I’m not sure where we got this obsessive need to record every moment of our lives, but I can think of no better camera to tackle that quest than the GoPro Hero 13. This tiny camera that could is currently on sale for the lowest price I’ve ever seen. The best deal, though, is on the GoPro Hero 13 with Ultra Wide lens, which is objectively the best GoPro Hero camera/lens combo.
For more deals, read our Absolute Best Prime Big Deal Days roundup, as well as our Prime Day liveblog for the latest up-to-the-minute discounts.
Why the ultrawide? Maximum field of view. An action camera is for capturing as much as you can of the world you’re experiencing, and nothing does this better than the 177-degree field of view of the Ultra Wide lens. You do have to deal with some more extreme horizon curvature, which takes some getting used to, but once you master it, you’ll never take the Ultra Wide lens off. Though if you want to remove it for some reason, this deal includes the regular lens as well.
Don’t want the wider field of view? The regular GoPro Hero 13, with no extra lenses, is also on sale.
There are always great deals on GoPro Hero cameras this time of year, usually because a new model has just been announced. This year, though, that’s not the case. GoPro updated its Max 360 camera, released a new entry-level GoPro camera, but made no changes to the Hero 13 Black. That means this year’s deals aren’t on outdated cameras; they’re on the latest and greatest GoPro.
While the lack of updates may be disappointing, it makes sense. Last year’s GoPro Hero 13 was the first significant change for GoPro’s flagship action camera in years. The company added an interchangeable lens system, along with Macro, Ultra Wide, and Anamorphic lenses, plus a set of four neutral density filters. The new interchangeable lens system opens up shooting possibilities that simply don’t exist with other action cameras.
I think the slickest part of this system, which gets very little press, is that the Hero 13 Black autodetects which lens is attached and changes settings accordingly. This is especially nice for those who don’t want to fiddle with fine-tuning their camera settings every time they change lenses, aka everyone.
I’ve been using all three lenses for over a year now. At least I was, until I got the Ultra Wide, and then that just sort of stayed on the camera. I only really use my GoPro to shoot looking forward, generally from the handlebars of my bike, so the wider the shot, the better and more immersive the footage becomes, hence my love of the Ultra Wide.
What’s WIRED About the Hero 13
After over 10 years of testing them, I have come to have very low expectations of cameras, and yet, despite that, almost every camera fails what I consider the most basic thing it needs to do: turn on fast. What good is a camera if it’s not recording?
This is near the top of the list of why I love the GoPro. GoPro understands a camera has one job, and if it’s taking time to start up, it’s not doing its job. The Hero 13 turns on fast. I press the button, and very shortly thereafter (about 1.5 seconds), it’s recording. How is this so hard that my Sony (which costs 10x as much) cannot do it? Nor can any other camera I’ve tested (except the DJI Action 5, which is also speedy on the startup). I don’t know, but the GoPro can do it.
