The long-rumored GoPro mirrorless camera is real, and it’s here – the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS blends GoPro’s classic design with a one-inch sensor and a Micro Four Thirds mount. However, while that mount that has hundreds of options, not every Micro Four Thirds lens is compatible with the ILS.

So, when choosing lenses for the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS, there are a few key caveats to keep in mind.

First, the ILS doesn’t have electronic contacts – which means it doesn’t support focus-by-wire lenses. In turn, that means that autofocus lenses won’t work with the ILS, even in manual focus mode, which removes popular MFT options like the best Olympus / OM System lenses and Lumix lenses from the list of possibilities.

Secondly, GoPro recommends using an external lens support system for optics over 250g – a compromise that comes with using the smallest yet mirrorless camera. While larger lenses can be used with the ILS, those heavier optics will need a third-party support such as SmallRig's lens support, rods, and base plate.

Finally, creators need to go into the ILS menu and tell the camera which lens is mounted – otherwise, the HyperSmooth stabilization won’t work – so it’s best for creators to choose a lens that comes from GoPro’s official compatibility list.

Another worthy note? GoPro's lens testing for the ILS has focused on lenses 50mm and under, so telephoto lenses may have varied performance.

Those caveats remove a lot of lens options for GoPro’s first mirrorless – but there’s still a long list of manual-focus Micro Four Thirds lenses to choose from. Using a mix of hands-on reviews and GoPro’s confirmed compatibility list, these are the best lenses for the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS.

Best lenses for the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Under 250g

The ILS' crop factor makes getting a wide shot tricky, especially if you don't want the curved barrel distortion of a rectilinear fisheye. But the Lawoa 6mm T/2.1 Zero-D Cine is built to minimize barrel distortion and does a remarkably fantastic job at it.

The optics on this lens are fantastic with minimal barrel distortion, little abberation, and no vignetting.

The other reason that the Laowa 6mm makes an excellent pair with the GoPro ILS? The lens meets that under-250g requirement. The lens is compact, yet it still has a lovely metal construction.

Serious filmmakers will appreciate that this lens is built for cinema, including two geared control rings for focus and aperture that are designed to work with accessories like follow focus.

Read our full Laowa 6mm T2.1 Zero-D review

The Laowa 7.5mm f/2 Compact Dreamer is the lens that I used when testing out the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS. The lens is remarkably small and lightweight, but it still feels well-built.

The 7.5mm creates a rectilinear view that's rare to get without distortion. I did spot some noticeable barrel distortion occasionally when the camera moved, and perspective distortion is still apparent, but overall this is a very wide lens that doesn't have an overly obvious fisheye look to it.

What I really loved about this lens, though, was the lens flare. I was able to get colorful rainbows and streaky bursts of light when directing this lens towards the sun.

Read the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS review for more sample shots taken with the ILS and the Laowa 7.5mm

The Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye is one of the widest GoPro-recommended lenses for the ILS. This 4mm will create a 12mm full-frame equivalent with HyperSmooth off.

The Laowa will look a bit different on the Mission 1 Pro ILS than it did in our hands-on testing, however. The crop factor on the ILS will cut off most of the circular fisheye look. The ILS has a 1.5x crop factor to get to a Micro Four Thirds equivalent (rather than the full-frame equivalent of 3x).

By our calculations, that will crop off almost all of the black frame except right at the very corners. But while the 4mm won't look like a standard circular fisheye, that extreme barrel distortion will still be in effect on the ILS.

That, combined with an affordable price point and lightweight design, still makes the Laowa 4mm a contender if you don't mind the crop and darkened corners.

Read our full Laowa 4mm F/2.8 Fisheye review

Best lenses for the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Over 250g (require support)

Any lens over 250g should be paired with an external support system – the GoPro ILS body is just too small to handle the heavy optics. GoPro doesn't make its own, but recommends a model from SmallRig.

GoPro's first mirrorless camera isn't submersible like earlier action cameras, but the camera is splashproof if paired with a lens that also has weather-sealing. There are very few weather-sealed lenses that sit on GoPro's compatibility list, but the Irix Cine T1.5 is one of them – and it's a fantastic lens.

Its lens' T1.5 aperture will go a long way in helping the ILS' 1-inch sensor to gather the most light and create background blur. This 30mm creates an excellent cinematic look with minimal focus breathing.

The biggest complaint coming from the Irix 30mm review is that the lens is a bit soft when shooting at T1.5; while the sharpness was still plenty enough for 8K footage, the ILS' crop factor will exaggerate that softness a bit. That means scenarios requiring the very sharpest subjects will want to step down a bit.

This lens is also a hefty one and will require using an external support system; otherwise, the heavy optics will stress the ILS mount.

Read our full Irix Cine 30mm T1.5 review

Cine lenses are pricey, but the 7Artisans Vision 50mm T1.05 is rather affordable considering its full metal construction and bright T1.05 iris.

The Vision 50mm has large gears built for accessories like follow focus systems, and that focus adjustment is buttery smooth – though we did spot some focus breathing in our testing.

But the footage coming from this lens has lovely character. Bokeh has a bit of a swirl to it, and contrast is excellent.

While the lens performs well for the price point, there is some colored fringing. The lens tends to look sharpest at T2 rather than wide open – but the crop factor on the ILS may warrant pushing that a bit narrower.

Again, this lens weighs more than 250g, so be sure to factor in the cost of a lens support, rods, and baseplate.

Read our full 7Artisans Vision 50mm T1.05 review

One area where the Mission 1 Pro ILS crop factor comes in handy is with close-ups. This macro lens is one of the most affordable macro options that still sits with a focal length under 50mm for the best performance on ILS.

Reviews Editor Gareth Bevan actually rigged this affordable lens up to a film scanner, but didn't notice a difference in sharpness compared to pricier optics.

Image quality won't be perfect coming in as an ultra-affordable option, but this lens is well-built, extremely well priced and works with the ILS when using an added external support system.

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Read the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS review, or check out the Mission 1 Pro for a fixed-lens option.

Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro, has shared a letter with the world – and especially the company's customers – promising that the $285 million / £211 million / AU$396 million merger with Starman Optical will not be the end of the GoPro camera and other consumer products.

On September 01, the company entered into an agreement with the little-known, privately held US optical-photonics company. The deal clears GoPro's $92 million / £68 million / AU$128 million cash debt and pays shareholders $1.14 / 0.84 / AU$1.58 per share to acquire GoPro, but not much was known about Starman Optical in the camera community.

What was known is that the company concentrated on delivering equipment for military purposes (national security was mentioned in the GoPro statement), so understandably a lot of people started putting two and two together and concluded that the GoPro consumer brand might not be long for this world.

This despite the fact that Starman does bring US-based production facilities to the table, potentially enabling GoPro cameras to be produced despite the ever-tightening restrictions on foreign imports facing American consumers – restrictions that make it harder to choose the latest action cameras from brands like DJI, which is based in China.

Nick Woodman also confirmed that the Starman deal meant GoPro would "grow across consumer, commercial and defence markets," although the fact that consumer is only a third of that list was already chipped away at by his own addition that GoPro would "continue to fully support its existing consumer products and its subscription and cloud platform."

The use of the word 'existing' is the key warning sign for anyone; it suggests that GoPro might not be developing any new devices for the consumer / pro photographer market, which is never a good place to be with a brand.

The speculation fueled by that news, shared through GoPro's investor relations, no doubt explains Woodman's subsequent letter.

In it, he says, "Making amazing cameras for all of you is our core DNA and reason for being and that will never change!" He goes on to suggest that Starman shares the 'passion' for the GoPro brand, and the improved finances should boost innovation at the company.

He doesn't roll back on his previous statement, but does acknowledge consumers' concerns. "Our goal is to become a more diversified company which can make us stronger financially, enabling GoPro to become as awesome as we (and you) want us to be."

Signing off "with respect and admiration," GoPro's founder promises that following up on capturing life's moments is "what we were founded to do and it’s what we will always do."

Whether he has that power in the new corporate structure remains to be seen, but it seems unlikely that recent customers need be unduly concerned; support for the cloud services continues.

Arguably, replacing the cameras iteratively every year made little sense in the action camera space anyway. People don't even replace their phones each year, so GoPro was always going to face a limited market for a product that – for most – is used far less frequently than a phone.

Perhaps some smarter decisions are inbound and need not threaten the consumer division.

If you're interested in checking out the best action cameras, you'll see, by the way, that GoPro has some serious competition in any case.

After years of declining profits and increased debt, GoPro, the household name for action cameras, will merge with another US-based company in an effort to rescue the camera brand from bankruptcy. But what does the merger mean for action cameras?

On September 1, GoPro announced a planned merger with Starman Optical Inc, a US-based company that makes high-speed transceivers that are in high demand amid the AI data center boom.

Now, new internal emails between GoPro founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman and employees, as well as an email between the action camera brand and GoPro customers, are offering more hints as to what the merger means for the longstanding action camera brand.

The announcement has fueled a myriad of opinions over the merger, which has been agreed to by both parties but still faces regulatory approval. The concern stems, in part, from the announcement’s heavy reference to AI data centers, which is where much of the tech that Starman Optical builds is headed.

Even YouTuber Mark Plier, who became GoPro’s largest shareholder a few weeks before the merger announcement, says he is “not gonna be on board” if GoPro pivots away from cameras.

With the merger not yet finalized, emails originally marked as “confidential” but filed as part of stock market paperwork offer additional insight into what the merger could mean for GoPro.

GoPro’s action cameras aren’t going anywhere

Both the official merger announcement and the newly revealed internal emails stress that the merger doesn’t mean the end for GoPro’s cameras.

“Day to day, your GoPro experience does not change,” the email to customers and distributors reads. “We will continue to operate the business as usual. GoPro will remain a publicly listed company and will continue to fully support our existing products and our subscription and cloud service while developing a broader, diversified product roadmap. Products, services and support continue as they are. The current product lineup stays in production and remains available for purchase.”

While the announcement stressed a potential expansion into AI data centers, defense and aerospace markets, Woodman’s internal email to employees hints that the merger could help expand GoPro’s consumer products as well.

“Starman Optical has the resources to help us scale-expand our consumer product roadmap, grow our software and subscription business, and broaden the categories we compete to include commercial and defense markets,” Woodman wrote to employees.

The news of the merger comes on the heels of the GoPro Mission 1 series, which GoPro says is the camera that fans have been asking for since the Hero7 Black in 2018. The new series, with its larger one-inch sensors and the company’s first mirrorless camera, further hints that GoPro still wants to be known as a camera maker.

But, GoPro wants to expand beyond the action camera

The word “GoPro” is often interchangeable with the word “action camera.” While GoPro also has accessories and 360 cameras – and once launched a drone – the brand has always been known for largely one thing.

But, with the merger, GoPro wants to push into more categories – and while GoPro cameras may not be going anywhere, the word “GoPro” in the future may not necessarily mean a camera.

Woodman continues in the email by saying that Starman Optical “are very strategically positioned in the AI infrastructure industry as an up and coming U.S. manufacturer of optical transceivers that we believe will bring in meaningful high-margin revenue to help fund GoPro's growth initiatives into new markets – establishing GoPro over time as a diversified optics and imaging company across consumer, commercial and defense while creating significant value for shareholders.”

GoPro’s desire to push into more industries isn’t a secret. When Woodman announced the search for a potential buyer or merger earlier this year, the company said that GoPro had been receiving “unsolicited” inquiries after announcing that the company was looking into the defense and aerospace industries.

The merger could also push GoPro into AI infrastructure

The initial announcement for the search back in May, however, didn’t mention a push into AI data centers. Starman Optical builds optical transceivers, the hardware that moves data by using light.

In his official statement, Woodman said that the merger would help address “important areas of national security related to cameras, optics and AI infrastructure.”

GoPro wouldn’t be the first struggling consumer brand eyeing the AI boom. But a camera maker known for small, durable cameras may make sense in the AI space – or at least more sense than a shoe brand moving into AI – as cameras are increasingly built into more smart products.

Last year, GoPro announced an opt-in program that allows GoPro users to submit their footage for AI training, with GoPro subscribers earning up to 50 percent of the revenue from that AI licensing.

The merger could mean moving to US-based manufacturing

Another key phrase was mentioned across both GoPro’s official announcement and the internal emails: US onshore manufacturing. “The combined company also expects to invest in growth and onshore the manufacturing of products for strategic markets,” the email to customers reads.

That echoes the same phrase from the initial merger announcement: "We expect this merger to enable GoPro to grow across consumer, commercial and defense markets as a leading American imaging and optical solutions company, addressing important areas of national security related to cameras, optics and AI infrastructure,” Woodman said.

Charles Tebele, Chief Executive Officer of Starman Holding, echoed the sentiment on US manufacturing: "Advanced optics and imaging are essential to AI, national security, and the broader economy, yet much of the critical hardware supporting these technologies continues to be manufactured overseas. The combination of GoPro's world-class optical expertise and intellectual property with Starman's advanced transceiver capabilities and U.S. manufacturing platform creates a unique opportunity. Together, we intend to bring production of these critical components back to the United States."

Like drones, the Trump Administration has labeled the overseas manufacturing of semiconductors as a threat to national security, including the semiconductors integral to AI.

While GoPro is a US-based company, its action cameras are currently manufactured in Mexico and China.

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Take a look at the best GoPro cameras, or read up on the new GoPro Mission 1 Pro or the Mission 1 Pro ILS.

GoPro’s search for a potential buyer or merger has found a solution to the action camera maker's financial struggles. On Tuesday, September 1, GoPro announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to merge with Starman Optical, Inc., a US-based optical photonics company.

The merger will keep GoPro’s existing presence in the consumer camera space, leaving the company's action cameras, 360 cameras, subscriptions, and software intact. But the merger aims to help push GoPro into AI data centers, government, defense, and aerospace industries while rescuing the action camera giant’s struggling finances and leaving GoPro largely debt-free.

While the GoPro name is well known, Starman Optical is less so. The US-based company builds high-speed optical transceivers and similar technologies. The company’s optical transceivers are used in AI infrastructure and data centers.

GoPro says that the company will continue in the consumer camera space, but the merger will also position the brand to expand into other areas, including the rise in demand for AI infrastructure.

"We expect this merger to enable GoPro to grow across consumer, commercial and defense markets as a leading American imaging and optical solutions company, addressing important areas of national security related to cameras, optics and AI infrastructure,” GoPro CEO and founder Nicholas Woodman said in the announcement. “We're excited to combine with the Starman team to capitalize on this opportunity and play an important role in America's future."

While GoPro is a publicly traded company, Starman Optical is privately held. The action camera brand will remain on the US stock market following the merger, with the current stockholders taking about a ten percent stake in ownership.

The exchange will also give shareholders a $285 million cash payment, or about $1.14 per share. After the announcement, the company's stock that had previously been sitting below the $1 mark and was at risk of becoming delisted, surged to $1.40 a share.

GoPro says that its current $92 million in debt will be largely repaid at closing, which would give the action camera maker a clean balance sheet.

The proposed merger has been approved by both companies’ boards, but is still subject to regulatory approvals. If everything goes as planned, the two companies will merge before the end of 2026.

GoPro has been struggling with sluggish sales recently, sharing a stock market warning that the company could face a potential bankruptcy if its finances did not turn around.

GoPro announced that it was looking for a potential buyer or merger in May. The proposed merger with Starman Optical will leave the action camera maker without debt moving forward.

The announcement of the merger agreement comes on the heels of GoPro's first mirrorless camera, the Mission 1 Pro ILS, which opened for pre-orders last week.

Take a look at the new GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS mirrorless camera, or browse the best GoPro cameras.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro, DJI Osmo Action 6 and Insta360 Ace Pro 2 are three action cameras that all go in a slightly different direction.

GoPro has gone all-in on raw resolution and frame rate, cramming a 1-inch sensor into a body that shoots 8K 60fps. DJI has gone the other way, prioritizing real-world image quality with an adjustable aperture and swappable lenses on a square sensor. Insta360 sits in-between, pairing an 8K sensor with Leica color-tuning and a flip-out screen built for vloggers.

At the same time, they also have a lot of common. Each camera is waterproof without a housing. Each shoots serious slow-motion. And each supports some kind of interchangeable optics, whether that's GoPro's identifying lens adaptors, DJI's screw-on FOV Boost and Macro lenses, or Insta360's more conventional fixed lens with software-driven crops.

So, how to choose? Read on to learn more about where each camera pulls ahead of the other, and where and when the differences actually matter. Let's get into the GoPro Mission 1 Pro vs DJI Osmo Action 6 vs Insta360 Ace Pro 2 rumble…

GoPro Mission 1 Pro vs DJI Osmo Action 6 vs Insta360 Ace Pro 2: Specifications

GoPro Mission 1 Pro vs DJI Osmo Action 6 vs Insta360 Ace Pro 2: Photo and video quality

On paper, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro looks the most impressive when it comes to image and video quality.

It's the only one of the three that shoots 8K at 60fps, the only one with an open gate 4:3 mode at full 8K resolution, and its slow-motion ceiling of FullHD 480fps (with a 960fps burst mode) comfortably beats the Ace Pro 2's FullHD 240fps. Stills are equally strong, with a genuine 50MP mode pulled from the full sensor.

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 isn't far behind on the spec sheet: it also shoots 8K, tops out at 50MP stills and adds Leica color science that gives footage a more graded, polished look straight out of the camera. Where it falls short is slow-motion, capping at FullHD 240fps against the GoPro's much higher ceiling, and it sticks to 8-bit color rather than the Mission 1 Pro's 10-bit GP-Log2.

The DJI Osmo Action 6 was the odd one out at launch, but a firmware update unlocked an 8K 30fps mode and pushed the photos to 38MP. This was possible because, despite launching as a 4K-limited camera, DJI's larger sensor and adjustable aperture give it a clear advantage in low light.

The square sensor also means footage can be reframed between portrait and landscape after recording, without sacrificing the sensor's low-light advantage. In real-world low-light terms, then, it's arguably the most capable imaging system of the three, even with the smallest numbers on the page.

🏆: DJI Osmo Action 6

GoPro Mission 1 Pro vs DJI Osmo Action 6 vs Insta360 Ace Pro 2: Design and handling

Each camera solves handling differently. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro sticks closest to the traditional action camera formula: a rugged block with a removable lens cover that accepts identifying adaptors, plus a new point-and-shoot grip accessory for anyone who wants to hold it more like a compact camera. It's also the heaviest of the three at 212g, and the only one without any built-in storage.

The DJI Osmo Action 6 introduces swappable lenses, including a FOV Boost lens for a wider field of view and a forthcoming macro option, both of which the camera automatically detects when fitted. Its adjustable aperture is unique among this trio and it's also the only one with 50GB of built-in storage – so it's usable even without a memory card. At 149g, it's comfortably the lightest and most compact.

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 takes a different approach entirely with its 180° flip-up touchscreen, which makes it the most natural choice for vlogging or any shot where you need to see yourself in frame. It's the heaviest to hold in the hand relative to its size and the hinge is one more moving part to worry about – but the flexibility it offers for framing is something neither of the other two can match.

🏆: Draw

GoPro Mission 1 Pro vs DJI Osmo Action 6 vs Insta360 Ace Pro 2: Price

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is comfortably the most expensive of the three at $699.99 / AU$1,099, dropping to $599.99 / AU$949.95 only if you already hold a GoPro subscription. The DJI Osmo Action 6 sits in the middle at around $433 / AU$669 for the standard combo or around $546 / AU$839 for the Adventure Combo bundle that includes a selfie stick and extra batteries.

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 undercuts both, launching at $399 / AU$551 for a single battery bundle, and it's since become considerably cheaper still in some markets. At the time of writing, it's been discounted to as little as $367 at US retailers – its lowest price of the year. For buyers working to a budget, that makes the Ace Pro 2 hard to argue with on value alone.

🏆: Insta360 Ace Pro 2

GoPro Mission 1 Pro vs DJI Osmo Action 6 vs Insta360 Ace Pro 2: How to choose

There isn't a single winner here, because these three cameras are built around different priorities. If you want the highest resolution, the fastest slow-motion and the most rugged, no-nonsense action camera experience, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro leads on specs – but you'll pay the most for it.

If real-world image quality matters more than numbers on a spec sheet, the DJI Osmo Action 6's adjustable aperture, swappable lenses and square sensor make it the most genuinely versatile camera of the three, and the one I'd reach for most often day-to-day. It's still very rugged, too – it was the one chosen to go on the outside of the rocket in China's reusable rocket space shot, and survived, which tells you something.

If you're working to a budget, or you shoot a lot of vlogging and talking-to-camera content where a flip screen actually matters, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 offers 8K, 50MP stills and Leica-tuned color for meaningfully less money than either rival.

There's no wrong answer, only the wrong camera for what you actually shoot.

Looking to buy a GoPro? Then you should probably be looking at the Mission series, announced this April and launched in May. It's the biggest shake-up to GoPro's lineup in years, moving away from the Hero name and placing a significantly larger 1-inch sensor into a rugged, waterproof body for the first time.

There isn't just one fixed-lens Mission action camera, though; there is a Mission 1 and a Mission 1 Pro, which appear from the outside to be really similar. (To confuse things further, there is also a third option – the newer GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS – but this offers interchangeable lenses and is aimed more at cinematographers.)

So how do you choose between the seemingly identical GoPro Mission 1 vs GoPro Mission 1 Pro? Well, they are pretty similar. Both cameras share the same 1-inch quad Bayer sensor, the same GP3 processor, the same Enduro 2 battery and the same waterproof-down-to-66ft / 20m body.

They shoot the same 50MP stills, use the same fixed-focus ultra-wide lens and support the same accessories, from the Media Mod to the new Grip Edition that turns either model into something closer to a point-and-shoot camera.

The main difference, then, comes down mainly to top-end video specs: frame rates, resolutions and slow-motion modes that most people won't use day-to-day. Read on to learn the full details of what separates these two models.

GoPro isn't ditching the Hero series cameras, either – these are a new cinematography-friendly tier, which makes sense. The GoPro Hero 13 Black still has some advantages – and not just price; the optics with a smaller sensor provide for a smaller camera with a deeper depth of field (handy for POV shots).

