Hero 12 Blackvs A7 V
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
VS
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.
Portrait, Wedding, Travel, Video — A7 V (2024): The definitive full-frame mirrorless. Hard to argue for anything else at this price.
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
A7 V (2024)
- A7 III or A7 IV owners ready for a meaningful upgrade
- Photographers who want one camera to cover everything
Quick take: The a7 v has the highest resolution at 33mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hero 12 Black (2023) | A7 V (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £2,799 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | Full-frame BSI-CMOS 35mm, partially stacked |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 33.0MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 4K 60fps 10-bit |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition (human, animal, bird, insect, vehicle) |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 8.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 10fps mechanical, 20fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | 760 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 514g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 70.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF 0.90× 9.44M-dot |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.44M-dot |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony E-Mount |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | 2× SD UHS-II / CFexpress Type A |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth 5.3, USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | A7 V |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — |
More comparisons with Hero 12 Black
Camera family history