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.

You may also like

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.

Pre-orders are now live for one of GoPro’s most interesting cameras yet, with the new GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS available to reserve for $699.99 at both B&H Photo and Adorama in the US.

B&H currently lists the camera as a new release with an estimated shipping date of September 06, while Adorama is also accepting pre-orders at the same $699.99 price.

So, what exactly is the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS? While it might look like another compact GoPro at first glance, this is a very different proposition. The ILS stands for interchangeable lens system and, instead of relying on the permanently attached ultra-wide lens traditionally associated with GoPro cameras, this version features a native Micro Four Thirds lens mount.

That means you can fit a huge range of manual focus MFT lenses, opening the door to everything from wide-angle primes and zooms to telephoto, macro and even anamorphic glass.

At its heart is the same 50MP 1-inch sensor and GP3 processor found inside the Mission 1 Pro, giving the camera some seriously impressive video credentials for something this compact. It can shoot 8K video at up to 60fps, 4K at up to 240fps and even FullHD at an astonishing 960fps in its Burst Slo-Mo mode.

There is also 8K 30fps and 4K 120fps open gate video recording, using the taller 4:3 sensor area to give filmmakers considerably more freedom when reframing footage for horizontal, vertical or social media delivery.

GoPro has also packed in many of the features you would normally expect from a much larger camera for filmmaking. There is 10-bit color, GP-Log recording, HLG HDR, a bitrate of up to 240Mbps and 32-bit float audio through its four built-in microphones.

The camera also offers manual control over settings including ISO, shutter speed and white balance, along with 50MP 12-bit RAW stills for photographers who want to squeeze even more flexibility out of the sensor.

However, this is still very much a GoPro. HyperSmooth stabilization remains part of the package, and GoPro says the ILS version can provide in-camera stabilization when paired with compatible rectilinear prime lenses.

You also get the rugged, weatherproof construction that has become synonymous with the brand, meaning this could be used in places where taking a conventional cinema camera and lens combination would normally require a much more complicated rig.

That combination is what makes the Mission 1 Pro ILS so intriguing. GoPro has essentially taken the compact, mount-anywhere philosophy of an action camera and crossed it with the creative flexibility of an interchangeable-lens filmmaking system.

At $699.99, it is also considerably less expensive than many conventional cinema cameras capable of recording high-resolution, high-frame-rate footage. If that sounds like the filmmaking tool you have been waiting for, you can now pre-order the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS for $699.99 from B&H Photo or Adorama in the US.

The pocket gimbal camera has been a DJI category since the original Osmo Pocket, but the launch of the Insta360 Luna Ultra is the first time it's had real competition at the high end.

The latter landed within days of the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P. Both pair a 1-inch wide-angle lens with a second telephoto camera aAnd both target the same buyer: a creator who wants a pocketable, gimbal-stabilized camera capable of a proper piece to camera without a crew.

Beyond that, DJI has stuck close to the established Pocket formula by adding a second 60mm lens to a body that still handles much like the Pocket 3 and Pocket 4 before it.

Insta360 has gone further, building a detachable remote control with its own screen and microphone into the Luna Ultra, along with built-in fold-out tripod legs and an 8K video mode that DJI's camera can't match.

So which should you buy? That's the question we'll explore as I pit the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vs the Insta360 Luna Ultra.

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vs Insta360 Luna Ultra: Specifications

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vs Insta360 Luna Ultra: Video and photo quality

The Insta360 Luna Ultra has the more impressive spec sheet here.

It shoots 8K at 30fps, while the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P caps out at 4K (albeit at up to 240fps for slow-motion). Insta360's I-Log 10-bit profile is also consistent across both the 20mm and 60mm lenses, and there's a 200MP stitched panorama mode alongside a more conventional 37MP UltraPhoto setting.

DJI, however, counters with LOFIC (Lateral Overflow Integration Capacity) tech on its 20mm sensor, a system that adds extra capacitors to capture more highlight detail and reduce the risk of blown-out skies.

The catch is that DJI's newer D-Log 2 color profile only works on the wide lens: switch to the 60mm telephoto and you're dropped back to standard D-Log, which makes matching footage between the lenses fiddly.

In practice, both cameras produce natural, filmic color with minimal grading required, and the difference in dynamic range between the two is small enough that it rarely matters day-to-day.

🏆: Insta360 Luna Ultra

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vs Insta360 Luna Ultra: Design and handling

Both cameras use the wand-and-rotating-screen design pioneered by DJI's own Pocket 3. Neither is particularly rugged, as both rely on exposed gimbal mechanisms that aren't suited to sand or water.

The Luna Ultra comes with a detachable remote, which pulls away from the gimbal body complete with its own screen, physical controls and a built-in mic.

This means you can set the camera down, walk away, and frame and monitor a shot from a distance. That's something neither the Pocket 4P nor any previous pocket gimbal camera can do without a phone app – and phone apps are never as quick, simple or tactile.

It also boasts fold-out metal tripod legs, while you still need a separate screw-in tripod accessory for the Pocket 4P. Plus the separate physical zoom controller is easier to use by feel than DJI's default setup, which relies on a single 5D joystick that has to be switched between panning and zooming via an on-screen icon.

The Osmo Pocket 4P does has the advantage, though, of familiarity and backwards-compatibility. The existing Pocket 3 battery will fit it and its accessory ecosystem is well established. It has been built on, too, in the Pocket 4 generation with a new magnetic mount on the gimbal for a fill light.

🏆: Insta360 Luna Ultra

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vs Insta360 Luna Ultra: Battery and accessories

Both cameras claim an identical battery life of up to four hours. In real-world use, though, the two diverged sharply. The DJI consistently delivered around 210 minutes in testing, while the Insta360 tended to run closer to 120 minutes (especially when shooting in its 8K mode) and ran out entirely mid-interview on one occasion.

In practice, it's also worth noting that both will overheat and power down sooner on a continuous shot at top specs (8K 30 for the Luna or 4K 60 for DJI) – though in Adam's tests it was the Luna Ultra that went first. But most of the time you won't want very long continuous shots, so this is only a concern in some scenarios.

DJI's fast charging is another strength, topping up to 80% in under 20 minutes thanks to USB 3.1 support, and the WiFi 6 connection makes offloading large video files quick. Insta360 charges over USB-C, too, and spare battery handles are available, but there's less margin for error if you're relying on the battery for a full day.

🏆: DJI Osmo Pocket 4P

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vs Insta360 Luna Ultra: Price

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4P is the cheaper of the two at $710 / AU$959 for the Standard Combo. The Insta360 Luna Ultra starts higher at $769.99 / AU$1,099.99 for its Standard Bundle, with a pricier Creator Bundle available that adds a Mic Pro wireless microphone, a wide-angle lens and an extended battery.

🏆: DJI Osmo Pocket 4P

DJI Osmo Pocket 4P vs Insta360 Luna Ultra: How to choose

Overall, choosing between these cameras is a close call. The Insta360 Luna Ultra is the more ambitious camera: 8K video, a detachable remote that changes how you can shoot solo and built-in tripod legs that DJI still makes you buy separately.

If you're a content creator who values flexibility and composing shots from a distance, it's worth the extra money.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4P is the safer, cheaper choice, with better real-world battery life, faster charging and a mature accessory ecosystem that rewards anyone already invested in DJI's Pocket line. Its 60mm lens alone is reason enough to upgrade from a single-camera Pocket.

If price and reliable battery life matter most to you, buy the DJI. If you want the most capable, most flexible pocket gimbal camera money can buy, buy the Insta360 Luna Ultra.