GoPro Mission 1 vs GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Specifications

GoPro Mission 1 vs GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Video

Video is the main differentiator here, although it's still not a big one.

Both cameras use the same sensor, processor and color science, so footage shot in any shared mode looks identical: same detail, same dynamic range (GoPro claims up to 14 stops), same natural, relatively unprocessed look in low light.

Where they diverge is right at the top of the spec sheet. The Mission 1 Pro shoots 8K at 60fps and adds an 8K 30fps open gate 4:3 mode for creators who want maximum cropping flexibility across aspect ratios. The standard Mission 1 tops out at 8K 30fps in 16:9 and doesn't offer open gate at that top resolution at all, though it does keep open gate for 4K modes (including 120fps slow-mo).

Slow-motion is the other gap. The Pro pushes to 4K 240fps and FullHD 480fps, with a 460fps (16x) mode and a 960fps burst option for extreme slow-mo. The standard Mission 1 caps out at 4K 120fps and FullHD 240fps, which is still a serious toolkit but noticeably short of the Pro's ceiling.

As for resolutions and frame rates, there's no difference whatsoever. Both support 10-bit color, the same Rec.709 and Rec.2020 HDR profiles, and the flat GP-Log2 look for grading. Both also manage around 2 hours of continuous 4K 60fps recording without overheating.

🏆: GoPro Mission 1 Pro

GoPro Mission 1 vs GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Photo

Photographers get an identical experience with both the Mission 1 and the Mission 1 Pro.

Both cameras use the full sensor for 50MP wide stills or drop to a combined 12MP mode for better low-light performance, and both lack any kind of zoom or variable aperture. Both use a fixed 15mm equivalent ultra-wide lens with fixed focus, so anything from about 60cm onwards is sharp.

Build quality, battery life and waterproofing are all identical. Both use the same Enduro 2 battery (and both accept the older Enduro 1 if you're upgrading from a Hero13 Black). Both are rated to 66ft / 20m without a housing. And both support the full range of Mission accessories, including the new point-and-shoot grip, the Media Mod and GoPro's first wireless mic kit.

🏆: Draw

GoPro Mission 1 vs GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Price & availability

The Mission 1 Pro costs $699.99 – or $599.99 direct from GoPro if you already hold a GoPro Subscription past its first renewal. The standard Mission 1 is $100 cheaper across the board at $599.99, which puts it level with what most people will actually pay for the Pro once the subscriber discount is applied.

There's also a distribution difference worth knowing about. The Mission 1 Pro is sold widely through retail and photo stores, and comes in several bundles including a Grip Edition, a Creator Edition and a forthcoming Ultimate Creator Edition. The standard Mission 1 is only available directly from GoPro, with no bundle options.

🏆: GoPro Mission 1 is cheaper; Pro has better bundles and deals

GoPro Mission 1 vs GoPro Mission 1 Pro: How to choose

Given how much these two cameras share, the GoPro Mission 1 vs GoPro Mission 1 Pro decision really comes down to a single question: do you need 8K 60fps, 8K 30fps open gate or frame rates above 4K 120fps and FullHD 240fps?

If the answer is yes, because you're delivering multiple aspect ratios or you regularly need extreme slow-motion for sports or action work, the Mission 1 Pro's extra headroom is worth the $100.

If it's no, the standard Mission 1 gives you the same sensor, the same processor, the same battery life, the same durability and the same image quality in every mode it supports, for significantly less money.

For most buyers, that makes the GoPro Mission 1 the smarter pick. The Pro is there for the few who'll actually use its top-end modes.

That said, this whole line is aimed at top-end users – and the bundles with GoPro's accessories reflect that. Of the two of us, Adam would definitely choose the Mission 1 Pro (the model he reviewed) every time.

GoPro’s first mirrorless camera is so small that the Mission 1 Pro ILS looks closer to an action camera than a mirrorless camera. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS’s size creates wider flexibility in getting shots in tight perspectives and creating small mounted rigs. But the small design isn’t without its downsides: GoPro recommends using an added support for Micro Four Thirds lenses that weigh more than 250g.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS uses a Micro Four Thirds mount, which opens the action camera giant’s first mirrorless to hundreds of different lenses. However, the camera body doesn’t have any electronic form of communication with the lens, which means electronically driven “focus by wire” lenses aren’t supported.

In focus-by-wire optics, the focus isn’t physically adjusted from the turn of the focus ring but is instead adjusted electronically. This electronic design requires communicating with the camera body, and the Mission 1 Pro ILS doesn’t have any electronic contacts to communicate with the lens.

That takes MFT lenses like those from OM System and Panasonic off the table, as these lenses require communication with the camera to work. Besides disappointing creators who already own a stash of lenses from those brands, the incompatibility with OM System takes a number of weather-sealed lenses off the table.

While I was disappointed that I couldn’t mount my OM System 150-600mm lens on the Mission 1 Pro ILS – because how cool would a 1,800mm equivalent be! – the ILS will also need help supporting heavier lenses.

When I started testing the ILS, GoPro recommended that I use a lens support system for any optics over 250g, though the company noted that lenses with a built-in tripod collar could be supported by using the collar on a tripod.

Using a lens support system is going to increase both the size of the camera and the cost. SmallRig makes a universal lens support that sells for about $22, for example, but it requires rods and a baseplate. Adding the SmallRig 15mm baseplate and rods would be around $125 (about £91 / AU$175 / CA$173) worth of accessories to help support larger lenses.

Lenses 250g and under don’t need any additional support – and there are quite a few lenses that GoPro recommends from the Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 Dreamer that I used with the new ILS to optics from TTArtisan, Rokinon, Meike, Viltrox and several others that fit both the mechanical focus and weight requirements.

One more thing to note? When swapping lenses, you have to go into the camera menu and select the correct lens, or HyperSmooth won’t work properly.

There are compromises that had to be made in order to create a mirrorless that small, and potential GoPro mirrorless buyers need to be aware of them before committing to the tiny 8K camera from the well-known action camera brand.

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I feel as if I’ve just shaken hands with Sasquatch. A mirrorless GoPro has been rumored so long it feels like a mythical creature – but now I’ve held the mirrorless GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS in my hands.

I’m a professional photographer and camera reviewer, but the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is unlike any other camera that I’ve used before – and that’s both good and bad.

While the ILS was initially revealed at the Mission 1 series launch, back in April, pre-orders for GoPro's first mirrorless camera opened today, August 26, with shipping and retail availability beginning on September 02.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS shares much of the same specs as the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro, looking very much like the Mission 1 Pro had its fixed lens surgically replaced with a Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Besides the identical 8K60 sensor and GP3 processor, the ILS also looks and operates like a GoPro.

Holding the Mission 1 Pro ILS in my hands still felt very much like shooting with a GoPro – which is great news for GoPro fans. But the Mission 1 Pro ILS is a camera of compromises in order to pack swappable lenses into a camera that’s just 197g.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS packs high-end features into an affordable – and tiny – body

The legendary GoPro features that have migrated into mirrorless are headlined by HyperSmooth. I hate hauling around tripods, and I spent much of my time with the ILS capturing handheld video. Handheld shots are impressively steady, with just enough movement to have that POV-feel without being jittery or distracting.

The stabilization impressively even helped when getting in close to the subject. Using stabilization on different lenses is more challenge, however, and I did spot on occasional wobble – and HyperSmooth is definitely not smooth enough to actually run with the camera.

While that stabilization is possible with the fixed lens Mission cameras, the ILS mixes that with a handful of things that aren’t typically found on a GoPro, like longer focal lengths and yes, even bokeh and lens flare.

The other unusual feature of the ILS is how small it is – which is perfect for getting unusual angles. I even tucked the GoPro mirrorless inside a large jar. The body of the ILS is essentially the same as the Mission 1 Pro, but the mirrorless mount does jut out farther and taller from the body.

GoPros have long been the filmmakers' tool for shooting spots that a typical camera won’t fit – the ILS still offers that compact size, though naturally that will also depend on what lens is mounted to the front.

The ILS also has an impressive list of specifications for the $699 / £599 / AU$1099 / CA$949 price point. While there are a handful of mirrorless cameras that can be picked up at that price point, none of them are 8K-capable cameras. Yet, on the GoPro ILS, resolution reaches up to 8K60, with open gate available up to 8K30 and slow motion up to 1080p at 960fps (in 10 second bursts).

But, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS has some significant compromises

The Mission 1 Pro ILS’s lens mount, however, doesn’t have any electronic communication between the lens and the camera. That means that the ILS is a manual-focus-only camera.

But, many Micro Four Thirds lenses are what’s called focus-by-wire, which means that the lens needs the electronics inside the camera in order to physically move the glass pieces to adjust focus. Without any electronic contacts, the GoPro ILS isn’t compatible with these lenses at all, even in manual focus mode, which eliminates a number of fantastic lenses from OM System and Panasonic.

One of the reasons the lack of support for lenses from brands like OM System is so disappointing is that the ILS body is splash-resistant when paired with a weather-sealed lens. The manual focus lenses that the ILS is compatible with are rarely weather-sealed.

Without any communication with the lens, users also need to go into the camera’s menu each time a lens is swapped and choose the right lens profile – forget this step and HyperSmooth will look terrible, as the camera needs that data for the stabilization algorithms to work properly.

The ILS’ small design also comes with a compromise – GoPro says that lenses that weigh more than 250g should be paired with an external lens support. Pairing the ILS with a heavier lens will require an additional investment in a base plate, lens support, and rod – accessories that add on to the cost, no to mention negating the small size.

GoPro users should also be very careful with mounted setups. GoPro doesn’t list a maximum recommended weight for their existing accessories – after all, all GoPros were small before the ILS, so a maximum weight wasn’t really needed. GoPro doesn't list a specific weight lens-ILS combo that should be avoided for traditional GoPro mounting accessories.

But, a GoPro representative told me, “If you plan to subject the camera to higher shock and vibe levels, then we recommend using heavier-duty third-party solutions and the 1/-4-20 threaded insert to mount the camera.”

The combination of a one-inch sensor with a Micro Four Thirds mount also creates a 3x crop factor. This can be great if you want to get in close for telephoto or macro, but less so if you need an ultra-wide view. The widest lens on GoPro’s list of supported lenses is the Laowa 4mm f/2.8 Fisheye, which will act like a 12mm wide-angle lens.

While many of the GoPro mirrorless compromises are related to the lens, the ILS is also geared towards cinema, not stills. Still shots have a built-in delay, and processing leaves the camera temporarily unable to shoot a second shot. GoPro’s mirrorless camera can take stills, but it’s secondary to video.

The non-electronic lens mount and the camera’s small size introduce several compromises. But the Mission 1 Pro ILS is built for filmmakers who likely already use manual focus or follow focus accessories.

Ahead of the GoPro mirrorless launch, a GoPro executive told me that the ILS isn’t going up against the likes of Canon, Sony and Nikon – GoPro sees the ILS as more of a tool in a multi-camera kit where the ILS isn’t the main camera.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is meant for mounting scenarios with more flexibility – and bokeh – than a classic GoPro, as well as for run-and-gun filmmakers who need something small and affordable. And for that, I’m glad the GoPro mirrorless is no longer the stuff of myths.

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GoPro has sliced off its longstanding ultra-wide lens and given a GoPro a Micro Four Thirds Mount. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is the action camera giant’s first venture into the world of mirrorless cameras – and it’s unlike any other camera that I’ve tried.

The ILS feels as if GoPro sliced off the lens of the Mission 1 Pro and gave it a Micro Four Thirds Mount. GoPro’s first mirrorless carries the same body design, handling, 8K60 sensor, and GP3 processor as the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro.

But the ILS also carries the same price point as the Mission 1 Pro, making GoPro’s first mirrorless camera one of the cheapest 8K mirrorless cameras available.

GoPro’s move into mirrorless carries a set of features that feel very GoPro, including HyperSmooth and a familiar double-screen design. But there are some unusual sacrifices made to get such a small camera, making the ILS a bit more of a niche shooter.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: Price

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS launches at the same price as the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro: $699 / £599 / AU$1099 / CA$949 – but you will also need to budget for a lens.

That makes the Mission 1 Pro ILS one of the most affordable 8K-capable mirrorless cameras.

But, as a GoPro, expect to be heavily tempted by the accessories, as the ILS feels almost like a modular camera. That list price doesn't include a lens. The point-and-shoot grip is a huge help for shooting handheld; then there's the Media Mod for added mic ports or the GoPro wireless mic.

Heavier lenses over 250g are going to need a third-party support system to help the tiny camera support the weight of the lens. And while the ILS has the classic GoPro mounting fingers, most GoPro mounts are only designed for lightweight setups – GoPro recommends using the tripod mount and third-party accessories made for larger cameras when mounting in a high-vibration scenario or with heavier lenses.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: Specs

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: Build and Handling

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS may be GoPro’s first mirrorless, but the camera still feels quintessentially GoPro. The ILS feels like GoPro took the Mission 1 Pro and just swapped out the lens for a Micro Four Thirds mount.

The main part of the ILS body uses the same design as the fixed-lens Mission 1 cameras, making the camera the smallest mirrorless camera available. The lens mount juts out from the body a bit, increasing the depth and height of the camera’s dimensions, but the ILS can use the same Point-and-Shoot Grip and the same Media Mod as the fixed-lens Mission 1 cameras.

The ILS’s small size makes it possible to get some unusual perspectives from angles that a mirrorless camera wouldn’t normally fit, although this, of course, depends on the size of the lens.

The small size isn’t great to hand-hold, but GoPro also launched a point-and-shoot grip that gives the hand a decent-sized grip to wrap around for handheld shooting.

But there is a downside to the small design. GoPro says that lenses that weigh over 250g should be used with an external lens support, which means buying the support, a base plate, and rods. This not only increases the cost of the camera but also the size by adding in all those accessories.

Users should also take care when choosing mounts. GoPro’s mounts were designed for action cameras, not mirrorless cameras. GoPro recommends using third-party mounts and the camera’s tripod mount rather than the mounting fingers when working with heavier lenses or mounting scenarios with higher levels of shock and vibration.

The size isn’t the only thing the ILS has in common with earlier GoPros – the user interface will also feel very familiar to anyone who has used a recent Hero camera. Like the Mission 1 Pro and the Hero13, there are just two buttons on the ILS: one at the top to start a recording and the on-off button at the side (which also swaps modes).

That leaves most of the GoPro ILS adjustments through the touchscreen. I love that there’s the option to build your own modes, so you can save frequently used settings inside of its own custom mode (and you can delete the standard modes that you don’t want).

One key step that ILS users can’t skip? The ILS requires telling the camera body what lens you are using – if you skip this step, HyperSmooth won’t look smooth without that essential data.

Like recent Hero cameras, the ILS has a large screen on the back as well as a smaller screen on the front, but large lenses will partially block that front screen a bit.

A door at the side of the camera opens up for the battery and the microSD card slot. That Enduro 2 battery is rated for around 3 hours of 4K30, but the battery levels did drop fairly quickly when shooting 8K60.

Like GoPro’s action cameras, there are both the mounting fingers and a ¼-20 threaded mount at the bottom of the camera.

While the ILS has the same build as the Mission 1 Pro, the lens mount makes GoPro’s usual waterproofing impossible. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is not submersible without underwater housing, though the camera body is splash-resistant if paired with a weather-sealed lens.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: Lens Compatibility

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS uses a Micro Four Thirds mount – but not every MFT lens is compatible. The ILS doesn’t have any electronic communication between the body and the lens. This means that the ILS uses manual focus only.

But, this also means that focus-by-wire lenses won’t work on the GoPro ILS. Autofocus lenses with a focus-by-wire lens require electronics to move the lens pieces to focus; these lenses aren’t capable of adjusting the focus by a twist of the focus ring if there’s no communication between the camera and lens.

That means that most autofocus MFT lenses, like those from OM System and Panasonic, are not compatible with the Mission 1 Pro ILS. That does limit the number of available options quite a bit and is particularly disappointing because it eliminates a lot of weather-sealed lenses.

Lenses that weigh more than 250g will also require an external support in order to avoid putting too much stress on the small camera’s mount.

For this review, I used the Laowa 7.5mm f/2.0 Dreamer, which is one of a few dozen manual focus lenses that GoPro recommends (and is under 250g).

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: Performance

Like GoPro’s action cameras, the Mission 1 Pro ILS leans heavily towards cinema and video rather than still photos, though the ILS is still capable of 50MP still photos.

For video, the Mission 1 Pro ILS packs much of the same specs as the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro, including the same one-inch sensor, GP3 processor, 8K60, 8K30 open gate, and 1080p 960fps slow motion.

One of the biggest advantages of the ILS is the combination of HyperSmooth with swappable lenses. I spent most of my time with the ILS shooting handheld, yet the footage was surprisingly steady – not quite as good as from the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro, but I was impressed that HyperSmooth even seemed to work on close-ups.

With HyperSmooth, handheld footage looks solid – not tripod solid, but usable footage that still has enough movement to feel like a POV shot. Occasionally, I did detect a bit of a wobble towards the edges when handheld and (attempting) to hold fairly still.

There was a noticeable fish-eye edge wobble when trying to do fast movement handheld, however, so I think true run-and-gun filmmakers actually running are going to want to pair the ILS with a gimbal.

The other key advantage the ILS has is how tiny it is. That makes it possible to get shots from tight angles. I even tucked the camera into a jar for one shot.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS's small size also makes the camera more mountable – however, dedicated GoPro fans will notice that the interchangeable lens model doesn’t support GoPro’s horizon lock to keep the horizon in the same place.

Mounting the camera on a bicycle with HyperSmooth on, footage was naturally not as steady as the handheld shots, but still impressive for a camera without any mechanical stabilization.

The 8K open gate resolution in 4:3 offers a lot of crop-ability for social videos, while still keeping a high level of detail. Naturally, the sharpness comes from the lens, not the camera, but the 3x crop factor means the ILS is going to be using the sharpest center of MFT lenses.

While the Mission series one-inch sensor is larger than that of a typical GoPro, it’s smaller than a typical cinema camera, which comes into play in low-light scenarios. I recorded some fireflies as dusk turned to dark. The ILS managed to capture some tricky shots at dusk that I don’t think a typical GoPro would have captured.

But, the ILS only stretches to ISO 1600 – which is still quite noisy – and I think the low-light shots hinted at some of the biggest limitations compared to a larger sensor cinema camera.

The ILS has a few color profiles built in, ranging from vibrant to cinematic. I spent much of the time in the cinematic color profiles, and I thought colors looked good, but a little too muted at times. But, the ILS is also equipped with GP-Log2 for the most color flexibility in post.

Much of the image quality coming from the ILS is going to depend on what lens is twisted on the front. But unlike any GoPro before it, that interchangeable lens mount means creators can pick a lens with the right vantage point and sharpness for the project. I loved that I was actually able to get some excellent lens flare and bokeh not typical of a GoPro with the Laowa 7.5mm that I tested.

Mixing a one-inch sensor with an MFT mount gives the ILS a 3x crop factor. That means that the ILS is using the sharpest center of the lens. That will give extra telephoto reach and even turn lenses that aren’t really macro into close-up-capable shooters.

But, that also makes getting an ultra-wide angle far trickier. The lens that I used with the ILS is technically a fisheye, but with the 3x crop, it didn’t have that typical fisheye look and instead functioned more like a 22mm lens.

The audio coming from the built-in array of 4 mics was surprisingly solid for a built-in mic, with minimal wind noise and decent volume for close subjects. GoPro includes the option to record 32-bit float to a separate file for editing. While fantastic for a built-in mic, serious videographers will want an external mic system. The Media Mod offers more ports for mics, while GoPro also launched its first wireless mic alongside the Mission 1 series.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS is a compact cinema camera, so still photos come secondary. The camera can shoot 50MP or 12MP shots with single shot, burst mode, and interval shooting for time lapses available.

There’s a slight one-second countdown before each photo, and after each shot, there’s a short processing period where you can’t shoot another photo until the camera is finished. Bursts are also limited to a pre-set number; you can’t hold the shutter button down until you want the camera to stop shooting.

This setup is one of the reasons the ILS doesn’t feel like a stills camera – you can take photos with it, but the Mission 1 Pro ILS doesn’t operate like a typical mirrorless camera geared for stills. Outside of the small size, the biggest perks of the ILS, like HyperSmooth, all lean towards video.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS Review: Initial Verdict

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS feels like a cross between an action camera and a mirrorless camera. The small size, stabilization, and 8K open gate are key perks that create a novel filmmaking tool.

There's really nothing like the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS, at least not in the same price range. 8K60 and 8K30p open gate at this price point with swappable lenses is a rare beast.

But while the Mission 1 Pro ILS is GoPro's first mirrorless camera, it's more of a niche filmmaking tool – the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn't designed to go up against the longstanding mirrorless brands like Canon, Sony, and Nikon. For starters, it's built for filmmaking and not stills, but it's also manual focus only and requires external support for heavier lenses.

With a manual focus design and video-first skillset, I wouldn't recommend the Mission 1 Pro ILS for beginner vloggers or still photographers.

And while the one-inch sensor may be large by action camera standards, it's small by mirrorless standards – so I don't see serious filmmakers using the Mission 1 Pro ILS as their primary camera.

But the small, mountable design with the ability to swap lenses is unusual. I can see filmmakers loving the Mission 1 Pro as a secondary purpose-built camera for shooting in tight spaces, mounted rigs, and run-and-gun setups where mobility is key.

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Action camera brand GoPro has pulled off a pivot, branching off the longstanding Hero line to launch the Mission 1 series of cinema-action cameras, complete with the first mirrorless GoPro. But if GoPro has anything to say about it, it’s this: GoPro isn’t done yet.

The shift to the Mission 1 series couldn’t have come at a better time for GoPro, which is facing serious financial struggles and looking for a potential buyer amid a downturn in sales. Yet, amid the company’s struggles and the biggest GoPro launch in years, the company is still looking towards what’s next.

