
Vlogging & Video
9.0/10
6.6/10
Travel
9.0/10
6.6/10
Underwater
9.0/10
—
Casual
9.0/10
5.3/10
Portrait
—
9.0/10
Street
—
6.6/10
Wedding & Events
—
8.7/10
Filmmaking
—
8.2/10
Documentary
—
8.3/10
Landscape
—
8.0/10
Wildlife
—
9.2/10
Food
—
8.5/10
Macro
—
8.1/10
Architecture
—
8.4/10
Astrophotography
—
7.2/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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