Hero 12 Blackvs A6000
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
Sony
A6000 (2014)
Starting from £249 new
Best for Entry-level mirrorless & budget E-mount
View A6000
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.
Entry-Level Mirrorless & Budget E-Mount — A6000 (2014): The Sony that started a generation of E-mount loyalty — 11fps, 24MP, and 179 phase-detect points in a compact body that remained excellent value for nearly a decade.
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
A6000 (2014)
- First-time mirrorless buyers who want a capable, proven body at the lowest price
- Sony E-mount users who want a compact backup or second body
- Parents and travellers who want good image quality without a large camera
- Anyone curious about APS-C mirrorless who wants to try the system affordably
Quick take: The hero 12 black has the highest resolution at 27mp; the a6000 is the most affordable; only the hero 12 black is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hero 12 Black (2023) | A6000 (2014) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £249 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 24.3MP APS-C Exmor APS HD CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 24.3MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | 179 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | None |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~360 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 344g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 119.9 × 66.9 × 45.1mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, OLED 1.44M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" tilting LCD, 921k dots (no touch) |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | A6000 |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| 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