“We’re going to continue to build from there,” GoPro’s senior vice president of product management Pablo Lema told me. “We've got exciting new products coming in different categories that are not even Mission. We're excited to put the same power that we put into Mission One into those new products when they come out and see how the world takes them. I think they're gonna want them.”

While GoPro couldn’t talk specifics about what’s next, Lema’s comments hint that GoPro is still working behind the scenes on what’s next, even amid a financial downturn and the company’s biggest launch in years.

The Mission 1 series is, Lema said, the GoPro that fans have been asking for since the Hero7 Black. The move to Mission jumps to a larger one-inch sensor, along with specs like 8K and slow-mo down to 960fps.

Among the series is perhaps the most unusual GoPro yet: the Mission 1 Pro ILS mirrorless camera. While GoPro’s first mirrorless was teased alongside the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro, the ILS isn’t set to make its debut until September.

The ILS carries much of the same specs as the Mission 1 Pro, including the same sensor, resolution, and frame rates, but slices off GoPro’s usual ultra-wide for a Micro Four Thirds mount.

GoPro fans have been asking for a camera with a larger sensor for years, and the Mission 1 series marks that much-requested shift – though Lema says there’s still space for "Hero-like” cameras in GoPro’s line.

“What we do best at GoPro is to be authentic listeners of the core user base that uses these products and what they need,” Lema said. “We have the best relationships with some of the best videographers in the world. And from them, we can get all the input on what we need to go next. If there's a next Mission, if there's a Mission after that.”

“And that's where we're cranking on, so we're excited to get those out when it comes,” Lema continued. “But first, we'll get ILS in the hands of folks and start to build out that powerline. And then we'll see what goes from there. We continue to work as hard as ever on our products.”

The Mission 1 launch comes as GoPro faces a downturn in sales. The company’s stock market filings suggest that the company could “be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws” if the company doesn’t manage to turn things around.

The Mission 1 cameras – and the unnamed future products Lema alludes to – aren’t the only solution that GoPro is working on. CEO Nicholas Woodman says that he fully supports GoPro’s search for a potential buyer or merger.

This is part four of a four-part series on the GoPro Mission 1 series and what’s next for GoPro. Read more about GoPro’s first mirrorless camera, the future of the Hero line, and why the Mission 1 is the biggest launch in years.

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The GoPro name is synonymous with the action camera, but the brand’s latest launch sits somewhere between action and cinema camera territory. The move, however, was a long time coming: GoPro says that the Mission 1 series is the biggest leap since the introduction of HyperSmooth.

I met with GoPro’s senior vice president of product management, Pablo Lema, after the launch of the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro and ahead of the launch of the company’s first mirrorless camera.

Lema, who has worked with the action camera brand since 2014, says that the series is the GoPro that fans have been asking for since the Hero7 Black in 2018.

“Mission 1 has been a long time coming for us,” Lema said. “I don't say this lightly when I say it to other folks: it was the most important camera we've launched since Hero7 Black. The step up in performance is real, and it's valued by the user reception of it. And we're gonna continue to build from there.”

The Hero7 Black introduced GoPro’s HyperSmooth, a stabilization algorithm that made a significant difference in capturing steady footage from the variety of mounting scenarios that GoPro is meant for.

HyperSmooth continues in the Mission 1 – and in fact, the combination of HyperSmooth with interchangeable lenses is one of the reasons that Lema is most excited for the company’s first mirrorless camera.

But, while DIYers have been hacking GoPros to use different lenses since the Hero4, what GoPro fans have been asking for for several years is a larger sensor. The Mission 1 series delivers that with an 8K-capable 1-inch sensor

GoPro users started getting particularly loud about demanding a larger sensor as competitors like DJI and Insta360 began introducing 1/1.3-inch and 1-inch sensors on competing action cameras.

“The Mission 1 series is probably the GoPro that everyone was asking us for since Hero7 Black,” Lema said. “Myself and the teams, we were pumped to be able to finally get it out to the world. And what's good is that it gave us insights and motivations as to what to build next, which we're already working on.”

While GoPro couldn’t share data on just how many Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro cameras the company has sold so far, Lema said the series has been “the best reviewed and best-received camera we’ve had at a product level since Hero7 Black.”

But, with the move to a larger sensor comes an entirely new category. GoPro isn’t calling the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro an action camera, but refers to the series as a “compact cinema camera” instead.

“We saw that the types of creators that would extract the most out of a 1-inch type sensor with big dynamic range, massive fps, much better low light capabilities as a result of the imaging package were, what we considered to be, well, for lack of a better word, compact cinema creators,” Lema said.

“The high-creativity folks that are on Instagram and YouTube are the ones that we extract the most out of a package like this.”

While GoPro isn’t calling the Mission 1 an “action camera,” the company’s love for accessories remains with the new series. Lema said that the new point-and-shoot grip and wireless microphone – a GoPro first – have been particularly well received, along with bundles that pair the Mission 1 Pro with the Fluid Pro gimbal.

GoPro’s most-asked-for camera couldn’t have come at a better time. The launch of the Mission series comes as the action camera giant faces significant financial struggles.

The company’s latest financial reports indicate a 38% drop in camera sales. Stock market paperwork filings indicate that the company could “be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws” if the Mission 1 doesn’t help to turn its finances around.

The action camera company is also in the “later stages” of looking for a potential buyer or merger.

The GoPro Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro have already begun shipping, but GoPro CEO Nicholas Woodman says the ILS will be arriving next month.

This is part of a four-part series with an exclusive interview on the GoPro Mission 1 series. Read part one on the Mission 1 Pro ILS here, or read what GoPro says about the Hero series in the Mission era here.

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GoPro’s Hero series is so old that the first one was a 35mm film camera launched in 2004. But now, more than 20 years later, for the first time GoPro’s flagship camera doesn’t carry the Hero name.

The launch of the GoPro Mission 1 Pro brings a number of key questions, but chief among fans of the action camera giant brand is this one: What does the Mission series mean for the GoPro Hero line?

I recently sat down with Pablo Lema, GoPro’s senior vice president of product management, to chat about GoPro’s Mission era. While GoPro declined to talk specifics about future products, Lema did offer a hint of hope for fans of GoPro’s Hero series.

“There's a spot for Mission 1 in the lineup, and there's a spot for Hero-like products,” Lema said, explaining that options like the GoPro Lit Hero, the Hero13 Black and the Mission 1 Pro are all targeted towards a different type of user.

While options like the Lit Hero are targeted towards the most budget-conscious users and the Mission 1 series has become the company’s new flagship, Lema says that the GoPro Hero13 is still “the ultimate POV camera.”

So with the Mission 1’s larger sensor and 8K 30p open gate video, why does GoPro still consider the Hero13 Black the king of POV? The Hero13 Black has a 12mm equivalent ultra-wide view, where the widest look on the Mission 1 Pro is a 15mm equivalent.

But the Hero13 Black’s reign for POV is about more than the lens – the dimensions of the sensor play a role, too, along with the Hero13’s support for lens mods. The Hero13 Black uses a nearly square sensor with an 8:7 aspect ratio for more versatile horizontal-to-vertical crops, where the Mission 1 Pro is 4:3.

“We couldn't make Mission 1 with an 8:7 sensor, like we had on Hero13,” Lema explained. “That doesn't exist; 1-inch type, 8:7 sensors aren't there yet.

“As a result, if you are a pure POV shooter, if you mountain bike or ski, if immersion is where you're really seeking, then Hero13, with a wide lens mod, is the king. That is the king of maximum POV, maximum balance of fps and aspect ratio. That's what you're gonna use.”

Lema says that the Mission 1 Pro can be used as a POV camera, but it’s meant to slot in above the Hero13 for creators who are filming more than POV shots.

“Hero is sort of the meat of that POV action market,” Lema said. “We still love Hero13 Black; we still think the Hero13 Black is the ultimate POV camera in the world… And then Mission, as we discussed, is sort of a more high-end kit above it, with really incredible performance. They each have their place in the line-up.”

This story is part of a four-part series on GoPro’s next era with an exclusive interview. Read part one here.

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The new GoPro Mission 1 Pro has been described as "the best GoPro ever" – but the company’s latest financials hint the launch hasn’t yet been enough to bolster the struggling camera company. GoPro’s August 10 filings and financial updates indicate that the action camera giant’s “substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue…has not been alleviated.”

The update comes amid GoPro’s latest financial report, with a 38 percent drop in camera sales and a 31 percent drop in revenue compared to the same time last year.

GoPro is still posting a “going concern”

GoPro’s previous filings hint that the company could “be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws” if the action-camera maker's finances don’t turn around. In updated documentation shared on August 10, the company said that those concerns “have not been alleviated,” as the company posted another quarterly revenue decline even amid the launch of the GoPro Mission 1 series.

The insight comes from required Securities and Exchange Commission filings. While a company posting a going concern does not mean a bankruptcy or restructure is imminent – Kodak, for example, filed similar paperwork but has since then settled debts – the filing suggests that there is significant concern over the company’s finances, and the August 10 update says that “going concern” is still in play.

GoPro is in the “later stages” of looking for a potential buyer or merger

As the action camera maker faces declining sales and increased competition, the company shared earlier this year that it was looking for a potential sale, merger, or another “strategic event.” During the earnings call, CEO and founder Nickolas Woodman said that the process is now in the “later stages.”

“The inquiries we have received span the defense, consumer and financial sectors, and we are in the later stages of the process,” Woodman said. “As I’ve shared, this process has my full support.”

While Woodman’s update was brief, it also indicates that the company’s potential strategic move may be outside the consumer camera space – and potentially in the defense or financial space.

GoPro’s latest financials show a drop in camera sales, but a spike in subscriptions

The updated stock market filings come alongside the company’s second-quarter financial results. GoPro posted $105 million (£77.7 million / AU$148.8 million / CA$146.3 million) in quarterly revenue – a number that is 31 percent less than the company’s revenue from the same time period in 2025. The report also indicates that the company sold 291,000 cameras – which is a decrease of 38 percent from the same time last year.

While GoPro’s Q2 financials show that the action camera giant's struggles continue, GoPro did have a positive to report: Subscriptions have increased, leading to record revenue coming from the company’s service that offers cloud storage, camera replacement, and discounts on cameras and accessories.

GoPro says that its subscription revenue increased 11 percent compared to the same time last year, hitting $29 million (£21.5 million / AU$41.1 million / CA$40.1 million) and accounting for 28 percent of the company’s revenue.

That number does, however, also include $2 million (£1.4 million / AU$2.8 million / CA$2.7 million) for GoPro’s AI licensing program.

The next member of the Mission 1 series launches next month

GoPro has met its latest financial struggles with an expansion into an entirely new category. GoPro calls the new Mission 1 series a “compact cinema camera” rather than an action camera. That includes the Mission 1 Pro that has GoPro’s well-known HyperSmooth stabilization and waterproofing but incorporates a larger one-inch sensor with 8K30 open gate.

While the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are already shipping in some parts of the world, GoPro will finish the three-camera series next month with the Mission 1 Pro ILS, the company’s first mirrorless camera, Woodman revealed during the meeting, narrowing down the company’s earlier “third quarter” estimate for the ILS arrival.

The ILS mixes the same sensor and high frame rates as the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro, but uses a Micro Four Thirds lens mount instead of a fixed lens.

Woodman calls the Mission 1 series “the world’s most capable compact cinema cameras.”

“With the launch of our new MISSION 1 Series cameras, we’ve given creators more options and performance than ever before,” Woodman said during the earnings presentation. “From our tried-and-true cinematic- and adventure-lifestyle-proven Hero13 cameras, to the award-winning Max2 360-degree camera, to the all-new Mission 1 Series built for professionals and prosumers—GoPro’s camera offerings set the bar for adventure-fueled lifestyle and now, cinema-grade capture.”

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GoPro’s first mirrorless is coming – and creators will only have to wait until next month to get hands-on with one. During an update to investors, GoPro Founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman revealed that the company’s first mirrorless camera, the Mission 1 Pro ILS, will debut in September.

GoPro has already revealed the upcoming ILS, but Woodman’s statement narrows down when the highly-anticipated camera will arrive, as previous announcements only indicated a “third quarter” announcement.

Woodman’s confirmation of the Mission 1 Pro ILS timeline, however, also reveals a new detail: The Mission 1 Pro ILS will come with several tools for previewing shots and checking focus, including a new app for pro-grade monitoring tools.

Dubbed the GoPro Mission Monitor App, the app is coming to the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPad and serves as a tool for previewing and monitoring footage from GoPro’s upcoming mirrorless camera.

“Mission 1 Pro ILS supports more than 300 readily available Micro Four Thirds lenses along with GoPro’s award-winning in-camera HyperSmooth video stabilization,” Woodman said. “The combination of HyperSmooth video stabilization with such a broad range of lens options in a small, durable 8K camera body has created enormous excitement and anticipation within the industry. And customers will only have to wait until next month to get their hands on it when Mission 1 Pro ILS launches in September.”

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: What we know so far

While the Mission 1 Pro ILS has yet to hit store shelves, there’s quite a bit of information already available on the upcoming camera, thanks to the launch of GoPro’s similar fixed-lens cameras.

The Mission 1 Pro ILS houses the same 50MP one-inch sensor as the already available Mission 1 Pro, with 8K30p and 4K120 open gate, jumping up to 8K60 and 4K240 without open gate. But the ILS pairs that same sensor with a Micro Four Thirds mount.

The Micro Four Thirds Mount, however, will change a few key features compared to the fixed-lens cameras in the series. The swappable lenses make GoPro’s usual fixed focus design impossible. Instead, the Mission 1 Pro ILS is manual focus only, geared towards filmmakers already comfortable with focus pulling, zone focusing, and accessories like follow focus.

The other key sacrifice in trading the fixed lens for a mirrorless mount is that the Mission One Pro ILS won’t be submersible – though GoPro has said that the setup will be splash-proof if paired with a weather-resistant lens.

The manual focus design and specs like 8K30p open gate are clearly targeting video creators over photographers – GoPro is calling the ILS a “compact cinema camera.” In fact, GoPro says the Mission 1 Pro ILS will be the world’s smallest rugged mirrorless camera.

The specs for the ILS suggest the upcoming mirrorless will come in at 197g / 6.9 oz without a lens – and measure 89.6 W x 58.7 H x 46.1 D (mm) (3.4 x 2.3 x 1.8 inches). That puts the ILS a little larger than the fixed-lens Mission 1, but it comes in at a lighter weight without the lens.

Beyond the lens, focus, size, and durability, many of the ILS specs match up with the Mission 1 Pro. The ILS will be able to pair those swappable lenses with GoPro’s HyperSmooth stabilization. Even the design of the ILS looks every bit a GoPro, including screens on both the front and back of the camera.

Woodman did not share an expected date beyond “September” for the ILS's arrival. The camera is expected to retail for $699 / £599 / CA$949 / AU$1099.

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GoPro is best known for sparking the action camera revolution, but the brand renowned for small, rugged cameras will enter an entirely new category before the end of 2026 with a GoPro mirrorless camera.

When GoPro announced the new Mission 1 series earlier this year, the action camera giant also marked its entry into compact mirrorless cinema cameras.

Ahead of the launch of the GoPro Mission 1 ILS later this year, I sat down for an exclusive interview with GoPro’s senior vice president of product management, Pablo Lema, to chat about the first mirrorless GoPro.

The idea for a mirrorless GoPro dates back to DIYers cracking open Hero4 cameras

While the announcement for the Mission 1 Pro ILS earlier this year came as a surprise to fans of the action camera brand, Lema says that the idea of a GoPro with swappable lenses has been circulating among the company’s team as far back as the GoPro Hero4 – which came out the same year Lema joined the team, in 2014.

Lema explained that fans have been tearing apart GoPros and modifying them for years, but GoPro’s usual action camera sensor wasn’t well-suited to an interchangeable lens setup – until the 1-inch sensor on the Mission 1 series.

While it’s the sensor of the Mission 1 Pro that’s inside the ILS, the first prototypes were built from a modified Hero13. “We were all blown away by the footage,” Lema said of the prototype, “and we decided to make it into a product.”

The GoPro Mission 1 "isn't for every creator"

GoPro is very aware that the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn’t like any other mirrorless camera on the market. On the one hand, there’s 8K open gate, 4K 240fps, and FullHD 960fps on a camera that retails for $699 / £599 / AU$1099 / CA$949.

But, on the other hand, the ILS uses a one-inch sensor paired with a manual-focus Micro Four Thirds (MFT) mount.

Lema says the Mission 1 ILS “isn’t for every creator” but is built for filmmakers looking for a small, mountable system, as well as run-and-gun videographers.

“This won’t necessarily be their only camera,” Lema adds. “[The Mission 1 Pro ILS] is kind of like this pocket rocket of an 8K, open gate, 4K 240 – which is golden – and 1080p [FullHD] 960 bursts.

"These high [framerates] really create something that you can’t see with any other package, paired with the ability to have creative control of the optical look of the film. It will be a really good tool chest for all kinds of cinematographers from automotive to birds to street videographers.”

The first photos of the ILS that GoPro has shared ahead of the official launch look like a quintessential GoPro with the small boxy design – but a Micro Four Thirds mount at the front.

GoPro wanted to strike a balance between all the features that the action cameras are known for, while still stepping into a new category.

The GoPro ILS isn't meant to go up against established mirrorless brands

To strike that balance, the ILS body still has GoPro’s well-known HyperSmooth image stabilization and GoPro’s compact design. But the ILS isn’t submersible (though it is splashproof, if paired with weather-resistant lenses) and the camera is manual focus only.

“We wanted to find our own corner of that world. When we make our first step into this market, we're not trying to go directly against very established ILS options from other companies,” Lema says.

“We wanted to come from our place of authentic, small, normal-priced, very high-performance imaging and create this flexibility in imaging composition that you can get from the MFT ecosystem.”

One of the key types of creators that GoPro sees being drawn to the ILS is those looking for mounted footage without the size or complexity of cranes and gimbals.

“[Mission 1 ILS] still comes with the stuff that we're really well known for,” Lema says.

“What we're excited about with Mission ILS is a combination of ILS with HyperSmooth. That is something that we don't see in the market really at all. A lot of cameras have IBIS in them, but it doesn't get to the performance that you can get with HyperSmooth.”

Micro Four Thirds opens GoPro up to hundreds of lens choices

Pairing a 1-inch sensor with a Micro Four Thirds Mount is an unusual mix that means lenses will have a 3x crop factor.

GoPro originally toyed with the smaller C-Mount format, which is designed for sensors up to one inch, but the wide range of readily available and affordable Micro Four Thirds lenses drew the company to a mount larger than the sensor.

“We shot a lot of video with a different series of lenses,” Lema said. “In internal blind tests, it was very obvious that the MFT lenses were gonna be a better match… and they're affordable, they tend to be small. There are some really wide ones, too.”

The 3x crop factor can make getting that ultra-wide GoPro look more of a challenge, but not impossible. The Laowa 6mm T2.1 Zero D creates an 18mm equivalent view, which sits between the 15mm and 21mm equivalent views from the fixed lens Mission 1 Pro’s different crops.

GoPro says the response to ILS has exceeded expectations

One of the classic GoPro features that an interchangeable lens can’t replicate is fixed focus. The fixed-focus lenses of GoPro’s action cams rely on the fact that ultra-wide lenses have a wider depth of field, making it possible to get most of the shot in focus with a fixed lens.

Lema says that the camera system would have been much more complicated with autofocus, but the response from filmmakers at NAB was exactly what the company was hoping for – with many filmmakers saying they don’t use autofocus or already use follow focus rigs.

According to Lema, the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn’t for the creators who want a point-and-shoot but is targeted towards filmmakers already versed in filmmaking focus techniques.

While GoPro had an idea of what to expect for the fixed-lens Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1, the company was a bit more cautious on what the response would be to the action camera giant’s first mirrorless camera.

“We’re putting our feet into a new pond,” Lema said, “and the response was way more positive on ILS than we had expected.”

While the fixed-lens Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro cameras are already on shelves, GoPro says the Mission 1 Pro ILS is coming in the third quarter of 2026 – so filmmakers can expect the camera to arrive before September 30.

This story is part of a four-part series on GoPro's next era.

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The GoPro name is almost as synonymous with accessories as it is with action cameras – and the new larger sensor Mission 1 Pro series isn’t any different. On July 29, GoPro rolled out the Mission 1 Series’ Media Mod, along with the updated Volta 2 battery tripod – the latter of which is also compatible with older Hero series cameras as well.

GoPro teased a long list of accessories at the Mission 1 Series launch, but now the Mission Media Mod and Volta 2 are finally rolling out, alongside bundled deals that include the new cinema-action camera with the accessories.

The accessories also come alongside new firmware for the Mission 1 series that includes accessory compatibility but also improves image quality with enhanced contrast and color accuracy.

And, the announcement even comes with insight that GoPro’s mirrorless Mission 1 Pro ILS is still on track to launch later this quarter. GoPro hasn’t shared a specific date yet, but the quarter ends on September 30.

The new accessories and Mission 1 Creator Kit combos will be GoPro.com exclusives at first before launching to retail stores in August.

The GoPro Volta 2

I’ve used GoPro’s original Volta to power all-night time lapses with my Hero12 camera. The Mission 1 Series offers better built-in battery life, but the GoPro Volta 2 expands that life to up to nine hours of 4K30p video, thanks to a higher-capacity 5800mAh battery.

The Volta 2 isn’t just an external battery pack though – it’s also a mini tripod and grip. Because the Volta 2 is specifically built for GoPro, the handle also incorporates camera controls, keeping key options within easy reach when using the Volta 2 as a grip.

The Volta 2 is also one of the new accessories that launched with the Mission 1 series but is still compatible with older Hero series cameras.

The Volta 2 is launching first as a GoPro.com exclusive before arriving on retail shelves in August. The battery tripod accessory retails for about $140 / £125 / AU$225 / CA$190, with discounts for subscribers who have been with GoPro for more than a year.

GoPro Media Mod for Mission 1 Series

GoPro is no stranger to Media Mods designed to give the action camera more ports and accessories, but the company says the Media Mod was redesigned from the ground up for the Mission 1 Series.

