GoPro launched its latest cameras in early September, which included the tiny HERO, a brand new franchise aimed at less experienced users. I had to wait until now to get my hands on the HERO, and I'm blown away just how cute it is.
The GoPro Hero 13 Black is one of the best action cameras. It has a ton of functions and features that can help elevate your content creation to the next level. It's also well-suited for creative professionals and movie makers (I couldn't help but notice Hero Black cameras being used in the Tour de France: Unchained series).
The dinky HERO has a different approach. It has only a few shooting modes and a compact body that's not only versatile but also less intimidating than the full-size Hero 13 Black. I couldn't help but smile when I first got it out of the box.
It's not the first time the brand launched a reduced-size model. The GoPro Hero 11 Mini was an interesting concept that tried to offer most of the functionality of its larger sibling, the GoPro Hero 11 Black, without cutting too many corners.
GoPro was somewhat pressured to introduce a smaller camera due to the success of competitor models such as the Insta360 Go 3S. People like the simplicity of the Go series' compact form factor, so it made sense to launch a small GoPro.
Sadly, the Hero 11 Mini did suffer from overheating issues, which isn't surprising considering GoPro tried to shove all the functions of the larger version into the little camera. It clearly wasn't the right approach.
So, the brand returned to the drawing board and came up with the concept of the HERO. It's small, for sure, and has limited functionality (compared to the Hero 13 Black) and reduced maximum resolution.
However, it retains what makes GoPros popular: the easy-to-understand menu system, excellent app support, Hypersmooth image stabilisation and rugged build. It's everything a beginner might need. There is no need for broadcasting industry HDR standard HDR setting if you're only shooting content for social media.
I'm yet to take the HERO out into the wild, but I'm super excited about giving it a try. Don't get me wrong; I love using the Hero 13 Black to create content. But the little HERO offers a simple point-and-shoot functionality that can be super handy even if you're the most professional content creator in the world.
Not to mention, it's pretty cheap, as you can see from the prices below.