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.

The first successful launch of China's new self-landing reusable rocket, the Landspace Zhuque-3, was filmed by 12 DJI "consumer grade" cameras including the upcoming Osmo 360 II – making aerospace history, according to the company.

While consumer action cameras have flown to space before, the Osmo Action 6 was able to withstand the 932°F / 500°C conditions and return to Earth without any physical alterations. DJI has shared unedited footage of the nine-minute flight in which the rocket takes off, travels to space and lands – and as you can see, it's utterly captivating:

ABOVE: Watch the rocket launch, shot on DJI cameras

That's not to say the cameras were stuck on with off-the-shelf mounts, mind you. The team built mounts for the rockets that could withstand the high-frequency, high-intensity vibration as well as the extreme heat of space flight.

Inside the mount, the camera – an off-the-shelf, mass produced model – recorded the whole flight in 4K (including, of course, through the re-entry blackout zone where no direct communication is possible).

It brought back video that can be used to assess the journey by the engineers, who are hoping to repeat the flight again within six months as they strive to catch up with SpaceX and Blue Origin.

The Osmo Action 6's normal image stabilization algorithm handled it all. I should also add that, as a journalist, I've heard some other companies criticize the potential vulnerability of DJI's adjustable aperture mechanism (one they don't offer on their own action cameras), but it clearly survived a trip with significant G-force.

The camera also has a 1/1.1-inch sensor, which is evident in details picked up in other shots – includng the paddles that control the rocket's flight.

A lot of other DJI cameras were used to capture details of the launch, including the as-yet-unreleased Osmo 360 II, already teased by the company, the Mavic 4 Pro for aerials and the DJI Matrice 4TD for thermal shots, all of which give a new perspective on a space shot.

The 216ft / 66m high Zhuque-3 rocket is China's answer to the SpaceX Falcon 9, a reusable rocket that can lift satellites into low-earth orbit. It has a payload of 14.2 tonnes – less than the Falcon 9's 22.8 – but both aim to be workhorses.

This flight, on August 19, was the second attempt with the Zhuque-3 (the first, 8 months ago, fell back and exploded on the pad).

It is a big leap for China, though, because previous efforts at a reusable rocket required some kind of net or catching device. So, despite the smaller payload, the speed of development is impressive and the inclusion of off-the-shelf tech highlights the race to make space cheaper and more sustainable than the original space race.

You might also like...

The DJI Osmo Action 6 is currently my choice for best action cameras, despite recent efforts from GoPro, and these videos go some way to showing why. Some of the drones used also appear in our guide to the best camera drones, including the spectacular Mavic 4 Pro, which I tested myself.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro has only been available for a few months, but you can already secure the company’s flagship compact cinema camera for its lowest price yet.

GoPro has dropped the price to just $599.99, down from its regular $699.99 asking price, saving you a very welcome $100 in the camera’s first proper discount.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is far more than another rugged action camera. It marks a new premium direction for GoPro, combining the small, adventure-ready design the company is famous for with the sort of imaging performance and video tools you would normally expect from a much larger filmmaking setup.

At the center of the Mission 1 Pro is a substantial 50MP 1-inch sensor, powered by GoPro’s latest GP3 processor. Together, they allow the camera to record 8K video at up to 60fps, capture 8K Open Gate footage at 30fps, and shoot 4K slow motion at up to 240fps. That gives creators plenty of flexibility when it comes to cropping, reframing, stabilizing, or slowing footage down during editing.

That larger sensor also gives the Mission 1 Pro a significant advantage when shooting in more challenging conditions, with improved low-light performance and greater dynamic range compared with more traditional action cameras. It also supports 10-bit color, GP-Log2, HLG HDR recording, and manual control over settings including ISO, shutter speed, and white balance, making it much more appealing to serious filmmakers and professional content creators.

GoPro has not forgotten what made its cameras popular in the first place, either. The Mission 1 Pro remains built for adventure, with waterproofing down to 66ft / 20m without the need for an additional housing. HyperSmooth stabilization with 360-degree Horizon Lock helps keep footage steady, while the new Enduro 2 battery is designed to deliver longer recording times and better thermal performance during demanding shoots.

At its original $699.99 price, the Mission 1 Pro was undeniably a serious investment, especially when compared with more conventional action cameras. However, at $599.99, the proposition becomes much more attractive. For filmmakers, creators, and adventurers looking for 8K video, professional recording tools, and GoPro durability in an incredibly compact package, this $100 saving makes the Mission 1 Pro much easier to recommend. And considering this is the first major discount we have seen since launch, it may be worth acting sooner rather than later.

The Insta360 Luna Ultra is a bold step into a new category for Insta360, the pocket gimbal camera, which was a space established by DJI a few years ago. That is far from a surprise, though – Insta360 and its partner brand Antigravity are treading on a lot of toes at DJI – already competing for spots on the best action camera, best 360-degree camera, and best 360-degree drone.

How do you come in, guns blazing, against the established competition? With more features and innovation, and that is exactly what the Luna Ultra promises. Though it only preceded DJI's Pocket 4P by a few days, the Luna Ultra was the first dual-camera device of this type, for a start. And if that wasn't enough, it also brought other innovations, like a detachable remote control and microphone.

How, though, does it measure up where it matters, when it comes to use and results? Is this new device going to lead the charge from now on, or is it all talk? I've been out testing it for some weeks, starting with a pre-release version and updating it to the launch firmware, and this is my experience and my verdict.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Price

Priced at $769.99 / £649.99 / AU$1,229.99 for the Standard Bundle at launch, this is undoubtedly a premium price compared to previous pocket gimbal cameras. The Creator Bundle is more, but includes a Mic Pro wireless mic, wide-angle lens, and extended battery.

The only truly relevant competition is actually the DJI Pocket 4P, which hasn't even been launched in the USA for legal reasons. It does come in at a rather cheaper £529 / AU$1,099 for the Standard Combo, however, so the key question in this review won't be "Is this device good?" (obviously that needs covering) "But is it worth the price premium over the DJI – assuming you can get it?"

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Specs

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Build and handling

The pocket gimbal camera has become an established form factor, and in many ways, especially at first glance, there isn't a lot new here. The buttons are below the screen, so the camera can be gripped like a wand in the hand, and the thumb used to reach the more tactile buttons.

Above is a touchscreen which rotates 90 degrees and serves as a switch, a design concept first seen on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 but no less useful here. In fact slightly more useful as Insta360 has added a couple of physical buttons to the bottom of the rotating screen which are always accessible (an interesting contrast to DJI's approach on the Pocket 4).

Beyond the similarities, the Luna Ultra is innovative in a very obvious way – its detachable remote with built-in screen. Two little red clip releases on either side will release the controls and screen, which then come away in something a little like a hybrid of a TV remote and a broadcaster's microphone (and it does actually contain a mic).

I found this to be a brilliant design benefit. It was easy to use a tripod, or just a nearby resting place, to place the camera, then I could walk a few steps away and compose a shot using the remote for a piece to camera, which is infinitely better than doing the same thing and being dependent on the automated subject tracking.

It's not that Insta360's system for automated tracking isn't good, but as a creative, it's much nicer to have the choice. A choice which is also bolstered by a subtle improvement against the competition – controls designed to be used by feel. The separate zoom controller is much more like a video camera, and is separate from the thumbstick which can be used to pan and tilt. This is a lot more natural than DJI's default either/or process.

I personally found it difficult to go back to not having a remote when I was out and about (and it's all so much quicker and easier than a phone app!)