The new Media Mod has a built-in multi-pattern mic, but serious audophiles will find three different 3.5mm ports for an external microphone, a line-in for timecode sync, and a headphone port to monitor audio quality while recording. Both the integrated microphone and the mic port support 32-bit float audio.

The Media Mod also has a micro-HDMI port, which allows users to work with external monitors and live broadcasts with support for up to 4K60 video. A hot shoe slot for additional accessories, such as the GoPro LightMod 2, is also part of the setup.

GoPro says that the Mod is designed in a way that still allows for easy access to the battery and memory card slot, while supporting the traditional mounting fingers, magnetic mounts, and ¼-20 tripod mounts. The design is weather-resistant, but not submersible.

The Media Mod, which is compatible with all three Mission 1 models, will be a GoPro.com exclusive for the first few weeks before launching to retail stores in August. The accessory retails for $149 / £129 / AU$229 / CA$199.

GoPro Mission 1 firmware update

A firmware update for the Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 gives the cameras support for those new accessories, but the firmware goes beyond adding in the accessories.

GoPro says the firmware update also comes with enhancements to image quality. In the cameras’ Dive Mode, contrast and tone tuning have improved. Color accuracy and cinematic motion blur tuning have also improved, the company says.

The firmware is available for download directly from GoPro.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS mirrorless camera is still on schedule for a 2026 release

Tucked in with the announcements, GoPro says that the company’s first mirrorless camera, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS, is still on track to launch before the end of the third quarter.

That timeline isn’t any different than what GoPro shared at the initial Mission 1 Series announcement, but it reaffirms that the mirrorless camera hasn’t been pushed back amid the company’s financial struggles and increased scarcity for memory components.

Along with the new firmware, Media Mod, and Volta 2, GoPro also launched new Creator Combo bundles that pair the Mission 1 Pro with several accessories. The Mission 1 Pro Creator Edition includes the camera, Media Mod, Volta 2, and Wireless Mic kit for $1,099 / £950 / AU$1,700 / CA$1,499.

The Mission 1 Pro Ultimate Creator Edition swaps the Volta grip from the Creator Combo for the GoPro Fluid Pro AI gimbal and also includes the Light Mod 2 along with the Media Mod, Wireless Mic, and camera for $1,199 / £1,050 / AU$1,850 / CA$1,650.

The combos are available with the Mission 1 Pro directly from GoPro.com.

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The company behind the original action camera is struggling with increased competition, heightened memory costs, and decreased sales – and now GoPro is at risk of being removed from the stock market.

For the second time in 2026, GoPro is at risk of being removed from the stock market as the action camera giant’s shares fall below the minimum requirement. The July 21 notification from Nasdaq is the company’s second this year, following a similar notification in March.

If a company is removed from the stock market, the company’s shares are no longer traded publicly. The warning comes as the struggling action camera giant is looking for a potential buyer or partner and has already filed “serious doubt” statements about potential bankruptcy if current conditions continue.

A delisting amid a potential bankruptcy would remove GoPro’s ability to recover value using publicly traded funding. GoPro now has 180 days – which would be January 17, 2027 – to bring shares back above $1 or more for at least 10 consecutive days.

GoPro received a similar warning in March, but after the company announced the GoPro Mission 1 series in April, shares climbed back above the $1 minimum, reaching a high of $1.73 in May before trending downward. Shares dipped below the $1 minimum again after the action camera giant filed warnings with “substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue” on June 01.

GoPro has already recovered from below the minimum once this year – the question remaining is whether or not the action camera giant can do it again. GoPro has one more Mission announcement up its sleeve. The mirrorless Mission 1 Pro ILS is expected to launch sometime in the third quarter of 2026, which means before September 30.

The Pro ILS carries much of the same specifications as the Mission 1 Pro, but adds a Micro Four Thirds mount for swappable lenses. The ability to switch lenses will drastically increase the camera's versatility over the usual fixed ultra-wide, but the mirrorless isn't submersible and is manual focus only.

GoPro is also actively looking for a potential buyer or merger, a move that founder and CEO Nicholas Woodman says he “fully supports.” Earlier this month, Woodman purchased $20 million in a stock loan to help keep the company afloat as the iconic action camera brand looks for a potential buyer or merger.

GoPro’s financials in recent years reflect increased competition and decreased sales, with the action camera giant’s last three fiscal years coming out as a net loss. But several major camera manufacturers are reporting steep increases in the cost of memory due to higher demand from AI this year. GoPro is no different and noted an 80% to 110% increase in memory hardware costs along with reduced supply last month.

GoPro is credited with launching the action camera category, launching a waterproof film camera in 2004 before introducing its first Hero series camera with video in 2006. The GoPro name quickly became synonymous with “action camera,” but the category has been increasingly competitive in recent years with players from DJI and Insta360, among others.

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GoPro is in financial trouble – but the action camera giant’s latest move under the threat of potential bankruptcy reflects the company’s founder and CEO’s outlook for the brand. Nicholas Woodman, founder and CEO, is expected to loan the company $20 million through the purchase of shares, the company announced on July 08.

Last month, GoPro filed “going concern” paperwork that informed investors that the lowered sales numbers and higher material costs could mean that the company “may be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws although no specific plans to file for bankruptcy protection have been initiated or considered.”

That potential bankruptcy news followed an announcement that GoPro is considering a potential sale or merger, a move that Woodman said that he “fully supports.”

The announcement for the $20 million loan from the company’s founder also comes with an update on the brand’s search for a potential merger or buyer, as Woodman says that the plan “continues to progress.”

"An independent committee of the board of directors evaluated a range of financing options and concluded this structure offered the most favorable terms for GoPro and our shareholders," Woodman wrote in a statement. "My financing reflects my enthusiasm for GoPro and its several go-forward opportunities. I continue to strongly support the board's evaluation of strategic alternatives, a process we announced on May 11, 2026, and which continues to progress."

The $20 million loan isn’t the first time Woodman has made a change to aid the company – Woodman declined his own salary for part of 2025.

Woodman’s loan is expected to be due in two years with a 6.5 percent interest, but the paperwork filed along with the announcement suggests that if GoPro is sold, the new buyer also takes on the agreement.

Woodman founded GoPro in 2002, launching the first camera in 2004, before bringing the company to public trading on the stock market in 2014. Woodman, now 51 years old, launched the company with a film camera in a waterproof case after a surfing trip left him frustrated that he couldn’t find a camera to capture photos of himself surfing.

In the last financial year, GoPro reported a US$93.5 million loss, selling around 20 percent fewer cameras than the year before. The increased competition in the action camera category, along with Increased material costs, including the higher cost of memory, plays into GoPro’s financial struggles.

GoPro has met the lowered sales with the launch of the Mission 1 series, bringing a one-inch sensor into the action-cinema camera Mission 1 Pro, alongside a fall 2026 launch of a mirrorless camera with the same sensor.

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I love photographing the stars, but my favorite lazy photographer astrophotography hack is to start a time-lapse – and then go to sleep. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro seemed ripe for such a shot.

GoPro says that the battery life is the best yet, and the larger sensor improves low-light performance, so I abandoned the newest GoPro on a beach overnight.

The Mission 1 Pro isn’t the first GoPro that I’ve used to photograph the night sky. I’ve previously set up my GoPro Hero 12 Black on a time-lapse during northern lights activity so I could move around and snap a variety of different compositions with my mirrorless camera.

I was surprised at how well the action camera then managed to capture the night sky – but in the past I’ve always used the GoPro Volta battery tripod in order to record a complete time-lapse from darkness to sunset.

Curious to see just how much the camera’s new 1-inch sensor and larger battery make a difference, I set the new Mission 1 Pro on a tripod just after midnight and started recording.

I set the camera to create a 4K timelapse, as I wanted more detail than FullHD but didn’t want a lot of noise with the starlight conditions. That meant the still images were around 8MP.

I set the camera up to use a slower 20-second shutter speed, to let in the most light and blur the lake. I programmed the camera to take a photo every minute, shooting both an assembled video and JPEG images, and then went to sleep.

Under these settings – and a hot summer evening – the Mission 1 Pro managed to record from about 00:20 to 05:30. That was long enough that I had to cut the last second off my video, as the battery lasted long enough to run just past sunrise and overexpose the last few frames.

That’s an impressive length of time for such a small camera to keep shooting without plugging into an external battery pack.

The still photos that the GoPro stitched into a video are equally impressive, coming from such a small camera and as 8MP shots. The stars aren’t quite tack-sharp, and I did pull up the shadows a bit to see more detail from the lake shore, but, I thought the shots were very good coming from an action cam rather than a mirrorless camera.

Yes, I could get more resolution by using 8K or shooting 50MP RAW photos – but I wanted to balance low-light quality and battery life. Considering the GoPro still recorded past sunrise, now I’m eager to try an 8K timelapse next.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro feels like a natural evolution for the popular action camera maker. The camera still looks, feels and operates like a GoPro, but that boosted sensor and battery are a welcome change.

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GoPro’s 360 action camera is now capable of capturing more detailed shots, thanks to a new firmware update that unlocks 200Mbps bit rates. Announced today, June 25, the firmware update v1.30 for the Max 2 opens up higher bit rates, along with more options for color grading.

The higher 200Mbps bit rate helps reduce compression artifacts, GoPro says, along with helping the camera record finer detail. The new maximum bit rate will be available in the 8K 360 video mode, as well as using the 4K single lens shooting mode.

While the Max 2 already had 10-bit color for serious videographers looking for control over color grading, those options are now available for time lapses. The 10-bit and GP-Log options are now available inside Time Warp, Night Effects, Time Lapse, and Night Lapse modes.

The addition of 10-bit allows GoPro’s different time-lapse modes to capture more color depth, while GP-Log encoding across those same modes allows for more flexibility when color grading in post.

The firmware also brings the blur reduction setting previously available for 360 shots into the GoPro Max 2’s single lens mode.

The update also gives creators a toggle to switch between 60z and 50Hz shutter speeds. This helps eliminate screen flickers when traveling to different countries with varying NTSC and PAL standards.

The firmware update is available directly from GoPro's website or through the GoPro mobile app.

The firmware update comes at a time when the GoPro Max 2 has dropped to its lowest price yet in some regions during the Amazon Prime Day sale.

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The DJI Osmo Action 7 could be less than 12 weeks away, according to this product history – but some people have suggested that there might be something even sooner than that.

Looking at the number of days that each of the Osmo Action cameras has spent in DJI's list as the flagship before being superseded by a new model, we can see that – at the moment – a life of somewhere between 322 and 425 days seems realistic. We are already at 216.

The first iteration, admittedly, had a very different 896 days. But that was an Action camera during the days of a global pandemic, so there was likely no hurry for a replacement – and there were some unavoidable delaying factors.

For several generations, DJI has comfortably sat at the top of my best action cameras guide thanks to the company's superior low-light capabilities and, frankly, better pricing than the iconic GoPro brand.

The latest GoPro Mission 1 Pro has upped the game for action cameras in several respects, at least for the American brand, by delivering 8K. DJI, however, was already offering most of this – for a lower price. So what can it do, on the technical side at least, to stay ahead of the game?

Bigger sensors have been part of DJI's path before, but there might be a sensible limit in action cameras. DJI has already included a variable aperture in the Action 6, a "feature" that GoPro resisted.

The other most obvious upgrade would be 8K 60fps video, since 8K has been a widely promoted feature not only of the GoPro but also the AcePro 2 from Insta360.

I would anticipate, too, iterative updates to what might be considered 'AI' software – electronic image stabilization, horizon steadying and face tracking.

The real difference for customers, though, will likely still be the lack of first-party support for the DJI camera in the US. DJI has not sold it directly in the US since the company was added to the covered list, though we know that it is still fighting this decision…

Wearable and not much bigger than your thumb, the POV camera is a new sub-category of action camera that is exciting for vloggers and anyone who wants to capture their lifestyle with as little interruption as possible.

If the traditional boxy GoPro-style action camera is too big, then wearable POV cameras are the solution. Some are small enough to be known as pill cameras (but not for medical reasons). Most designs now include the very practical magnetic clip – so much so that "magnetic camera" is another term for them. They are worn as easily as modern wireless microphones, and can be controlled in different ways.

Like the traditional action cameras, these cameras compete on their compact nature and low weight, their ability to capture high-resolution (and store it), and the ability to get stable video despite being worn on clothing. Desirable features also include waterproofing, a good battery life, and some form of remote control – via case, app, or both.

Image stabilization takes processing power, but there is no way that you can wear a camera on a hat, your chest, or handlebars without it picking up some movement. I've already picked all the best action cameras; here I've looked closely at the best tiny POV cameras and put them to the test myself.

Best for most people

Coming with a battery housing (”Action Pod”) that boasts a folding 2.5-inch touchscreen, from which the detachable 4K 60fps camera pops out, even without the ‘tiny camera’ option, this would be a compelling action camera with the vlogger’s favorite benefit of a good-sized fold-up display. A nice touch is that a MicroSD card can be added to the Action Pod to increase storage options, though video is initially recorded to the camera’s internal memory.

The camera has a 1/1.28-inch image sensor, making it ever so slightly bigger than any of the competition. The result is a camera that has very little in the way of compromise, and even has an acceptable low-light mode.

As camera-only, it can be worn in two main ways – clipped onto a hat or, thanks to the magnet, worn on a pendant. Typically, you'd hang the chain around your neck and the other side of the magnet behind your clothes, so you can pop the camera on and off very discreetly. Cleverly Insta360 has also designed the pendant to be twisted to set the camera angle up or down – a very useful touch.

Insta360’s image stabilization does seem to have the edge, and includes a horizion balancing mode which many find useful. There is also support for Insta360's microphones for vloggers.

Read my full review of the Insta360 Go Ultra and see sample video

Best for pro quality

Offering creatives the benefit of a The 1.9-inch display isn’t the biggest in this list, but it is a crisp OLED touchscreen which I found great to use (it's responsive) and it’s worth remembering that it is easily detached from the camera so you can keep it nearby if you are worried about the size. The design also means you can point the camera away from or toward the 'screen side' when it is attached to the "Multifunctional Vision Dock" as DJI call it.

The camera’s other big plus point is the 4K120fps slow motion. 4K60 can be captured with DJI's impressive digital stabilization, too, which can also balance the horizon if you want. Another nice touch is pre-roll (hit record after the moment!), though this feature is never quite as good as I hope – because you do need the lens pointing the right way!

The key advantage, though, to this camera is the 10-bit recording in DJI's D-Log M, which allows a lot of flexibility for those who like to preserve color and brightness information until the edit.

DJI has also built in a receiver for the company’s own microphones, as well as cramming stereo mics into the frame. Included with the camera 9either 64GB or 128GB versions) you'll find a hat clip and a magnetic lanyard, as well as a protective case and a ball joint mount with a suction cup (to, perhaps, sticck the camera on a dashboard?)

See my full DJI Osmo Nano review for a sample video

Best cheap

This is a super-cheap camera without a screen, but a form factor that seems to owe a lot to the Insta360 Go 3, or 3S, cameras. It it also worn with a magnetic lanyard so it appears to float on the fabric of what you are wearing but is held in place firmly enough for activity.

Unlike that camera, though, there is no separate wireless controller. There is a TF card slot (compatible with a MicroSD card) in the camera, and it records 4K video directly to this. Simple operation is via a start-and-stop button. It is incredibly compact and remarkably robust, constructed from a sturdy plastic composite that easily survives accidental drops. It also skips a display entirely to keep its footprint as small as possible, making it a very simple, no-nonsense point-of-view shooter.

In low light the output will be a bit less than ideal – the noise or grain is a factor – but the 120-degree field of view has decent (if not perfect) clarity across the whole image.

The camera offers respectable battery life for an action cam, providing around 90 minutes of 4K recording or up to three hours if you drop the resolution down to 1080P (fine for burts of action, but not ideal if you want body cam-like life). Ultimately, for a starter camera or an affordable way to capture memories on vacation without worrying about premium low-light performance, it exceeds expectations at its bargain price.

See our full Boblov W4 review for sample videos

Best for low weight

The Insta360 Go 3S was the first 4K camera in this form factor (though the even cheaper Go 3 came before it if you're happy with 2.7K). It's light enough to clip nearly anywhere and go unnoticed, yet it retains the benefit of the magnetic pendant that many of the other cameras on this list offer.

Insta360 has not left this camera alone since launch, either. Retro chic fans will love the unique 3S Retro Bundle with old-style housing, with prism-and mirror framing device much like an old 110 camera.

In lower light, a camera this small will inevitably experience some "noise" (look a bit grainy), and the battery life is only 30 minutes when you're not inside the 'Action Pod' housing, but the housing can top it up fast. The housing also boasts a flip-up display which, again, makes this a handy vlogging tool.

The camera also has good image stabilization – including horizon balancing, and a 'kids mode' that enables you to let the kids wear the camera while you control it remotely (and they don't press anything that'll ruin your POV capturing of their future memories).

Read my full review of the Insta360 Go 3S with samples

Best glasses

An alternative to a clip-on or body-worn camera is a pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera – controlled from your phone. That is what Meta, the owners of FaceBook, created jointly with Ray-Ban (a brand you just might have heard of). The result is a very convenient in a lot of POV shooting situations.

Smart camera glasses work by connecting to your phone wirelessly, and you can command them from the touchpad on the arm, the app on your phone, or using the built-in microphone with an instruction beginning "Hey Meta...". For example "take a picture," but the AI can also take advantage of the camera to see from your POV, so you could also ask, "What does that sign mean?"

There are hidden speakers over your ears in the arms, which you can use to listen to music and take calls – though the sound is audible to anyone very near you.

Incidentally, here is a cost-saving option: The Gen 2 model that I have chosen here is the better quality option for photo/video with 3K recording but I'll freely admit to being the camera nerd. Just as good (as it uses exactly the same camera system and software) are the Oakley Meta smart glasses.

A word of warning: these glasses have a wide field of view, like an action camera, so won't record a lot of close-up details, but they have nevertheless been associated by some sections of the media with creepy behaviour. To combat this, a light flashes as you record video and the camera won't work if you obscure the light.

If you're looking for a cheaper way to capture the fun from your POV, and the specs don't matter the original RayBan Meta smart glasses are still Ray-Bans, so you still look cool, but will have enough left over for a nice holiday drink or ten too.

Read our full review of the Ray-Ban Meta (Gen 2)

Cheap alternative

How we test POV cameras

Like everything, the best way to get to know something is to try it out in the real world, so this list includes products that we at Digital Camera World have hands-on personal experience with. That also means that if you want to know even more, you can tap through to a full detailed review.

See how we test cameras at Digital Camera World

Action camera giant GoPro is in financial trouble. On June 01, GoPro shared updated stock market filings warning of “substantial doubt about the Company’s ability to continue” as the action camera giant faces declining sales and the increasing cost of memory.

The Securities and Exchange Commission filing comes after GoPro has already shared that it is considering a potential sale, news that followed a a $93.5 million net loss for 2025 and $432.3 million in 2024.

The latest filing indicates further struggles for the action camera manufacturer, including both an 80% to 110% increase in memory hardware costs and reduced supply from its suppliers amid the AI data crisis. The report also indicates “further softness in sales” for April and May 2026.

The 8-K form that GoPro has filed with the SEC indicates that the company could struggle to pay its debts over the next 12 months. The form re-files the company's 2025 financial results with an auditor's report.

“Without obtaining additional sources of financing or consummating a strategic transaction,” the filing reads, “the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern would be materially and adversely impacted, and the Company may be required to significantly reduce, restructure, cease operations, or seek protection under the Federal bankruptcy laws although no specific plans to file for bankruptcy protection have been initiated or considered.”

While the filing indicates serious financial strain, the paperwork on its own doesn’t necessarily mean that bankruptcy is imminent – and the filings also state that no specific plans for bankruptcy have been considered. For example, Kodak filed a similar statement last year, but resolved its debts using a pension fund and ended the year in growth.

GoPro has already implemented some changes, including a 23% reduction in staff. The company also shared earlier this year that it is considering potential offers for a sale. However, concerns over the company’s ability to repay debt remain.

While the filings indicate lower-than-expected sales in April and May, the report does not mention the new GoPro Mission 1 series of cameras, which began shipping just days ago. The new series evolves GoPro’s offerings with a 1-inch, 8K-capable sensor (see more in our GoPro Mission 1 Pro review).

GoPro has not yet responded to Digital Camera World’s request for a comment.

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GoPro is best known for its action cameras, but the new GoPro Mission 1 Pro is a tiny camera that toes the line between action camera and serious video rigs. But in true GoPro fashion, the Mission 1 Pro also launched with a new accessory that makes the camera feel more like a point-and-shoot.

I love using compact cameras for travel – I even used a waterproof compact camera more than my mirrorless on one of my vacations. After I unboxed the GoPro Mission 1 Pro with its point-and-shoot grip, I decided to see just how worthy of the point-and-shoot title the new camera is – and took it to a day at the splash park and beach.

I’ve used a few GoPros in the past – I have a Hero12 Black that I use for behind-the-scenes video tucked into my camera bag. I knew going into the beach day shoot that the new GoPro would have both some strengths and weaknesses compared to traditional point-and-shoots. This is what I shot, swapping my point-and-shoot for a GoPro.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro has plenty of resolution, almost zero focus misses, and a waterproof design

The biggest change moving from the Hero to the Mission series is that the new Mission 1 Pro uses a one-inch sensor. For video, it’s capable of 8K60, but using it as a point-and-shoot, the tiny cam has a 50MP mode as well as a 12MP mode for low light.

The shots that I captured on the GoPro Mission 1 Pro had plenty of detail at 50MP. I was also pleasantly surprised at the wide dynamic range that it captured. I was shooting on a sunny day, and the shadows weren’t too dark, but the sky wasn’t blown out to white either.

Like the Hero series, the Mission 1 Pro uses fixed focus. That means that there’s no autofocus at all, but it’s not needed – anything that’s around 60cm and farther from the camera lens will be in focus. That means there’s no focus delays and, unless you get too close, no focus misses. That helps the camera capture still action photos easily, not just for video – it’s also great for getting high and low angles without the aid of the screen.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro surprisingly doesn’t feel much larger than my Hero12 – but there is such a thing as a camera that’s too small. On its own, the Mission 1 Pro doesn’t have enough to comfortably wrap my fingers around. But the point-and-shoot grip accessory had just enough of a grip to comfortably wrap my fingers around and a solid thumb rest in the back.

