GoPro is to action cameras what Kleenex is to tissues. I can't tell you how many people I have seen with GoPro knockoffs nevertheless refer to their camera as their “GoPro.” For the average person looking to document their life, any small camera is a GoPro.

While GoPro dominates the market mindshare, its competitors—DJI, Insta360, and others—are pushing the action camera in new and interesting directions, with useful features like magnetic mounting systems, larger sensors, and simpler menus.

The GoPro Hero 12 offers none of those things, but when I head out the door, I still grab my GoPro ahead of every other small camera I have. GoPro's new Hero 12 has been a good reminder why. It has everything that made the Hero camera great, but now it's better.

Side by side, the only visible difference between last year's Hero 11 Black (8/10, WIRED Recommends) and this year's Hero 12 Black is the blue number on the side and a bit of blue speckling on the outer skin. Otherwise, the body is the same, meaning that all your old accessories, lens filters, mods, and add-ons will work with the Hero 12.

Even inside, the two cameras aren't that different. The GoPro Hero 12 Black uses the same 8:7 aspect ratio sensor and GP2 processor as its predecessor, the Hero 11.

That might make this camera a tough sell for some. That said, there are several new features in the Hero 12 that make it a welcome upgrade: longer run times (with less overheating), 10-bit Log video, timecode syncing, and a standard tripods mount.

The internet is rife with speculation that the GoPro Hero 12 is merely a firmware upgrade to the Hero 11. I have no insider information on that, and I don't think it matters. GoPro improved the Hero 11, and how they did doesn't really interest me. What interests me is that I have been shooting with Hero series cameras since the Hero 5 Black, and the Hero 12 Black is the first model that has never overheated.

If you shoot with your GoPro the way you're supposed to—you know, strapped to your helmet or your bike or some other fast-moving thing with good airflow around it—you've probably never overheated it. I have never had any problem with those shooting scenarioses either. But I shoot a lot of video with my GoPro perched on a dashboard, in the direct sun, with almost no air at all moving around it. Previous models rarely shot more than 15 minutes in more demanding modes, like 5.3K 30p or 4K 120p.

I've been shooting with the Hero 12 this way for over a month now, and it has not overheated. Not once. Battery run time is significantly longer as well. Again, this was primarily noticeable to me when shooting in modes that really strain the camera, especially 4K 120p.

Some of that improved battery time might be the result of a feature being removed, namely GPS. I never used the GPS feature, and GoPro says it removed it because less than 1 percent of users used it. Predictably, that 1 percent is outraged. GoPro wouldn't give me any specifics, but I would not be surprised to see the GPS features added to a new version of the remote. This is the route that both DJI and Insta360 have taken.

There are several other new features in the Hero 12 that will be welcome to anyone who uses their GoPro in combination with other cameras. The big one is timecode sync. Timecode sync ensures that your GoPro footage can be accurately lined up with other GoPros or any external audio or camera shots when you bring them all together in editing software. Technically, timecode sync is available in the Hero 10 and 11 if you use the GoPro Labs firmware, but in my experience it doesn't work well. That's changed with the Hero 12, where it is formally supported and works. This probably isn't something most people need, but it's nice to have.

Another feature that pros will like is support for Log video in the form of PG-Log, which gets you 10-bit "raw" video for maximum dynamic range and the widest range of postproduction coloring and adjustments. There's also support for a new HDR video, in both 5.3K and 4K resolutions. It's a tone mapper, not actual HDR footage designed for an HDR display. Honestly, I can't tell the difference between HDR and normal most of the time. The main thing I noticed was the highlights aren't quite as crushed, and the sky tended to a more intense blue.

In addition to the existing stabilization features, GoPro has added a new stabilization feature called AutoBoost, which tries to avoid cropping to get the stabilization. When AutoBoost is turned on, the camera attempts to maintain the same stabilization performance but expand or contract the crop dynamically. This feature I did notice, but mainly when shooting side by side with the Hero 11. In practice, you might not see it, but it does produce smoother, better footage than the previous models.

If you've ever wished you could easily use your earbud mics with the GoPro, the Hero 12 fulfills those dreams with support for wireless headphoness and microphoness. That means you can mount the camera to the side of your BMW R1100GS touring bike and get the audio from the earbuds inside your helmet. Not only can you use the mics for audio, you can also use them to issue voice commands to control your Hero 12.

The final great new feature is a very small one. There is now a 1/4-20 tripods screw hole between the signature GoPro fin mount. This makes it easy to put your GoPro on a tripods without an accessory, but more importantly, it opens the door to some more clever third-party mounting systems. Above I mentioned that DJI and Insta360 both have very clever magnetic mounts. Now your GoPro can too. All you need is a small adapter. I like this one ($30), because I have a few Insta360 system mounts, but there's a DJI compatible version ($20).

I also criticized GoPro for its menu system and … it still lags behind what DJI and Insta360 offer. After using the Action 4 for weeks, it was annoying to try to switch between settings on the Hero 12. The Action 4 uses one menu for all settings, which means you can quickly jump from shooting in your custom 4K video settings to your custom RAW still image settings. The Hero 12 requires you to first switch between video and photo and then select the settings for each.

It's a small thing, but using these cameras day in day out, this was really annoying. That said, this would be something GoPro could probably fix with a firmware update, so I don't consider it too much of an issue.

That depends on your use case, but in most cases yes. The Hero line has long been our favorite action camera, and I don't see that changing. GoPro's Hero cameras are among the very few cameras that have never let me down. They've never missed a shot (other than a dead battery, which happens to all cameras), never blown focus, never inexplicably failed. I've even considered getting my Hero 10 modified to use Cine lenses.

That said, there's no need to upgrade every time a new version of your favorite device comes out. If you've had overheating issues or really need GP-Log video or timecode sync, then update. On the other hand, if you're happy with your Hero 11 or Hero 10, stick with that.

One of the most impressive things about the GoPro Hero series of cameras is how durable and long-lasting they are. People in the GoPro Reddit regularly post questions about their Hero 4 cameras, which are still working. The Hero 4 was released almost a decade ago, and people are still making great images and videos with them. The Hero 12 is a worthy successor to the Hero 11. I have no doubt that, a decade from now, on some future version of Reddit, someone will be asking questions about their Hero 12.