Insta360 has placed a USB-C socket on the base, and allow the connection of a small base or a larger battery extension – this is all very familiar if you've seen DJI's Pocket 3 or 4. The difference is that clever fold-out tripod legs, made from metal little thicker than a paper clip, are cunningly tucked in by default. DJI's alternative requires an additional screw in tripod base.

Some people have said that the device is a bit heavy, but that wasn't my experience – I felt that the extra couple of grams over DJI's Pocket 4P made for a device that felt much more balanced.

The Luna Ultra has a wind guard over the built-in microphones rather than just the drilled hole, which is a nice touch, even if for most talking pieces you'll likely be using an external mic.

Some bundles are supplied with a zippable protective case, and the camera comes with a plastic shield. When powered down, the gimbal also places the lenses into a position where they are protected by the arm itself. Nevertheless this isn't a camera for tough conditions. There are mechanisms in the gimbals which aren't likely to be sand or water friendly.

By default, one of the buttons below the screen opens the menu of built-in effects, including some styles designed with the help of the Leica team to replicate Leica film. These are a quick and easy way to get visual effects that do look good. I'd also note that it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with this menu, not least because the OS isn't good at explaining the effects on screen. (On one occasion I accidentally left this feature on and got photos that I couldn't really use, which was a shame.)

Pros will prefer to use the I-Log 10-bit for videos anyway, of course, and shoot with the raw mode.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Performance

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the camera's performance on picture, subject tracking, and display.

Video might ever-so-slightly lack some of the dynamic range of the DJI Pocket 4P when shooting in Log, but there is more than enough range to achieve results that look essentially identical if you do shoot with Log, so I'm not certain it is the advantage some suggest.

In terms of telephoto, the optical zoom is great, and the digital zoom is good too – though I did see some problems with noise artefacts at 12x, so I'd think of that as a last resort.

The sample video I took of the eclipse – I simply left the camera running during the whole event at maximum zoom – is interesting because there is a detectable drop in resolution as the event reaches totality (ring of fire). That is presumably the camera auto-switching to an equivalent of "PureVideo," the low-light mode, which ordinarily only works in 4K anyway.

The battery life was not, in my experience, four hours, but nearer to two. That's in part because I tended to use the 8K mode, while staying in 4K will deliver more time. On one crucial occasion, the battery did run out while I was shooting an interview (with an Insta360 co-founder, ironically) and I was a little caught out by the fact it stopped recording but the screen stayed on reassuringly, so we just finished the interview and then found the problem. A loud beep in this scenario might be an idea in a software update!

Topping up the charge with USB-C is easy, however, and it is possible to buy spare battery handles. I should have planned better for that interview, but sometimes things just go wrong, and it was near the end of a busy day.

It's also worth noting that Insta360 has been quick to come up with innovative accessories – I've also already tested a neck strap that lets you wear the camera while it automatically follows your head movements with the gimbal and (once I'd got used to connecting it) I was impressed. It might not be to the taste of a photographer or creator used to composing each shot, but it's very practical.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Overall verdict

Sometimes when a new company enters a market and makes significant changes to the genre, a reviewer (yes, like me) may end up using words like "ambitious." That's code for "I admire what you tried..." and is then usually followed with a "but here's why it didn't quite work."

Here, however, there is no evidence that Insta360's innovations have done anything but deliver more options to creatives, and they don't really seem to come with any compromise. Sure, there are contacts behind the removable remote, but gimbal cameras already have vulnerable elements, so there is a big gain and no loss.

It is not quite perfect. There are moments I found the operating system a little off. It has a lot to say on screen about the Leica image styles, but doesn't give me time to read them, for example. A few other usability tweaks for future software updates could definitely help. But that is par for the course.

On the other hand the I-Log is consistent across both lenses, whereas the DJI Pocket 4P frustratingly stops your workflow and requires you to switch down from D-Log 2 to D-Log if you want to use the telephoto. Now that's frustrating.

Ultimately, any high-end content creator – especially one looking for portability and flexibility – will find the Luna Ultra a near-peerless device. Some may question the price, but the relative ease and simplicity (compared to a phone app or remote) of the remote make this ideal, especially for solo creators, and comfortably pay for the difference.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Alternatives

How I tested the Insta360 Luna Ultra

It's firmly my belief that the best way to review a camera is to experience it over as long a period as possible, so you can use it in everyday shooting situations – coping with the slightly unexpected all the time.

Insta360 provided me with a Luna Ultra camera before it's release, and I have added it into my bag and taken it with me to a number of locations. On many of those occasions I've also had the new DJI Pocket 4P with me, so I've had the chance to compare the two against each other.

If you have been waiting for the right moment to pick up one of the best action cameras around, this could be it.

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 8K has just dropped to £279 at Wex, down from its usual £329 price, saving you a cool £50. Better still, that makes this the lowest price Wex has offered it for this year.

I already thought the Ace Pro 2 offered a pretty compelling alternative to the usual GoPro and DJI options, but at £279 it becomes considerably harder to ignore. This is a proper flagship action camera, co-engineered with Leica, with a large 1/1.3-inch sensor capable of recording 8K video at up to 30fps and capturing 50MP still images.

One of my favourite things about the Ace Pro 2 is that it feels like it has been designed for far more than simply strapping to a helmet and throwing yourself down a mountain. Its 2.5-inch flip touchscreen makes it particularly useful for vlogging and content creation, while the Leica colour profiles, Active HDR and PureVideo modes give you plenty of options when you want footage that looks a little more polished straight out of the camera.

It is still every bit an action camera, though. FlowState stabilisation and 360-degree Horizon Lock are designed to keep footage smooth when things get chaotic, while the body itself is waterproof down to 12 metres without needing an additional housing. There is also a removable wind guard to help improve audio when shooting outdoors, which is another small touch that makes the Ace Pro 2 feel particularly creator-friendly.

What really makes this deal stand out for me is the price. At £329, the Ace Pro 2 already sits in competitive territory, but knocking another £50 off and bringing it below that psychologically important £300 mark makes it feel like considerably more camera for the money. Wex is also currently showing limited stock and describing the camera as “selling fast”, so I would not necessarily hang around if you have been considering one.

At just £279, this is the lowest price the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 has hit at Wex this year, and I think it is easily one of the more tempting action-camera deals around right now. You are getting 8K recording, Leica-backed imaging, excellent stabilisation, a flip screen and a rugged waterproof body for £50 less than usual – and that is a deal well worth paying attention to.

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.

You may also like

Take a look at the best GoPro camera or the best action cameras.

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.

You may also like

Take a look at the best cinema cameras or the best GoPro cameras.

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.

You may also like

GoPro's mirrorless camera is coming in September. Or, read about the best GoPro cameras.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 went viral for its vlogging capabilities and unusual gimbal-focused design – but thanks to FCC restrictions, the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and Osmo Pocket 4P won’t be arriving in the US from DJI’s official list of authorized resellers.

However, not only is the earlier DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is still available in the US – it's also more affordable than before, as the Creator Combo drops to a new lowest-ever price and the camera-only bundle sits just above the lowest-ever price.

In December, the Federal Communications Commission added DJI to the “Covered List” that prevents the manufacturer from getting the necessary approval to sell in the US.

That means that both the newly launched Pocket 4 and Pocket 4P aren’t available through official channels in the US – though a handful of sellers that aren’t on DJI’s list of authorized resellers do list the Osmo Pocket 4.

While the popular Osmo Pocket 4 and 4P have been caught in the crossfire of the US’ foreign drone security concerns, despite its inability to fly, the Pocket 3 is readily available in the US.

