Not surprisingly, I have been following all the news and reviews and posts about the new GoPro Mission 1 cameras very closely. The good news is that these new cameras (with the 1-inch sensor and new GP3 processor) are supposed to put GoPro on a par with DJI and Insta360 when it comes to overheating, battery life, and low light capability. That is where GoPro has been falling behind the competition. And now, with the Mission 1 cameras, overheating, poor low light capability, and short battery life are all supposed to be things of the past.
But I was disappointed that these improvements came with a brand new 1-inch sensor with a completely overhauled camera body design. I wanted the improvements, but I didn't want them to come with the need to buy into an entirely new camera ecosystem. I guess lots of people were clamoring for an action camera with a 1-inch sensor. But I wasn't one of them. I don't see the need. I suppose a 1-inch sensor can deliver better image quality with a bit of background blur. But for my purposes, there is nothing wrong with the image quality and the infinite focus that we have now. I think the video from all action cameras with the smaller sensors (DJI, Insta360, and GoPro) looks just fine. They don't need a 1-inch sensor, especially if that 1-inch sensor comes with a bunch of other changes, such as a larger body with a protruding lens and higher prices. And it remains to be seen what effect this 1-inch sensor is going to have on stabilization and other features. The Mission is essentially a brand new camera that they built from the ground up. It could have all kinds of teething problems we don't know about yet.
I remember being excited when I first heard about the new GP3 processor. It promised low light capability, no overheating, and better battery life. And I imagined all those improvements in the next iteration of the Hero line: a GoPro Hero 14. So I was disappointed to learn about the Mission with its 1-inch sensor and complete redesign. I was sad that this was the end of the Hero.
However, for the very first time that I'm aware of, somebody asked GoPro about the Hero line of cameras. Was GoPro abandoning the Hero line? I assumed they were. I thought the Mission was the new GoPro camera and that the Hero was over and done with. We'd never see a GoPro Hero 14 with the new GP3 processor. But in this video, for the first time, I'm hearing hints that GoPro has NOT abandoned the Hero.
They don't go into any specific details, and it is all quite vague, but the GoPro rep was implying in this video that the Mission wasn't replacing the Hero. The Mission was just a new series of cameras that would exist alongside the Hero line. And, by extension, that probably means we are going to see a GoPro Hero 14 and it will be an improved version of the Hero 13 but with a new processor such as the GP3. And therefore the Hero 14 will get the benefits: excellent low light capability, better thermal management, and longer battery life. But it will inherit the smaller sensor, lower prices, smaller physical size, and the maturity of the Hero line.
This is what I was hoping GoPro would do. I was hoping they would release two cameras: the GoPro Mission with a 1-inch sensor AND a GoPro Hero 14 with a regular, smaller sensor. But both would get the new GP3 processor and all the benefits. I'm not holding my breath, but at least this video hints at that as a possibility.
It isn't getting much media attention, but with the Mission camera, GoPro also redesigned and improved the Media Mod and released the first GoPro wireless mic system with advanced Bluetooth connectivity. And if they did that for the Mission, my hope is that they also did it for the Hero 14. But that's assuming the Hero 14 is even on its way. This video hints at it, but I haven't heard that from anywhere else.