GoPro, the eponymous action camera brand, has launched a new GoPro Hero 13 Black Ultra Wide Edition – a bundle featuring the firm's flagship camera and the Ultra Wide lens accessory, which gives it a field of view up to a whopping 177°.
Perhaps the standout feature of the Hero 13 is the lens attachment feature, which – as we cover in our GoPro Hero 13 Black review – brings some of the flexibility of a professional camera to your rugged action camera.
You can't actually remove the main lens, just add an attachment that alters the perspective, so this new bundle actually offers two perspectives – the default 156° field of view and the new 177° ultra-wide.
The GoPro Hero 13 Black is still the same premium action camera (and one of the best action cameras on the market), featuring the option to capture action in 5.3K resolution at 60fps or up to 240fps at resolutions like 2.7K. Video can be shot in 10-bit color so creators have the option of GP-Log encoding.
Other features we love at DCW are the burst slow-mo of 400fps and the triumphant return of GoPro's GPS system, enabling you to overlay a speedo onto your videos to show how fast you were going.
Previously, the Ultra Wide Lens Mod would be a separate purchase. Compared to the default lens it offers a 36% wider and 48% taller field of view (depending on the aspect ratio choices).
YouTube creator and professional freeride mountain biker, Sam Pilgrim, said that, "The Ultra Wide Lens Mod is my go-to for capturing the most stable, immersive 'put-you-in-the-moment' POV videos – blink and you'll think you're sitting on my handlebars."
Creators are able to shoot in a new 1:1 aspect ratio for flexibility to crop footage to widescreen 16:9 or vertical 9:16 aspect ratio shots in post-production, something that probably comes a little easier thanks to GoPro's 8:7 sensor proportions.
Some will complain, of course, that the camera isn't really anything new – just another bundle – and we've seen a bit of that from GoPro (I'm still holding my breath for a new 360° camera), but if it saves money on the lens you need and offers you a perspective you want then you can still take advantage of the rush to repackage!
The new bundle – including the GoPro Hero13 Black and the Ultra Wide Lens is available now from GoPro for $479.99 / £459.99 / AU$809.95.
