Hero 12 Blackvs A9
GoPro
Hero 12 Black (2023)
Starting from £300 new
Best for Adventure, sports & travel video
View Hero 12 Black
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
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) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £300 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p slow-mo | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (wide) | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (in-camera EIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~70 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem (fingers, adhesive, magnetic) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 12 Black | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Travel | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Everyday | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Portrait | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Hero 12 Black
Camera family history