GoPro Officially Joins Micro Four Thirds System

OM Digital Solutions Corporation has announced that GoPro Inc. has officially declared its support for the Micro Four Thirds System standard that OM Digital Solutions, then Olympus, and Panasonic jointly announced in 2008.

It seemed a little bit odd that GoPro unveiled and released its Mission 1 Pro ILS camera, which features a Micro Four Thirds mount, without joining the Micro Four Thirds System Standard Group. It is odd no longer.

“GoPro is expanding the ways people capture and share their experiences through immersive imagery with the Mission 1 Pro ILS, a compact cinema camera featuring a Micro Four Thirds mount,” OM Digital Solutions says.

What’s notable about the Mission 1 Pro ILS’ Micro Four Thirds mount is that it’s an entirely “dumb” mount, meaning it has no electronic communication whatsoever. This means Micro Four Thirds lenses attached to the GoPro Mission 1 Pro ILS don’t have autofocus and don’t transmit any information to the camera, and vice versa.

However, OM Digital Solutions says that GoPro joining the Micro Four Thirds System standard is still a big benefit to the system overall.

“GoPro’s participation is expected to further expand the use of the Micro Four Thirds System in amateur filmmaking, professional video production, and at the highest levels of cinema,” OM Digital Solutions says. “The participation of a diverse range of companies in this open standard will continue to expand the product lineup and create new possibilities for visual expression and image capture.”

“Mission 1 Pro ILS gives creators and filmmakers the legendary versatility of GoPro combined with the creative flexibility to pair it with the best Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lens for the shot,” GoPro said of its latest camera when it launched it late last month.

GoPro has not officially commented on joining the Micro Four Thirds system. In fairness, the company is also busy with its ongoing $285 million merger with Starman Optical.

While some worry about what the merger means for the future of GoPro consumer products and cameras, given that Starman is an optical data company, not an imaging one, GoPro’s founder and CEO Nick Woodman recently addressed the concerns. Woodman promised that the company is far from done making cameras.

“We understand there’s some concern about GoPro’s post-merger commitment to continue developing market leading cameras for consumers and professionals. Making amazing cameras for all of you is our core DNA and reason for being and that will never change! We’re fired up about what’s ahead for GoPro and want to share a little more about what our proposed merger with Starman means for our future,” Woodman said in an open letter.

Image creditsGoPro