That means the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is readily available – and thanks to the launch of the new model, the price on the 2023 gimbal camera has dropped. The Creator Combo – which bundles the camera with the $235 DJI Mic 2 – has never been lower at $499.

The camera-only without the mic sits at $399 – just a little higher than the lowest-ever price of $379.

While those in the US can’t find the newest version from authorized resellers, the Pocket 3 and Pocket 4 series both still share the same size one-inch sensor. The latest version adds more dynamic range, faster 240 fps frame rates, 37MP still photos, along with improved battery life and tracking.

But while the Pocket 4 has several improvements, the Pocket 3 still carries the key features that have given the series its viral success. The one-inch sensor boosts low-light performance over action cameras and compact cameras with the more typical smaller sensors, and the built-in gimbal powers rock-steady video and tracking without the bulk and complexity of a separate gimbal.

At $399, I’m tempted to add one to my collection for shooting social videos when I don’t want to bring along a tripod. That price is all the more tempting considering that, in the peak of the Pocket 3’s popularity, the camera was going for $799. Now, the latest discount puts the camera only at half that, and the Creator Combo with a mic at the lowest price that I’ve seen yet.

You may also like

Browse the best vlogging cameras or the best compact cameras.

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.”

You may also like

Take a look at the best GoPro cameras or the best vlogging cameras.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro has only been available for a few months, but you can already secure the company’s flagship compact cinema camera for its lowest price yet.

GoPro has dropped the price to just $599.99, down from its regular $699.99 asking price, saving you a very welcome $100 in the camera’s first proper discount.

This is not simply another traditional GoPro action camera. The Mission 1 Pro represents a new premium tier for the company, combining the rugged and compact construction we expect from GoPro with the imaging capabilities normally associated with much larger filmmaking cameras.

At its heart is a sizeable 50MP 1-inch sensor paired with GoPro’s new GP3 processor. This combination enables 8K video recording at up to 60fps, 8K Open Gate capture at 30fps and 4K slow-motion footage at an impressive 240fps, giving filmmakers plenty of freedom when cropping, reframing or slowing down their footage in post-production.

The larger sensor should also deliver stronger low-light performance and improved dynamic range compared with previous GoPro cameras. You also get 10-bit color, GP-Log2 encoding, HLG HDR recording and manual control over settings such as ISO, shutter speed and white balance, making this a genuinely capable tool for professional creators rather than something designed purely for capturing holiday adventures.

Despite those cinema-focused credentials, the Mission 1 Pro remains every bit as tough as you would expect from the GoPro name. It is waterproof to 66ft / 20m without an additional housing, includes HyperSmooth stabilization with 360-degree Horizon Lock, and uses the new Enduro 2 battery, which promises substantially improved recording times and thermal performance.

The original $699.99 price made the Mission 1 Pro a serious investment, particularly when compared with more conventional action cameras. However, at $599.99, it suddenly becomes a far more tempting proposition for filmmakers, content creators and adventurers who want 8K recording and professional video features in a camera small enough to go virtually anywhere. As this is the first $100 price drop we have seen since its launch, there is no guarantee it will remain available for long.

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.

You may also like

Take a look at the best action cameras, the best vlogging cameras, or the best GoPro accessories.

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.

You may also like

Read the GoPro Mission 1 Pro review, or browse the best action cameras.

When the US government agencies first brought up security concerns over the world’s largest drone maker’s ties to China, the conversation centered on drones. But when the Federal Communications Commission added all foreign-made drones to its Covered List late last year, the group specifically called out DJI, effectively banning not just its future drones but its cameras and accessories as well.

One of the most popular vlogging cameras has gotten caught in the crossfire between DJI and the US government – and now even its lookalikes are getting held back. The new DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and 4P won’t be coming to the US, and now lookalikes Xtra Muse 2 and Muse 2 Pro have pulled pre-orders from the US.

The DJI Osmo Pocket series may look strange, but the camera’s gimbal-camera-in-one combo has proven successful for vloggers and content creators. After the Osmo Pocket 3 launched in 2023, the camera’s unusual design and features quickly went viral on social media, leading to a months-long waiting list to find one in stock.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has now been replaced by the DJI Osmo Action 4 and the more advanced 4P. But the vlogging camera arrived after the FCC ban, and as such, the update to the popular vlogging camera isn’t coming to the States.

Now, even the popular Pocket camera’s copycats are becoming difficult to find in the US. After the FCC fined Xtra for failing to respond to inquiries, the agency is seeking public comment over potentially adding the company – as well as eight others selling suspected copies of tech from banned companies – to the Covered List.

Unlike DJI’s addition to the list, the FCC is considering a retroactive ban, which would revoke FCC approval for previously announced products, not just prevent future cameras from getting the necessary approval.

In the meantime, it appears that Xtra has started refunding US pre-orders for the new Xtra Muse 2 and Muse 2 Pro, along with removing the products from the website and halting pre-orders.

The Xtra Muse 2 is a key example of the drone ban’s effects beyond the cameras destined for the skies. The decision to add all “foreign-made drones” to the covered List is a move that effectively puts drone tech on pause in the US. While there are a handful of American drone companies, none of them make consumer drones for hobbyists, beginners, or pro photographers and videographers beyond multi-million dollar budget Hollywood films.

But, DJI is explicitly named on the Covered List. The “all foreign-made drones” addition would have effectively kept DJI’s future China-made drones out of the US, but specifically naming the company also prevents DJI’s non-aerial cameras from entering the US. (Previously existing DJI products are still legal to buy and use in the US; the FCC Covered List currently only prevents future products announced after the ban from receiving FCC approval).

As an American drone pilot, the foreign-made drone ban is a frustrating pause that will prevent me from accessing the latest drone technology until either a US company emerges or regulations change.

But perhaps the most frustrating aspect is that the DJI ban came without a security review – and encompasses far more than drones. The National Defense Authorization Act gave DJI a year to pass a security review or face an automatic ban, but the legislation failed to name what government agency would even be responsible – and then the review never actually happened.

DJI has already been placed on the FCC Covered List, but the turmoil over DJI-branded products (and lookalikes) in the US is far from over. The FCC is currently seeking public comments on the proposed ban for the companies selling products with similarities to those on the Covered List, including Xtra.

DJI’s fight isn’t over either – the drone-maker has filed a lawsuit against the FCC over banning the company without a security review. The lawsuit is ongoing.

You may also like

The DJI Pocket 3 is still available in the US – and the new Insta360 Luna is also available in the US.

The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Dual Battery Bundle has dropped to just £289 at Park Cameras, down from £345 and saving you a cool £56 on a powerful 8K action-camera double-power package.

For anyone looking to capture high-quality footage while travelling, cycling, skiing, hiking, or simply recording everyday adventures, this is a deal that deserves attention. The Ace Pro 2 combines a compact and rugged design with detailed 8K video, strong image stabilisation, and the flexibility required for fast-moving action.

Low-light performance is another major strength. Action cameras have traditionally struggled once the light begins to fade, but the Ace Pro 2 is designed to produce cleaner, more detailed footage across a broader range of conditions, making it a versatile option for both daytime adventures and evening shoots.

Its flip-up screen also makes framing considerably easier, particularly when filming yourself or creating content for social media. Combined with intelligent shooting modes and straightforward controls, it offers a polished experience without forcing you to spend hours working through complicated settings.

This particular bundle includes a second battery, giving you more time to keep recording before needing to recharge. That is particularly useful for longer days outdoors, holidays, events, and any occasion where access to a power socket may be limited.

