GoPro Hero 13

[Elvandar]

What do you think about the new GoPro now that is out?

As a GoPro 12 possessor I am a bit disappointed, since all the improvement, except maybe the new bigger battery, does not change or improve the underwater use, and the hoped upgrade on the sensor or processor didn't come.
Even the new cooling feature should not matter a lot underwater, since we use the best watercooling avaiable 😁

What do you think? Will you upgrade?

[Davide DB]

Absolutely not. 
I bought the gopro 11 for a specific project and in my spare time I use it to play with the family. I chose Gopro for the third-party accessories. I needed additional underwater batteries.

 

Now, seeing what they did with the new battery, I think I will never buy gopro again in my life.

The new more powerful battery fits perfectly in the old gopro but they reversed the connector to force me to buy new gopro. 

Many years ago, Google's motto was: don't be evil

We know how it ended.

 

 

 

[Davide DB]

Judge by yourself

 

 

 

[bghazzal]

Easier to judge with captures this...

If I trust my subjectivity:

 

Winner: GoPro12

 

Winner: Insta360Ace Pro
 

Winner: DJI Action 4
 

Winner: Insta360 Ace Pro
 

Winner: DJI Action4 Insta360 Ace Pro or GoPro12
 

Hmmm tough one -  Action4 probably has the nicest balance
 

Winner: Insta360 AcePro

hmmm.... fovs are weird, and why is the GoPro 13 so shakey-blurry?

I guess my subjective conclusion would be that  all 4 action cam models perform well in some low-light conditions but suck in others?

"click like and subscribe, and leave your impressions in the comments"

 

😂

Edited September 5 by bghazzal

[Elvandar]

For the low ligth it's clear the rankings, 1st acepro, then dji and last gopro, even the stabilization just stopped working.
The same youtuber made another versus video, but in normal ligth, and there the difference was hard to spot.

I am bound to gopro for now because I got the Inon bayonet mounting system, basically, like you @Davide DB, I am still with them for accessories support, but this month, AOI, should present their bayonet system compatible with AcePro and Dji.

Two of my friend, already bougth the AcePro, and they are just waiting for this accessory, and I am keen to see the result footage too, hoping the transition is seamless, and the different and bigger sensor does not introduce other issue.

Edited September 5 by Elvandar

[Elvandar]

45 minutes ago, Davide DB said:

The new more powerful battery fits perfectly in the old gopro but they reversed the connector to force me to buy new gopro. 

I don't know much about battery, but they also added a pin on it, probably to better control for heat or something, and if this is the case, and this change bring a real improvement in thermal management, it could be justified.

Imagine of they did not reverse it, and people seeing the same external form factor, try to jam a 5 pin battery inside a 4 pin receptacle.

This if they changed it for a good reason, still, there is also the other possibility, where they just added a random pin, to make us pay more for newer, costlier accessories.

At least they kept the same form factor, but I dont know if they will keep it forever, it's since Gopro 9 that they mantain it, while before it lasted less time.
Probably it will be the cost of a new sensor/processor implementation.

[bghazzal]

49 minutes ago, Elvandar said:

I am bound to gopro for now because I got the Inon bayonet mounting system, basically, like you @Davide DB, I am still with them for accessories support, but this month, AOI, should present their bayonet system compatible with AcePro and Dji.

Two of my friend, already bougth the AcePro, and they are just waiting for this accessory, and I am keen to see the result footage too, hoping the transition is seamless, and the different and bigger sensor does not introduce other issue.

 

I think it's out already:

this one is for the DJI
https://www.aoi-uw.com/products/wet-lenses/aoi-qrs-02-mb3-blk.html

and this one's for the AcePro:

https://www.aoi-uw.com/aoi-qrs-02-mb4-blk.html

 

I would go with DJI for underwater video, Ace, while tempting for sensor low light performance, has some serious WB issues, as well as focusing issue due to the sensor IIRC - and DJI seems to be going more interesting directions as a company in general, with the cinecam range etc.

Edited September 5 by bghazzal

[Elvandar]

4 minutes ago, bghazzal said:

and this one's for the AcePro:

https://www.aoi-uw.com/aoi-qrs-02-mb4-blk.html

Thanks! 

I know about the ace pro issue, if I change from GoPro, it will be in some time, probably AcePro 2, Dji 5, and maybe GoPro 14 will be on the table, for now, I am happy 😁

[Davide DB]

In few days we will be overwhelmed by such comparison videos 🌊

 

1" sensor has a minimum focus distance problem yet. IDK if underwater it will be worst. If going full GAS, DJI seems to me the best option for uw use but in the end IMO I think that steady hand/good rigging, good CRI lights and editing are still the best friends for our passion. @PeterN latest video is the proof!

 

[Nikolausz]

I will not upgrade.  I may buy another GP12. There is not much image quality improvement (if any). The new lenses are interesting but not really useful for underwater use. There is still no housing supporting Max Lens Mod. 

The incompatibility issues (battery, new lenses) are very annoying. 

