Hero 13 Blackvs A7R
GoPro
Hero 13 Black (2024)
Starting from £380 new
Best for Professional content creators & adventure filmmakers
View Hero 13 Black
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Content Creators & Adventure Filmmakers — Hero 13 Black (2024): The most capable GoPro ever — interchangeable lenses and GP-Log open up professional possibilities that no previous action camera could touch.
Studio, Tripod Landscape & Camera History — A7R (2013): The world's first 36MP full-frame mirrorless — a landmark camera that launched the A7R series, despite contrast-detect AF and significant shutter shock limitations.
Who should buy what
Hero 13 Black (2024)
- 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
A7R (2013)
- Collectors and photographers interested in the camera that started the A7R lineage
- Studio photographers who work on a tripod and can manage contrast-detect AF
- Landscape photographers who prioritise resolution over autofocus performance
- Sony FE system users who want a historical body at a very low used price
Quick take: The a7r has the highest resolution at 36mp; the a7r is the most affordable; only the hero 13 black is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Hero 13 Black (2024) | A7R (2013) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £380 | £349 |
| Sensor | 1/1.9-inch CMOS | 36.4MP Full-Frame CMOS (no OLPF) |
| Resolution | 27.0MP | 36.4MP |
| Video | 5.3K/60p, 4K/120p, 2.7K/240p, 1080p/400p slow-mo | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Fixed focus (ultra-wide); varies with lens mod | Contrast-detect AF only (no phase-detect on sensor) |
| Stabilisation | HyperSmooth 6.0 | None |
| Burst Rate | 27MP RAW burst | 4fps |
| Battery Life | ~80 min at 5.3K/30p (Enduro battery) | ~340 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 154g | 465g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 71.8 × 50.8 × 33.6mm | 126.9 × 94.4 × 48.2mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 2.27" rear touchscreen + 1.4" front display | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.71× magnification |
| Screen | 2.27" rear touchscreen; 1.4" front colour display | 3.0" fixed LCD, 1.23M dots (no tilt, no touch) |
| Mount | GoPro mounting ecosystem + magnetic latch system | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | microSD up to 1TB (V30 minimum) | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, GPS | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Hero 13 Black | A7R |
|---|---|---|
| Adventure & Sports | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Underwater | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Cycling & Hiking | — | |
| Professional | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Architecture | — | |
| Sports & Action | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Hero 13 Black
Camera family history