GoPro Hero 13 Underwater Review

The GoPro Hero 13 is GoPro's newest model of action camera - arguably the world's most popular underwater camera for scuba diving and snorkeling. While this update is not a huge upgrade from the popular GoPro Hero 12, it maintains the GoPro legacy of a small form factor and physics-defying stabilization & video quality. The main improvement of the Hero 13 over the Hero 12 is a 10% increase in battery life with the new 1900 mAh Enduro battery...and a retail price increase to $399. 

That said, GoPro Hero 13 remains the perfect travel camera - it can easily fit in a pocket and it's indestructable. The camera itself can be taken all the way down to 33 feet underwater without a housing. And with a housing for the Hero 13, the options are limitless - the Isotta Hero 13 housing is rated down to 100 meters, and the Recsea housing is rated down to 300 meters! 

During our Fiji photography and GoPro workshop, we had the opportunity to dive with the GoPro Hero 13 in the shark infested (yay!) waters of Beqa Lagoon and the colorful reefs of the Vatu-i-Ra conservation park. So be sure to check out our video footage above and read our full review on the GoPro Hero 13 below. 

GoPro Hero 13 in the Field in Fiji

Key GoPro Hero 13 Specifications

• 27.13 megapixel, 1/1.9" CMOS Sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio
• GP2 processor
• 5.3K recording up to 60 frames per second (same as Hero 12)
• 4K recording up to 120 frames per second (same as Hero 12)
• Burst slow motion: 5.3K/120p, 900p/360p, 720p/400p (new)
• HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization with AutoBoost
• Vertical Video for Social Media
• Waterproof to 33ft (10m) without housing
• 157 degree field of view (with UltraView lens mod)
• Lenses: HyperView, SuperView, Wide, Linear, Linear + Horizon Lock, HB Ultra-Wide, Macro (with mods)
• 10-bit G-Log Recording Capability with LUT
• HLG HDR support (new)
• Voice-Prioritized Audio Mode + Bluetooth mic/AirPods support (new)
• GPS re-enabled for speed, location, G-force, and elevation (Hero 12 had no GPS)
• Wi-Fi 6 for faster file transfer
• Magnetic mounting + standard folding fingers
• Compatible with New HB-series lens mods
• 27.13 megapixel RAW photos
• Battery Life: 1.5 hours at 5.3K/30p, up to 2.5 hours at 1080p/30p
• 1900 mAh Enduro battery (10% larger than Hero 12)
• Improved heat dissipation via front cooling grill
• Operating temps: -10C to 35 C
• Dimensions: 71.8mm x 50.8mm x 33.6mm
• Weight: 154 grams
• Retail Price: $399

The GoPro in the field with the Inon G140 Fisheye Lens, SD Mount, and the Inon GoPro Lighting Kit

GoPro Hero 13 Key Features

For $399, the GoPro Hero 13 is packed full of features that make shooting underwater video straightforward, simple, and easy. Although it's the ideal underwater camera for beginners, it is also equipped with relatively new advanced features for professional shooters like GoPro Log and HLG (hybrid log gamma). 

5.3K/60p (120p burst), 4K/120p Video Recording

The GoPro Hero 13 Black records sharp 5.3K video up to 60 frames per second and 4K up to 120 fps—just like the Hero 12—but with added features like new burst slow motion and better HDR. The "burst" slow motion mode allows you to film in 5.3K at 120 frames per second for up to 15 seconds of recording. 

Most divers end up watching their dive footage on a 4K screen or even just a phone, so it might seem like overkill to film in 5.3K. But the higher resolution gives you serious editing flexibility. After a trip, you can crop in on your footage to get tighter shots of small critters or reframe wide scenes for better composition—all without losing quality. That’s especially useful if you’re using a macro lens like the Inon G100 or G55, where framing can be tricky underwater.

Even at 5.3K, you still get 60 frames per second for smooth, stable playback—great for dive conditions where the surge can ruin your shot. If you want even more stability for handheld scenes, drop down to 4K/120p (or try the new burst slowmotion mode) and slow things down in post. For most people, filming at 4K/60 or 1080/60 is still more than enough, and it’ll save you a ton of space when you're offloading footage on the road.

A New Battery and Longer Battery Life

The old battery of previous GoPro models has been replaced with a new 1900 mAh Enduro battery which has 10% more capacity than the old 1720 mAh battery. In addition to this, GoPro introduced a new heat dissipation grill to address concerns over overheating. You should be able to get 1.5 hours of continuous shooting at 5.3K/30p. In our practical underwater shooting, we found that recording times increased by about 8 minutes.

