The interchangeable-lens GoPro is no longer a pre-order promise. The MISSION 1 PRO ILS is now available, having reached retailers globally from 2 September, and we can add a piece of good news for anyone following our coverage: GoPro is sending us a unit, with a Laowa lens, so a full review will follow shortly. Details are on the official GoPro MISSION 1 PRO ILS page.
What it is
The MISSION 1 PRO ILS is the third camera in the MISSION 1 Series and the first GoPro in the company’s history you can change the lens on. It pairs the same 50MP 1-inch sensor and GP3 processor as the standard MISSION 1 PRO with a Micro Four Thirds mount, in a body weighing just 197g.
Video runs to 8K60 and 4K240, with Open Gate capture at 8K30 and 4K120 using the full 4:3 sensor, plus 10-bit GP-Log2, bit rates to 240Mbps, 32-bit float audio and built-in timecode. We covered the full specification when it was announced.
The two things to understand before buying
Both are easy to miss in the excitement of a lens-swappable GoPro, and both shape who this is actually for.
The mount has no electronic contacts. It works only with Micro Four Thirds lenses that cover a 1-inch or larger sensor and offer manual focus with either a fixed aperture no greater than f/4.5 or a manual aperture ring. That rules out most of the autofocus photography lenses Panasonic and OM System make, and means you are pulling focus by hand. This is a camera for people comfortable with manual cine glass, not a point-and-shoot upgrade.
And in-camera HyperSmooth stabilisation is only profiled for a specific set of lenses — five fisheyes at launch, including the Laowa 4mm f/2.8, plus rectilinear MFT primes. Fit something outside that list and you lose the stabilisation that is half the reason to buy a GoPro in the first place.
It is also weatherproof rather than waterproof, unlike the sealed standard MISSION 1 PRO — an exposed lens mount cannot be submerged.
Availability and what comes next
The MISSION 1 PRO ILS is $699.99, or $599.99 for existing GoPro subscribers — the same price as the standard PRO, so the choice is about capability rather than budget. The free MISSION Monitor app for iPhone and iPad, which adds focus peaking, zebras and LUT preview, is available now on the App Store and is close to essential given the manual-focus-only mount.
Our unit is on its way from GoPro, arriving with a Laowa MFT lens for testing, and we will publish a full hands-on review as soon as we have put it through its paces. Given the questions this camera raises — how workable manual focus really is on that rear screen, how the stabilisation copes across different lenses, and whether the image quality justifies the workflow — it is one we are keen to test properly.
GoPro MISSION 1 PRO ILS: Specifications
Sensor: 50MP 1-inch.
Processor: GP3.
Mount: Micro Four Thirds, no electronic contacts — manual focus and fixed or manual aperture (no greater than f/4.5) only.
Video: 8K60, 4K240, 1080p960; Open Gate 8K30 and 4K120 (4:3).
Colour: 10-bit, GP-Log2; bit rates up to 240Mbps; timecode sync.
Stabilisation: HyperSmooth, profiled for five fisheye lenses at launch plus rectilinear MFT primes.
Audio: four-microphone array, 32-bit float, USB-C microphone support.
Display: 2.59-inch OLED.
Battery: over three hours continuous 4K30.
Weight: 197g.
Weatherproofing: weatherproof, not waterproof.
Companion app: MISSION Monitor (free, iOS).
GoPro MISSION 1 PRO ILS: Price and availability
The MISSION 1 PRO ILS is available now at $699.99, or $599.99 for existing GoPro subscribers, from GoPro.com and retailers globally following its 2 September on-sale date. Micro Four Thirds lenses are sold separately. UK pricing varies by retailer — check current listings before purchase.
