GoPro HERO12 Black Protune Options

Like earlier models in the Black edition series, the GoPro HERO12 has Protune options. These are advanced (or expert) settings that give you more control over the way the HERO11 Black captures and processes footage and images. By using these options, you get more control over the output and potentially better quality.

ProTune allows adjustment of camera settings like ISO, color profile, sharpness, exposure, and white balance. This control enables precise customization of videos to achieve the desired look and feel. In short: ProTune ensures flexibility in achieving optimal results in various lighting conditions.

Most of the Protune options available with the HERO12 Black are identical as on the HERO11 Black. But the HERO12 Black does take a few small steps toward blurring the lines between Protune settings and regular video settings. 

What I mean by that is that in recent models, the lines between regular advanced controls and those that fall under the “Protune” heading are increasingly blurred, to the extent that I’m not sure why they’re even bothering to stick with the Protune category at all.

To explain: Not all of the more advanced features on the HERO12 Black fall under the Protune section. The new HDR Video feature, for instance, is a top-level option that’s not technically under Protune. Nor is the 10-bit video setting (which was under Protune on the HERO11 Black).  

And, a little confusingly in this context, the HERO12 Black also comes out of the box in an “Easy” mode with limited options. It’s designed to make it more of a point-and-shoot experience, with good results, quickly. You can enable more options by switching it to “Pro” mode, although that’s not technically the same as Protune (but to get to Protune, you’ll need to be in “Pro” mode). 

How to Access Protune Options on the GoPro HERO12 Black

The HERO12 Black uses much the same method of accessing the Protune settings that was first introduced with the HERO8 Black. With older models, you first had to turn on the Protune switch before any of the Protune options became visible.

There’s something similar with the HERO12 Black. Before being able to see and access the Protune options, you’ll first need to change the controls mode to Pro. To do that, go to the dashboard on the camera’s back screen and swipe left. You’ll see a small button for “Controls.” By default, it’s set to “Easy.” You’ll need to change that to “Pro.”

Once you’ve done that, you’ll be able to see the Protune options when you scroll down in capture mode presets.

When you go into changing the shooting preset settings, you can just scroll down to see the more advanced Protune options. It’s a method that makes far more sense to me, and I see it as an improvement over the old way of doing things.

The settings themselves are very similar to those of previous models—as you can see from the lists below, the only differences are minor tweaks.

So here are master lists of the Protune options available when shooting video footage and photos with the HERO12 Black.

Key Protune Settings on GoPro HERO12 Black

Protune options can be used independently or in combination to get the results you’re after. Here are some key ones to look for.

Protune Options When Shooting Video

The ProTune video settings in the GoPro HERO12 Black give you the ability to fine-tune your video recordings to achieve the desired look and feel. Whether you’re shooting in low-light conditions or capturing fast-paced action, these settings offer a range of options to enhance your footage.

There are quite a few settings available. Here are some of the key settings when shooting video.

Shutter

You can adjust the shutter speed when shooting video. The default is Auto. 

EV Comp

Exposure compensation lets you fine-tune the exposure. The key thing about this setting is that it’s relative to the automatic exposure. So if the automatic exposure is giving you results that are too bright, you can make it darker by putting a negative value for exposure compensation, or vice versa. 

White Balance

Adjust the color temperature to match the lighting conditions, ensuring accurate and vibrant colors in your videos.

For instance, the white balance in direct sunlight is warmer than that in the shade. And natural light is (often) different from artificial lighting.

Color Profile

Choose between GoPro Color (vibrant and saturated) or Flat to achieve the desired visual style.

GoPro Color is a better choice if you plan to share the video with minimal post-processing. Flat is best if you plan to do post-processing and color grading.

ISO Limit

Control the camera’s sensitivity to light, allowing you to optimize the image quality in different lighting situations.

A low ISO needs more light, because the sensor is less sensitive. But the image will generally be cleaner and have less image noise.

A high ISO makes the sensor much more sensitive in less light, but the trade-off is that it can introduce more image noise that can impact image quality.

Sharpness

Fine-tune the sharpness of your videos, striking the perfect balance between crisp details and natural-looking footage.

The default setting is Medium. If you want snappy, crisp footage, especially if you won’t plan to do much in the way of post-processing, High is a good choice. If you plan to do post-processing, Low is often a better choice to give you more flexibility in applying sharpening later.

Protune Options When Shooting Photos

There’s an overlap between the video and photo Protune options, and those work in similar ways.

RAW Format

This doesn’t strictly fall under the Protune umbrella, and is actually found under general preferences. But it is conceptually very similar. You can enable the RAW image format to capture uncompressed and unprocessed photos, providing maximum flexibility in post-processing. The way that GoPros handle RAW is to actually save a RAW (.gpr) and JPEG version side-by-side.

ISO Min and Max

Set the minimum and maximum ISO values to control the camera’s sensitivity to light, optimizing image quality in different lighting conditions.

Sharpness

Adjust the sharpness of your photos to achieve the desired level of detail, whether you prefer a more natural look or a sharper image.

Exposure Compensation

Fine-tune the exposure level to capture perfectly exposed photos, even in challenging lighting situations.

Exposure compensation works relative to the automatic exposure calculation.

Color Profile

Choose between GoPro Color or Flat to achieve the desired color rendition in your photos.

GoPro Color looks more vibrant and impressive out of the camera. Flat gives you more flexibility if you’re planning to process the images in something like Lightroom.

Protune Options When Capturing Audio

While it doesn’t have a dedicated audio capture mode, the GoPro HERO11 Black gives you the ability to capture higher-quality audio tracks when shooting video (and use those independently of the video track). This can be useful for recording interviews, live performances, or immersive soundscapes.