Importantly, the Mission 1 Pro is still waterproof. The camera didn’t have any issues getting dunked at the splash park (although sadly, the water clarity was too poor to try a swim). The temperature around 80 degrees F / 26 degrees C didn’t seem to bother the camera either. I even accidentally bumped the shutter button and ended up taking a 45-minute 4K video of the inside of my backpack without heat issues. (Lesson learned: The Quick Capture function that starts a recording when the power button is pressed should be turned off if you’re storing it in the point-and-shoot grip.)

But the Mission 1 Pro doesn’t have a zoom or (much) bokeh

GoPro’s fixed focus lens is excellent for freezing action without misses – but it also hints at what I missed from my more traditional point-and-shoot camera. Fixed focus works because the Mission 1 Pro uses an ultra-wide lens that, even with the larger one-inch sensor, makes the depth of field wide enough to easily get (almost) everything in focus.

The downside is that, with nearly everything in focus, there’s no bokeh, or background blur. I couldn’t let distractions melt into the background.

The Mission 1 Pro, of course, also doesn’t have a true zoom on it – just the ultra-wide lens – so it’s hard to get close enough to eliminate distractions. There is a digital lens option (one that crops) that helps keep lines straighter than the native ultra wide, but otherwise there’s no zoom.

True point-and-shoots often have lenses with some macro capabilities – the OM System Tough TG-7, for example, has an excellent close-up mode. Shots like this aren’t possible with a fixed focus ultra-wide.

Of course, there is no viewfinder – but that feels increasingly common on point-and-shoots. The screen was sometimes challenging to see all the details on shooting in the sun. (The secondary front screen on the front is great for selfies though!)

As a camera that’s video-first, shooting stills on the Mission 1 also feels a little different than on a stills-first camera. There’s a one-second countdown that pops up on the screen for still photos, and it can be challenging to time the shot right in single-shot mode. Thankfully, the Mission 1 Pro has burst mode. The burst mode does function a bit differently – if you set it to 30fps bursts, you will get 30 photos regardless of whether the action stops before then.

There’s another trick for getting perfectly timed action stills – I can also pull stills from the 8K30 video files using the GoPro Quik app, and the resolution is still 44MP.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro isn’t a point-and-shoot camera – I missed the bokeh, zoom, and flash that come from cameras geared specifically towards still photos.

But the Mission 1 Pro did surprisingly well at ultra-wide snapshots with excellent dynamic range, resolution, and speed – enough so that video-first shooters may not need a separate point-and-shoot if macro and longer focal lengths aren’t on the must-have list.

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GoPro is the name almost everyone associates with action cameras, but for those in the know, there is a bit more to it than that.

GoPro as a company has several product lines, and the traditional ‘GoPro’ – the action camera everyone thinks of under that name – is a sub-brand known as the Hero Black, now in its thirteenth generation.

The company has been very open about the demands that success has placed on the Hero Black camera; it still needs to be rugged, but filmmakers are starting to demand features like high resolution,

That’s where the Mission 1 series came along; a new ‘premium’ tier concentrating on the specs that people like me – photographers and video makers – are obsessed about.

The Mission 1 Pro, the camera I am testing, is the higher-spec of the first two cameras with built-in lenses (but a clever adaptor system). The third, which will come a little later, is a slightly different proposition – with a fully interchangeable lens system.

The key question – has GoPro done the right thing by, well, listening to requests from folk like me, and is it worth the investment?

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Price

The Mission 1 Pro is $699.99 MSRP and $599.99 at GoPro.com for existing GoPro subscribers – that’s $100 more than the non-Pro version of the Mission 1, and notably more expensive than the Hero 13 Black, which will remain on sale, but is arguably the most compelling in terms of features.

GoPro are also creating a number of bundles – a Grip Edition ($779.99), Creator Edition ($1,099.99), and, coming later, an Ultimate Creator Edition $1,199.99.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Specs

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Build and handling

If you’ve held one of the recent GoPro Hero Black cameras, the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro will not hold too many surprises for you. The essentials are very similar; a robust camera that gives an immediate feeling of confidence, with a waterproof door at one end.

That door is home to the battery, the USB-C port, and the MicroSD card slot (there is no additional onboard memory, unlike some competitors).

The battery supplied is a new 2150mAh “Enduro 2,” which is 13% more capacity than the Hero Black battery; however, the Enduro 1 battery will fit into the same slot, simply delivering slightly less life – good news for those who already own a GoPro.

The Enduro 2 batteries also boast a fast-charging tech which flies along, topping up about 80% in 20mins in my test.

Much like the tried-and-tested Hero Black, the camera design features a touchscreen at the back and an additional screen at the front next to the lens so selfies can be composed.

It isn't always easy to see this screen behind the lens protector, but it's only really a composition tool.

The lens itself is bigger, allowing for the 1-inch sensor that exists beneath it, and is cupped with a large rubber surround providing drop protection. This can be removed and pushed back into place reasonably easily. Moreover, the glass element that covers the lens can also be removed by twisting the mount, much like the Hero 12 Black and later, though of course it’s a different fitting.

This means it’s possible to easily replace a damaged cover, or fit lens adaptors, and these will identify themselves to the GoPro so it adjusts its settings accordingly – making it very easy to get the best possible results from attachments. From a user perspective, this is a little like the way a serious camera communicates with interchangeable lenses, though in fact it is one way; there is no focusing or adjustment taking place in the removable attachments.

It is especially ironic, though, given that the ILS version of the camera in this range (due in Q3 this year) has no means of identifying the lens attached, so focus adjustments will have to be entirely manual. That camera, though, is really more likely to be used for some specialist applications.

At the base of all these cameras is GoPro’s hinged doors, again as seen on previous Hero models. These have effective magnetic clips, which I certainly trust, for example, on the top of my cycle helmet. They fold out of the camera body, though, to replicate the traditional GoPro clip and which can survive even more extreme environments. The combined design remains excellent, and copes with the weight.

GoPro has added a new processor chip, the GP3, which offers more power than its predecessor. That is evident throughout the user experience, which just feels a lot less laggy than older GoPro cameras.

It has also been put to use with features like Subject Tracking, a video tuning mode for Dive that color-corrects automatically, and some processing in low-light images. Sport POV and Vlog are among others.

Stills photographers will appreciate the arrival of a grip (a little like the Insta360 one), and this is bolstered by the 50MP stills option as well as the standard 12, but it is in wide only because it uses the whole sensor. More usefully it's possible to take control of all the key exposure settings if you feel so inclined – though it's worth noting that there is no adjustable aperture, unlike the DJI Osmo Action 6.

The need for it on a camera this side is a matter for debate, of course, but in any case it is one less moving part!

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Performance

When they handed the device to me to begin my early testing, the GoPro team explained that their imaging philosophy was not about creating excessive processing, even though there is now the capability of neural processing on board.

I think that is well evidenced in the very naturalistic-looking footage the camera produced in its default settings, though it wasn't always able to make perhaps the choice I'd have preferred about exposing for me in selfie / vlogging situations.

It was great to have the option of 10-Bit color, which is recorded with the new GP-Log2

Stills were genuinely impressive and I can see myself using this as a rugged compact camera, though it is a shame that the zoom has to be adjusted on the touchscreen.

As the adjustable visualizer below shows, the camera's built-in software has a great handle of very difficult light – better, arguably, than my Sony a7iii. The GoPro is wider than the 28mm option (as far as the kit lens on my Sony would offer), so took in even more bright and dark areas, yet

GoPro 12MP

Sony a7iii

The GoPro also offers a 50MP image which it described as 'W' (presumably 'wide') yet didn't seem to offer me any alternatives, I'm guessing because it was using every available pixel. Again, though, at default settings while the image is even wider than the standard photo mode, it handles the color in a way which feels more or less spot on despite the very harsh light.

The upshot is that the footage from the camera looks natural and can reasonably be intercut with other cameras.

To my eye, that is especially true of the low light mode, which is slightly less aggressive than some alternatives from DJI and Insta360. This might be a matter of personal preference – the more cinematic choice, perhaps? – but I think many will appreciate this approach. Moreover it's nice to finally have a GoPro that can compete in the low light territory at all.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro: Overall verdict

The camera produced some of the best footage I've ever seen from an action camera, and, for a company that has been languishing a little behind DJI and Insta360 in terms of the specification race, reaching that point seems like a significant achievement.

I genuinely feel like I've been experiencing a camera built with a philosophy much closer to mine, and that's a joy. I'd rather spend a little bit more to have the option of amazing frame-rate slow motion or really convincingly sharp 8K than spend nearly as much for something that cuts corners. Perhaps that's because I don't want to do the action in question too many times – and because I see these cameras taking over a lot of other jobs.

Catering for filmakers it is not without issues, of course. The camera is physically bigger, but that is addressed by GoPro's other smaller and lighter cameras (or perhaps some of the competition!) I would also argue that I still don't love a business model that seems to make subscription unavoidable, but at least there is a significant discount on the camera.

Some will wait, no doubt, for the micro 4/3rds swappable lens, but that won't be waterproof. This camera seems to me, for now, to be the cinematic best that cameras this rugged can actually be, and I love it.

Alternatives

How I test

I think the best way to get to know a camera is to take it out and use it, and that applies to action cameras especially. The Mission 1 Pro arrived in an especially sunny time and I've mostly been doing walks, so I imagine I'll be adding some additional thoughts when it cools enough for me to feel safe on my bike.

As a camera nerd and GoPro user, I’ve been following GoPro’s monumental shift into the Mission 1 series closely – but there’s a key term that I have yet to hear GoPro use to describe its new trio of 1-inch sensor cameras: action camera.

The brand best known for creating the first action cameras does not describe the new Mission 1, Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 Pro ILS as such. Instead, GoPro’s latest announcements are littered with another key term: cinema camera.

When GoPro finally unveiled the full specifications – and price – after a series of teasers, I was pleasantly surprised at the mix of more advanced features for the price point. But, it’s hard to deny that the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro look closer to a GoPro action camera in appearance than a cinema camera.

I wouldn’t call the GoPro Mission 1 series an action camera, but I wouldn’t call it a cinema camera either. Instead, I feel like the newest high-end GoPros bridge the gap between action and cine cams – and if they live up to GoPro’s many promises when shipping begins on May 28, I think they could be quite popular.

One of the reasons that GoPros and action cameras have been so popular in the past is that they are incredibly easy to use. There are plenty of auto shooting modes and, with the fixed ultra-wide lens, everything stays in focus and within the frame. (This does not apply to the Mission 1 ILS, which uses manual focus.)

GoPros aren’t a point-and-shoot, but a mount-and-shoot. The simple shooting format has been a key feature for GoPros for a long time, as it enables even those who aren’t video experts to capture solid footage.

The action cameras are even used in TV shows when a traditional film crew isn’t possible. For example, the Artmeis II crew used GoPros to capture their experience for a National Geographic special.

But with the Mission 1 series, GoPro is going after creators who may not just be surfers, bikers and athletes looking to capture POV action. The Mission 1 Pro has a 1-inch sensor capable of 8K 60p video as well as 8K 30p in open gate. The processor has been improved for better performance and low-light shots, and the battery life is also much longer.

Yet the Mission 1 Pro doesn’t look much larger than the GoPro Hero13, carries a similar control layout and is still waterproof.

The Mission 1 Pro straddles the line between action camera and cinema camera – but I don’t think the camera’s ill-defined boundaries are a bad thing. By sitting somewhere between the two, it becomes highly flexible.

In the latest video shot on the Mission series, I lost count of the number of different ways that creators were using the cameras. Handheld as an underwater point-and-shoot. On a handle as a travel vlogging camera. Mounted on vehicles, gimbals, cages, cranes, drones, dollys, ziplines, selfie sticks.

There’s even a shot of a rig where a GoPro is sitting on an arm to take behind-the-scenes footage of another GoPro in action.

A camera with a 1-inch sensor isn’t going to beat out the cinema cameras with full frame and medium format sensors – but it could go places and in more dusty, wet conditions that those oversized cameras cannot. (Though I have to admit, the Mission 1 ILS looks comically small in some rigged-out cinema kits.)

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro defies categorization – but because the camera doesn’t quite fit in with the action cameras and doesn’t quite fit in with the cinema cameras, I can see several different types of creators drawn to the tiny, durable camera.

I can see serious athletes and longtime GoPro fans opting for one. I can see vloggers and content creators picking one up for the mix of resolution and portability. I can see it doubling as a point-and-shoot camera. And I can see even professional film crews who need POV shots, who can’t have a traditional film crew, or who simply need something smaller and more durable, being drawn to the camera.

Hybrid cameras have risen rapidly with the growth of video content, but the GoPro Mission 1 Pro feels like an entirely different kind of hybrid. It shoots both video and photos, yes, but the compact size, waterproof build, and plethora of available mounts make it a camera that is hybrid not just in dual types of content but in a wide range of scenarios.

I’m not entirely convinced that “cinema camera” is the right word for the Mission 1 Pro, but I don’t think it’s quite an action camera either. I’m eager to try one out and see if GoPro delivers on its many promises for the new series.

One thing that I’m sure of? This is a pivotal moment for the company that has needed to diversify beyond the action camera category for quite some time.

Both the GoPro Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are available for pre-order, with retail shelf availability beginning May 28. The mirrorless Mission 1 ILS is expected to arrive later this year.

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GoPro’s ability to stream POV feed to a smartphone and adjust the settings has been part of a patent dispute for over a decade, but a ruling from a federal judge on May 14 may have freed the action camera giant from an $8.2 million payment.

Last week, California District Judge William Orrick granted a post-trial motion that cleared the action camera giant from a $8.2 million patent infringement suit posed by lower courts in a case between GoPro and Contour IP Holdings LLC. (That converts to about £6.1 million / AU$11.6 million / CA$11.3 million.)

Orrick also turned down Contour’s request for a new trial that sought even more damages of $172 million (about £128.4 million / AU$247.7 million / $CA236.8 million).

The court case dates back to 2015 when Countour, a holdings company that owns and manages patents, and iON Worldwide filed a lawsuit against GoPro, claiming that several Hero action cameras infringed on a patent for the tech that allows the action cameras to have wireless real-time viewing and control through a mobile app. iON, a former maker of cylindrical-shaped action cameras, declared bankruptcy in 2016 and was later dropped from the lawsuit.

The lawsuit alleges that GoPro infringed on Contour’s patent that generates two video streams – one high quality to save to the memory card and a secondary lower quality stream. That lower-quality stream can be sent wirelessly, enabling live view of the camera feed from a mobile app as well as remote controls.

The patent infringement case doesn’t include more recent cameras from the action camera giant but included the GoPro Hero7 Black, Hero7 Silver, Hero7 White, and Hero8 Black, as well as the original Max. There was some deliberation on whether the Hero9 Black should be included in that infringement, but newer models since 2020 were not part of the case.

The claims have been in and out of the court system for more than a decade. In 2022, a judge ruled that the technology couldn’t be patented because it was “an abstract idea executed in a generic environment.” But when Contour appealed, a Federal Circuit reversed that decision in 2024.

In a trial in September 2025, a jury found that GoPro did not infringe on most of Contour’s patent claims, but did side with Contour on one “Live Preview” tech infringement, leaving GoPro with a $8.2 million payment.

However, the judge’s decision last week wiped out that debt, saying that the claim was invalid.

Contour could potentially file for an appeal, but, for now, GoPro has told investors that it has “no liability arising from the case.”

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Action camera giant GoPro is considering a potential sale of the company or another “strategic event” – and it’s a move that founder and CEO, Nicholas Woodman, says he “fully supports.”

Earlier this week, GoPro announced that it would find a financial advisor to help review potential strategies, which “could include a sale of the company or merger.”

Just two days later, the company announced that it had retained Houlidhan Lokey, Inc, a global investment bank with experience in both the defense and consumer sectors, to aid in that investigation.

While the news does not mean that a sale is certain, the announcement makes it clear that the action camera goliath is seriously considering a potential sale or merger.

The announcement actually stems from “several unsolicited inbound strategic inquiries” that GoPro received after it announced that it was looking into expanding into the defense and aerospace industries.

Woodman, who declined part of his salary after laying off 15% of the GoPro workforce, says that the potential change has his backing.

"I fully support the effort to review a potential sale of the company to maximize shareholder value, and this process has the full support of GoPro's Board of Directors and management team.”

At this point in the process, it’s unclear if the move will result in a sale, merger or another change – and GoPro notes that it has not set a timeline for reviewing the process, either.

While the announcement doesn’t come with a certain sale, one thing seems certain: GoPro is at least considering a potential sale.

The move comes as the action camera specialist has struggled amid rising competition in the market. In the first quarter of 2026, GoPro posted a 26% revenue loss year-over-year, stemming from a 29& drop in action camera sales.

The move, however, comes shortly after GoPro announced the new Mission 1 series, a more cinema-oriented line with larger 1-inch sensors. The Mission 1 line launches at the end of May with two fixed-lens models, with a mirrorless body expected to follow later this year.

GoPro’s recent expansion beyond action cameras – with both the defense industry and the launch of the cinema series – may be key to the offers the California-based company considers.

Woodman says that GoPro “has substantial unrecognized value,” hinting that the action camera giant’s reputation for durable, portable cameras could be integrated into other industries, much like the announcement to look into the defense sector and the Mission 1 cinema series.

For GoPro fans and users of the longstanding lineup of action cameras, the potential sale or merger could bring significant changes. Just how significant it will likely depend on what companies are in the running.

A sale to a company in the defense market, for example, could mean a significant shift compared to a sale to a consumer electronics or camera company.

The investment advisor that GoPro has selected has “strong ties” with both defense and consumer sectors, GoPro says.

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The one point-and-shoot category that has weathered the storm of smartphone photography (pun intended) better than most is the waterproof compact camera. I’ve been writing about cameras for more than ten years, and one of the cameras that I’ve seen requested repeatedly is a waterproof compact with a larger sensor.

But with the launch of GoPro’s Mission series with one-inch sensors, I have to wonder, are photographers finally getting that wish, just in an unexpected form?

Don’t get me wrong, the GoPro Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are not point-and-shoot cameras, or at least, not in their native form. The two new fixed-lens cameras look quite similar to GoPro’s flagship Hero cameras.

However, the launch comes with a point-and-shoot grip that converts those cameras into something that feels more like a classic compact camera, including a grip and a larger lever at the top that presses the camera’s shutter button.

GoPro isn’t the first to do this – Insta360 also has a grip option for the Ace 2, while third-party brands like SmallRig also offer add-on grips for action cameras. But, the grip combined with the one-inch sensor has me wondering just how well the Mission 1 could work as a waterproof compact camera.

While GoPro is calling the Mission series cinema cameras, the list of features hints at cameras that seem more than capable of taking still photos. The Mission 1 cameras use a one-inch Quad Bayer sensor. The Quad Bayer design means the camera can take 50MP photos, or combine four pixels together for a 12MP photo mode for less noise in low light.

And, like the Heroes before it, the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are still waterproof – down to 66 feet / 20m without extra housing.

The one feature that doesn’t quite feel like a classic point-and-shoot is the lens. The Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro use a lens that’s roughly equivalent to a 15mm lens on a full-frame camera. Like most action cameras, the lens uses fixed focus, which is fantastic for fast action, but limits shots like macro.

Using the Mission 1 (or the Mission 1 Pro) as a compact camera, then, it won’t have the zoom or the macro mode of popular waterproof compact cameras like the OM System Tough TG-7. But, the trade-off for that fixed lens is the larger sensor with a higher 50MP maximum resolution.

What’s perhaps most enticing is that the Mission 1 actually slides in at a competitive cost compared to popular waterproof compacts like the TG-7, which retails for $649 / £499 / AU$699 / CA$649.

In comparison, the most affordable Mission 1 camera – which doesn’t have 8K open gate but should have identical photo capabilities – will retail for $599 / £529 / CA$819 AU$949. That’s less than the TG-7 in the US, but slightly more in other regions.

Of course, adding the grip will typically add to the cost – though GoPro is including the point-and-shoot grip as a free add-on with pre-orders at the moment.

The GoPro Mission 1 series has only just been announced – it’s a bit too early to tell if the GoPro Mission 1 will, in fact, work as a modular sort of replacement for a waterproof compact camera. GoPro hasn’t even shared full specs yet.

But, based on what we know so far ahead of the camera’s official shipping date, I think it could be a distinct possibility that the GoPro Mission 1 could potentially be that larger sensor waterproof compact camera that photographers have been asking for – just in an unexpected form factor.

Pre-orders for the Mission Series are open directly from GoPro's online store.

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Wildlife YouTubers are capturing crazier and crazier footage, and sometimes this footage helps expand our knowledge of the natural world. Well, that’s exactly what Barny Dillarstone, a videomaker from the UK, does as he travels the world capturing images of exotic marine life.

Dillarstone is an established YouTuber, and his signature tool is a night vision camera, which he plunges into the cold, dark depths of the world’s oceans to reveal the weird and wonderful life that inhabits them.

On his latest project, Dillarstone dropped the camera to 700ft (213m) into the Indian Ocean off the coast of Nusa Penida, an island that forms part of the province of Bali, Indonesia, and is known to locals as “Black Magic Island.”

Dillarstone plunged the camera into the pitch-dark nighttime waters with bait attached to attract visitors. Speaking to Surfer, he said: “Across several days, we recorded all sorts of strange deepwater creatures, including hound sharks, moray eels, and enormous stingrays.”

According to Dillarstone, this is the first time anyone has recorded at night here, and also the first time footage has revealed an Indonesian hound shark alive in the wild. In the YouTube video Dillarstone published following the project, he says that he “consulted experts” who confirmed this.

Perhaps more frightening than an elusive shark is the giant stingaree that was also caught on camera. In the interview with Surfer, Dillarstone said: “This is the biggest [ray] of them all — the giant stingaree. This male is not only enormous — it’s as long as I am tall — but strong and determined.”

