Hero 12 Blackvs Sony A9 III
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
VS
Sony
Sony A9 III (2023)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & action professionals
View Sony A9 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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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 A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The hero 12 black has the highest resolution at 27mp; the hero 12 black is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hero 12 Black (2023) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| 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" fully articulating 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 A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | — |
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