Check out the Vehicle Lights function here:
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/4pL8KBmtAaA
Sample video 1 (Route Ioannina - Filippiada - Preveza - Part 1):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVWtnkxCOmE
Sample video 2 (Route Ioannina - Filippiada - Preveza - Part 2):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aR6624JCYxU
Shot in 5K@50 (8-bit) and rendered in 4K@50 (8-bit).
I notice greater detail and visual sharpness, better image stabilization and horizon leveling, as well as improved color representation compared to the GoPro Hero 10.
The 2-3 nighttime videos are still under processing and unfortunately I do not see significant improvement compared to the Hero 10 [The DJI Osmo Action 3 shows better performance in nighttime videos and the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (see my review) has both cameras for fun].
I have ordered the Lens Mod 2.0 and I am expecting it in the next few days. Once it arrives, I will conduct tests with it and likely upload more sample videos or even a camera and mod presentation.
Purchased at the end of September.
Let's start with the obvious:
If you have the Hero 11, do not upgrade to Hero 12, it doesn't make much sense.
The differences start to show when comparing it to the Hero 10 and are even greater if you have an older model.
Let me start with the negatives:
- All GoPros struggle in low light conditions and the 12 is no exception. If you want it for nighttime shots, look elsewhere.
- Although most of us didn't use it much, the GPS has now been completely removed, so it's not a good solution for users who use such metadata in their videos.
- It's an upgraded Hero 11 and not something truly groundbreaking. They could easily have named it Hero 11 Plus or Hero 11 Pro.
- The live preview doesn't work as well as in previous GoPros that supported it or like in the DJI Osmo Action, and if for some reason the app closes (e.g. from a phone call), when you reopen it, you see the classic black screen with the red record button that we know from the previous 3-4 generations of Hero.
- If you turn it off in any other mode besides video (e.g. Timelapse) and turn it back on after a while, it opens in video recording mode. There is an option in the settings to activate it in the last selected mode (e.g. Timelapse), but it doesn't seem to work. This will definitely create a problem in some cases (e.g. if you want to take multiple Timeshifts on a long journey with intermediate stops), because you have to be extra careful after each activation before you start recording video.
Now onto the positives:
- It is more resistant to overheating compared to previous models (but it can still shut down from overheating if it is in very high settings and doesn't get enough air).
- Its battery actually lasts longer (in 4K@50 SV I saw a difference of about +20 minutes, with an average video duration of 1 hour and 10 minutes).
- It has a 1/4" screw hole for mounting on a tripod without needing an additional adapter.
- It is more economical as an option than the previous GoPros were at their release (because it is actually an upgraded Hero 11).
- It is fully compatible with accessories for Hero 9/10/11 (e.g. ND filters) and with most mounting accessories for GoPro and other cameras (thanks to the female 1/4" on the base).
-Some may consider DJI's magnetic clip as the ultimate mounting solution and negatively comment on GoPro's obsession with screws and its own quick-release system, but in reality, GoPro's quick-release system is the truly perfect combination for quick and secure mounting, especially for use on moving vehicles, so I consider it positive that GoPro does not adopt DJI's magnets.
-Finally, one change I noticed coming from the Hero 10 and I do not know if it had already been implemented in the Hero 11 and simply passed on to the Hero 12 or if it is something that was done for the first time in the 12, is that now the clips from which a video is composed have increased in duration, from 5:20 to 12:48, so if you shoot a continuous video of e.g. 1 hour, in the camera folder you will not find 12 5-minute videos, but 5 12-minute ones, which means less clutter in editing.
At this stage, I am conducting tests and I see that its videos are clearer and more detailed than those of the Hero 10.
Here you can see a recent video (October 2023) I shot with the GoPro Hero 12:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kVWtnkxCOmE
What impressed me is that, although I used the same settings as my Hero 10, it does not create that strange blue streaking in the sky that I was used to seeing in Hero 10 videos.
I tried Star Trails and the result is impressive and without requiring video editing software knowledge.
I still need to try Vehicle Lights.
I am thinking of making a presentation video, while I will definitely upload travel videos taken with my Hero 12. If you are interested, visit my channel: youtube.com/translatorchris