But to be honest, I'm not sure this is a huge benefit for underwater shooters...the Hero 13 is no longer compatible with the old GoPro battery. So if you're upgrading your GoPro you will need to buy new spare batteries. And I would still recommend having spare batteries - I changed mine out every 1-2 dives.

HyperSmooth 6.0 Stabilization

Capturing stable footage underwater is always a challenge—especially if there’s surge or current. With the Hero 13, HyperSmooth 6.0 does a great job minimizing those small, unintended movements so your video looks like it was shot on a gimbal, even when it's not. The 6.0 stabilization model used by the Hero 13 is the same one found in the Hero 12. Maybe this is an indicator that GoPro has reached the limits of what it can do with stabilization? I certaintly think so! The shark and reef footage we captured in Fiji looked smooth and professional - even when we attached the GoPro to our photo camera and left it on to capture footage while we shot photos. For macro or tight shots, stabilization is the difference between unusable footage and something you’d actually want to share.

27 Megapixel RAW Photos

Most people don’t buy the Hero 13 to use it as a dedicated photo camera, but it’s still a solid option for underwater photography. In fact, we've had people win the Ocean Art underwater photo contest with just a GoPro! The Hero 13 shoots 27.13 megapixel RAW photos, which gives you plenty of room to edit later—especially if you’re dealing with backscatter or poor lighting. The HDR mode also does a decent job of recovering detail and color in your images, particularly in bright or mixed lighting conditions underwater. It’s not going to replace a mirrorless setup, but for wide shots or casual shooting on a dive, it holds its own.

Advanced Picture Profiles for New Shooters

For more advanced underwater shooters, the Hero 13 now supports two important color profiles: 10-bit G-Log and HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma). G-Log is a flat profile that captures more detail in your highlights and shadows, giving you extra flexibility when color grading. The footage looks flat out of the camera, but once you apply contrast and tweak the colors in post, it really sharpens up. That’s especially helpful underwater, where color drops off quickly and you need all the dynamic range you can get. Moreover, it's easier to adjust white balance and other colors that can be thrown off by the blue tinge underwater.

HLG, on the other hand, is a more vibrant profile meant for playback on HDR-compatible screens without heavy editing. It still captures more dynamic range than standard profiles, but with less work in post. If you want to preview your G-Log footage with a finished look while shooting, you can load a LUT onto the camera to see a color-graded version on the screen in real time. Both profiles are big upgrades if you’re serious about underwater video.

New Lens Mod Ecosystem

I can't talk about the Hero 13 withot mentioning the new Lens Mod ecosystem introduced by GoPro. While these accessories, like their wide lens mod and macro lens mod, don't work underwater, they do allow for some interesting footage above water and more ability to capture different angles. 

Should I Upgrade to the GoPro 13?

If you have a GoPro Hero 9 or earlier, it's definitely time for an upgrade. The GoPro Hero 13 offers better frame rates, resolution, stabilization, and underwater white balance capability. But if you're considering and upgrade from the Hero 12, it's probably not worth upgrading to the Hero 13. This is because the main upgrades for underwater shooters are an 8 minute increase in underwater battery life and HLG picture profiles for advanced shooters. 

Top GoPro 13 Underwater Housings

If you want to take your GoPro Hero 13 deeper than 33 feet, you're going to need an underwater housing. While the standard GoPro housing is affordable and is rated to 60m (200 ft), it is not the most durable. 

The anodized aluminum Isotta GoPro Housing is our most popular housing for the GoPro Hero 13. It's compact, lightweight and sleek with a beautiful red finish. But most importantly it's rated to 200 meters (656 feet) and has a double oring seal for added protection. 

Another popular housing is the Recsea GoPro Housing, if you'd like to go even deeper to 300 meters. It is commonly used for commercial diving applications. For more GoPro 13 housing options, check out our guide to GoPro Hero 13 housings. 

Top GoPro 13 Underwater Accessories

There are a wide variety of options for improving the color, details, and field of view in your GoPro footage. At Bluewater Photo, we carry the widest range of GoPro underwater accessories on the market.