[Elvandar]

 

 

The thermal design and battery duration is for sure improved

[PeterN]

 

8 hours ago, Davide DB said:

in the end IMO I think that steady hand/good rigging, good CRI lights and editing are still the best friends for our passion

 

As Davide pointed out nothing beats good technique, buoyancy and all that good stuff we have all heard or read about before.

 

Technology keeps moving forward at a quick pace.  I began my passion for photography with a film Nikonos then went through all the iterations over the years with equipment (usually expensive too).  Now I use a simple GoPro 11 with a tray and two video lights.  I just posted my most recent video in the "showcase" Forum.  

 

Yes I'll eventually upgrade but I'll use what I have the best way I can until I break it or ....some real good promotional advertising will convince me I just need to have it !!!  Well you probably know what happens next ...

 

.

[PeterN]

A huge omission in my last post was not mentioning the wide angle wet  ens that I now use with the GoPro.  A huge game changer in my opinion.  The Inon wide angle.  More important than the GoPro 12 or 13 or ....

[Elvandar]

8 minutes ago, PeterN said:

A huge omission in my last post was not mentioning the wide angle wet  ens that I now use with the GoPro.  A huge game changer in my opinion.  The Inon wide angle.  More important than the GoPro 12 or 13 or ....

I got 3 of the inon  wet lens, really a good improvement

[ColdDarkDiver]

On 9/5/2024 at 2:20 AM, Davide DB said:

Now, seeing what they did with the new battery, I think I will never buy gopro again in my life.

I don't argue with the annoyance - but the GoPro batteries are so cost effective compared to any other camera batteries, I often just pick up two new ones before each trip. At 40 dollars for 2, it is not worth not having fresh chemistry.  That is US pricing though and I know that different countries get a much larger price tag for many items.  However, Ya... annoying to have to pick up a new charger and batteries, I do agree. 

[Gmsalterego]

I will not upgrade to GP13 of course, nevertheless I will suggest to buy GP12 to my friends. Bye

[Davide DB]

On 9/6/2024 at 11:47 PM, ColdDarkDiver said:

I don't argue with the annoyance - but the GoPro batteries are so cost effective compared to any other camera batteries, I often just pick up two new ones before each trip. At 40 dollars for 2, it is not worth not having fresh chemistry.  That is US pricing though and I know that different countries get a much larger price tag for many items.  However, Ya... annoying to have to pick up a new charger and batteries, I do agree. 

 

Yes, it's true that they are cheap compared to batteries in normal cameras, but anyone who uses gopros has at least 4/5 of them because they don't last at all and they run out even if you just keep them in the action camera.

 

But what bothers me most is this constant meat grinder. For no apparent reason a manufacturer changes the shape of the batteries and poof! In no time at all, hundreds of thousands of batteries (and associated chargers) are to be thrown away. I am not a radical environmentalist but this reminds me of the smartphone charging cable issue in Europe. It seemed impossible for everyone to adapt to USB-C, yet here we are. Then Gopro will explain that there are insurmountable technical reasons in much the same way as Apple whined about its Lightning connector.

A drop in the ocean, sure, but it is precisely this throwaway mentality that is 'our' problem.

I am naive, but I dream of an advertising campaign in which the company boasts that it has not only succeeded in making a 20% more powerful battery, but that it has taken special care in the design so that it is compatible with previous models. 

In 2024, I would expect these to be the values to retain customers.

And yet if Panasonic presents the G9II with the same body as the S5II and the GH7 with the same body as the GH6, they are accused of being in financial crisis if they fail to differentiate their products. 

We really are the problem.

 

 

 

[TimG]

24 minutes ago, Davide DB said:

I am naive, but I dream of an advertising campaign in which the company boasts that it has not only succeeded in making a 20% more powerful battery, but that it has taken special care in the design so that it is compatible with previous models. 

 

In contrast to GoPro, a number of the camera manufacturers (or nearly all of them?) seem to have standardised on batteries which seem to last through generations of cameras. My Nikon D100, 200, 300, 700, 800, Z6 and Z6III all used the same battery format but with some technical changes on their capacity - but all were interchangeable. Even the "pro" series, D5, D6, Z9 use/used a common format. 

 

Totally agree on cables. Is USB-C the new brave hope? My iPhone 12 is the only thing I have left with Lightning. Phew....

Well done EU! 

[Davide DB]

Yes for example the new Canon R5II has new more powerful batteries but still the old ones are compatible. Only the heavier codecs and resolutions are reserved for the new batteries.
 

17 minutes ago, TimG said:

Totally agree on cables. Is USB-C the new brave hope? My iPhone 12 is the only thing I have left with Lightning. Phew....

 

Yes!

 

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/news/en/press-room/20220930IPR41928/long-awaited-common-charger-for-mobile-devices-will-be-a-reality-in-2024

 

[TimG]

"The new law, adopted by plenary on Tuesday with 602 votes in favour, 13 against and 8 abstentions"

 

I wonder who the Thirteen were! 

[Davide DB]

1 hour ago, TimG said:

I wonder who the Thirteen were

 

Guys with the iPhone 12 and Lightning connector 🤣🤣

[hellhole]

there will always be a time where things change...