Hero 12 Blackvs A7R III
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
VS
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
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.
Landscape, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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 III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The a7r iii 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 III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports | — |
More comparisons with Hero 12 Black