GoPro just released the much anticipated GoPro Mission 1. It is not just another version of the trusted Hero series but a fundamentally different category. The new camera is slightly bigger than the older iterations and it features a 1 inch sensor. This is a considerable step up. GoPro promises much improved image quality.

This is not meant to be a review but rather a quick preview of my initial thoughts. I have had the Go Pro Mission 1 base model for a few weeks now and took it out to test its photo capabilities on a number of runs and rides.

Positive Impressions

Image quality is most definitely much improved. The new sensor has 50 megapixels and has a 4×3 ratio. It’s a format I have personally come to like through the use of middle format. 50MP provide the ability to do some cropping which is definitely welcome. The GoPro is a small camera after all and proper framing can be difficult sometimes. The jpgs coming out of the camera in decent light are gorgeous. You could probably print them up to a certain size. I actually much prefer the GoPro colors over those coming out of the iPhone. Where you can see real differences is in the ability process the RAW files. Prior GoPros produced files that were not all that flexible. I actually stopped doing RAW and relied mostly on JPG. The Mission 1 changes that. You now have very decent highlight and shadow recovery. It’s simply a different level. Editing in Lightroom is a breeze.

The image quality of screen grabs out of videos has also improved. That is something I frequently do.

Negatives

There are two downsides I have discovered thus far. One is the close focus distance which is now 60cm. This is much further than that of the prior Hero or similar DJI models. 60cm doesn’t sound like much but it actually matters. From a landscape photography perspective, you can’t get close to your foreground. Here is an example of a photo that would usually be tack sharp if taken with one of the Hero models.

What I do about the close distancing is to simply step away a bit further and then crop the image (remember the 50MP?). Here is an example.

The other problem currently is that there is no lens profile for Lightroom, i.e. you currently have to live with the fisheye distortion in some photos. I am pretty sure that this will get fixed in time. The GoPro Quik app does a great job with removing distortion, though.

Verdict

I am very happy so far. It is a big step up with minimal additional weight. The Mission 1 is definitely a very nice partner for my runs and rides. It’s like a miniature super wide angle camera. Don’t get me wrong – quality is great but it does not match the results you can get with a proper APS-C camera and real lenses. But it’s decent enough that I am happy to leave all other gear at home when I am out on an adventure. Video quality and such is amazing as well.