At just £289, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Dual Battery Bundle offers a great deal of action-camera performance for the money. You can get the camera with one battery for £279, but we strongly advise you to get the bundle for another tenner – as it is by far the best deal.

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.

You may also like...

Dive into the best action cameras or the best waterproof cameras.

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.

You may also like...

I also tried out the GoPro Mission 1 Pro as a point-and-shoot camera. Read more about the best action cameras.

Byron Seven a tech maker, designer, and self-proclaimed everyday cary gear enthusiast, has created this pistol-grip accessory for the new Insta360 Luna series of cameras – but does it look a bit too like a gun?

Byron says "I put a lot of thought into how tools feel, function" but commentators have seen this new design and not all can see themselves using it.

@donalleniii, on Instagram, said "I think I have too much melanin in my skin in the United States to safely operate this camera" – alluding, perhaps, to the 3-times higher rate of shooting of minorities by police in the USA (see NIH data).

It is far from the only comment that suggests many will be sceptical for the same reason.

More light-hearted is @thegolden_gff, who notes "It’s All good until you film the president…"

Nevertheless, there are plenty of comments expressing enthusiasm, and others looking for variants for the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 and DJI Osmo Pocket 4 cameras already on the shelves.

The Insta360 Luna Ultra, seen here, is Insta360's first pocket gimbal-style camera, and in many ways instantly the best pocket gimbal camera. It brings new features like a detachable remote monitor and microphone and dual cameras.

Incidentally, if you're wondering, I've reviewed the cameras but not the grip. Both the Luna cameras, and the DJI cameras that seem to inspire them, can be used in the horizontal way that seems to inspire the gun-like grip, and it works especially well for some shots, like rotating views. They are normally held, though, vertically, so I'm not actually sure the grip is ideal in all situations.

The Luna is not the cheapest gimbal-style camera and many already have the popular DJI offering, which explains the demand for alternatives which is appearing already (amongst those prepared to risk holding the "gun").

Interstingly this is not the only experimental design seen on the Byron Seven site, and he has addressed DJI devices before – though not all his filmmaking and phone holder alternatives are quite so reminiscent of a Glock.

Indeed he claims he engineered a 'real camera' from a DJI Osmo Pocket with a rig design.

I've not had the chance to test that, either, but the attention to detail is impressive – I can't argue with @divyanshudn who said: "the amount of custom 3D prints for a single video ! Kudos to you"

I've held the new white version of the new flagship DJI OSMO Pocket 4P in one hand, and the black in the other, but I still can't tell you the release date or price!

DJI showed the Osmo Pocket 4P White Edition at a "Product Premiere," so now we're just waiting on the price and release date – and it's time to start putting the pieces together.

It is now a few weeks after the black model was put in my hands at the Cannes film festival hands-on. That suggests we're getting closer to a final on-sale date.

On the price side, there is evidence to suggest that it might be lower than its new arch-enemy (and competitor for top spot in the pocket gimbal camera guide): the newly-launched Insta360 Luna Ultra.

Finally, in China, DJI is accepting orders at CNY 3,799 (around $525) ffor the Pocket 4P already.

Not only does this suggest the moment is very nearly upon us worldwide, but even allowing for higher taxes and the costs DJI will face shipping from China – that's still likely to convert to a figure lower than the Luna Ultra, which went on sale at prices starting at $769.

That's a reasonably steep price, reflecting Insta360's confidence in the product, but that the pocket gimbal camera is a new contender and isn't without the odd hint of being a first-generation product.

DJI has got history in the field (hence the iterative number 4).

The key difference between the Pocket 4P and the recently released Pocket 4 is the addition of a second camera covering 60mm EFL. The Pocket 4 was an incremental update to the already impressive Pocket 3, and only had the 20mm camera with 1-inch sensor.

That sensor affords the camera a 17-stop dynamic range according to the company, and DJI has introduced a new D-Log 2 profile.

Something also worth noting is the effect that all this has had on the price of the Pocket 4's predecessor, especially as Amazon's Prime Day sale is still on today.

One of the other side effects isn't to say that there aren't good deals on the Osmo Pocket 3.

The GoPro MAX2 has dropped to its lowest-ever price of just $299, down from $499.99 and saving you an awesome $200.99 on GoPro’s latest 360-degree action camera.

For anyone who has always wanted to experiment with immersive video, this is a deal that immediately deserves attention. Rather than forcing you to choose a single viewpoint while recording, the Max 2 captures everything around you and allows you to select the best angles afterwards.

That freedom makes it particularly useful for travel, cycling, skiing, hiking, and action sports, where it can be difficult to predict exactly where the most exciting moment will happen. You can record first, reframe later, and create several different shots from the same piece of footage.

The GoPro Max 2 can capture detailed 8K 360-degree video, giving you greater flexibility when cropping and reframing your footage. GoPro’s stabilisation technology also helps keep everything looking smooth, even during fast-moving adventures.

Its rugged design and replaceable lenses make it a practical option for creators who plan to take their camera into demanding environments. It can also produce more traditional flat videos from its 360-degree footage, making it far more versatile than a conventional action camera.

At just $299, the GoPro Max 2 has become considerably easier to recommend. With a huge $200.99 saving and its lowest-ever price, this is one of the strongest 360-camera deals I have spotted and a brilliant opportunity to try immersive filmmaking without paying the original premium.

The DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro – sometimes sold for MORE than the recommended price – has finally seen a discount. Amazon Prime day has brought a handy 15% off the RRP of this GoPro-beating 4K Action Camera. Personally, I'd rush out and pick one up (if I didn't already have one of these cameras in my house!)

Sure, this is no longer the newest model, which is probably why it is finally on sale for less than the asking price, but for a long time the relatively large imaging sensor (1/1.3-inch) set it apart from the others – even now it's a feature everyone is trying to copy.

That makes it good for underwater and caving, or indoors, or evenings – basically anything with imperfect light, while it's still well-built and great with HDR for water, snow, and sand, so you're not missing out!

The Action 5 Pro also introduced a pressure sensor – that records metadata to your video, and so records your altitude or depth. (It can also link wirelessly to a GPS device – like a phone or watch – to record your location data to the video too).

We see a lot of competition for action cameras, but with the Action 6 being the only new model DJI brought out since this (and GoPro having decided to create a new, more expensive tier called 'Mission'), this still makes sense for most people – especially at a discount.

When I wrote my full review, I gave the Action 5 Pro 4.5 of 5 stars and my main complaint was honestly that it looked a bit boring! You might say that is a plus point. It won't distract!

Plus it is robust and reliable, the 4K video is excellent (and you can have slow-mo up to 960fps). It's a lot cheaper than your phone, too, so you can feel a lot safer about throwing this thing around while still getting pretty stunning footage!

In general, I love an action camera, and DJI's quality is at the top of the tree (as our best action camera guide tends to reveal). I sometimes lament the lack of built-in GPS, but that is something you can solve with a phone link if you really want to add location & speed metadata at all.

Taxes and inflation might make almost everything feel more expensive, but there is something particularly satisfying about getting a newer product for the same price as the model it replaces.

That is exactly what has happened with the GoPro LIT HERO, which has dropped to just $179 – the same price the original HERO launched at in 2024.

The Lit Hero might not be the most powerful action camera straight out of the box, especially when compared with some of the more advanced models currently on the market. Its feature set is more streamlined, and serious filmmakers may still prefer one of GoPro’s flagship cameras, but that is not really the point of this model.

