GoPro’s new Mission cameras are priced beyond most weekend athletes

GoPro is pricing the new Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro cameras at $599.99 and $699.99, respectively, with a $100 discount for each if you subscribe to its ecosystem — a good thing for professional filmmakers, but a tough sell for weekend warriors.

It can be both Mission 1 and Mission 1 Pro Reserved nowand you’ll get a $100 Point-and-Shoot Grip accessory for free (while supplies last) before its release on May 28. The Mission 1 Pro ILS, a camera with an interchangeable mount for Micro Four Thirds (MFT) lenses and adapters, will be available later in the third quarter for $699.99, or $599.99 for GoPro subscribers.

GoPro accessories, such as the new wireless microphone system, are $159.99, and the Media Mod menu, which features a multi-pattern built-in microphone and expanded I/O capabilities, is $149.99. The new 2150 mAh Enduro 2 battery costs $34.99.

GoPro is positioning its Mission cameras, which are built around a 1-inch 50-megapixel sensor and GoPro’s new GP3 processor, as “the world’s smallest, lightest, most durable, high-resolution, high-frame-rate cinema camera system.” This makes high-spec action cameras expensive and just beyond what you need to film a grueling mountain bike ride or a weekend snowboarding trip.