When I got my hands on GoPro's new Mission 1 Pro, I did what most people with a sausage dog would do. I pointed it at Ollie and hit record. The slow-motion footage looked fantastic. That's hardly surprising. GoPro has spent years turning everything from snowboarding tricks to dogs running through a backyard into something worth watching.
What surprised me was what happened afterwards. As I looked back through the footage, I kept stopping on individual frames and saving them as photos. They genuinely looked that good.
The Slow Motion Is Still The Hero
The Mission 1 Pro can shoot up to 4K at 240 frames per second and 1080p at up to 960 frames per second. You don't need to understand the numbers to appreciate the result. It simply means you can stretch out fast-moving moments and see details you'd normally miss.
The Real Upgrade Is Image Quality
My favourite feature might be slow motion. But the biggest upgrade is actually image quality. The new Mission 1 uses a larger 1-inch sensor, which helps it capture more light and more detail than previous GoPros. You see that in richer colours, cleaner footage and a more natural-looking image overall. It also unlocks 8K recording, although I'd argue that's less important than the overall improvement in quality. Most people won't watch videos in 8K, but they will notice when their videos look better.
The Biggest Improvement Over Older GoPros
If you've owned a GoPro before, you'll know they excel in bright sunshine. The Mission 1 is much more capable once the light starts disappearing. I tested it out early evening on a dimly lit street in the main street of where I live in Maleny. I would never have done this with a previous GoPro model. This is where I think the Mission 1 holds onto the scene much better and backs up what they're obviously trying to sell — this is less action camera and more like an everyday camera.
What Will Everyday Users Actually Get Out Of It?
Most people aren't buying this camera because it shoots 8K. They're buying it because they want their videos to look good without having to think too hard about it. And that's where the Mission 1 does a good job. The footage looks better with richer colours and a better low light performance. You have more room to crop and edit afterwards. Even if you don't know what a 1-inch sensor is, you'll probably notice the end result. What I'm still not completely convinced about, though, is whether this is becoming an everyday camera or simply a much better action camera. It's definitely more versatile than previous GoPros. But at more than $1,000, that's a question buyers should be asking.
How Does It Compare To DJI And Insta360?
And that's where things get interesting. A few years ago, buying a GoPro was an easy recommendation. Today, not so much. DJI has become a genuine alternative, often matching GoPro on image quality while undercutting it on price. Insta360 has gone in a completely different direction, winning over creators with clever editing tools, 360-degree capture and features that can produce shots a traditional action camera simply can't. GoPro's strength remains its simplicity. You take it out of the box, stick it almost anywhere, hit record and trust that it'll get the shot. Whether that's enough to justify the premium is a much harder question than it used to be. The Mission 1 doesn't put GoPro back in a category of its own, but it does feel like the company's most convincing response yet.
Verdict
A few years ago, recommending an action camera was easy. The answer was usually GoPro. Today, DJI and Insta360 have changed that. The Mission 1 doesn't put GoPro back in a category of its own, but it does feel like the company's most convincing response yet. The slow motion is spectacular, but the bigger story is the image quality. The larger sensor finally gives GoPro the low-light performance and overall image quality many users have been asking for. Is it enough to make it the automatic choice? No. But it's enough to remind everyone why GoPro became the benchmark in the first place.