This is an action camera designed to be simple, affordable, and easy to carry. For holidays, family adventures, days at the beach, cycling, hiking, social media clips, and everyday recording, it offers plenty of GoPro appeal without forcing you to pay a premium price.

Its compact design also makes it the kind of camera you can throw into a pocket or small bag and take almost anywhere. Rather than worrying about complex settings or carrying a full filmmaking setup, you can simply switch it on and start capturing the moment.

There are certainly more powerful action cameras available, but many of them also cost considerably more. At $179, the Lit Hero becomes a far more approachable option for beginners, casual users, and anyone who wants a dependable everyday action camera without paying flagship money.

The fact that you can now buy the newer GoPro Lit Hero for the same price as the "original" Hero launched in 2024 makes this deal even sweeter. It might be cheap, but at $179, this is one seriously lit GoPro deal.

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…

If you’ve been looking for a pocket-sized camera that delivers genuinely professional-looking video, the Amazon Prime Sale has produced a tempting Prime member-exclusive offer.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 3 has dropped to just £289, down from its usual £389 price tag, giving you a tidy £100 saving on one of the most capable compact video cameras currently available.

DJI designed the Osmo Pocket 3 specifically for creators who want high-quality footage without carrying around a full camera rig. Despite its tiny footprint, it packs serious imaging power thanks to a large 1-inch sensor and a built-in three-axis mechanical gimbal that keeps footage incredibly smooth even when you’re walking or shooting on the move.

What makes the Pocket 3 stand out from typical action cameras is its focus on video quality and usability. It can record detailed 4K footage at high frame rates and features intelligent subject tracking, making it ideal for vloggers, travel creators, and anyone filming solo content. The rotating 2-inch touchscreen also makes it easy to switch between horizontal and vertical shooting depending on where your footage will be shared.

In practice, the Osmo Pocket 3 feels like a tiny professional camera rather than a gadget. The stabilisation is exceptional, the autofocus is quick and reliable, and the whole thing slips into a jacket pocket without a second thought. For travel shooters or creators documenting everyday life, that level of convenience is hard to beat.

At its normal price the Pocket 3 already represents good value for what it offers, but seeing it fall to £289 (or £384 for the comoc deal) during the Amazon Prime Sale makes it a particularly attractive buy. Deals on DJI’s newer creator tools don’t appear all that often, so when they do, they tend to attract plenty of attention.

If you’re looking for a lightweight vlogging camera that delivers stabilised 4K footage with almost zero setup time, this Amazon Spring deal on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 is easily one of the most compelling creator bargains of the sale.

The DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo has just dropped to only $169, down from $199, delivering a sweet $30 saving on one of the most capable action cameras in its class - while being at its lowest-ever price!

Price tracker

Feb 2025 to June 2026

Price change ($)

month

DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo

Price change Data

Timestamp (month)	DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo ($)
1	289
2	209
3	219
4	289
5	249
6	289
7	289
8	239
9	289
10	289
11	219
12	199
13	229
14	229
15	229
16	256
17	229
18	169

For anyone looking to capture high-quality footage without stretching the budget, this is a deal that immediately demands attention. Action cameras can quickly become expensive, especially once you start adding accessories, but this bundle keeps things simple, affordable, and ready to shoot straight out of the box.

What makes the Osmo Action 4 stand out is its ability to deliver consistent, reliable performance in a wide range of conditions. Built around a larger 1/1.3-inch sensor than many rivals, it is particularly strong in low light while still producing crisp, detailed 4K video when the action speeds up.

Whether you are shooting fast-paced outdoor adventures, family holidays, biking clips, travel content, or everyday vlogs, this is a camera that feels ready for almost anything. Its strong stabilization, rugged body, and easy-to-use controls make it just as useful for casual creators as it is for anyone wanting to take their action footage more seriously.

The Essential Combo adds even more value to the package, bundling in the key accessories you need to get started without immediately hunting around for extras. That is a big part of the appeal here, because it removes the friction and lets you focus on filming rather than building out a setup piece by piece.

At $169, the DJI Osmo Action 4 Essential Combo becomes a seriously tempting entry point into high-quality action filmmaking. With a $30 saving on the table, this is one of those deals that feels easy to recommend, especially if you have been waiting for the right moment to pick up a powerful, compact, adventure-ready camera.

The 2026 FIFA World Cup is already giving us something completely different and, for once, I am not talking about a new camera, a new lens or some clever broadcast trick hiding at the edge of the pitch. This time, the most exciting viewpoint in soccer is coming directly from the referee.

The tournament opened on Thursday, with referee body cameras being used across all 104 matches, giving fans a live or replay view from the official’s own perspective. The small headset-mounted “Referee Body Camera” captures the game from pitch level, offering a view that feels far more immediate than the usual high broadcast angles.

FIFA’s technology partner, Lenovo, has also applied AI-based real-time stabilization to reduce motion blur by up to 50%, with servers installed at the Dallas International Broadcast Center to support the system. FIFA has said the footage is not part of the standard feed supplied to media partners, but is instead being used as a separate broadcast tool.

And honestly, it is brilliant.

We have become so used to watching soccer from a safe distance. The main camera sits high in the stadium, giving us the tactical shape, the passing lanes, the defensive line and the bigger picture. That is essential, of course, but it is not how soccer feels when you are on the pitch.

The referee camera changes that. Suddenly, you are not simply watching the game; you are inside it. You see players closing down space, bodies moving across the frame, boots flashing past the ball, and the sheer speed of decision-making in a way that the traditional broadcast camera rarely captures.

That was always the promise of the system when it was tested at the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, where fan reaction was strong enough for FIFA to develop it further and roll it out for the biggest tournament in world football.

As Pierluigi Collina, chairman of FIFA’s Referees Committee, put it: "We think that it is a good chance to offer the viewers a new experience, in terms of images taken from a perspective, from an angle of vision which was never offered before".

That is exactly why this works so well. It is not just a gimmick or a novelty angle thrown in for its own sake. It genuinely adds to the storytelling of the match.

A high broadcast camera can show you where a player is running, but a referee’s-eye view can show you how fast that player arrives. It can show the intensity of a challenge, the chaos inside the box, and the small details that disappear when viewed from several rows above the halfway line.

The South Korea equalizer in the first round of Group A games was a perfect example of why this technology feels so exciting.

Hwang In-beom’s goal against Czechia was already a superb World Cup moment, but the pitch-level perspective helped underline the speed and sharpness of the move in a way that the standard broadcast angle simply could not.

That is where referee cameras become more than just another viewpoint. They bring us closer to the game's rhythm and emotion, and for anyone who loves cameras that is a fascinating sight.

It also says something about the wider appeal of point-of-view footage. We are living in an age where viewers want to feel part of the action, not just observe it from a distance. That is why POV cameras have become so popular with cyclists, skiers, motorcyclists, vloggers, wildlife shooters and adventure filmmakers.

So, while most of us will not be running around the middle of a World Cup match with a referee headset on, anyone wanting to replicate that immersive first-person look should take a look at our best POV cameras guide.

What I like most about FIFA’s referee camera system is that it does not try to replace the main broadcast. It adds another layer. It gives us a view that feels more human, more frantic, and more connected to what is happening on the pitch.

For years, sports broadcasting has been about bigger cameras, longer lenses, drones, cable cams and ever more complex replay systems. But here, one of the most effective innovations is a tiny camera worn by the person trying not to become the story.

