GoPro Hero 13 Black review: a refined flagship pinch enviable accessories
Another refined GoPro offering still lacking 8K, but nan caller Lens Mods creation is simply a win
For
- Superb caller auto-detected Lens Mods
- Improved artillery life and power dissipation
- Excellent-quality 5.3K video
- Decent Quik app for speedy edits
Against
- Sensor and video solution unchanged from predecessor
- Low-light image value not nan best
- Processing clip needed for slow-mo videos
- Additional costs of Lens Mods adds up
DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro review: a earnestly feature-packed action camera
A pro-friendly Hero 13 Black rival pinch clear 4K video, fantabulous build value and superb artillery life
For
- Good move scope and detail
- Dual OLED screens
- Waterproof to 20m without case
- Long artillery life
- Works superbly pinch DJI Mic 2
Against
- No 5.3K+ video option
- SuperNight mode is simply okay
Insta360 Ace Pro 2 review: a rounded upgrade
Much improved 4K video to lucifer rivals, positive unsocial flip screen, but 8K is gimmicky
For
- Excellent all-round video
- Good low-light image quality
- Impressive audio from built-in mics
- Works slickly pinch Insta360 mobile app
Against
- No built-in storage
- Flip surface mightiness not entreaty to some
- 8K signaling comes pinch tons of caveats
When Insta360 launched nan Ace Pro 2, it was clear that nan bid had travel of age, pinch nan caller exemplary fresh to situation nan Hero 13 Black and Osmo Action 5 Pro. We now person 3 highly tin action cameras from 3 large names: GoPro, DJI, and Insta360. But which 1 is nan best action camera?
Truth is, each camera is amended than immoderate different exemplary that has antecedently existed, and each exemplary will service you good capturing your adventures successful stunning clarity, ably supported by image stabilization for soft footage. However, each camera has its ain return connected nan format and chopped advantages complete nan others successful definite areas; truthful alternatively than reside which 1 is champion overall, which is simply a near-impossible task, nan much useful mobility that we'll purpose to reply is: which 1 is nan champion for me?
This three-way versus portion highlights nan cardinal differences betwixt these 4.5 star-rated cameras, and their communal features. Hopefully, erstwhile you've publication it you should person a amended thought of which camera is champion for your peculiar demands.
1. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 vs GoPro Hero 13 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: value and availability
- Insta360 Ace Pro 2 from $399.99 / £389.99 / AU$689.99
- Hero 13 Black from $399.99 /£399.99 /AU$649.95
- Osmo Action 5 Pro from $349 /£329 /AU$599
All 3 cameras are caller astatine nan clip of writing, and truthful location are nary existent discounts to speak of yet. The GoPro Hero 13 Black came first connected September 4 and deed nan shelves later that month, costing $399.99 /£399.99 /AU$649.95 for nan modular bundle. The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro followed 2 weeks later connected September 19, and undercut GoPro pinch a little asking value of $349 /£329 /AU$599 for a modular bundle. Then came nan Insta360 Ace Pro 2 connected October 22, astatine virtually nan aforesaid value arsenic nan Hero 13 Black (unless you unrecorded successful Australia wherever it's pricier), costing $399.99 / £389.99 / AU$689.99.
DJI wins connected value outright. However, location are variations successful value erstwhile you commencement considering nan bundles connected connection pinch further accessories, and galore group will want to see 1 of these depending connected what they scheme to usage their camera for. It's surely worthy checking retired what accessories are available, and really overmuch they adhd to nan cost. For example, GoPro's 'Accessories' bundle costs astir nan aforesaid arsenic DJI's Adventure Combo, pinch nan 2 priced astatine $449 / £449.99 / AU$729.95 and $449 / £409 / AU$769 respectively.
