The GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS delivers an unusual mix between a one-inch sensor and a Micro Four Thirds mount without electronic contacts – but the action camera giant is now an official member of the Micro Four Thirds standards group.
OM System – one of the founding members of the MFT standard group alongside Panasonic – announced on September 17 that GoPro is now an official member of the group, thanks to the Mission 1 Pro ILS.
The Micro Four Thirds standard crosses several brands and includes a wide range of different cameras. But the Mission 1 Pro ILS is perhaps the most unusual. The only thing Micro Four Thirds on GoPro’s first mirrorless camera is the mount. The sensor isn’t MFT but rather a one-inch sensor built for shooting up to 8K video.
While the Micro Four Thirds system tends to be widely interchangeable, the Mission 1 Pro ILS has more limitations. The camera body doesn’t have any electronics in the mount. That means the ILS can’t usefocus-by-wire autofocus lenses, as these optics still need to communicate with the camera body to adjust the focus.
The ILS needs to be paired with a manual focus lens, which eliminates much of the optics from OM System and Panasonic from actually working with the new camera body. Still, OM System is welcoming GoPro into the official MFT family.
Along with camera makers like OM System and Panasonic, the Micro Four Thirds family includes several lens makers, including Laowa, Zeiss, Tokina, Cosina, TTArtisan, and SLR Magic.
GoPro’s acceptance into the Micro Four Thirds standard will likely raise another question: Will GoPro have additional MFT launches in the future? Will GoPro ever launch its own native lenses?
Joining the Micro Four Thirds standard doesn’t necessarily promise future products. Both Tamron and Sigma are still listed among the members. Tamron only launched one MFT lens, a 14-150mm released in 2014 and discontinued four years later. Sigma quietly stopped releasing MFT mount lenses, citing decreased demand in 2023.
But OM System says that GoPro’s entry into Micro Four Thirds mirrorless brings more options for videographers. “GoPro’s participation is expected to further expand the use of the Micro Four Thirds System in amateur filmmaking, professional video production, and at the highest levels of cinema,” the OM System press release reads. “The participation of a diverse range of companies in this open standard will continue to expand the product lineup and create new possibilities for visual expression and image capture.”
GoPro’s reputation is built on action cameras, but the company calls the Mission 1 Pro ILS not an action camera but a compact cinema camera. The Mission 1 Pro ILS began shipping in September, following the launch of the company’s fixed-lens versions earlier this year.
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GoPro has some fine print on what lenses are compatible – these are the best lenses for the Mission 1 Pro ILS. Or, read the Mission 1 Pro ILS review.
