Hero 12 Blackvs Sony A7R V
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
VS
Sony
Sony A7R V (2022)
Starting from £3899 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial
View Sony A7R V
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 — Sony A7R V (2022): 61 megapixels and 8-stop IBIS in a weather-sealed body — the reference resolution camera for commercial and landscape professionals.
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
Sony A7R V (2022)
- Commercial and advertising photographers who need 61MP files
- Landscape photographers who want extraordinary detail in large prints
- A7R IV owners upgrading to AI-based autofocus and a better EVF
- Studio photographers who want the highest resolution Sony offers
Quick take: The sony a7r v has the highest resolution at 61mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hero 12 Black (2023) | Sony A7R V (2022) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £3,899 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 61MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 61.0MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 8K/25p, 4K/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | AI subject recognition AF, 693-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 10fps mechanical / 7fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 723g body only |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 131.3 × 96.4 × 82.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.2" multi-angle touchscreen |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | Sony A7R V |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | — | |
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
More comparisons with Hero 12 Black
Camera family history