- Price winner: DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro
2. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 vs GoPro Hero 13 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: creation and displays
- Ace Pro 2: Flip up 2.5-inch rear touchscreen
- Hero 13 Black: copy LCD screens, only nan 2.27-inch main surface is touch sensitive
- Osmo Action 5 Pro: copy OLED screens, some touch sensitive, 2.5-inch main screen
Insta360 takes a unsocial attack to surface creation successful that its Ace Pro 2 is nan only camera present pinch a flip up rear touchscreen. At 2.5-inches it's nan largest show too. There's besides a mini beforehand LCD, but that's for menus only and doesn't show your changeable for selfies.
GoPro and DJI connected nan different manus utilize a beforehand and rear show dual-screen arrangement. DJI has nan precocious manus complete GoPro here: its Osmo Action 5 Pro has cutting-edge dual OLED touchscreens, while nan Hero 13 Black has simpler dual LCDs, and only nan rear surface is touch sensitive. The Osmo Action 5 Pro rear surface is larger than Hero 13 Black's too, astatine 2.5-inches to 2.27-inches.
Both DJI and GoPro screens offers a akin brightness level, but wide DJI's screens are amended than GoPro's. Against Insta360, who comes retired connected top? Well, location are chopped advantages to Ace Pro 2's flip up screen: you get nan largest selfie show for easier viewing, positive nan surface tin remainder astatine immoderate perspective wrong its 180-degree range. That intends you tin tilt it up 90-degrees for easier viewing astatine debased angles – it'll travel successful useful a lot, spot us. One business it's adjuvant is erstwhile mounted to a motorcycle – you tin easy spot nan surface from your saddle.
It's not a 1 measurement thoroughfare though. For selfies you request to return that other measurement of flipping up nan surface up, whereas nan Osmo Action 5 Pro's fixed selfie surface is ever there, moreover if it is smaller. There's besides nan effect connected creation and durability overall. Action cameras are apt to return plentifulness of knocks, and nan further mechanisms successful nan flip up surface could beryllium to beryllium a constituent of weakness that nan GoPro and DJI models don't have. (We haven't surgery an Ace Pro-series surface yet.)
The Ace Pro 2 is besides a small larger than its rivals, and that's nary uncertainty owed successful portion to its surface design. Which surface is best? It depends connected your usage, but nan Ace Pro 2's is nan astir versatile.
- Design and displays winner: Insta360 Ace Pro 2
3. Insta360 Ace Pro 2 vs GoPro Hero 13 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: creation and accessories
- Ace Pro 2: 39ft / 12m waterproofing, physically larger, integrated upwind guard
- Hero 13 Black: 33ft / 10m waterproofing, HB-series of lenses and filters, 3 ways to mount
- Osmo Action 5 Pro: 66ft / 20m waterproofing, easy bluetooth mic connectivity, 47GB soul storage
GoPro action cameras person been astir nan longest and bask nan widest scope of accessories, and dedicated accessories are what you'll apt request to unafraid your camera for capturing nan action. The Hero 13 Black besides gained a caller HB-series of lenses and ND filters, which takes it connected an breathtaking path.
At nan Hero 13 Black launch, GoPro besides announced a macro lens pinch attraction ring, an ultra wide lens (essentially nan aforesaid arsenic nan erstwhile Max Mod for nan Hero 12 Black), a 4 group of ND filters, positive an anamorphic lens that's owed successful 2025.
What's champion of each is that these lens mods and filters are car detected by nan Hero 13 Black, which will automatically optimize camera settings accordingly – easy peasy. The Macro lens mod is particularly useful for vlogging because it gives you a 4x shorter adjacent attraction distance, whereas nan 40cm (approx) adjacent focusing region of each nan cameras, Hero 13 Black included, tin make vlogging a challenge.
All cameras person removable lens protectors, magnetic mounting arsenic good arsenic screw-on mounting, positive a durable build quality. The Osmo Action 5 Pro boasts nan champion waterproofing positive a built-in extent gauge, though location are besides underwater cases disposable to further amended nan waterproofing for superior divers – GoPro has an optional 60m impervious underwater case.
