GoPro HERO12 Black - Waterproof Action Camera with 5.3K60 Ultra HD Video, 27MP Photos, HDR, 1/1.9" Image Sensor, Live Streaming, Webcam, Stabilization

Why it's worth it

The HERO12 Black shoots 5.3K video with HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization and is waterproof to 33 feet with no housing. HDR on both video and stills handles the shadow-and-glare mess of real outdoor light better than most phones.

Stabilization is the reason a GoPro still beats a phone strapped to your chest. HyperSmooth 6.0 turns handlebar chatter and running footfalls into something watchable, and it's doing that in-camera rather than in an edit. If you're mounting a camera to a helmet, a bike, or a dog harness, this is what you want.

It goes 33 feet underwater with nothing added. No housing, no assembly, no forgotten O-ring. That single fact makes it the default choice for snorkeling, canyoneering, or just filming in rain without thinking about it. Owners who take it underwater report exactly what the spec promises, and the mounting ecosystem means there's a clamp for whatever you want to stick it to.

From our review of 9 outdoor tech gear, by Adrian Locke, Senior Tech Analyst

What we like

• +Stabilization is the reason a GoPro still beats a phone strapped to your chest
• +It goes 33 feet underwater with nothing added
• +HDR on video and stills earns its keep outdoors

What to know

• –Overheating is the flaw owners raise most, and it's not rare
• –Battery life falls off a cliff at 5.3K
• –The files are enormous