GoPro
HERO13 Black 2024
Best for Professional content creators & adventure filmmakers
£399
new today at Wex Photo Video
Decision tools · Compare
HERO13 Black vs A1
Quick take: The A1 has the highest resolution at 50MP; the HERO13 Black is the most affordable.
Different kinds of camera — their specs aren't comparable, so read the rows as facts, not a contest.
16 specs side by side·16 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Sony
A1 2021
Best for Professional sport, wildlife, portrait & hybrid shooting
£4199
new today at Wex Photo Video
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
HERO13 Black — Professional Content Creators & Adventure Filmmakers: The most capable GoPro ever — interchangeable lenses and GP-Log open up professional possibilities that no previous action camera could touch.
A1 — Professional Sport, Wildlife, Portrait & Hybrid Shooting: 50MP, 30fps, 8K — the Sony A1 is the most complete professional camera ever made.
Who should buy what
HERO13 Black (2024)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional filmmakers who want cinematic action footage with lens choice
- Hero 12 owners who want GP-Log and interchangeable lenses
- Content creators who need the absolute best GoPro available
- Those who want anamorphic or macro lens mods for creative video work
A1 (2021)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional photographers who need resolution and speed without compromise
- Sports and wildlife photographers demanding the absolute fastest Sony
- Studio and fashion photographers who also shoot sport or events
- A9 III or A7R V owners who want a single body that does everything
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | HERO13 BlackGoPro · 2024 | A1Sony · 2021 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £399Best | £4,199 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9" CMOS | 50.1MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 50.1MPBest |
| Video | 5.3K 60fps, 4K 120fps, 10-bit GP-Log | 8K/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (ultra-wide); varies with lens mod | Real-time Tracking, AI subject recognition — 759 phase-detect points |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 (EIS) | IBIS — up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 30fps electronic with full AF/AEBest |
| Battery Life | ~80 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~430 shots (CIPA)Best |
| Weight | 159g (with battery)Best | 737g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification, 240fps |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Fixed lens (12–39 mm-eq f/2.5) | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | 1× microSD (A2 V30) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
HERO13 Black
A1
Travel
5.9/10
5.9/10
Vlogging & Video
7.0/10
—
Filmmaking
4.1/10
7.8/10
Documentary
5.9/10
7.6/10
Landscape
5.2/10
7.6/10
Underwater
4.8/10
—
Portrait
—
8.2/10
Street
—
6.1/10
Wedding & Events
—
7.9/10
Sports & Action
—
8.8/10
Wildlife
—
8.7/10
Casual
—
4.8/10
Food
—
7.4/10
Macro
—
7.3/10
Architecture
—
7.9/10
Astrophotography
—
6.8/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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