GoPro Mission 1 Pro Review – a versatile tool for a serious creator

I’ve been trying to publish this review for a couple of weeks, but YouTube just won’t play fair with my desire to show you 8K video – 8K that I shot specifically for this GoPro Mission 1 Pro review. More on that later, but seriously – 8K from a GoPro?

GoPro aren’t the first to do 8K, there’s smartphones that can record 8K. How great that 8K is will always be a question of depth, quality and a very subjective eye.

The GoPro Mission 1 Pro is a beastly GoPro, far bigger than the flashback I had to my first GoPro.

We’ve come a long, long way.

The journey for GoPro has been one of leadership, a bit of chasing, a desire for innovation, while keeping their core “action cam” brand position strong.

Consider what they’ve had over the years!

All shapes and sizes, and yet, the core development advances have been simple.

• A rear screen, a must have.
• Then a front screen, for framing up selfie videos.
• Battery life – important
• Software controls, from voice to an all-new interface, it has to be easy.
• Stabilisation, a strong feature no doubt.

They’ve dabbled with 360 degree, and also with smaller versions, but every year they try to push the boundaries of quality too.

So with the GoPro Mission 1 Pro, I honestly felt that the only real “advance” that was something I could “Demonstrate” – was 8K video.

I set out, on a flight from Heathrow to San Fransicso to do something I’ve always wanted to do – just capture the majestic sight that is flying above our stunning earth.

During that flight I shot two specific videos, handheld, no mount – just up against my window.

One was taking off from Heathrow.

The other was 20 minutes non stop flying over Iceland.

These are both published for your aviation nerd pleasure, in 4K on YouTube.

Why aren’t they in 8K Trev? Buggered if I know frankly.

YouTube say 8K processing takes longer. Well I’ve waited weeks.

I dropped these files into Adobe Premiere, clipped the top and tail then exported in Adobe’s only 8K format.

Uploaded and waited. Nothing.

So I’m not blaming GoPro, this is either Adobe or YouTube.

Yes, I should be digging into GoPro’s software to see how that export goes with YouTube, but frankly I can’t be learning another editing tool – it should “just work” with one of the biggest tools out there.

I’ve even tried dropping a file directly from the GoPro Mission 1 Pro’s SD card into YouTube and here’s what it tells me:

Up to 4K? I give up.

Why 8K?

Well that’s also the point. While I’m lucky to have an 8K TV to view these files on, and they look AMAZING – legit, impressive. Who the heck can watch 8K?

It’s not about 8K, it’s about being able to shoot in 8K and then clip to what you need. A vertical crop in on an 8K can be exported as 4K vertical. You can then reframe or resize to find a 4K horizontal clip too.

This is a potential game changer for vloggers, frame yourself centre and you could use this for both vertical and horizontal platforms.

That, I get.

Point and Shoot Grip

An accessory I enjoyed for sure was the Point-and-Shoot Grip – at around $150 it’s an extra expense, but you’ve already forked out $1,099 for the camera.

This grip makes carrying and shooting more comfortable, an easy trigger and palm grip combine for that luxury.

Plus there’s a cold shoe mount for things like a light or other accessories. Well worth it.

Overall – the GoPro Mission 1 Pro

It’s pricey, far more than a traditional GoPro, but you’re paying for a giant leap in video quality and performance, for many – that’s critical.

For someone like me, it’s a handy tool, but most days, it’s a bit much.

I love the versatility of the shoot modes and the battery life is exceptional even at 8K!

Web: GoPro / JB Hi-Fi