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

Overview

News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

Details

Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards.

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

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

Unlock instant access to exclusive member features.

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.

Go Pro unveils its Mission 1 series of action cams, with three new models

They all feature a new 1-inch 50MP sensor, GP3 processor and shoot 8K video

An 'ILS' model features a Micro Four Thirds lens mount

Go Pro's stock has been dwindling of late, especially with increased competition from DJI and Insta 360, but the OG action cam maker is back with a bang with its new Mission 1 series of action cams.

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

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

Today's best action cameras, based on our in-depth testing

Cinematic teaser shows Go Pro is moving on from action cams, but to where?

Finally, a low light Go Pro? New GP3 processor could fix brand's biggest flaw

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The best Go Pro you can buy today, based on in-depth testing

Go Pro Lit Hero Review: a tiny action cam, with 'too many compromises'

Today's best cameras for vlogging, recommended based on in-depth testing

Low-light images taken with the Mission 1 Pro(Image credit: Go Pro)

Dynamic range looks solid in this low light scene(Image credit: Go Pro)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An Image taken with the Go Pro Mission 1 Pro ILS, though I don't have information on which lens is used (Image credit: Go Pro)

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

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

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

Go Pro has just touched back down to earth following its NASA adventures on board the Artemis II — and now with its biggest product upgrades in decades, it very much feels like Go Pro is back in the frame against DJI and Insta 360. What do you make of Go Pro's Mission 1 series? Make sure you vote in the poll below and let me know your thoughts!

Follow Tech Radar on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow Tech Radar on Tik Tok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on Whats App too.

Tim is the Cameras editor at Tech Radar. He has enjoyed more than 15 years in the photo video industry with most of those in the world of tech journalism. During his time as Deputy Technical Editor with Amateur Photographer, as a freelancer and consequently editor at Tech Radar, Tim has developed a deeply technical knowledge and practical experience with cameras, educating others through news, reviews and features. He’s also worked in video production for Studio 44 with clients including Canon, and volunteers his spare time to consult a non-profit, diverse stories team based in Nairobi. Tim is curious, a keen creative, avid footballer and runner, and moderate flat white drinker who has lived in Kenya and believes we have much to enjoy and learn from each other.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

1 Basic-Fit gym group data breach exposes details of over 1 million members — here's what we know

2‘Authorities can ask them to hand over data’: Report claims over 80% of Europeans don’t trust US and Chinese businesses to handle their data – Europe is desperate for homegrown AI, cloud, and telecoms as the rift with the US grows

3 Here's what to play if you love Crimson Desert according to someone with more than 160 hours in the game

4'Game Pass has become too expensive for players' says leaked memo as Xbox CEO plans to 'evolve' the service

5'Tone deaf and short sighted': Apple Maps gets first ads pop-up in i OS 26.5 beta — and users are fuming

Tech Radar is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Key Takeaways

• News, deals, reviews, guides and more on the newest computing gadgets

• Start exploring exclusive deals, expert advice and more

• Unlock and manage exclusive Techradar member rewards

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

• When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission