Categories: Cameras

Micro Four Thirds just gained an unexpected member: GoPro is now officially on board

GoPro’s formal adoption of the MFT System standard, announced alongside the Mission 1 Pro ILS, could expand lens compatibility options for action and cinema shooters already invested in the ecosystem.

Mitchell Clark

Earlier this year, GoPro announced a bit of a departure from its usual products with the Mission 1 Pro ILS. The camera kept the company’s rugged, compact body design, but featured a Micro Four Thirds lens mount. Now, that relationship is formalized, with OM Digital Solutions and Panasonic announcing that GoPro is a member of the Micro Four Thirds standards group.

The announcement could be seen as a vote of confidence in Micro Four Thirds. GoPro brings a new kind of small, rugged video body into the mount’s ecosystem, and its support could help encourage more specialty lenses and accessories built around it.

Still, the Mission 1 Pro ILS isn’t a gateway to the full breadth of Micro Four Thirds glass. Its mount lacks electronic contacts, so it works only with compatible manual-focus lenses and manual or fixed-aperture designs, not the autofocus lenses that make up much of the existing OM System and Panasonic lineup. But it marks an interesting move in the industry, and we’ll be eager to see what, if anything, comes of it.

It’s also worth noting that action camera rival, Insta360, has said it’s working on its own mirrorless cameras, rumored to be built around a Micro Four Thirds mount as well.

About the Author: Abby Ferguson holds an MFA in photography and blends a fine-art background with extensive editorial and commercial experience. She built and led an in-house imaging program for a large vacation rental company and has served as an associate editor at Popular Photography. She also teaches at a local community college and serves on its Photographic Technology Program Advisory Board, sharing her knowledge and enthusiasm for the medium.

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