And that is why it works. The referee camera gives soccer a new visual language. It shows the game from the middle of the storm, and if the early footage from the 2026 World Cup is anything to go by, it might become one of the most exciting broadcast developments the sport has seen in years.

You might also like…

Take a look at the best cameras for sports photography and the best lenses for sports photography.

The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 has been released and the Pocket 4P has been shown to journalists (including me), but the cameras lack one feature that the big new competitor from arch-rival Insta360 will bring to the market: a detachable remote control. Not built-in as standard, at least.

The Insta360 Luna and Luna Ultra are also in that pre-release stage; I've seen them and had hands-on experiences, but the final on-sale date is still a little way in the future.

However, if you are looking for a camera from DJI that has a detachable touchscreen, I remembered this morning that you can actually already buy it.

If you want a camera set up with a detachable remote from DJI, you'll find that you actually already own the 'camera' element. That's because the device I'm talking about is the DJI Osmo Mobile 8P, which is a gimbal for your phone – and its major new feature was a magnetically-attached detachable touchscreen with remote control for the gimbal.

This was a spectacular update from the previous gimbals, able to share the screen from your phone to help compose shots remotely – as well as encasing the thumb-controlled joystick and the record button in an even smaller (albeit thicker) remote housing than the one for the Luna.

I find it interesting that this product could be developed by a product development team at DJI HQ for the Mobile 8P phone gimbal, without the idea making its way to the new DJI Osmo Pocket 4P gimbal cameras.

Was it a deliberate choice or do the teams not communicate?

Will it actually set the Pocket 4 and 4P back against its new competition? The DJI Osmo Pocket 4 (the single camera version) already has the advantage of being on sale already, but once all four devices are out – and in all the various colors we've seen (black and white variants) – could the remote make a big difference?

I think there is a lot of potential for the Luna to win because its detachable remote has one extra benefit: a built-in microphone. To be fair, both DJI and Insta's pocket gimbal cameras support wireless microphones – but a built-in detachable mic is a usability boost in some situations.

A gimbal means smooth video. Remote controls like the one on the Luna or the Mobile 8P are ideal for a piece to camera because you can use the device's built-in tripod to position the camera, then ensure your shot is perfect from a distance.

As to which you choose, what matters now is your intended workflow. Whether you want to shoot video straight to your phone or to a dedicated camera, the choice is between these brands (and how much you spend).

Insta360's price point is that of an 8K camera for "a new generation of content creators" (as Max Richter, joint CEO of Insta360, put it). The Mobile 8P, on the other hand, is a premium camera gimbal, and arguably the best smartphone phone gimbal, but that's a much lower outlay.

It's also worth adding that all the cameras in question can be remotely controlled by phone apps, too, but phone apps aren't the same and don't have physical joysticks.

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.

You might also like...

Take a look at the best action cameras, the best GoPro cameras and the best GoPro alternatives.

By using their POV cameras – from the Insta360 Go series – shared their toddler's perspective of the world and turned her into an unexpected star.

Rather than pointing cameras at their child, they found that the POV cameras were small and light enough to easily be worn on the young girl's baseball cap, clipped on with the lens facing her to record her expression as she explored her world.

The cameras offers a wide angle – both the models (the Insta360 Go 3S and Insta360 Go Ultra) appear in our guide to the best action cameras. The Go 3S has a 16mm EFL, and the Go Ultra 14.3mm – this means the camera can be this near the face and still allow the viewer to perceive the environment around as she explores locations like sandpits, puddles, and flower gardens.

By placing the camera at her height – just 2ft8 – and just in front of her she appears to be running toward it. The viewer sees her world – adults are giants,

Her parents said they would keep going while their daughter had that childish perspective "before she starts seeing it from an adult perspective, where everything has to make sense. Until that time, I'll keep recording, preserving these moments of innocence and joy."

Insta360 has shared some tips on using the Go 3S and the clip (which is included) to get the right angle – in essence make sure the camera is angled down.

The company has also added a Kids Mode to the camera which turns off the indicator lights and beeps, and, significantly, disables the record button on the small camera itself, giving parents remote control. That prevents little ones from stopping a recording.

The camera is also Apple Find My compatible, and shoots in 4K – the full review covers it in more detail. Insta360 is clearly steering into the popularity of the POV camera design this summer – it also has seasonal re-release of the mini camera with special retro compact camera styling called the Go 3S Retro Bundle.

The result is videos which have ranked amongst Instagram's most-liked posts of all time.

Pleased by the success achieved with its cameras, Insta360 has made a YouTube about the girl's break out startdom.

If you're interested in achieving the same, why not check our guide to the best body camerras.

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.

Insta360 has just launched a new bundle that turns the 3S into a ultra compact retro camera evoking design classics you'll remember your grandparents owning, but retaining the 4K video features too.

Targeting those who want to enjoy the tactile feel of shooting with a retro viewfinder, the GO 3S Retro Bundle includes a unique new housing for the 3S, as well as two new retro looks for the camera: Canvas White and Classic Red.

As well as an optical viewfinder, if you turn the device around there is a built-in selfie mirror effect.

The external design isn't the end of matters though. The Go 3S Retro bundle brings the style into the app with three exclusive film-style filters: Negative Film, Positive Film, and Sticker Filter.

The eleven color profiles also include five new film-inspired ones – NC, CC, GR-F, Mono and Vintage Vacation. The profiles can be applied in camera, so the experience is more analog than post-processing.

The Go 3S's original strengths are still accessible, as per my original Insta360 Go 3S review. It is a waterproof action camera, able to go up to 33ft (10m) underwater without a housing.

It features Insta360's "FlowState" image stabilization, and FreeFrame Video, which allows video to be exported in any aspect ration (so you can capture the best social and landscape clip at once).

There is also compatibility in the app with data from Apple Watch, Garmin and other devices to create overlays in export videos.

The camera pops out of the retro housing magnetically, and the Magnetic Pendant is included in the bundle. This is worn around the neck, typically beneath clothing so you can put the camera on top and wear it with minimal impact and capture first person perspectives.

The camera itself is just 39g and has built in memory (two options are available) and can record around 30 minutes of video, or up to 76 with the battery attachement (which can also clip into the back of the retro viewfinder, if desired).

The Insta360 GO 3S Retro Bundle is available now at the Insta360 store for 64GB and 128GB, priced at $249.99 / AU$469.99 and $269.99 / AU$499.99, respectively.

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.”

You may also like

Take a look at GoPro's new high-end cameras, the Mission 1 series. Or, browse the best action cameras.

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.

You may also like

Browse the best action cameras or the best compact cameras.

DJI has just put out a teaser for what can only be the dual camera version of the – Osmo Pocket 4P if the naming scheme remains the same.

The idea of a dual-camera variant of DJI's gimbal-based camera has been rumored for nearly two years, since the Pocket 3 arrived and sold over expectations. Massively so, in fact – reportedly over 10 million units (KR Asia report). The Pocket 3's market dominance was occasionally associated with supply troubles, such was its popularity.

It had an 11-month run as the top video camera in Japan according to BCN data, and, inevitably, many expected its sequel to bring a raft of major upgrades.

When it did arrive, the Pocket 4 turned out to be more of a refinement, as I covered in Pocket 3 v Pocket 4. Now, though, we can see from this teaser that DJI had the anticipated premium dual-camera model up its sleeve all along.

DJI's teaser doesn't reveal the full feature set, but we can be reasonably confident that it'll beat the Pocket 4 in every category.

