GoPro vs Mirrorless / dSLR (and why)

Despite lots and lots of posts answering questions regarding what GoPros can and cannot do, there still seems to be a major confusion as to their role in the photo / video world, as against what people seem to think they are.

So, I thought I’d try and make it simple and do an apple v apple comparison between a GoPro and a basic mirrorless camera.

For the sake of the exercise, I have chosen a GoPro Hero 12 versus a Fujifilm X-S10 simply as I have both, and the Fujifilm is pretty indicative of what this type of camera is about.

First, let’s look at the technical and physical differences between them.

	GoPro Hero 12	Fujifilm X-S10	Notes
Price	$559 with no accessories	$1869 with 16-80mm lens
Sensor size	5.75mm x 4.28mm	23.5mm x 15.6mm	The sensor size goes a LONG way to dictating how good an image is and especially low light capability
Lens	Fixed	Interchangeable	With interchangeable lenses you get much more flexibility as you can change lenses for different circumstances. Eg extremes of insect closeups to surfers 200metres away in full frame
Zoom	2x electronic	Lens dependent to 800mm +	See above
Flash	No	Yes	You need to add external lights to the GoPro in darker environments
Storage	MicroSD	SD Card
Battery Life	Variable depending on ambience but up to 35 mins	Still: 325 frames approx. Video: 40 mins approx
Waterproof	Yes to 10m	No
ISO	100-3200 (photo)	160-12800 (photo)	Thew higher the ISO, the more sensitive to light the camera can be (ie better in low light)
Shutter Speed	Max 1/2000th sec	Mechanical: 4 sec – 1/4000th sec Electronic: 4 sec – 1/32000 sec
Slo-Mo	240fps	240 fps
Aperture	F2.5 fixed	Lens dependent average F2.8 – f22	Variable aperture allows control over depth of field eg: getting the background out of focus and foreground pin sharp.
Stabilisation	Electronic	Image sensor 5 axis
Viewfinder	No	Yes	In bright sunlight, GoPro viewscreen often unusable.
Number pixels	27.1 million	26.1 million
Exposure compensation	-2.0EV – +2.0EV	-5.0EV – +5.0EV
Exposure Mode	None	Program, Aperture Priority, Shutter Priority, Manual	Exposure mode allows camera settings to suit different environments
Focus	None	Single Auto, Continuous Auto, Manual	Lets you focus on a specific object or part of the whole image
White Balance	Yes (in ProTune)	Auto or 9 presets
Self Timer	10 sec / 3 sec	10 sec / 2 sec
Hot Shoe	No	Yes	Allows adding of external devices. With GoPro need the MediaMod
HDR	Yes	Yes
Connectivity	USB, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi	USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI
Gimbal supported	Yes	Yes

Conclusion

In a nutshell, it comes down to flexibility and control. A GoPro is designed to do a specific job. It is an action camera that has been primarily created to get action photos and footage from a first-person perspective.

A mirrorless (or dSLR) is designed with flexibility in mind via interchangeable lenses and camera control over aperture, shutter speed, depth of field and so on.

Whilst a GoPro *could* be used for say, landscape or portrait photography, or at night, it is not designed for this and the results will be far inferior to a mirrorless or dSLR with the correct lens and settings.

A GoPro shines in rugged environments due it s build and of course its waterproofing. Using it for other purposes will generally, give unsatisfactory results.

The best comparison I can think of is this: if a mirrorless / dSLR is a Toyota Camry (adaptable under many circumstances), a GoPro is a Toyota Hilux (best in 4WD mode in the bush).

If you have any specific questions, feel free to email me via david@creativecontent.au

Note: There are mirrorless / dSLR cameras that are less expensive than my Fujifilm X-S10 with models available from companies such as Panasonic, Sony, Canon, Nikon, Ricoh and Olympus. Due to the HUGE range of models and lenses available, I strongly suggest that if you think you will be better suited going down that route, get advice from a dedicated camera store such as Camera House, Ted’s Cameras, Leederville Cameras etc.

Yes, I am saying avoid the HNs and JBs of the world with this sort of purchase. Talk to an expert.