He went on to explain: “Its power is extraordinary, with jaws designed to crush hard-shelled prey on the seabed. Needless to say, the sharks were happy watching from a distance.”

It never fails to blow my mind just how advanced camera technologies are getting, and I hope people like Barny Dillarstone continue capturing world-first footage of our oceans’ fascinating inhabitants.

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Dillarstone normally uses a GoPro and we have an expert review on the best GoPro cameras for you to check out

GoPro has used the Hero name since 2004, but the action camera giant is ushering a new era of cinema cameras with the Mission 1 series – and the upcoming 8K, 50MP cameras are already taking home awards.

GoPro announced the Mission 1 series ahead of the NAB Show and, rather than calling the tiny cameras “action cameras,” GoPro is calling the Mission 1, Mission 1 Pro, and Mission 1 Pro ILS “cinema cameras.” That’s due to the series's larger one-inch sensors and 8K capabilities, which, excluding the more affordable Mission 1, are also in open gate.

GoPro – who recently announced layoffs for 23 percent of its staff – needs the Mission 1 series to be well-received. The cameras don’t ship until May 28, but, recent awards suggest that the upcoming cameras have been well received.

During the NAB Show, the first time that the cameras were on display, the series took home three show awards, including the Best In Show award from RedShark News for the full series, while GoPro’s first mirrorless camera, the Mission 1 Pro ILS, won the CineD Best of Show award for the camera category and was one of ten to receive the ProductionHUB Awards of Excellence.

GoPro wasn’t among the awards given out by the NAB Show, where the Overall Project award went to BlackMagic DaVinci Resolve 21, which now supports photos as well as videos, and awards in the camera category went to Zenith Cameras, the Fujifilm GFX Eterna 55, Sony PXW-Z300 Camcorder, and the PortalCam spatial Camera for virtual production.

The GoPro Mission series was one of the key announcements during the National Association of Broadcasters Show held last week in Las Vegas, Nevada, and the awards hint at the cameras being well-received, alongside GoPro opening pre-orders early due to “enthusiasm from the community.”

All three of the newly announced Mission 1 cameras use the same one-inch Quad Bayer sensor with video up to 8K and photos up to 50MP. The GoPro Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro look more like a classic GoPro with a fixed 15mm equivalent lens. The key difference between those two is that the model without the Pro in the name tops out at 8K30, and Open Gate is only available at 4K and lower resolutions. That differentiation means the GoPro Mission 1 retails for $599 / £529 / CA$819 / AU$949 while the Mission 1 Pro retails for $699 / £599 / CA$949 / AU$1099.

The third camera in the lineup is perhaps the most unusual: The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is the action camera giant’s first mirrorless camera. The ILS launches later than the other two models, expected sometime in the third quarter of 2026.

Without the ultra-wide fixed lens that allows GoPros to use a fixed focus in design that keeps everything a certain distance from the lens in focus, the Mission 1 Pro ILS is a manual focus-only camera. The ILS uses a Micro Four Thirds mount on a one-inch sensor, which means a 3x crop factor. The ILS will list for the same price as the Mission 1 Pro.

Pre-orders for the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are already open from GoPro’s online store.

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GoPro may be best known for action cameras, but if there’s one thing that’s almost just as synonymous with the GoPro name, it’s the accessories. The launch of the GoPro Mission series, then, unsurprisingly, came with several new camera accessories. But what’s most surprising? Most of them are backwards compatible with the Hero series.

The GoPro Mission series looks like a classic GoPro action camera, but the new series leans more towards high-end video with larger one-inch sensors capable of up to 8K open gate, along with the brand’s first mirrorless camera.

But another thing that GoPro cameras are known for is durability – I imagine NASA isn’t the only one still using an 11-year-old GoPro. Plus, the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn’t a replacement for the Hero13 Black, which will continue to remain available.

While some mods are exclusively designed for the Mission series, like the new point-and-shoot grip, ND filters, and Media Mod, these new GoPro accessories are backwards compatible with some Hero series cameras.

GoPro Wireless Mic System

With the Mission series, GoPro also announced its first mic – and it’s compatible with a number of cameras, including non-GoPro models. The wireless mic set has a USB-C receiver that allows it to work with a number of cameras and smartphones. GoPro Hero Black models and Mission series cameras have an easy pairing mode, GoPro says.

The mic offers 24-bit, 48kHz audio and works from up to 150 meters away. The kit includes two mics, a receiver, and a charging case, with a battery life of about 6.5 hours per mic.

GoPro Vertical Mount Adapter

Social media is all about those vertical videos right now – but GoPro hasn’t launched its own vertical mount until now. The Vertical Mount Adapter makes shooting vertically with a GoPro faster, even on mounts that don’t have the ability to natively tilt the camera to its side. The L-shaped adapter gives the GoPro three attachment points instead of mounting exclusively from the bottom. The adapter is also magnetic, so it’s made for quick swaps from vertical to horizontal and back again.

The Vertical Mount Adapter, which is made with aluminum, is compatible with the Hero12 Black and Hero13 Black cameras as well as the new Mission series. It mounts on other GoPro accessories using the traditional finger mounts, magnetic mount, or a 1/4-20 mounting tripod thread.

GoPro Volta 2

I’ve used the original GoPro Volta to keep a GoPro running long enough to capture a time-lapse of the northern lights all night long. GoPro is refreshing this popular accessory, which is an external battery, mini tripod, and grip all in one.

The update offers an even higher capacity battery at 5800mAH, up from 4900mAH. That’s good for up to 9 hours of 4K30 video.

GoPro Light Mod 2

One of the biggest accessories that can improve video footage is having enough light. The GoPro Light Mod 2 is a constant LED light that’s 33 percent brighter than the earlier version at 200 lumens. The light has a cold shoe mount, so it’s compatible with any camera that has a cold shoe mount, so it works with earlier GoPros with a media mod and can also be mounted separately.

Enduro 2 Battery

New batteries are typically not compatible with older cameras because they are a different size, but the new GoPro Enduro 2 battery is compatible with both the Mission series and the Hero13 Black. The catch? The battery life isn’t as long on the Hero13 Black as it is on the Mission cameras. A new charger that charges two Enduro 2 batteries at once is also launching.

The new GoPro accessories won’t be available until May at the earliest, but the company is launching each one on a rolling basis, so others may not arrive until the third quarter of the year (along with the Mission 1 Pro ILS mirrorless).

Pricing details have not yet been announced.

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The launch of the GoPro Mission 1 series is arguably the action camera giant’s biggest launch in several years, marking a shift towards high-end video. But in a letter to investors, CEO Nicholas Woodman is already hinting at what’s next for the company, including “utility-focused products” planned for 2027 and beyond.

The Mission series marks a major shift from the action cameras that have almost exclusively carried the Hero name since the first-ever GoPro camera in 2004. The Mission series uses larger one-inch sensors with 8K 60p recording, and while the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro take on a familiar GoPro form factor, the Mission 1 Pro ILS puts the action camera maker into the mirrorless arena for the first time.

This shift comes at a perilous time for the American camera brand – the company’s stock is at risk of becoming delisted, but has shown signs of recovery with stock over $1 since the announcement of the Mission series. The company has announced a 23 percent reduction in staff following a 25 percent drop in the number of action cameras sold last year.

But now, in a letter to shareholders as part of the company’s annual report, Woodman highlights where he sees the company headed next. The longtime CEO and founder’s boldest statement? GoPro isn’t an everyday camera.

“If your imaging needs are everyday…then we’re not the brand for you,” Woodman wrote. “But if you’re pushing the boundaries of capture and require mission-critical imaging tools that enable content like the world has never seen…then GoPro is your camera company.”

In a way, Woodman’s statement makes some sense – the number of smartphones that are increasingly becoming waterproof is likely one of the causes behind the company’s dwindling sales numbers, along with increasing competition from brands like DJI and Insta360.

But while a growing number of smartphones are capable of everyday waterproof captures, there’s also a growing number of content creators, a category that fits somewhere between consumers and professionals, that would be a smart target for the action camera company.

The launch of the Mission series raises questions about whether or not fans will see the long-awaited GoPro Hero14 Black. When I asked GoPro about the Hero13 Black, the company assured me that the camera would remain available but – as every company does – declined to comment on future products.

Woodman also dropped a hint about 2027 products, listing the new GP3 processor cameras (the Mission series), a motorcycle helmet being built with AGV, and ”the new specialized, utility-focused products we have planned for 2027 and beyond.”

“Utility-focused” could mean a lot of different things, but the phrase could tie into a major theme in Woodman’s letter: that GoPros are “tools, not toys.”

“As we look to grow, we consider what opportunities we have to develop imaging tools that become indispensable – tools, not toys– for markets and end users that need them most,” Woodman wrote. “How can we increase GoPro’s utility and relevance to new and existing customers in a manner that in parallel drives brand, financial, and shareholder value creation. Again, more tool…less toy.”

The letter comes along with the information for shareholders ahead of a vote, including proposing adding additional shares to create reserve funds to “ attract, motivate, and retain qualified employees.”

The Mission series is likely a critical moment for the longstanding action camera company. The company needs to strike a balance between retaining existing GoPro fans and attracting new customers. The first two Mission cameras start shipping on May 28, with the Mission Pro ILS slated for sometime in the third quarter of 2026.

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GoPro is launching its most advanced cameras yet, but the announcement of the new GoPro Mission 1 series was lacking one key detail: price. Now, at the NAB Show, the action camera giant has finally revealed the price point for its Mission 1 Pro, Mission 1, and Mission 1 Pro ILS cameras – and it's higher than the Hero13 Black but lower than some popular compact cameras with one-inch sensors.

In the US, both the GoPro Mission 1 Pro and upcoming Mission 1 Pro ILS mirrorless will list for $699, while the Mission 1 will sit at $599. Existing GoPro subscribers get $100 off that price.

In the UK, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro and ILS list for £599, with the Mission 1 at £529. Subscribers get £90 off.

In Canada, the Mission 1 Pro and ILS list for CA$949, with the Mission 1 at CA$819. GoPro subscribers save CA$140.

In Australia, the Mission 1 Pro and ILS sit at AU$1099 and the Mission 1 at AU$949. Subscribers get an AU$150 discount.

GoPro also opened pre-orders earlier than the original announcement, noting it was due to unexpected early enthusiasm about the new series. Pre-orders are open directly from GoPro in the US, the UK, Australia, and Canada for both the Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 and include a free point-and-shoot grip and one year of a GoPro Premium subscription.

Along with being available on its own, the new Mission series cameras will also be available in bundles with accessories, like the new point-and-shoot grip and the new wireless mic.

The pre-orders for the Mission 1 Pro ILS are expected to be out in the third quarter of 2026.

While that price is a step up from the Hero series, the list price on the Mission cameras is actually better than what I was expecting. When GoPro announced the Mission series, I speculated that the series may be around twice the price of the GoPro Hero13 Black’s $429 / £399 / AU$649 list price. I was also expecting the mirrorless to be more than the fixed lens models. But the prices are less than twice the cost of the Hero13 Black, and the ILS sits at the same price as the Mission 1 Pro.

The Mission 1 series uses a larger one-inch sensor to record 8K, and (excluding the entry-level Mission 1 without the Pro in the name) that’s in open gate too. That comes along with bodies that look a lot like you’d expect a GoPro to look, including a compact dual-screen chassis and, on the fixed lens cameras, waterproofing.

Plus, GoPro is calling the Mission 1 Pro a cinema camera, not an action camera, which is a category that typically comes with a higher price tag. Those details all hinted towards a price point that would be significantly different than the Hero series.

The Mission 1, the most budget-friendly of the three new cameras, offers the same sensor, stabilization, and waterproofing of the Pro model, but the video tops out at 8K 30p, and open gate is only available on the 4K120fps and lower resolutions.

How does the GoPro Mission 1 Pro price compare?

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is really a camera that’s quite different from existing options, which makes comparing the price point to competing models tougher – but not impossible.

Take a look at compact vlogging cameras with a one-inch sensor, for example. The Sony ZV-1 II lists for about $899 / £870 / AU$1,349. The Canon PowerShot V1 is similarly priced at $899.99 / £959.99 / AU$1399.95, though that has a 1.4-type sensor. But, those are point-and-shoot cameras and lack the waterproofing and specs like 8K/60p video and 4K/240fps slow-mo of the Mission series.

A better comparison may be looking at GoPro’s key competitors in the action camera segment, like DJI and Insta360. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 can also shoot at 8K – though only up to 30fps and has a smaller 1/1.3-inch sensor. That action camera sits at $399 / £410 / AU$679.

The newly announced DJI Pocket 4 has a one-inch sensor with 4K/120fps, 37MP stills, and is built into a gimbal rather than using electronic stabilization. That lists for £445 / €499 / AU$769 but, thanks to the FCC’s DJI ban, isn’t available in the US.

The Sony RX0 II is a waterproof camera with a one-inch sensor, but it tops out at 4K video and sells for $998 / £730 / AU$1,359.

GoPro is calling the Mission series cinema cameras, but even the budget Blackmagic Design Pocket Cinema 4K ($1095 / £1,140 / AU$1,499) uses larger Four Thirds sensors.

GoPro really needs the Mission series to do well – the company recently posted $93.5 million in losses and announced a 23 percent reduction in staff. The right price will likely be key to how well the Mission series sells.

As a GoPro user and pro photographer, I’m excited to see how well those Mission 1 specs hold up in real-world use. Shipping begins on May 28.

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GoPro is the brand that defines the action camera. Many people I know, to my frustration, still call all of the neat little actioncams devices "GoPros" even when they're made by DJI, Insta360, or one of the other rival manufacturers. That is the kind of brand success that belonged to tranformational devices such as Sony's Walkman or Apple's iPod.

Now, though, like those products before it, the GoPro is struggling. There is less need for it, and those competitors have gotten good.

How has GoPro sought to solve the problem? Well, the company's new range of Mission 1 cameras offers a new name and the option of a significantly more irritating camera mechanism.

"Irritating you say? Are you mad – this is the choice photographers have been crying out for!" you respond.

I know what I mean. But let me explain.

Well, GoPro never really used autofocus on its previous cameras, so the company might not think it's a big thing.

The GoPro Hero 13 Black, the top of the line before the Mission 1 Pro ILS came along, had fixed focus. Objects in the foreground and the background appeared in focus (the reason for this was that the image sensor was relatively small).

Didn't GoPro say the Hero13 had interchangeable lenses?

Well, not exactly, though the company certainly gave that impression. The Hero 13 had swappable lens modifiers (Lens Mods) and filters and what made them relatively unique was the arrival of GoPro's 'HB-Series' which delivered auto-detection.

What that meant to the user was that when you put a lens modifier or filter onto the camera's main lens (which never changed), you saw what looked a bit like a part you shouldn't see for a bit – and, when you had finished, the camera sensed the change and made the necessary software adjustments.

What didn't happen, unlike the new ILS, is that you couldn't actually see the image sensor and (if you wanted to for some crazy reason) reach inside and prod it.

I'm sure one of the lenses was focusable?

That's right. The Macro Lens Mod had a focusing ring so the focus could be adjusted – traditional variable manual focus. The Macro lens could focus down to 11cm, while the standard lens was limited to about 60cm (problematic for selfies).

So that's what is happening again. Manual focus or Fixed Focus?

Yes and no. Yes, the focus will be manual, so a bit like the Macro Lens Mod on the Hero 13, but the Mission 1 cameras boast larger image sensors of 1-inch across the diagonal. That should mean that users wouldn't be able to take advantage of 'most' of the focal range being 'close enough' to in focus without the assistance of AF.

So there will likely be a need to adjust the focus, especially if a subject is relatively near the camera and any one of hundreds of MFT lenses is being used – but that from a camera without the ability to do so (or much in the battery tank if it did have the ability).

Which makes me think something worse...

Which leads me to this alternate theory about the Mission 1 Pro ILS. GoPro doesn't care about it.

It's for attention.

After all, if you could get an interchangeable lens, how much do you really want one with a 3x crop factor?

The other cameras are actually slated to arrive within a reasonable timeframe – around six weeks from now – but there is no fixed date for the mirrorless.

The Mission 1 fixed-lens cameras are clearly a replacement for the Hero 14 – designed to take on the large image sensor and adjustable aperture of the DJI Osmo Action 6,

Call me a cynic, but after all the delays that faced the GoPro Max 2 (which did, admittedly, make it to market in the end), it is hard to be convinced by news of new cameras from GoPro that seem to have R&D difficulties and are yet to get a fixed date.

As my colleague Hillary – explained, even if it does work as described, it sounds problematic. Lenses are going to partially block the front LCD. Stabilization sounds like it might be tricky, depending on the additional crop.

Is this really going to be a camera, or is it a hack project to get a few looks at a trade show before what will amount to be a rebranding of 'Hero 14' as 'Mission 1' and 'Mission 1 Pro'?

Only time will tell.

GoPro is entering a new era with the launch of the Mission series. But while the April 14 announcement of the GoPro Mission 1, Mission 1 Pro, and Mission 1 Pro ILS came full of details like open gate 8K60 from a one-inch sensor, a key detail has yet to be revealed: price.

The Mission series is GoPro’s move into more cinema-grade cameras, sporting two fixed lens cameras and one mirrorless body that takes Micro Four Thirds lenses. All three Mission cameras have one-inch sensors larger than those of the brand’s longstanding Hero series.

But one detail that the company has yet to share? How much that sensor upgrade is going to cost. The price of the GoPro Mission 1 Pro, along with the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro ILS, have not yet been announced.

It’s not unusual for a camera announcement to come without an official price, but thankfully, it doesn’t seem that GoPro fans will have long to wait. GoPro says that the price will be unveiled during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, which is slated for April 19-22.

While I’m fully expecting to find out the price of the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro in the coming days, I wouldn’t be surprised to have a longer wait for pricing details on the ILS mirrorless. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS without a built-in lens isn’t launching until the third quarter of 2026, and without an exact launch date, I won’t be surprised if the price on the ILS model doesn’t come until later.

The Mission series is a major change for the action camera giant – while it may be easy to speculate on the price of the Hero cameras with its longstanding history, I’m less confident trying to guess the price point for the new cameras.

The Mission 1 Pro will certainly come at a higher price than the Hero13 Black, so guesses under $429 / £399 / AU$649 are just wishful thinking. The question is, how much more?

Looking at the price point of a few other cameras can offer some hints. The Sony ZV-1 II also has a one-inch sensor, and that’s priced at around $899 / £870 / AU1,349. The Canon PowerShot V1 has a 1.4-type sensor, and that’s priced at $899.99 / £959.99 / AU$1399.95.

But comparing the Mission series to a vlogging compact camera is like comparing apples to potatoes. Those point-and-shoots have zoom, the Mission 1 Pro does not, but it has 8K60 open gate too.

Another key factor? Waterproof cameras tend to be more expensive than non-waterproof options with similar specs, and the fixed lens Mission 1 models are waterproof without additional housing (the ILS is not waterproof).

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS is even harder to speculate on. While there have been one-inch sensor mirrorless cameras before, cameras like the Nikon 1 series are well in the past. And while the one-inch sensor suggests something more affordable than a budget APS-C camera, the specs like 8K60 open gate don’t sound cheap.

GoPro calls the Mission series cinema cameras, a category that isn't known for being cheap, but the one-inch sensor has me hoping that the Mission Series will be a budget alternative to high-end cinema cameras.

I can only guess at the cost of the GoPro Mission 1 Pro – and the slightly less speced out Mission 1 without the Pro in the name. I think price will be a major factor in just how well the Mission 1 series does.

But, according to GoPro’s announcement, the pricing will be revealed at the NAB Show, so GoPro fans likely only have a few more days to wait to find out.

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The brand that has become a household name for action cameras has ventured into mirrorless cameras for the first time. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS brings several features from its longstanding action camera line into a tiny mirrorless camera with a 50MP one-inch sensor and a Micro Four Thirds mount.

But bringing the GoPro-like features into mirrorless cameras for the first time means that the Mission 1 Pro ILS is unlike any other mirrorless camera on the market. For starters, the Mission 1 ILS looks exactly how I’d imagined a GoPro with no lens would look, including the front and rear screens and a rather compact body. Surprisingly, it’s not much heavier than the Hero13 Black at 197g – only 38g / 1.34 ounces more than the earlier action camera.

But while the Mission 1 ILS brings GoPro’s style and yes, it’s much-loved stabilization, to the mirrorless world, the camera’s list of features isn’t without its oddities, including a mismatched sensor and mount and a lack of autofocus.

I’m a photographer who often uses a GoPro to shoot behind-the-scenes videos while I’m using my mirrorless camera. I sat down with GoPro to take a deep dive into the company’s first-ever mirrorless camera.

GoPro Mission 1 ILS: A one-inch sensor with Micro Four Thirds lenses

The GoPro Mission 1 ILS uses a one-inch sensor capable of 50MP stills and open gate video up to 8K60p, with slow-mo modes for 4K120p and 1080 at 960 fps. The camera supports 10-bit GP-Log2 and will have LUTs for color editing. The Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 action cameras use the same sensor.

The camera uses a Micro Four Thirds lenses – a move that makes a lot of sense for a first-ever mirrorless, as that means the Mission 1 ILS will be compatible with hundreds of existing lenses at launch, without having to wait for a range of lenses to be developed.

The one-inch sensor is smaller than the Micro Four Thirds format that GoPro is borrowing the lens mount from, which will give the camera a 3x crop factor. A 50mm lens, for example, will look like a 150mm lens.

That’s going to help GoPro’s first mirrorless have an advantage with getting telephoto reach and close-up macro. However, that will make getting wide-angle shots more challenging – though not impossible. Lenses like the Olympus 7-14mm will act like a 21-42mm lens – so significantly less wide-angle than the 15mm equivalent lens that’s mounted on the fixed lens cameras in the Mission series.

