GoPro launches a tiny new Hero camera alongside the new generation Hero 13 Black

At just 86 grams and about the size of the Airpods case the new GoPro Hero is the smallest ever GoPro with a screen, and it’s launching at $349 in Australia, alongside the all-new GoPro HERO 13 Black ($649.95) which has some welcome new features.

The new HERO has built-in mounting fingers for traditional GoPro mounts and is built with GoPro’s “legendary” durability with 5m of Waterproof capability.

On the back is a simple touch screen with one button control, and this tiny little action camera is capable o f4K video, 12MP photos and slow motion at 60fps at 2.7K.

The in-camera software and hardware don’t allow for stabilisation but using the Quik App you can get GoPro HyperSmooth Video. Battery life is rated to around 100 minutes at the highest video setting.

But the “Hero” of the new range is the top of the line Hero13 Black.

Capable of a burst slow motion which captures 400 frames per second at 720HD, or 120fps at 5.3K.

A new battery offers extended run-time, while the additional of WiFi 6 enables far greater speed for your content transfers into the Quik app.

But there’s two big features in the Hero13 Black that are real standouts for GoPro traditionalists.

Firstly, the bottom mounting options for the camera are expanded to three possible capabilities.

The fold out “fingers” are still there for your best most secure attachment on traditional mounts, but alongside and within is a magnetic attachment with latches on the side.

That allows for really simple switching from mount to mount.

However the 1/4-20th mounting threads are a big benefit allowing the GoPro to attach to traditional tripods and camera mounts with a simple twist on thread.

The real highlight of the GoPro HERO 13 black though for videographers and creators will be the HB-Series lenses. The entire standard lens is twist off removable, and can be replaced by a whole series of different lenses.

There’s an Ultra Wide lens for $169.95 which gives a 177 degree field of view and new 1:1 aspect which means you can shoot for all possibilities – vertical or horizontal video in post production.

The Macro Lens Mode is $219.95 and has a variable focus ring allowing you to manually adjust the focus distance as close as 11cm.

For a cinematic approach you can add motion blur to your shot across four different ND Filters. They come as a pack for $119.95 and when attached automatically toggle the video mode and settings based on your environment.

There’s also a huge Anamorphic Lens which will be $219.95 but it’s not due out till next year and is all about achieving a 21:9 aspect ratio for a true cinematic vibe.

This announcement by GoPro is by far their biggest in several years, with better capabilities on the lens for creators, and new mounting points the HERO13 Black is a genuine leap forward from any version GoPro.

Likewise, the simplicity of the standard Hero along with affordability make it a compelling contender in a space where GoPro has serious competition now from the likes of DJI.