Insta360 Go 3S vs GoPro Hero 13 Black

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Overview of the Insta360 Go 3S

Insta360 Go 3S☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★Insta360 Go 3S
Insta360's latest wearable camera: 4K video in a tiny package
The Go 3S is an amazing pocket action camera offering of 4K video in a very small package. With the ActionPod pairing, it becomes a more traditional action camera with extended battery life and a flip screen.
  • Pros
  • Tiny footprint
  • 4K video
  • Modular design with ActionPod
  • Cons
  • Not waterproof with ActionPod
  • Storage not extendable with SD cards

Overview of the GoPro Hero 13 Black

GoPro Hero 13 Black☆☆☆☆☆★★★★★GoPro Hero 13 Black
GoPro's latest camera featuring 5.3K video, lens mods, super slomo
The Hero 13 is GoPro's latest high end action camera. It is only an incremental improvement over the past two models (the Hero 12 and Hero 11), but it is still the best action camera you can buy for most use cases.
  • Pros
  • Great 5.3K video
  • Super slomo (13x)
  • Lens mods with automatic detection
  • Great image stabilization
  • Integrated GPS
  • Cons
  • Ageing sensor
  • No 8K support
  • Low light performance

Comparison of the Go 3S vs the Hero 13

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Video performance

Only the Hero 13 offers HDR video. Both cameras feature slomo video. The two cameras have image stabilization.
Insta360 Go 3S
GoPro Hero 13 Black
4K video at 30fps
Max resolution
5.3K video at 60fps
HDR video unsupported
HDR video
5.3K 30fps
6x at 1080p
Maximum slow motion
13x at 720p
Flowstate
Stabilization
HyperSmooth 6.0
Why it matters: A high resolution will give you crisp footage but also allow you to reframe your video without losing too much quality. A higher framerate (fps) will result in smoother video and is important when filming action scenes or fast moving subjects. Image stabilization is a crucial feature for an action camera, as it removes camera shake, vibrations, rotation and other movements that deteriorate your final footage.

Battery life

The Hero 13 offers a much larger battery capacity. The Hero 13 has a removable battery whereas the Go 3S's battery is not removable
Insta360 Go 3S
GoPro Hero 13 Black
310mAh
Battery capacity
1900mAh
Removable
Removable battery
Removable
38min at 1080p
Battery life
150min at 1080p
1270mAh
Battery extension capacity
Feature missing
140min at 1080p
Battery extension run time
Feature missing
Why battery life matters: Nothing worse than running out of battery just before capturing the best footage of the day! A long battery life is reassuring and convenient when shooting footage outdoors where options to charge are limited. Even the use of a power bank can be tedious or simply impossible like when filming watersports. Having removable batteries allows battery swapping on the go which further extends your runtime.

Storage

Only the Go 3S features built-in storage. Only the Hero 13 supports SD cards, the Go 3S is therefore limited to it's built-in storage. The Hero 13 supports a lot more storage than the Go 3S.
Insta360 Go 3S
GoPro Hero 13 Black
64GB or 128GB
Built-in storage
No built-in storage
Storage not extendable
Storage format
microSD
128GB
Maximun storage supported
1TB
Why storage matters: High quality footage can quickly take up lots of space and insufficient storage can soon be frustrating. Having a large amount of storage and the possiblity to extend it or swap SD cards while on a outing will ensure you will always be able to capture the footage you want. However, smaller, wearable action cameras often rely on built-in storage because of their small size.

Weight and size

The Go 3S is a lot more compact than the Hero 13. The Go 3S is a lot lighter than the Hero 13.
Insta360 Go 3S
GoPro Hero 13 Black
1.01in x 2.14in x 0.98in / 25.6mm x 54.4mm x 24.8mm
Dimensions
2.83in x 2in x 1.32in / 71.8mm x 50.8mm x 33.6mm
1.38oz / 39.1g
Weight
5.61oz / 159g
Why size and weight matter: Weight is important for action cameras because we often mount them on helmets, or hold them at the end of a selfie stick while moving. Therefore a heavier camera can be difficult or uncomfortable to film with. Weight is even more crucial for certain sports like road cycling or running.