Underwater Video Lights

Water tends to filter out color from your video, rendering it blue and drab. The best way capture the incredible color in the underwater world is to bring back white light close your subject. We have some great underwater lighting kits available for the GoPro Hero 13: 

The OrcaTorch D710 V Double Light combo kit is one of the most affordable lighting kits for the GoPro 13 on the market. It offers a total of 4000 lumens of power, which we think is enough for both wide angle and macro GoPro video. 

The Inon Light Adapter set is the ultimate pole cam lighting kit that can also allow you to hold your wide angle lens when you aren't using it. This kit comes with the Inon G140 fisheye lens. 

GoPro Camera Tray

If you don't need a light and just need a GoPro Tray to carry your GoPro underwater and stabilize your footage - there are some great GoPro tray options from ultralight and kraken. Be sure to check out our ultralight wing tray kit. This tray is designed for the best possible angle for underwater lighting, if you do ever decide to upgrade to lights in the future. The Kraken TR09 Action Camera Tray is another excellent option with a nice grip that is molded for comfort.

Macro Lenses

If you have ever tried to film a small subject with a GoPro, you may have noticed that it started to get blurry as you got closer. This is because the minimum focusing distance of a GoPro is 12". If you want to film a subject closer than that, you will need a GoPro macro lens. Thankfully the best quality GoPro macro lenses are made by Inon. In order to use an Inon macro lens with your GoPro, you will need an SD GoPro Mount or a ZD GoPo mount. The SD mount allows you to quickly take your lens on and off your GoPro. The ZD mount is a little larger and meant for ZD style lenses that give you better image quality with the Hero 13's larger sensor. There are three Inon macro lens options that will work with the SD mount: 

1. The Inon G165 II macro lens - this is the least powerful and original of Inon's macro lenses. Because it is less powerful, you do not have to get as close to your subject so it is the easiest of Inon's lenses to use.

2. The Inon G100 macro lens - this is a great all-around macro lens for subjects about the size of a golf balll. 

3. The Inon G55 supermacro lens - this lens is meant for supermacro subjects like small nudibranchs or the eyes on a scallop. With this lens you need to get very close to your subject. Thankfully, Inon includes measuring tools that you can use while filming. We never felt like we needed the measuring tool when filming scallops - it was quite easy to get close, look at the screen for focus, and hit record. 

Wide Angle Lenses

You might be thinking - why do I need a wide angle lens for the GoPro? After all, doesn't it have a wide 157 degree field of view? Though you would be correct, it's important to know that a wide angle lens corrects for the same issue that a macro lens does - the GoPro 13 only has a 12" minimum focusing distance. So if you want to get close to a big animal, or even a smaller one, you can't get closer than a foot. This is an issue if you want to get good colors and details in your video. The Inon G140 fisheye lens allows you to get within inches of a subject and still capture the background and the full body of the animal - resulting in a unique perspective and excellent color. You will also need an SD lens mount in order to use the Inon G140 lens.

There is just one ZD lens currently on the market - the Inon ZD GR140 wide lens. This lens has better image quality than the older G140 wide lens and allows you to choose between Glass and Acrylic. 

Do You Need Red Filters?

No! We've found that the underwater white balance on the GoPro Hero 13 is good enough to retrieve colors underwater as good as a red filter can do. Adding a red filter can give an odd, red hue to your video. It is a much better idea to add additional colors back with an underwater video light.

GoPro QR Codes - The Easiest Way to Change Settings Underwater

Changing settings on your GoPro can be daunting. While we have settings guides and underwater GoPro workshops, what if we told you that there was a way to never have to worry about settings again? Our GoPro QR codes allow you to point your GoPro at the QR code underwater specific to the resolution and situations you want to film in. 4K macro video? We have you covered! 2.7K wide angle? Also covered! Check out our wide variety of QR codes here. 

Conclusions

The GoPro Hero 13 Black has everything a diver or snorkeler needs to capture high-quality underwater video and photos. It’s not a huge leap from the Hero 12 in terms of core specs, but the improvements that matter—like G-Log and HLG profiles, better battery life, and support for new lens mods—will make a difference for more serious shooters. Being able to color grade Log footage gives you much more control over the final look, and HLG makes it easier to get great results straight out of camera if you’re working with HDR displays.

And let’s be honest—every diver appreciates longer battery life and faster file transfers after a full day in the water.

If you think the Hero 13 is the right camera for your next dive trip, reach out to us at sales@bluewaterphotostore.com or give us a call at 310-633-5052. We’ll help you get set up with everything you need to start shooting underwater.