GoPro announces $649 HERO13 Black

GoPro has announced two new cameras: the top-of-the-line $649 HERO13 Black with its HB-Series lenses, and the smaller, simpler, 4K $349 HERO. 

The Hero13 Black is largely similar to previous models, and is built around the same Type 1/1.9 (6.3 x 5.5mm) CMOS sensor. 

It comes with GoPro's HyperSmooth image stabilisation technology for video and 5.3K/60p video capture. In addition there's also 13x Burst Slo-Mo, which captures up to 400 frames per second at 720p, as well as 5.3K at 120 frames per second and 900p at 360 frames per second.

GoPro says the HERO13 also includes what the company says is a "professional-level" Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) video option, which uses the broadcast-standard 10-bit Rec.2100 colour space to deliver a wider colour gamut.

However, the standout feature of the new action camera is likely to be the three standalone HB-series lenses and a 4-pack of ND filters that have been announced at the same time as the HERO13.

Each lens is automatically detected by the camera to provide optimal settings options based on the lens type and the environment.

The three lenses cover most popular focal lengths, and include a an Ultra Wide ($169.95), a Macro Lens ($219.95) and an Anamorphic Lens ($219.95). A 4-pack of ND filters ($119.95) in ND4, ND8, ND16 and ND32 flavours round out the new offerings. 

GoPro have also included a new 1900mAh battery with the HERO13. The company says it combines a 10% increase in capacity with improved power efficiency to deliver longer runtimes, including 1.5 hours of continuous recording in 5K/30p or 4K/30p modes and over 2.5 hours at 1080/30p. It also comes with faster WiFi 6 Technology, for up to 40% quicker content transfer speeds.

Finally, as you'd expect from GoPro, there's new ways to mount the device too.

New Magnetic Latch ($39.95) and Ball Joint Mounts ($64.95) allow for quick moves between various mounts. They are compatible with all existing GoPro mounts and use a quick dual-latch system to secure the camera. Users can then pinch to release and swap mounts or flip the camera 180° to change up the perspective.

HERO13 Black also allows for the camera to be mounted using built-in mounting fingers for a low-profile mounting option and 1/4-20 mounting threads to be used with tripods and standard professional camera accessories.

In addition to the Black, GoPro also announced the $349.95 HERO, which weighs just 86g, making it 35% less volume and 46% less mass than the HERO13 Black. It's waterproof to 5m, has a touchscreen, and can shoot 4K video, along with the ability to capture 8MB stills using the Quick app. 

As well as including HyperSmooth Video Stabilisation With the Quik App, HERO can record continuously for up to 100 minutes at its highest video setting.

Preorder shipping and global retail on-shelf availability will begin on September 10 for the HERO 13 Black. The HERO is available now. 

You can learn more about the new camera lineup and accessories, at GoPro.com.