It's also possible to see, in the picture, the lens specs. Given that, we should expect:

• Main camera sensor to match Pocket 4 with 1-inch sensor
• 3x optical zoom
• 240fps 4K maximum
• 10-bit D-Log
• Rotating touch-screen – possibly larger than 2-inches, though any significant change would mean a larger device and bigger accessories, which feels implausible to me.
• Wi-Fi 6 and USB 3.1 connectivity
• Impossible to see from the image, but perhaps a bigger battery grip built-in? The detachable handle may be too little for 'Pro' use?
• Built-in beauty / glamour AI tools for vloggers

I am less convinced than some commentators that we'll see much of a change in size, but one big feature that DJI has had success with in its drone range is adding an axis to the gimbal to rotate the camera. At the moment even the Pocket 4 has a 3-megapixel crop for its portrait mode.

It's entirely my speculation, but there is clearly potential for premium vloggers here. Adding this exact feature distinguishes the Mini Pto drone range – currently DJI Mini 5 Pro – and makes it premium. Why not here?

Either way, we now know that this is definitely coming, and can expect to find out more soon – "Stay Tuned" is all we're told.

The new GoPro Mission 1 cameras are the company's first action cams with a 1-inch sensors, and fans of the brand are understandably excited by the prospect of a camera that combines the dependable rugged design with long-awaited features.

The thing is, those features are "long-awaited" for a reason. Other brands already had them. Not least Insta360, which had GoPro's Hero series comfortably beaten to 8K video with the Ace Pro and updated Ace Pro 2 cameras.

So when I saw that GoPro Mission 1 camera accessory list included a point-and-shoot grip I couldn't help but notice that it looked a lot look like the existing Xplorer Grip kit released over a year ago for both of those cameras.

And, in fact, that is only one of the options available to Insta360 customers, as last year we also reported on the possibility of a teased printer attachment for the Ace Pro. Well, now that's a real thing and you can get it.

Printers bolted to the camera might not be necessary, but they do look pretty cool, and given the price comparison versus the elusive GoPro Mission 1 it has another advantage.

So, the Ace Pro wins on attachments. And, crucially for many, with the lovely weather already here, it wins on availability. The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is also proven in serious reviews (including my Ace Pro 2 test); so all we have seen of the Mission 1 is samples released by GoPro and speculation.

The Ace Pro also carries the Leica branding which, lets face it, is pretty cool for a compact camera. More so, I might be tempted to argue, than 'GoPro' is amongst serious photographers.

More practically than the iconic red is that the Ace Pro has a flip-up screen, which makes it a much more flexible (literally) and practical device than GoPro's Mission 1, which still just has a body similar to the GoPro Hero 13 Black – a touchscreen flat to the back.

Think about it. If you were buying a new point-and-shoot camera, or the best camera for vlogging, you would likely expect a hinged screen.

You likely already have a more than decent camera with a flat touchscreen in the form of a phone. Why settle for less when the big argument for the Mission 1 GoPro cameras is the cinematography aspect?

I'd imagine that, if you're looking for a grip, you're thinking about using the camera at other angles. I know when I tried it I found it useful, but still rugged.

The Ace Pro 2 also shoots video in 8K and stills at up to 8192 × 6144 (50MP), which is exactly the same resolution that GoPro is promising. The difference is the Ace Pro 2 is on sale today – for rather less cash than GoPro plan to sell the Mission 1 series.

Even the version with the printer is cheaper than GoPro's as-yet-untested camera, and you can buy that today and be taking pictures by the time the battery is charged.

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.

You may also like

Need a waterproof camera for the summer? These are the top waterproof cameras available right now.

DJI has dropped a new teaser for a release on May 7, and the photography community is already in full detective mode.

The short clip has the tagline "Wonders in your Palm," a tantalizing silhouetted clip. The photography community has immediately begun examining the clip for details and comparing it to previous DJI releases to get an idea what to expect.

What are we looking at in the clip posted to DJI's social feeds?

It could be anything, from a new version of the DJI Motion Controller seen with DJI's best FPV drones, like the Avata 360.

Many DJI devices, after all, feature an apparently simple arrangement of control buttons like this, including the DJI Pocket 3 and Pocket 4. Or gimbals that do similar jobs; just look at the DJI Osmo Mobile 7P. All, of course, tuck more control options elsewhere, and we might be missing something in the dark.

Certainly, I've read some weird and wonderful suggestions from a broad range of sources. Some of my favorite, I admit, don't seem that likely. One commentator on the official DJI YouTube account suggests that it might be a mini shaver, and @alexkarl1967 sarcastically jokes, "Oh wonderful, an MP3 player with radio, thank you DJI."

On Instagram, boyanoo suggested it might be a DJI tamagotchi!

Several viewers identify the device seen in the hand as a remote, and – watching as an experienced tech expert – it's hard to dispute that.

It looks a lot like the Osmo Action GPS Bluetooth Remote Controller – the remote controller for DJI's existing action cameras (like the Osmo Action 6). In this case, though, at the beginning of the animation, we see something that looks like a handle...

That would make the most popular online guess – some kind of Osmo Mobile variant (8 Pro?) the most logical.

If we're looking at a handle with a remote, this would likely be a new or revised product. Handles exist on a lot of DJI devices, of course, which don't have remotes.

A remote wouldn't make sense on a drone controller (that's a remote device already), but on nearly anything else it does. There are some hopeful guesses looking for a Ronin RS 5 Pro – but check the recent RS 5 review – it is quite 'Pro' already.

In the meantime, do check our guide to the best phone gimbals and the best camera gimbals.

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.

You may also like

Take a deep dive into the best action cameras or the best cinema cameras.

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.

You may also like

Browse the best GoPro accessories, or take a look at the best action cameras.

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.

You may also like

Browse the best action cameras or the best vlogging cameras.

The GoPro Hero 12 Black Creator Edition Bundle dropping to $349 at B&H feels like one of those deals that immediately makes sense the second you see it.

That is a straight $200 cut from its usual $549 price, and for anyone who has been waiting to jump into action cameras or upgrade an older GoPro, this is the kind of discount that moves it from “maybe later” to “buy it now.”

What makes this offer hit harder is that this is not just the camera body on its own. GoPro's Creator Edition bundle includes the Hero 12 Black, the Media Mod, the Light Mod, and the Volta battery grip, which turn it into a much more complete content creation kit right out of the box.

That matters, because this bundle is clearly built for people who want to vlog, film, livestream, and shoot on the move without having to piece the setup together one accessory at a time.

The camera itself still has plenty going for it, too. B&H lists the Hero 12 Black as capable of 5.3K60 video, 4K120, 2.7K240, and 27MP RAW photos, and it also brings HDR capture, HyperSmooth 6.0 stabilization, and improved battery performance over the previous generation. In real terms, that means this is still a seriously capable little camera for creators who want crisp footage, slow motion, and stabilization that can handle movement without the whole thing falling apart.

What really makes this deal stand out to me, though, is the value. B&H’s own related pricing shows the regular Hero 12 Black at $339.99, which means this Creator Edition bundle is sitting at just a few dollars more while adding the creator-focused accessories that make the system far more useful. At that point, it stops being a question of whether the bundle is worth it and starts looking like one of the smartest GoPro buys on the site right now.

If you are a content creator, traveler, cyclist, hiker, or just someone who wants a camera you can throw into a bag and use anywhere, this is the sort of deal that is hard to ignore.

The Hero 12 Black Creator Edition was already designed as an all-in-one package, but at $349, it feels less like a premium bundle and more like a bargain setup for anyone serious about video. For me, that $200 saving is not just a nice discount; it is what turns this into a genuinely compelling buy.

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 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