Key Factors
Shooting Performance
There is a significant difference in basic performance, and the ultra-wide lens provides a much wider shooting angle.
Body Functions
There are major differences in features such as the magnetic mount, charging port, front display, and built-in battery.
Size and Weight
The HERO (2024) is smaller and lighter.
There is a significant difference in image quality
Both the HERO13 Black ULTRA WIDE EDITION and HERO (2024) are from the 2024 generation, but since one is a flagship and the other is a budget model, there is a major difference in shooting performance.
The HERO13 Black ULTRA WIDE EDITION not only inherits all the shooting capabilities of the HERO13 Black, but also features an ultra-wide lens, expanding the field of view by 36 degrees and achieving an industry-leading 177-degree field of view at 4K60. This allows for dynamic, cinematic wide-angle footage.
Additionally, the HERO13 Black ULTRA WIDE EDITION comes with both the standard lens and the ultra-wide lens, allowing you to switch between them depending on the shooting scene.
On the other hand, the HERO (2024) offers a standard wide-angle view, resulting in a significant gap in wide-angle shooting capabilities, as well as noticeably lower basic shooting performance.
One of the most notable differences is image stabilization: the HERO13 Black ULTRA WIDE EDITION is equipped with the latest "HyperSmooth 6.0," while the HERO (2024) relies on post-processing stabilization via the app. This is a substantial difference.
Major differences in body functions
The HERO13 Black ULTRA WIDE EDITION features a major body design update since the HERO9 series (when the front LCD became color), including:
- Interchangeable lenses
- Magnetic charging port and mount
Although the HERO (2024) is from the same generation, its body design is completely different and lacks these features. In addition:
- No front display
- Built-in (non-removable) battery
- No professional features like wireless timecode sync
These differences become significant for more serious shooting.
Size and weight: HERO (2024) is more compact and lighter
The HERO13 Black ULTRA WIDE EDITION is slightly larger and heavier than the base HERO13 Black due to the included ultra-wide lens.
The HERO (2024) is designed to be even smaller and lighter than the HERO13 Black, so compared to the ULTRA WIDE EDITION, it feels even more compact and lightweight.
However, considering the advantage of being able to shoot footage that only the HERO13 Black ULTRA WIDE EDITION can achieve, the difference in size and weight can be seen as justified.