Each camera besides offers bluetooth connectivity to accessories specified arsenic wireless mics. However, if you usage immoderate of DJI's wireless mics pinch nan Osmo Action 5 Pro, specified arsenic nan Mic 2, nan acquisition feels a batch slicker and streamlined than connecting pinch 3rd statement mics which is nan acquisition of nan different 2 cameras.
The Osmo Action 5 Pro is nan only camera to connection soul storage, to nan tune of 47GB. It different records onto micro SD, for illustration nan different cameras.
- Design winner: GoPro Hero 13 Black
4. Ace Pro 2 vs GoPro Hero 13 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: sensor and image quality
- Ace Pro 2: 1/1.3-inch sensor, constricted 8K video, 4K 60fps, up to 50MP photos
- Hero 13 Black: 1/1.9-inch multi-aspect sensor, 27MP photos, 5.3K video
- Osmo Action 5 Pro: 1/1.3-inch sensor, up to 40MP photos, 4K video
Insta360 and DJI spell toe-to-toe successful their sensor specs. Both are 1/1.3-inch, being larger than nan GoPro's, pinch 50MP and 40MP stills respectively. We've changeable nighttime footage broadside by broadside pinch nan 2 cameras, which you tin spot above, and nan value is beautiful similar, being streets up of GoPro.
Both Insta360 and DJI besides declare up to 13.5 stops of move range. Presumably that's successful nan optimized video modes; of which nan Ace Pro 2 offers a dedicated HDR mode and PureVideo (night) mode, some astatine 4K / 60fps.
The Ace Pro 2 is besides nan only camera present pinch 8K video. However, it comes pinch galore limitations: nan section of position is smaller, it doesn't support nan camera's champion image stabilization, nor tin you sprout pinch nan caller I-Log colour profile. We can't sound Insta360 for including it particularly fixed nan different cameras don't person it, but don't put your hopes successful nan Ace Pro 2's 8K footage.
GoPro's Hero 13 Black is nan only camera to connection 5.3K video, together pinch HDR and HLG modes to destruct blown highlights successful agleam clouds. It's 8:7 facet 1/1.9-inch sensor is bully for mixing up shooting horizontal, quadrate and vertical footage, while its 27MP stills are decent.
When shooting successful agleam light, nan cameras are evenly matched and it comes down to sensation really, pinch nan Hero 13 Black arguably having nan edge, while successful debased ray nan Ace Pro 2 and Osmo Action 5 Pro transcend nan GoPro exemplary and are evenly matched.
- Sensor and image value winner: Tie
5. Ace Pro 2 vs GoPro Hero 13 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: artillery life
- Ace Pro 2: 1800mAh artillery pinch up to 3 hours grounds clip (Enduro mode)
- Hero 13 Black: 1,900mAh artillery pinch up to 2.5 hours grounds time
- Osmo Action 5 Pro: 1,950mAh artillery pinch up to 4 hours grounds time
Improved artillery life was intelligibly connected nan schedule for each 3 brands, pinch each of its latest flagships boasting importantly amended capacity to their predecessors.
According to nan specs, nan GoPro Hero 13 Black tin grounds 1080p video for up to 2.5 hours and 5.3K video for up to 1.5 hours. That would put it successful past place. However, we recovered nan Ace Pro 2's superior artillery life quotes to beryllium generous, being capable to grounds astir 2.25 hours of 4K 30fps footage, aliases 70 minutes of 4K 60fps. That's still an fantabulous if akin capacity to GoPro. GoPro's artillery is simply a higher capacity cell, but Insta360 has seemingly been capable to summation ratio successful its Ace Pro 2 camera.
DJI outdoes some Insta360 and GoPro pinch its marginally higher-capacity 1950mAh compartment and notably higher artillery life – nan Osmo Action 5 tin supposedly past up to 4 hours of 1080p shooting. It'll besides recharge batteries faster too, though not by overmuch complete nan Ace Pro 2.
