GoPro’s new MISSION 1 series is now in the wild, and some of the results have been nothing short of spectacular. Although very early days, the signs are positive for GoPro’s most important camera rollout in twenty years. I’ve been testing the MISSION 1 Pro for about a week, and it nailed the one thing that’s always been a problem for the iconic action cam.
Low light.
It’s not just night shots; it’s shadows in mixed lighting that always held GoPro back from being a true all-rounder. When I talk with other pros in the TV industry, I’m often asked about the best POV and action cameras. In recent years, I’ve suggested DJI cameras for professional use, but after using the MISSION 1 Pro, GoPro is now my number one choice.
I say this knowing there is more testing to come, but the low light performance is just something I can’t ignore. And you don’t need to be in a special log profile to get the benefits. Below you can see a POV shot from the side of a KIA EV3 driving through Goulburn, where I live in Australia. It was early evening but getting very dark, very quickly as menacing clouds moved over the city. The video is underexposed, partly on purpose, but given the deteriorating conditions, darker than I wanted.
This turned out to be a win because when I brought it into DaVinci Resolve, I was able to stretch the video as much as I liked without it falling apart. This sort of punishment wasn’t possible before, and it opens up a lot of lightweight shooting opportunities for TV shows and movies that require POV scenes in low light.
I much preferred this to the Low Light setting. It’s good to have it, but I think if you can adjust the colour profiles within the normal video mode, you’ll end up with a better result. Especially when you consider noise and motion blur.
Although aimed at pros, the MISSION 1 series offers amazing imagery for enthusiasts too. One of my favourite features is Night Effects, in particular Star Trails. It looks even better on this new sensor. I’ve struggled with bad weather since having the MISSION 1 Pro, but I managed to shoot this beautiful scene in 8K.
The cameras aren’t perfect, but there are certainly a step in the right direction. Going pro is the best thing GoPro could do in the current climate.
More content and analysis coming your way soon.
