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 A5100
Quick take: The Hero 12 Black has the highest resolution at 27MP; the A5100 is the most affordable; only the Hero 12 Black is weather sealed.
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.
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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.
A5100 — Casual & Travel: The A5100 is one of the smallest APS-C mirrorless cameras ever made. Its 24MP sensor, phase-detect AF, and selfie-friendly flip screen pack remarkable capability into a shirt-pocket-sized body. No EVF or hot shoe limits it for serious use, but as a compact travel camera or beginner's first mirrorless, it punches well above its price on the used market.
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
A5100 (2014)
is the right camera for you if…
- Beginners stepping up from a smartphone
- Compact travel photographers
- Casual vloggers who want APS-C quality
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | Hero 12 BlackGoPro · 2023 | A5100Sony · 2014 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £200Best |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MPBest | 24.3MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | Hybrid phase-detect / contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | No stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burstBest | 6fps |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~400 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 154gBest | 224g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 109.6 × 62.8 × 35.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | YesBest | Not weather sealed |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | No viewfinder |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" flip-up touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Single SD / MemoryStick PRO Duo slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | Micro USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
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
A5100
Sports & Action
9.0/10
4.7/10
Vlogging & Video
9.0/10
5.1/10
Travel
9.0/10
6.7/10
Underwater
9.0/10
—
Casual
9.0/10
5.2/10
Portrait
—
5.4/10
Street
—
7.0/10
Wedding & Events
—
3.5/10
Documentary
—
4.1/10
Landscape
—
5.0/10
Wildlife
—
5.5/10
Food
—
5.9/10
Macro
—
5.2/10
Architecture
—
5.2/10
Astrophotography
—
4.7/10
Fun & simple
—
4.5/10
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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