The Mission 1 ILS isn’t the first mirrorless camera to use a one-inch sensor – Nikon’s now defunct 1 series also used a one-inch sensor on compact mirrorless cameras, with its own bespoke range of lenses, launched between 2011 and 2018 before the shift to the full-frame Z Mount system. Like the Nikon 1 series, the Mission 1 ILS is a rather compact mirrorless system – but unlike the Nikon 1, it’s launching at a time when compact cameras are trending.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: A surprisingly compact design

GoPro says the Mission series is the smallest, lightest 8K open gate cameras yet – and the ILS is actually lighter than the Mission 1 Pro with a built-in lens. The GoPro mirrorless weighs 197g / 6.94oz with a battery installed – although that, of course, doesn’t include the weight of whatever lens is paired with the camera body. In comparison, the Hero13 Black is 159g / 5.6 oz – just 38g / 1.34oz lighter.

The camera body measures 89.6 x 58.7 x 46.1 mm (3.52 x 2.3 x 1.8 inches) – that’s less than 20mm / 0.7 inches wider than GoPro’s Hero13 Black.

The body will have a similar build quality to the fixed lens Mission cameras, but, since the lens is interchangeable, the ILS camera isn’t waterproof. GoPro did note that, if you mount a weather-sealed lens to the front, the camera would be splash-resistant, but it will need a housing to go underwater.

That compact size doesn’t leave much room for physical controls, but GoPro still fit in an LCD screen at the back and the front both. Most controls will be adjusted using the screen, which does have a revamped user interface and full manual controls as well as auto modes. Like the company’s action cameras, the Mission 1 Pro ILS uses microSD cards.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS doesn’t have autofocus

While GoPro’s action cameras use fixed focus, that’s not possible with an interchangeable lens camera. The Mission 1 Pro ILS is manual focus only.

Manual focus only cameras aren’t uncommon in the cinema camera world, where many creators prefer to manually focus or use rigs with follow focus systems. But, it is uncommon for cinema cameras and vlogging cameras targeting a more entry-level creator to skip out on the autofocus.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS seems poised as a prosumer model straddling the gap between action cameras and cinema cameras. Using manual focus will make using the ILS come with a higher learning curve than the Mission 1 Pro with a built-in, fixed focus lens.

Creators can still mimic the fixed focus technique using zone focusing, a longstanding technique that uses a narrower aperture to keep anything at a certain distance in focus. But, this technique will still have that higher learning curve than using a camera with autofocus.

One of the recurring rumors that I’ve seen over and over has been that GoPro would create a mirrorless camera – and now the action camera giant has finally gone and done just that. While the ILS carries the stabilization and compact design GoPro is known for, it comes with a 3x crop factor and manual focus.

GoPro needs a big win right now as the company continues to post financial losses and announces layoffs. The big question is, is the Mission 1 Pro ILS the win that the action camera giant needs right now? As a photographer who uses both mirrorless and GoPro action cameras, I’m intrigued by the stabilization, the 8K video, and the tiny design – but I really wish the camera had autofocus.

While GoPro’s new fixed lens Mission cameras will arrive at the end of May, GoPro fans will have to wait longer for the mirrorless camera. The camera is expected to launch in the third quarter of 2026 – so sometime between July and September.

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GoPro has just announced a new camera – the GoPro Mission 1 – in three distinct variants. The first two are both tiny 8K cinema cameras, but simply tweak the specifications between each other. The third goes all out and allows interchangeable lenses.

"GoPro is entering the premium end of the digital imaging market in a significant way" says the company's Senior VP Pablo Lema, and he isn't wrong about the step up from the GoPro Hero13 Black. That camera was slipping down the best action cameras league to newer competition from the likes of DJI, but the new Mission 1 boasts a 1-inch 50MP image sensor, which, GoPro tells us, offers up to 14-stops of dynamic range.

Backed up with the new image processing chip, the GP3, the company has previously shown, the Mission 1 Pro / Pro ILS cameras can even record 8K at 2x slow mo, through 4K at 8x slow mo (which, for the avoidance of doubt, means 240fps) right up to 960fps for 1080p (for up to 10 seconds). (The Mission 1 not pro is 8K30 at its limit and correspondingly less capable at slow motion too).

The improved GoPro specs don't stop at frame rates either. Data can be stored at 240Mbps, enabling HLG-HDR, 10-bit color and GoPro's GP-Log2, as well as support for Timecode sync.

There is an open gate sensor, which might help with image stabilization (the whole sensor's image is captured, not just the 16:9 that is being used). Sound recording is via four built-in microphones that pull in 32-bit float, as well as support for Bluetooth 5.3 mics.

On the other hand, is the design really that different from its predecessor (in so far as it has one) the GoPro Hero 13 Black?

To be honest, I'm not sure the bodies are as different as you might imagine if GoPro tells you the camera has a new name. The pictures tell you a fair bit there, but another clue for this journalist was the number of comparisons GoPro themselves made to the Hero series. To me, that implies this is seen as a successor, but one intended to make a splash (and it is waterproof to 20m / 66ft – except the ILS).

Now 'Mission' might seem a very topical name at this point in NASA's Artemis cycle, or if you happen to live in central San Francisco, but otherwise it's just a new name we'll have to get used to.

My theory is that GoPro weren't super excited by the idea of reducing the price of the previous 'Hero' model, so it thought that the upgraded model should have a new name. Then there is no need for GoPro to sideline its predecessor to obviously – and the company's cycle of reducing prices on the older model could break.

That doesn't explain the other new camera though – the Mission 1 Pro ILS, which boasts an interchangeable lens. That is a new feature for these compact cameras.

More than that, the swappable lens uses the MFT (Micro Four-Thirds) system, on a one-inch sensor, meaning that it's a bigger lens than the sensor. Presumably, this is essential because MFT is an established size, and GoPro is not in a position to establish a new lens size. DJI used MFT for the Inspire 2 drone, and users like me took advantage of the existing lens system when working.

Perhaps oddly, though, the GoPro cameras won't be capable of adjusting the focus on this system, presumably because the extra parts add size and weight. (It shouldn't be forgotten, though, that the camera system that the DJI Inspire 2 drone carried around supported MFT lenses with powered focus and zoom.)

Is ditching AF really a good idea?

Is getting rid of a feature like AF – key to the usability of cameras for many – really a brilliant idea?

To be fair to GoPro, the company is only really offering it as a way to help a niche gain access to interchangeable lenses. So it's a 'this or nothing' kind of choice, and most people would take the chance to choose themselves over simply not having access to the choice.

I suspect, though, that for many active sports fans the 13 capture modes in the cameras will be more than enough by way of settings, while those using the interchangeable lenses are less likely to be in a rough-and-tumble scenario, so won't mind stopping to check their focus.

Lest we forget, there are also other action cameras that have addressed some of the issues (like low light) that GoPro is finally taking on here. Check the very impressive DJI Osmo Action 6 or the Insta360 AcePro 2, the latter of which even has an equivalent to the point-and-shoot grip that GoPro has also just announced.

Check out our full guide to the best action cameras that are on sale now

GoPro has crammed its iconic stabilization and durability into three cameras with one-inch sensors – and one of them is a mirrorless camera. The GoPro Mission 1 series evolves the action camera giant's lineup into the next generation using 50MP, 8K60p one-inch sensors inside the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro action cameras and the Mission 1 Pro ILS mirrorless cinema camera.

All three cameras use the same sensor – a one-inch sensor with a Quad Bayer design capable of taking up to 50MP stills – and the new GP3 processor. That sensor and processor combo is mixed with the stabilization and durability that GoPro is known for (though the Mission One Pro ILS won’t be waterproof), but also tweaks some of the complaints among Hero users, including up to 5 hours of recording time.

The Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro are both high-end action cameras that feel like a natural evolution of the Hero series. But the same sensor and processor will also be coming to a varrioless variant in the fall, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS, which is set for launch later in 2026, which mixes that one-inch sensor with a Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

The Mission 1 series, announced on April 14, is a monumental change for the company, which has used the Hero name since its first-ever camera in 2004 – only straying from the Hero name with its 360 cameras like the GoPro Max and GoPro Fusion, and the Karma drone.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1

Using the same one-inch 50MP sensor that will also feature in the mirrorless variant, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro is the flagship of the two action cameras, with video specs that top out at 8K60p, slow-mo at 4K 240 fps, and 1080 at 960 fps. That feature list includes open gate, which GoPro says uses every pixel on the sensor for more cropping flexibility for creators who need to deliver video in multiple aspect ratios. 10-bit color with GP-Log2 is also included.

Those video specs have enough resolution that, if users don’t want to use the 50MP still photo mode, the stills pulled from the 8K footage are still 44MP. Similarly, bursts are up to 60 fps. RAW photos are supported, while SuperPhoto supports HDR JPEGs.

The Quad Bayer sensor design is one that allows four neighboring pixels to be used as one, powering a lower resolution mode that tends to create less noise than shooting at the maximum resolution. For the Mission 1 sensors, a 12MP photo mode and 4K Open Gate use those larger combined pixels for better low light quality,

Alex Cashman, Senior Manager of Image Processing at GoPro, says that the larger sensor doesn’t just bring the low-light performance that fans have been asking for, it’s also the “highest dynamic range ever from a GoPro” at up to 14 stops.

But, GoPro says that the Mission 1 Pro is the smallest, lightest, and most rugged 8K Open Gate cinema cameras yet. The Mission 1 Pro weighs 207g / 4.3 oz – that’s only about 48g / 1.7 ounces heavier than the Hero13 Black. The body measures about 80.1 W x 52.1 H x 44.3 mm.

Like the Hero13 Black, the Mission series uses LCD screens at both the back and front of the camera. The user interface has been revamped as well, and users will find controls to shoot in manual mode with shutter speed and ISO, along with GoPro’s intelligent capture auto modes geared around specific types of shoots, including vlogging, underwater dive, low-light, and subject tracking. The mobile GoPro Quik app is also supported in the new series.

Thanks in part to a new Endura 2 battery – which is backwards compatible with the Hero13 Black – and the improved efficiency of the new processor, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro can record 1080p30 video for as long as five hours on a charge, which is 70 percent longer than the Hero13 Black, and 4K30 for three hours.

GoPro’s HyperSmooth electronic image stabilization continues in the Mission Series, and the Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 are also both waterproof to 20m / 66 feet without additional housing.

The Mission 1, without the Pro in the name, carries most of those same features but dials down the high-end video specs. The more affordable version tops out at 8K30, and Open Gate isn’t available in the highest resolution but is available for 4K modes, including the 120 fps slow-mo mode.

Both the Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro will use ultra-wide 15mm equivalent lenses with fixed apertures and fixed focus, similar to the view from the longstanding Hero series.

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS carries the same sensor, processor, stabilization, and battery life of the fixed-lens – but swaps out the 15mm lens for a Micro Four Thirds Mount. Using a lens mount that already has a long history will allow the Mission Pro ILS to access hundreds of different compatible lenses, such as those from OM System and Panasonic, at launch.

The Micro Four Thirds sensor is larger than the one-inch type inside the Mission series, so lenses attached to GoPro’s first mirrorless camera will have a 3x crop factor. A 50mm lens attached to the GoPro mirrorless, for example, will look like a 150mm lens thanks to the smaller sensor.

Swappable lenses will allow the GoPro mirrorless to tackle a variety of shots that the brand’s fixed lens compact cameras haven’t achieved in the past, including macro and telephoto shots. Wide-angle shots will be harder to accomplish, but not impossible – there are a handful of Micro Four Thirds zoom lenses that start at 7mm, which would be 21mm on the GoPro mirrorless.

Removing the lens creates another key difference from the fixed lens Mission cameras as well as the past GoPro Hero cameras: How the camera focuses. Past GoPros have used fixed focus because the smaller sensor and ultra-wide lens leave much of the image in focus. The GoPro Mission 1 ILS won’t have fixed focus, but it won’t have autofocus either – the mirrorless will be manual focus. Manual focus is common on high-end cinema cameras, but the in-between cameras that cater to vloggers and beginners tend to use autofocus.

Since GoPro isn’t building the lens for the Mission 1 Pro ILS, the mirrorless camera isn’t submersible like the fixed lens cameras in the Mission series – at least, not without extra housing. GoPro did note that, if the body is paired with a weather-resistant lens, then the camera will be splash-resistant.

GoPro Mission accessories

,Like the stabilization and durability ratings, there’s another key trend that carries over from GoPro’s Hero Era to the Mission Era: accessories. And there are several launches with the new Mission series. All three cameras will have the traditional GoPro mounting fingers as well as the more recent magnetic mount and a tripod mount, so the new models will be compatible with more than 50 existing mounts.

One key GoPro first is that the company is launching its first wireless mic. Four built-in mics capture audio internally, including 32-bit float audio, on all three new cameras. But, creators can elevate the audio with the new GoPro Wireless Mic Kit, which has two transmitters, a receiver and a charging case. The wearable mics themselves weigh less than 10g, which is about the weight of two sheets of computer paper. The mic system is rated for distances up to 150m / 492 feet.

Like earlier GoPros, a new Media Mod will be available, which adds in a three-mic array as well as a cold shoe slot. A vertical mount adapter gives the GoPro Mission – and the Hero12 and Hero13 – a magnetic vertical mount. And, GoPro will even allow creators to turn it into a point-and-shoot camera with a Grip Edition accessory that makes the Mission 1 Pro feel more like a compact camera.

The Mission 1 Pro and Mission 1 will be available for pre-orders beginning on May 21, with shipping expected for May 28. The GoPro Mission 1 ILS does not yet have a firm launch date, but it is coming in the third quarter of 2026, so sometime between July and September 2026.

GoPro has not yet shared pricing details for the new Mission series. The cameras will be sold in multiple configuration bundles, including options paired with the new Mic.

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Browse the best action cameras or the best mirrorless cameras.

Next week, at NAB, GoPro is going to announce a new product line. There are a lot of rumors circulating, but one that would make more sense than you might think at first is that DJI will launch a drone.

Nearly everyone in the industry knows the "Why not" of this story: the truly catastrophic original GoPro Karma drone, but that was launched in 2016, and the world has moved on.

The biggest problem for the Karma, other than a tendency for the sample models to fall out of the sky, was the arrival of far better competition from DJI drones. But nowadays this is where things are looking up for GoPro – the US government is making life very difficult indeed for DJI, which is currently barred from seeking FCC approval for any new products.

The last few approved DJI products are sneaking their way out now, and then GoPro will find itself in a much less competitive landscape.

Ten years is a long time, too, and no doubt a lot of R&D has been going on at GoPro, which might make for a very interesting drone.

The GoPro Max 2, which I reviewed last year, shows the company has moved things a long way in the sphere of 360-degree cameras (a little pun there for the fans). The company is also working on putting cameras in other robust shells, as the acquisition of helmet camera firms suggests.

It's also true that most of the complaints – in so far as there are any – directed at GoPro Hero 13 Black are only about low light photography, which isn't much of a problem for aerial work, so there shouldn't be any worries about the kind of camera GoPro bring to the table.

GoPro has also added a gimbal, the Fluid Pro AI, to its repertoire in the last year, suggesting another key drone tech is in the bag.

Perhaps some of the innovative – but ultimately too complicated – ideas of the original Karma drone could be abandoned in favor of something more straightforward.

The design need not be so complicated, heavy & pricey this time. Forcing the buyer to acquire a gimbal and a GoPro Hero camera, even if it worked more reliably, gave people a lot of tools, but it also pushed prices up and made things difficult to use.

The 2016 product recall had, also, been dreadful timing in terms of the 2016 holiday sales market – the same time DJI was bringing out the foldable Mavic Pro and essentially creating the template for drones as we've known them for a decade.

GoPro has proven that it is able to acquire companies to get the tech it needs, before adding the final shine of usability and the company's well-liked subscription cloud service.

There are likely to be several opportunities around the world to collaborate for a company with a record of approaching things in this way. Ironically, one might even be – depending on how it is approached of course (lawyers would need to take a good look, not to mention the parties in question) the possibility of cooperation with DJI again.

Now, yes, things ended badly before – Karma's position as number 2 to DJI's top spot in the drone market was not enough to save the 250 team members GoPro laid off in early 2018, but things could be different.

DJI CEO Frank Wang and GoPro CEO Nick Woodman did talk together about working together about two years before Karma, and it was largely arrogance on Woodman's part that led to Karma being set up alone (or, rather, with the help of US drone startup 3D Robotics.

DJI had a decade of dominance, 3DR ended up making enterprise software, and the US government has stepped in to change the rules. Fair or not, now is definitely an opportunity GoPro could make the best of!

See the best camera drones that are currently on the market

Camera announcements in 2026 have started at a rather slow trickle – but as a camera expert, I’m predicting that there will be a deluge of new announcements before the end of April.

Camera brands will often time launches with key industry events, and one is coming up in just a matter of days – the NAB Show from the National Association of Broadcasters is set for April 18-22 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

But I’m not basing my predictions on pure speculation. Thanks to teasers, I know creatives will see at least two camera announcements before the end of April.

GoPro has confirmed that it will launch next-generation cameras with the GP3 processor at NAB this year.

Competitor DJI has also released a teaser that confirms the DJI Pocket 4 – an update on a viral gimbal-clad camera – is coming on April 16.

That means I know that there will at least be a new GoPro and a new DJI camera before the end of the month – though of course, while it’s fairly clear when those cameras will be announced, it’s not clear when they will actually ship to eager creators.

I’m expecting both launches to be for cameras that are focused more on videos than photos. The existing Pocket 3 is more for videos than stills, and similarly, GoPro is known for POV videos.

I wouldn’t be surprised if NAB brought more than those two already teased announcements. But, NAB is a video-focused event, so I’m expecting any camera launches tied to the event will be focused on video, like cinema cameras, broadcast cameras, and vlogging cameras. If we see any announcements outside of those categories, I would be shocked if it wasn’t at least a hybrid made for taking videos and stills.

2026 feels like it has started a bit slow with camera announcements – though 2025 ended with a bang with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and the Sony A7 V. There’s been the Ricoh GR IV Monochrome, the Fujifilm Instax Mini Evo Cinema, and the Panasonic ZS300/TZ300, along with some budget point-and-shoots. But, that still feels a bit quiet for it now being more than a quarter through the year.

I’m expecting the NAB show will help pick up the pace with new camera launches. The event kicks off April 18.

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Read more on what we're expecting for the next generation GoPro announcement, or read our take on the DJI Pocket 4 teaser.

GoPro is poised to launch new high-end cameras this month, but the brand’s push beyond the action camera comes at a rocky time within the US-based company. On Tuesday, April 7, GoPro announced a restructuring plan that includes a global reduction in workforce of about 23 percent of the company’s staff, which means around 145 employees.

The news comes from 8-K paperwork filed with the SEC, which is required documentation that informs stockholders of major changes. According to the announcement, the reduction in workforce will happen in the second quarter of 2026 and will be largely completed by the end of the calendar year.

The company estimates that the restructuring will carry a cost between $11.5 million to $15 million, which includes one-time termination benefits and healthcare. The restructure, GoPro says, is designed to “reduce operating costs and drive stronger operating leverage.”

GoPro currently has around 631 employees, so a 145-person reduction will put the company’s staff at under 500 employees.

The restructuring isn’t the first sign of trouble for GoPro – last year, CEO Nicholas Woodman declined his own salary. In the last fiscal year, GoPro reported US$93.5 million in losses and around 20 percent fewer action camera sales than in 2024.

But, the news comes as, later this month, the company plans to announce new cameras – and the teasers hint the launch goes beyond action cameras. When GoPro announced the new GP3 processor in March, it said the tech would be used inside “vlogging cameras, and ultra-premium compact cinema-grade cameras.”

Another potentially major change? GoPro has hinted that this new processor will also power cameras with larger sensors.

Last year was also the first time in a decade that GoPro didn’t launch a new flagship action camera at its fall event, announcing the Max 2 and Lit Hero instead of the expected successor to the GoPro Hero13 Black.

The restructuring plan, coupled with the company’s move into vlogging cameras and cinema cameras, suggests GoPro could look very different at the end of 2026 than it did at the start of the year. Beyond the change in staff, if the teasers are any indication, GoPro’s catalog of cameras may be about to look quite different.

GoPro said that the new cameras will be announced during the NAB Show in Las Vegas, which is scheduled for April 19-22.

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GoPro broke tradition when it didn’t launch the Hero14 Black last fall – but the update to the popular action camera series isn’t the GoPro that I’m most excited for as a camera expert. A new generation of GoPros is coming later this month – and as a camera expert, I’ve never been more excited for a new GoPro.

GoPro will launch “next generation” cameras later this month with a new processor capable of powering larger sensors – and no, that’s not an April Fools prank. GoPro has already confirmed that it’s launching next-generation cameras at the end of April. Official company teasers and press releases indicate that the company is working on a vlogging camera and a compact cinema camera, along with a confirmed launch date for the end of April.

GoPro has been steadily dropping hints as to what’s launching next month since announcing its latest processor, the GP3. The company has hinted that the processor will power cameras – yes, cameras plural – with larger sensors and CEO Nicholas Woodman has been saying that GoPro will be entering more advanced camera categories beyond action cameras since 2025.

GoPro’s teasers have not explicitly named the Hero14. But, it would be a terrible move for the action camera giant to not launch the expected Hero14 Black, so along with the teasers for entering into an advanced camera category, I’m expecting the Hero14 will come along as well.

As a professional photographer and GoPro user, I’m hoping the mysterious next-generation GoPros blend everything that GoPro is known for with the benefits of an advanced camera with a larger sensor. Specifically, my wishlist includes:

• GoPro-level stabilization: Shaky video is a pet peeve of mine, but stabilization is something that GoPro does well. If GoPro is targeting the vlogging market that’s in between novices and pro filmmakers, I think good stabilization is a must.
• GoPro-level durability: The teasers have already shown underwater footage, as well as shots in dusty locations. If GoPro’s advanced camera doesn’t at least withstand rain, I’m going to be majorly disappointed.
• New flexibility: One of the things that I don’t love about the action camera category is that it’s really just designed for POV and action shots. One of the teasers shows a close-up of the moon and some macro shots through, so I’m hoping the next-gen GoPro will have far more versatility.
• At least a Micro Four Thirds sensor (for the advanced camera): While GoPro’s official statements confirm that the GP3 processor will be able to handle larger sensors, “larger” isn’t very specific. I’m hoping for at least a Micro Four Thirds sensor for the more advanced vlogging camera, though at the right size and price, I would be okay with a one-inch sensor. That's for the "advanced" vlogging camera that's coming though, I'm expecting a smaller bump in sensor size – if at all – for the Hero14.