These settings technically fall under the Video category, but I’m separately them out here because there are some situations where GoPros can be used as audio capture devices.

Raw Audio

Enable Raw audio capture to preserve the highest quality audio data, allowing for more flexibility during post-production.

This is off by default, but you can also choose to enable it with various levels of quality (i.e., bitrate).

Wind Filter

Reduce wind noise during outdoor recordings, making your audio sound cleaner and more professional.

The default setting is Auto, but you can force it on or off.

Media Mod

If you’re using the Media Mod, you also have some control over which microphones are used for audio capture. 

Video Protune Options: HERO12 Black

These are the Protune options available on the HERO12 Black.

Protune Option	HERO12 Black	HERO11 Black	HERO10 Black	HERO9 Black	HERO8 Black	HERO7 Black	HERO6 Black	HERO5 Black	HERO4 Black	HERO4 Silver	HERO Session
10-Bit	(Moved to video settings)	On Off (default)	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
Bitrate	(Moved to video settings)	Standard (default) High	Low (default) High	Low (default) High	Low (default) High	-	-	-	-	-	-
Color	Vibrant Natural (default) Flat	Vibrant Natural (default) Flat	Vibrant (default) Natural Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat
White Balance	Auto (default) 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto (default) 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 4000K 4800K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 4000K 4800K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 4000K 4800K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 5500K 6500K Native
Manual Exposure / Shutter*	Auto (default) 1/fps 1/(2xfps) 1/(4xfps) 1/(8xfps) 1/(16xfps)	Auto (default) 1/fps 1/(2xfps) 1/(4xfps) 1/(8xfps) 1/(16xfps)	Auto 1/fps 1/(2xfps) 1/(4xfps) 1/(8xfps) 1/(16xfps)	Auto 1/fps 1/(2xfps) 1/(4xfps) 1/(8xfps) 1/(16xfps)	Auto 1/fps 1/(2xfps) 1/(4xfps) 1/(8xfps) 1/(16xfps)	Auto 1/24 1/25 1/30 1/48 1/50 1/60 1/96 1/100 1/120 1/192 1/200 1/240 1/384 1/400 1/480 1/960 1/1920 1/3840	Auto 1/24 1/25 1/30 1/48 1/50 1/60 1/96 1/100 1/120 1/192 1/200 1/240 1/400 1/480 1/960 1/1920	Auto 1/24 1/25 1/30 1/48 1/50 1/60 1/80 1/96 1/100 1/120 1/160 1/192 1/200 1/240 1/320 1/400 1/480 1/960	Auto 1/60 1/120 1/240	Auto 1/60 1/120 1/240	-
ISO Limit	Auto 6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100	6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100	6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100	6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100	6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100	6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100	6400 3200 1600 800 400 200 100	6400 3200 1600 1200 800 400	6400 3200 1600 1200 800 400	6400 3200 1600 1200 800 400	1600 400
Sharpness	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	OFF ON
Exposure Compensation	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2
Raw Audio Track	Off (default) Low Mid High	Off (default) Low Mid High	Off (default) Low Mid High	Off Low Mid High	Off Low Mid High	Off Low Mid High	Off Low Mid High	Off Low Mid High	-	-	-
Wind	Auto (default) On Off	Auto (default) On Off	Auto (default) On Off	Auto On Off	Auto On Off				-	-	-
Auto Audio Mode Group	-	-	Auto On Off	Auto On Off	Auto On Off	Auto Wind Only Stereo Only	-	-	-	-	-

* Note on manual shutter: The specific options available in the manual exposure / shutter section vary by the framerate you've chosen. The available shutter speeds you'll see available will be limited to multiples of the framerate you're using. As an example, if you set it to record at 1080p60, you won't see the option for a manual shutter speed of 1/96 but you will see 1/120 and 1/240. In general, the scale goes 1/fps, 1/(2xfps), 1/(4xfps), 1(8xfps), and 1(16xfps).

Photo Protune Options: HERO12 Black

These are the Protune options available on the HERO12 Black.

Protune Option	HERO12 Black	HERO11 Black	HERO10 Black	HERO9 Black	HERO8 Black	HERO7 Black	HERO6 Black	HERO5 Black	HERO5 Session	HERO4 Black	HERO4 Silver
Color	Vibrant Natural (default) Flat	Vibrant Natural (default) Flat	Vibrant (default) Natural Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat	GoPro Color Flat
White Balance	Auto (default) 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5000K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto (default) 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5000K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5000K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5000K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5000K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5000K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 2300K 2800K 3200K 4000K 4500K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 4000K 4800K 5500K 6000K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 5500K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 5500K 6500K Native	Auto 3000K 5500K 6500K Native
Shutter Speed	Auto (default) 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000	Auto 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000	Auto 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000	Auto 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000	Auto 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000	Auto 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000	Auto 1/125 1/250 1/500 1/1000 1/2000	-	-	-	-
ISO Limit	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	800 400 200 100	800 400 200 100	800 400 200 100
ISO Min	3200 1600 800 400 200 100 (default)	3200 1600 800 400 200 100 (default)	3200 1600 800 400 200 100 (default)	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	1600 800 400 200 100	-	-	-
ISO Max	3200 (default) 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 (default) 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 (default) 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	3200 1600 800 400 200 100	100 200 400 800 1600	-	-	-
Sharpness	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium (default) Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low	High Medium Low
Exposure Compensation	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2	-2 to +2

* The shutter settings were added to the HERO5 Black with a firmware update in April 2017 (v.02.00).