Hero 12 Blackvs A7R II
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R II
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, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hero 12 Black (2023) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £799 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 5fps |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony FE (full-frame 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 | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| 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