Obviously location are endless artillery life tests that we could make that could move retired different results to nan quoted times that are based connected definite camera settings. Utilizing Wi-Fi and GPS will person an adverse effect connected artillery life, arsenic will leaving nan screens on. You tin widen nan life of nan artillery by sacrificing immoderate of those features.
- Battery life winner: Osmo Action 5 Pro
6. Ace Pro 2 vs GoPro Hero 13 Black vs DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro: shooting modes
- Ace Pro 2: 4K 120fps slow-motion, 4K 60fps nighttime and HDR modes
- Hero 13 Black: 4K 120fps slow-mo, 2.7K video astatine 240fps, 400fps astatine 720p
- Osmo Action 5 Pro: 4K SuperNight mode, 4K 120fps
There are shooting modes aplenty successful each 3 cameras. Be warned, it's normal for exotic modes – for illustration nan 8K solution of nan Ace Pro 2 aliases nan 400fps slow-motion signaling of nan Hero 13 Black – to travel pinch galore caveats. I've already listed nan limitations of nan Ace Pro 2's 8K, while nan slow-motion signaling modes of nan Hero 13 Black are hampered by constricted grounds times and prolonged buffering that delays erstwhile you tin sprout again.
That said, each camera tin beryllium commended for offering nan supra modes that their rivals lack. For example, nan Hero 13 Black's 240fps mode tin beryllium changeable successful 2.7K resolution, whereas its rivals are constricted to Full HD, positive it tin sprout up to 400fps.
However, it's nan modes that we travel to trust connected that should travel nether person scrutiny. For example, HDR is highly useful successful bully ray for maintaining item successful agleam highlights specified arsenic clouds. The Hero 13 Black tin sprout HDR video astatine afloat 5.3K solution but only up to 30fps – you suffer 60fps. Both Ace Pro 2 and Osmo Action 5 Pro tin sprout 4K HDR up to 60fps. The Ace Pro 2's nighttime mode, called PureVideo, tin grounds successful 4K 60fps, while you suffer that framework complaint pinch nan Osmo Action 5 Pro.
The champion proposal present is do your research. If you cognize you'll usage a mode a lot, cheque retired if it comes pinch immoderate terrible limitations that could different spoil nan experience.
- Modes and features winner: Tie
Early verdict
We've reviewed each camera in-depth separately and made basal comparisons betwixt DJI and Insta360's action cams against nan GoPro Hero 13 Black. Each camera is highly tin successful its ain right, and nan champion of nan bunch depends connected your needs.
GoPro has been successful nan crippled nan longest and has nan widest scope of accessories that is further increasing pinch its caller HB-series of lenses and filters. The implementation of these accessories, peculiarly nan auto-detection skills, is simply a guidelines retired feature. Insta360 is simply a comparative newbie and has immoderate measurement to go, though it's progressive successful nan 360-degree camera abstraction and has a decent group of accessories that are compatible pinch nan Ace Pro 2, for illustration selfie sticks.
Of nan three, GoPro is nan 1 moving nan slowest successful position of camera development. DJI and Insta360 had catching up to do, and boy person they done truthful successful speedy time. DJI has doubled-down connected pro-friendly features, included superb build quality, artillery life, waterproofing and audio signaling pinch DJI accessories. Insta360 has nan neat flip touchscreen and an fantabulous app editor.
Regarding image quality, if you are shooting successful bully light, past nan champion image value beautiful overmuch comes down to taste. We deliberation nan Insta360 Ace Pro 2's 8K video signaling is simply a small spot of a gimmick, but now its improved 4K video value and colour profiles are a lucifer for its rivals. It's moreover a adjacent telephone betwixt nan Ace Pro 2 and Osmo Action 5 Pro for nan champion debased ray performer, pinch GoPro different lagging behind.
Whichever camera you onshore on, you person a victor connected your hands.
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