Waterproofing and usage conditions

Both the Go 3S and the Hero 13 are waterproof to 33ft / 10m. Both the Go 3S and the Hero 13 are waterproof to 197ft / 60m with a diving case. The Go 3S is far better for extreme cold. The Go 3S beats the Hero 13 in high heat conditions.
Insta360 Go 3S
GoPro Hero 13 Black
33ft / 10m
Waterproof
33ft / 10m
197ft / 60m
Waterproof with diving case
197ft / 60m
-4°F / -20°C
Min operating temperature
14°F / -10°C
104°F / 40°C
Max operating temperature
95°F / 35°C
Why it matters: Most action cameras are waterproof for accidental splashing or use above water, but if you plan on Snorkeling or Scuba Diving, we recommend choosing a camera which offers a diving case and always using it for underwater footage. If you plan on filming Snowboarding, Skiing or other wintersports in extremely cold conditions, you should pick a camera that is rated for those temperatures, most cameras are only rated down to 14°F / -10°C. Many action cameras are prone to overheating, even in ordinary conditions, so if you plan on filming in hot environments, you should choose a camera that can function at high temperatures.

Camera and sensor technology

The Hero 13 features a much higher resolution. The field of view of the Hero 13 is a little better than the Go 3S's. Both cameras feature 120Mbps bit rate video.
Insta360 Go 3S
GoPro Hero 13 Black
12MP
Pixels
27.6MP
134°
Field of view
148°
120Mbps
Video bite rate
120Mbps
Why it matters: A higher amount of pixels will offer better quality footage and higher resolution photos. A higher field of view means that the camera captures over a wider angle and therefore more action can be seen in the final footage. Some cameras require accessories to enable the maximum FOV. A higher bitrate at a similar resolution will offer higher quality video.

Camera settings

The Hero 13's 100-6400 ISO range is far superior to Go 3S's. The Go 3S's +/-4 exposure compensation is far superior.
Insta360 Go 3S
GoPro Hero 13 Black
100-3200
ISO range
100-6400
+/-4
Exposure Compensation
+/-2
Why these settings matter: The ISO range and exposure compensation settings will mostly allow you to tweak your action camera for low light situations.

Insta360 Go 3S versus GoPro Hero 13 Black specifications

NameInsta360 Go 3SGoPro Hero 13 Black
Year of release20242024
Width1.01in / 25.6mm2.83in / 71.8mm
Height2.14in / 54.4mm2in / 50.8mm
Depth0.98in / 24.8mm1.32in / 33.6mm
Weight1.38oz / 39.1g5.61oz / 159g
Waterproof33ft / 10m33ft / 10m
Waterproof with diving case197ft / 60m197ft / 60m
Min operating temperature-4°F / -20°C14°F / -10°C
Max operating temperature104°F / 40°C95°F / 35°C
Battery capacity310mAh1900mAh
Removable batteryNoYes
Battery life38min at 1080p150min at 1080p
Charging time-3h (5W)
Battery extension capacity1270mAh-
Battery extension run time140min at 1080p-
Battery extension charging time65min-
Battery extension weight3.4oz / 96.3g-
Built-in storage64GB
128GB
-
Storage format-microSD
Storage rating required-V30 or UHS-3
Maximun storage supported128GB1TB
Rear screen sizeWith Action Pod2.27in
Front screen sizeWith Action Pod1.4in
Field of view134°148°
Sensor1/2.3"1/1.9" CMOS
Pixels12MP27.6MP
ApertureF2.8F2.5
Focal length16mm12-39mm
ISO range100-3200100-6400
Video zoom-2x
Color Depth8bit10bit
Video bite rate120Mbps120Mbps
Exposure Compensation+/-4+/-2
360-degree videoNoNo
5.3K video-60fps
4K video30fps60fps
2.7K video30fps120fps
1440p video50fps-
1080p video50fps240fps
Slow motion at 4K-4x
Maximum slow motion6x at 1080p13x at 720p
HDR video-5.3K 30fps
StabilizationFlowstateHyperSmooth 6.0
Horizon lock-Yes
Video formatH.264 (MP4)H.265 (HEVC)
Live streamingNo1080p30 (HyperSmooth) or 1080p60
Webcam mode-1080p30
Timelapse modeYesYes
Starlapse modeYesYes
Timeshift modeYesYes
Loop recording modeYesYes
Photo burst modeNoYes
RAW format supportedYesYes
Microphones23
Stereo audioYesYes
Noise reductionYesYes
Audio formataacwav
Audio input-Media Mod (H9B/H10B/H11B)
Pro 3.5mm Mic Adapter
Audio bluetooth support-Airpods and Bluetooth headsets
Wifi802.11a/n/ac802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
BluetoothBLE 5.0BLE 5.3
USBType-C USB2.0USB-C
GPS integratedNoYes
GPS pairingGarmin device
Apple Watch
-
Voice commandsYesYes
Gesture commandsYes-