Decision tools · Compare
HERO12 Black vs A6300
Quick take: The HERO12 Black has the highest resolution at 27MP; the HERO12 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
A6300 2016
Best for Travel, street, wildlife & 4K video
£449
list price · used from £240 at eBay
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Verdictwhich should you buy?
HERO12 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.
A6300 — Travel, Street, Wildlife & 4k Video: The camera that proved Sony APS-C was serious — world's fastest AF at launch, uncropped 4K, and 11fps in a compact weather-sealed body.
Who should buy what
HERO12 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
A6300 (2016)
is the right camera for you if…
- Travel and street photographers who want compact weather-sealed performance
- Wildlife photographers who need fast phase-detect AF in a lightweight body
- Content creators who want uncropped 4K in a compact E-mount body
- Sony E-mount users looking for an affordable used body with excellent image quality
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | HERO12 BlackGoPro · 2023 | A6300Sony · 2016 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £349Best | £449 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9" CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MPBest | 24.2MP |
| Video | 5.3K 60fps, 4K 120fps, 10-bit GP-Log | 4K/30p (full pixel readout, no crop), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | 425 phase-detect + 169 contrast-detect AF points — world's fastest at launch (0.05s) |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (EIS) | No stabilisation |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burstBest | 11fps |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~400 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 154g (with battery)Best | 361g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 48.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" tilting LCD, 921k dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Fixed lens (12–39 mm-eq f/2.5) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | 1× microSD (A2 V30) | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | 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
HERO12 Black
A6300
Sports & Action
9.0/10
6.6/10
Vlogging & Video
9.0/10
—
Travel
9.0/10
6.6/10
Underwater
9.0/10
—
Casual
9.0/10
4.1/10
Portrait
—
6.2/10
Street
—
7.0/10
Wedding & Events
—
5.1/10
Filmmaking
—
4.8/10
Documentary
—
5.7/10
Landscape
—
5.4/10
Wildlife
—
7.2/10
Food
—
5.4/10
Macro
—
4.9/10
Architecture
—
5.2/10
Astrophotography
—
4.6/10
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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