One of the biggest challenges that I think GoPro will face with these next-gen cameras is autofocus. GoPros use fixed focus; it’s a type that works well for action cameras when everything should be in focus. But a fixed focus won’t work on a larger sensor. GoPro is going up against camera brands that have a lot of experience building fantastic autofocus systems, so I think autofocus performance will be a key factor in just how well the upcoming camera(s) do.

I’ve never been more excited for a GoPro launch. But, I won’t have to wait long. GoPro says the next-gen cameras will be unveiled during the NAB show in Las Vegas, which is scheduled for April 19-22.

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Based on the teasers, this is what we know so far about the next GoPro. Or, browse the best action cameras or the best vlogging cameras available now.

GoPro has been slowly releasing hints that a high-end camera is coming – and the company has just confirmed both a larger sensor and an April announcement date.

On March 25, GoPro announced that the new generation of GoPro cameras will be unveiled at the NAB Show, which puts the announcement somewhere between April 19-22 – most likely on the first day of the show, as the products will be on display. But, the company has also confirmed that the upcoming cameras will include larger sensors after a teaser video previously hinted at the possibility.

The unnamed cameras will have the new GP3 processor, which GoPro says will offer “more than double the pixel processing, larger sensors, expanded features and market-leading low-light performance, resolution and frame rates.” (And yes, GoPro has mentioned cameras, plural, more than once, so it appears multiple cameras are coming.)

That “larger sensor” seems to confirm what has been widely speculated since GoPro CEO Nick Woodman first told investors that the company was working on a high-end low-light camera for 2026.

Another key tidbit from the latest teaser? The next generation doesn’t appear to abandon the longstanding GoPro durability, with newly released footage showing underwater and dust-filled shots.

“Our customers have made it clear they want more of everything from GoPro—larger sensors, world class low-light performance, higher resolutions and frame rates, next level image quality, improved audio capabilities, longer runtimes and bulletproof reliability in high heat conditions…everything, and more. And that's exactly what we're giving them with our newest line of GP3-powered cameras, debuting at NAB this April," Woodman said in the announcement.

Woodman's mention of longer runtimes and reliability in high heat points to some common complaints around some cameras that have shorter recording times to avoid overheating. GoPro's announcement claims "industry-leading runtimes and thermal capability across a wide range of environmental conditions."

GoPro cameras are arguably best known for their durability, dating all the way back to the very first GoPro Hero from 2004, which was a film camera for still photos that came with a waterproof housing. That means waterproofing has been part of GoPro longer than video. Waterproofing, along with the POV style wide-angle lens and wide range of mounting options, has long been associated with the GoPro name.

The launch during NAB, a show hosted by the National Association of Broadcasters, also speaks towards a more pro-oriented GoPro. The next-generation camera lineup will be on display at the show, the company notes, along with related accessories.

NAB attendees will be among the first to see the new GoPro lineup in person. The show is scheduled for April 19-22 at the Las Vegas Convention Center in Nevada.

"Come visit us at NAB to get a firsthand look at the world's most capable compact professional cameras," Woodman said. "If you're pushing boundaries and need cameras and equipment that can meet the demands of your mission…then GoPro is your camera company."

The news of the April launch date and confirmation of a larger sensor adds to what we already know about GoPro’s upcoming advanced camera from previous teasers.

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Browse the best GoPro or the best vlogging cameras.

GoPro is finally moving beyond action cameras. After teasing a move into the high-end vlogging camera category last year, GoPro has been steadily dropping official hints that something major is coming.

While rumors have been floating around about an advanced GoPro, the company has released several official teasers that contain key details and even footage from the upcoming cameras. The latest? GoPro confirmed an April launch date and a larger sensor.

I’m a photographer and a GoPro user who’s been following the trail of breadcrumbs since CEO Nicholas Woodman first hinted at the brand’s entry into more camera categories last year. While I’m not 100 percent convinced that the next GoPro is a mirrorless camera, this is what I know so far about the upcoming cameras. (Yes, that's cameras, plural!)

GoPro is working on “vlogging" and "ultra-premium compact cinema-grade" cameras

Earlier this month, GoPro announced its new GP3 processor, which is said to deliver more than twice the pixel processing power, along with better low-light and AI-driven subject recognition. But even more interesting than the processor itself is that GoPro says that the tech will be used inside “vlogging cameras, and ultra-premium compact cinema-grade cameras.”

I’ve known that GoPro was working on something bigger than an action camera since Woodman first teased the idea to investors last year. But until this month, it wasn’t quite clear what category the low-light camera would be in – until that GP3 announcement.

GP3 GoPros will have larger sensors

GoPro's second teaser video comes with a clear statement indicating that the upcoming advanced GoPros will have larger sensors. "GoPro's new GP3-powered cameras are more professionally focused than ever before, with more than double the pixel processing, larger sensors, expanded features and market-leading low-light performance, resolution and frame rates—all in compact, durable form factors that deliver industry-leading runtimes and thermal capability across a wide range of environmental conditions," the company wrote.

That's an official confirmation of larger sensors, although, of course, GoPro hasn't said how much larger. The Hero13 has a 1/1.9-inch sensor, so even a one-inch sensor would be larger. Some of the teaser videos contain close-ups that have excellent background blur, which is typically associated with larger sensors.

It's worth noting that GoPro has said on multiple occasions that it is launching cameras plural. GoPro does talk about larger sensors plural, as well, so my hope is that all the cameras are coming with a bump up in sensor size. I think it's safe to say that the "vlogging" and "cinema-grade" cameras will have larger sensors.

The mystery GoPros seem capable of macro and telephoto shots

The first footage from “the next generation of GoPro” indicates that at least one of the upcoming GoPros will be able to take macro and telephoto shots that look quite different from the GoPro's usual ultra-wide lens, even with the lens Mods.

But what's not clear is how the upcoming camera will achieve that range. The teasers have many fans speculating if the upcoming camera is a mirrorless with an interchangeable lens. That speculation comes from the fact that the sample footage includes footage that looks like it was shot with a macro lens, along with video that appears to be a telephoto shot of the moon.

A mirrorless GoPro is certainly a good guess, but that’s not the only type of camera that can take both macro and telephoto shots. The Nikon P1100 superzoom bridge camera, for example, can zoom in on the craters of the moon and still take macro from 1cm away. While the upcoming GoPro could certainly be a mirrorless camera, it could also be a camera with a really versatile lens built in.

The mystery GoPros will probably focus much differently than its action cameras

GoPro’s action cameras don’t have autofocus. The focus is instead fixed, which is a great feature for action cameras because it means the autofocus doesn’t have to struggle to keep up with fast action.

But GoPro’s fixed focus works because the smaller sensor and wide-angle lens make it easier to get most of the image in focus. If the next GoPro is capable of close-up and telephoto footage and has a larger sensor, a fixed focus isn’t going to work.

GoPro also said that its new processor will be used for AI-driven subject recognition. While that could be referring to detecting the subject to set the exposure in a smarter auto mode, I suspect it’s also going to power some autofocus features.

GoPro isn't abandoning its waterproof roots, promising "bulletproof durability"

GoPros are known for waterproofing and durability and ever since Woodman first hinted that an advanced camera was coming, I've been hoping that it would still have GoPro-level durability. The sample footage and a statement from Woodman suggest that my hopes haven't been misplaced.

“Our customers have made it clear they want more of everything from GoPro—larger sensors, world class low-light performance, higher resolutions and frame rates, next level image quality, improved audio capabilities, longer runtimes and bulletproof reliability in high heat conditions…everything, and more. And that's exactly what we're giving them with our newest line of GP3-powered cameras, debuting at NAB this April," Woodman said.

The sample footage also clearly shows an underwater shot and shooting in extremely dusty conditions. Again, keep in mind that GoPro is launching multiple cameras, so there could be some variety in how durable each camera is.

Woodman's statement also mentions recording in high-heat conditions, a key challenge for video cameras, particularly at high resolutions and in smaller camera bodies that leave less room for the heat to dissipate.

GoPro has a lot riding on this launch

While there’s a lot of speculation around the next GoPro, one thing is clear: GoPro has a lot riding on this launch. The company has been struggling financially in recent years, as the action camera giant now has to contend with competition from DJI and Insta360, not to mention smartphone cameras.

For the 2025 fiscal year, the company reported US$93.5 million in losses. The year before, Woodman declined to take his own salary.

Entering a new camera category could bolster the company, particularly if the company is able to cater to the growing number of content creators or the longstanding video pros.

That said, things could swing the other way for GoPro, too, if the launch doesn’t hit just right. I’m sure GoPro would probably rather forget the Karma, the recalled GoPro drone that’s the result of the last time the company tried to move beyond action cameras and 360 cameras.

The new GoPros will be announced in April

GoPro has now confirmed that the next generation of GoPros will be unveiled during the April 19-22 NAB Show in Las Vegas. That means we know the announcement is coming in April.

What's not clear at this point is how quickly after the announcement those new GoPros will ship. It's fairly common for a new camera launch to have a few weeks between the announcement and shipping.

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GoPro has been hinting at a move into more high-end cameras beyond the action camera – but GoPro may have just dropped its biggest hint yet. On March 17, GoPro shared the first-ever footage shot with “the next generation of GoPro,” and the footage has hints of shots that seem impossible with traditional action cameras.

GoPro didn’t say what camera the footage is from, other than “the new generation of GoPro.” GoPro is rumored to be launching the Hero14 Black, but GoPro’s new processor announcement earlier this month also hinted at an upcoming vlogging camera and compact cinema camera.

Watching the footage, it seems pretty clear that the video isn’t coming from an action camera, at least, not from an action camera anything like what GoPro already has on the market.

The first thing that I noticed? The footage includes close-ups, and the video comes with the teaser line “Find your focus.” GoPro’s action cameras have fixed focus that can’t be adjusted for a close-up. The Macro Lens Mod can get a little closer, but the “find your focus” tagline makes me think this isn’t just a lens mod.

The extreme close-up on a human eye hints that perhaps this teaser footage is from that upcoming vlogging camera or compact cinema camera, not the Hero14.

The close-up isn’t the only thing that has me excited to see what GoPro has in store. The video also includes a close-up of the moon that an action camera isn’t capable of. Of course, the latest models can swap lens mods, but GoPro doesn’t even offer a telephoto mod at the moment.

The video, which is less than 30 seconds long, also features what looks like slow-motion footage of fire and rain.

Another hint that this is from the cinema camera that GoPro has been hinting at? The footage looks like the cinematic 21:9 aspect ratio.

I own both a GoPro and a mirrorless camera, and the sample footage feels far closer to something shot on a mirrorless camera than an action camera. The close-up of a tree branch in the rain is oozing with the bokeh that small sensor cameras can’t capture.

The teaser doesn’t come with any timeline for when the camera that shot the footage will launch, though CEO Nicholas Woodman’s previous talks with investors hinted at a high-end camera coming out sometime in 2026.

Regardless, this is the most excited that I’ve ever been for a new GoPro!

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GoPro just had its Q4 earnings call and, a couple of days before, the company announced its GP3 image processor, which should be seen for the first time in cameras this spring – or Q2, as it was put to investors.

The reaction in the city was somewhat muted, but fair enough – the share price dropped based on the figures revealed, the obvious headline being that 2 million GoPros had been sold in 2025 (down from 2.2 in the year before), so the company slightly missed its target.

The format of these events – which happen every three months for investors – is necessarily bright and cheerful, but the revelation that the new image processor is to make its way into physical products so soon seems difficult to ignore.

Yes, it's true, I've heard Nick Woodman, CEO of GoPro, make one or two promises about devices that have gone onto be delayed. The world has watched as the GoPro Max 2, the company's 8K 360 camera, hit the market late.

But I think that's why things have to be different this time.

Another reason is that, with the slightly unusual 360 camera behind it, and the smaller GoPro Lit Hero also out of the way, the obvious next camera to refresh is the core of the company's business: the Hero Black, which for many years received an annual update, just like the iPhone.

Why didn't it happen last time, in late 2025? Because, I suspect, the new processor chip wasn't ready – and of course, because the company was focusing attention on the Max 2.

Now, if what I'm hearing is true – and the GP3 is a 5-nanometer system-on-chip (SoC) that delivers over twice the pixel processing power of the GP2 – then there is a good reason to update the flagship action camera, the GoPro Hero 13 Black.

Moreover, as an action camera expert, I've been maintaining the DCW best action camera guide. The GoPro has been slipping in the rankings as two key competitors – DJI and Insta360 – have concentrated on features that GoPro's processor and imaging chip has not helped it keep up with: low-light image processing.

Nick Woodman mentioned better battery life and "industry-leading resolutions and frame rates that go far beyond what the competition is capable of."

Now, even if there is a bit of exaggeration, it still seems likely we might see 8K on the GoPro Hero 14 Black. GoPro can already achieve a lot via 'burst' slow mo (as fast as 400fps) and sustained 120fps at 4K, but that could conceivably be doubled to 240fps at 4K with no worries about the camera overheating.

He did add, "When combined with low-light image sensors," so we can only assume they're coming – and "camera runtimes ranging from 40% to 90% longer" suggests that battery performance will be significantly better.

Get out of court and into development

"It's not the winning but the taking part that counts" joked one wag about GoPro's recent patent battles with Insta360. As a camera customer with a college-level understanding of law, I've got to admit that just knowing GoPro is expending a lot effort chasing competitors is a bit dispiriting.

Lawyers aren't cheap, whether you're an individual or a company like GoPro. (Even as I write this, I imagine my parents are wondering why I didn't follow that career path and ended up writing about tech.) The costs will be paid by anyone buying a GoPro and, personally, I'd rather that money was poured back into R&D than more spurious cases.

Don't get me wrong – it is, of course, well within a company's rights to defend its patents, but there are some things which seem more pressing.

And that's the point about the "taking part". It doesn't really seem like GoPro is concerned about winningl it comes across as somewhere between a desperate hope or just the time-honored strategy of making life difficult for the more successful company that you should have beaten 'fair and square'.

Would we have had a GoPro Hero Black with 8K sooner if the company had developed it first, rather than letting Insta360 beat it to the market and relying on ultimately unsuccessful court action to try to hamper its rival?

Will I buy a GoPro next time?

Ultimately, I'll just get the best camera for my needs (assuming there isn't a horrific sting in the tail in the form of a subscription that limits features if not acquired).

Action cameras are useful in so many ways, and GoPro has never really been out of the game. For people like me, who value low light performance (and, if I'm honest, aren't as high-speed in bright light as we used to be), it has been wise to examine alternatives for a while.

It sounds to me that the competition here is finally moving back to the tech first and the courts second – which is the way it should be, if you ask me.

And in that case, it feels like GoPro is going to deserve a lot of attention.

It's no secret that GoPro has had a rough spell, announcing yesterday that it lost another US$9.1 million in Q4, bringing it to US$93.5 million for the year. CEO Nick Woodman's solution – other than the new processor we have already seen – is elevating people called Brian.

Specifically, COO Brian McGee is having 'President' added to his title, with the goal of the company working better as a whole, while Brian Tratt will be the new CFO.

None of this means GoPro is going anywhere, and Woodman spoke of the program the company has created by which it is buying content from creators

He also spoke of the motorcycle helmet with built-in camera system which has long been expected since GoPro partnered with AGV Helmets and bought Forcite Helmet Systems – it seems that we can at least expect to get some glimpses of the first fruit of these deals (perhaps only in the form of teasers) before the year is out.

Woodman also spoke of the patent cases against Insta360, taking a slightly different view to the one I did. It seems that the CEO plans to "continue to defend" 1,500 patents, even though only a week ago the U.S. International Trade Commission seemed to take a different view. (I reported that GoPro lost 5-0 in that case).

More encouragingly, I'd say, for creators is GoPro's GP3 chip, covered recently, and Woodman says it has the company "fired up", with cameras resleases promised soon.

If you're a GoPro user, should you be worried? I don't think so.

Shareholders won't love the numbers, but the company has had to face tariffs, but still generated revenue of $202m versus guidance of $220 for 2025, so not far off, and still sold 2 million GoPro cameras. Subscriptions are not dropping significantly either.

That's still about 20% fewer cameras than in 2024, which superficially seems inevitable given the amazing competition that now exists in the best action cameras guide and the best 360 cameras, but at least GoPro is now a serious contender again.

If the GP3 chip lives up to the hype and starts shipping in devices as promised in Q2 2026 – perhaps only a month away – GoPro's future could be very exciting again.

Major photo contests typically conjure images of big, high-end cameras – but not every photo that has won a major award was captured on pro gear. In fact, the Underwater Photographer of the Year has a category dedicated specifically to creators using compact cameras.

These award-winning images were taken with compact cameras – two of them with the Sony RX100 VII and one with a GoPro. But that’s not all the winning images have in common – the shots also illustrate how important light is to creating a successful underwater photograph.

Andrea Michelutti: Alpine Lookout

Andrea Michelutti won the compact camera category in the contest with this vibrant image a freshwater crayfish in Italy’s Lake Cornino. The photographer explained that the camera was dunked in the water with a Marelux housing, and the angle was too low to use the camera’s LCD screen. When the curious crawfish came up to the camera, the photographer fired off several shots without being able to see what the camera saw.

While the crayfish took center stage, the camera angle allowed the mountains to remain visible in the background.

What’s really striking about the photo, however, are the colors – and that’s due in part to Michelutti’s decision to use additional lighting along with the compact camera, adding light with a single Inon Z330 light.

Judge Peter Rowlands called the image “a compliment to the capabilities of compacts in the right hands.”

Manuel Wütherich: Veins of the Earth

The second-place runner-up in the compact category also used the Sony RX100 VII, but the gear used is outshone by the composition, lighting, and mash-up between the underwater world and the world above. Photographer Manuel Wütherich explained that this image was taken in the Cenote Dos Pisos.

A cenote is a natural, water-filled sinkhole, and in this shot, the diver is framed by tree roots, giving the underwater image a connection to the world above. Three video lights – the X-Adventurer M8000 – make the image pop with streaky light and contrast.

Contest judge Tobias Friedrich wrote, “All judges were very impressed by the sheer quality of the image...the composition and handling of the light inside the cave is just perfect.”

Rémi Conte: Natural Barriers

Rémi Conte brought the sky, land, and sea together with this shot taken with the GoPro Hero11 Black. The photographer explained that the colors of this UNESCO Biosphere Reserve in French Polynesia demanded attention. The shallow coral reefs also helped improve the image’s clarity – a constant battle for underwater photographers.

“This image would have been a serious contender in the ‘grown up’ Wide Angle and Coral Reef categories too, despite being taken on a comparatively minuscule GoPro,” wrote Judge Rowlands. “That is a testament to how good this image is. Pretty perfect.”

The shot was taken with natural light and a Shoot Dome Port housing.

The compact camera is just one of fourteen categories in the 2026 Underwater Photographer of the Year contest – browse winners from each category here.

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The long-rumored successor to GoPro’s GP2 processor is here – but GoPro’s teaser for the new GP3 comes with the news that the processor isn’t just made for action cameras – but vlogging cameras and “ultra-premium, compact cinema-grade cameras” too.

On Tuesday, March 3, GoPro unveiled the GP3, a 5-nanometer System-on-a-Chip (SOC) that the company says will support more than twice the pixel processing power, enhanced low-light performance, and AI-driven tools like subject recognition.

But, GoPro says that the GP3 isn’t just for its action cameras and 360 cameras but will also power “vlogging cameras, and ultra-premium, compact cinema-grade cameras.”

GoPro’s CEO Nicohlas Woodman has previously teased that the company expects to expand into a pro-grade low-light camera in 2026. But the CEO offered few hints as to what such a camera would look like. With the launch of the GP3, the company is offering a few hints, specifically naming the vlogging and compact cinema camera form factors.

“GP3's bleeding-edge, cinema-grade performance will enable GoPro to enter the ultra-premium end of the imaging market this year, serving the needs of a new, higher-end market segment that can grow GoPro's business and brand," Woodman said with the GP3 announcement. "We're excited for GP3 to empower GoPro as both an innovator and disruptor as we look to grow our business through market-leading technology and performance."

GP3 will debut in “new GoPro cameras” – yes, that’s cameras plural – sometime in the second quarter of 2026.

While the company hasn’t shared specs or specifics behind the GP3, the company’s announcement seems to focus on four key things. First, twice the pixel processing power compared to GP2, which should translate into higher resolution cameras and faster frame rates.

Second, GoPro describes AI-driven image quality, including scene recognition and subject detection. That will help the camera to adjust settings automatically and in real-time, the company says.

Third, the company mentions low-light performance multiple times. It’s unclear what sort of sensors and lenses the new GP3 processor will be paired with, but the repeated mention of low-light seems to suggest the processor does a better job of handling noise than the predecessor.

Finally, GoPro says that the new processor will help improve runtimes and thermal performance, hinting at longer battery life and longer runtimes.

And, while GoPro says multiple cameras are coming with the new processor, the brand has dropped a few photos taken with “GoPro’s Next Generation Camera System” using the GP3.

GoPro Senior Vice President of Product Management Pablo Lema says the company believes that GP3 will serve as a growth catalyst for the company. “We expect our new, exclusive GP3 processor to lead in every performance area—image quality, resolution, frame rates, low-light performance, and power and thermal efficiency. Launching in our new products in Q2, GP3 provides a scalable, proprietary foundation we can leverage to power GoPro cameras across existing and future product categories.”

The action camera giant has struggled in recent years, with Woodman refusing his own salary last year. Moving into more advanced categories could help the company regain its footing – and it looks like the GP3 is just a teaser for what’s ahead.

Last year was the first time in ten years that GoPro didn't launch a new flagship action camera during its fall launch event, so a Hero14 Black with the new GP3 processor seems a likely guess for one of those upcoming cameras.

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