GoPros get their biggest upgrade for 20 years with trio of ‘professional’ Mission 1 8K action cams — and one even supports hundreds of pro camera lenses

• GoPro unveils its Mission 1 series of action cams, with three new models
• They all feature a new 1-inch 50MP sensor, GP3 processor and shoot 8K video
• An 'ILS' model features a Micro Four Thirds lens mount

GoPro's stock has been dwindling of late, especially with increased competition from DJI and Insta360, but the OG action cam maker is back with a bang with its new Mission 1 series of action cams.

This is the biggest GoPro shake-up since it went digital 20 years ago, with three 'professional' models to choose from; the Mission 1, Mission 1 Pro and the curious Mission 1 Pro ILS — the latter features a Micro Four Thirds lens mount and is directly compatible with hundreds upon hundreds of lenses.

Alongside the cameras, GoPro will launch new accessories, including its first wireless mic kit. And in case you missed it, GoPro recently revealed its own gimbal, so its range of accessories are ever growing.

I spoke with GoPro ahead of the announcement, and its spokesperson articulated how the brand has looked to address many of the perceived drawbacks to its current action cams, previously headed up by the Hero 13 Black.

Through a new GP3 processor, GoPro says the Mission 1 series of cameras will have industry-leading battery life and thermal performance – yes, they won't overheat even when static in a warm room – while a new 1-inch sensor is much larger than the one used in Hero Black models and will no doubt improve image quality, especially in low light.

Pre-orders for each model begin on May 21 and they will be fully available from May 28, with pricing TBC. There's plenty to unpack here, so let's take a look at the key features and what to expect.

Mission 1 / Mission 1 Pro

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First up, the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro models. They are essentially the same, except that the Pro version (above, with lens hood) has a few extra capabilities, which I'll get onto.

Both cameras feature the new GP3 processor, a 1-inch 4:3 sensor and shoot 50MP stills and 8K 30fps / 4K 120fps open gate video (the 'Pro' version shoots 8K up to 60fps).

Previous GoPro action cams have offered great image quality in good light, but this new series looks to improve matters in low light with what GoPro says is 14 stops of dynamic range.

The bigger sensor and new processor also combine with higher 240Mbps bitrates, HLG-HDR and GP-Log 2 color profiles, plus 10-bit color depth for what should be the best quality images from a GoPro to date.

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With a new Enduro 2 battery (which is backwards compatible with the Hero 13 Black), video record times are supposedly at least five hours at 1080p 30fps and three hours plus for 4K 30fps. They are also GoPro's toughest action cams yet, with waterproofing of 65ft / 20m and a bright 2.59-inch rear OLED screen.

It's slow-motion recording where the Pro version really stands out, thanks to its mind-boggling 960fps slo-mo video mode. This is available for 1080p recording, while the regular Mission 1 is limited to 240fps. At 4K resolution, the Mission 1 Pro can shoot down to 240fps, while the Mission 1 is capped to 120fps.

Audio recording looks impressive too; there a four internal mics and internal 32-bit float audio recording — these are very much pro features. And Bluetooth 5.3 lets you connect to compatible mics for clear audio, including GoPro's new wireless mic kit.

What you don't get with either model that the Hero 13 Black offers is the auto-detected lens mod setup — instead you just get the redesigned 159-degree field of view lens with hydrophobic coating so water droplets run off.

Mission 1 Pro ILS

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Moving onto the ILS version — it packs the same photo and video skills as the Mission 1 Pro, the key difference being that it features a Micro Four Thirds lens mount, and as such it's only weatherproof and not fully waterproof like the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro is.

This curious stroke of design means the ILS is more of a compact cinema camera than an action camera, though it does have a similar form factor to the other models.

Now I say 'curious' because there's a sensor size / lens mount format mismatch. The 1-inch sensor is smaller than the Micro Four Thirds sensor that the mount is designed for. A 1-inch sensor has a 2.7x crop factor, while Micro Four Thirds is 2x.

I don't think I've ever used a camera with a 1-inch sensor and Micro Four Thirds lens mount — I'm particularly intrigued by the ILS model and can't wait to give it a spin. That extra crop factor will limit lens choice for fans of a super wide-angle perspective, but on the flip-side the telephoto reach will be enhanced.

Perhaps making the ILS body a little larger and fitting it with a Micro Four Thirds sensor would have been the sensible thing to do, but there could be various upsides to this setup, and at the very least there are hundreds of lenses already available.

I asked GoPro if it plans to make its own lenses from the Mission 1 Pro ILS, but it predictably refused to comment.

There will be various Mission 1 series bundles on release, including a Grip Edition, Creator Edition and Ultimate Creator Edition, with more details to come in launch build up.

GoPro has just touched back down to earth following its NASA adventures on board the Artemis II — and now with its biggest product upgrades in decades, it very much feels like GoPro is back in the frame against DJI and Insta360. What do you make of GoPro's Mission 1 series? Make sure you vote in the poll below and let me know your thoughts!

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