I tested GoPro’s intriguing Mission 1 interchangeable lens camera with Micro Four Thirds glass — and the experience is the opposite of what you expect from GoPro

GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS: Two-Minute Review

GoPro has built its name on cameras you can strap to anything and forget about. The Mission 1 Pro ILS is pretty much the opposite, requiring you to slow down, think about your settings and focus, and work much harder for the shot you want.

It’s the third and quirkiest member of the new Mission 1 family, swapping the fixed lens of its siblings for a Micro Four Thirds mount. It’s a major change that drastically reshapes the nature of this camera. Instead of a rugged companion for your next surf session or mountain bike run, it’s a creative tool that opens GoPro’s superb 1-inch sensor up to hundreds of lenses, from cheap vintage primes to specialist optics that would never fit inside a traditional action cam body.

I spent a week shooting with it, mostly paired with a manual Laowa prime, and found it to be a camera that’s as rewarding as it is demanding. There’s a real skill curve here that longtime GoPro shooters may not be comfortable with, and the payoff — sharper, more considered footage and stills — only arrives once you’ve put the work in.