John Matthews

Went for a walk this morning. I was able to make a short video: Sorry for the music. Everything is hand-held. Shot it at various frame rates. Most everthing shot in GoPro Log 2 (the slow-mo shots are in Natural) and plopped into a timeline for cutting and added FilmConvert with the GoPro Mission 1 Pro and GoPro Log 2 profile. No grain was applied. Anyway, you'll get an idea of the colors, electronic stab, etc. I also wanted to say that I was able to update the ILS to the GoPro Labs firmware and use a QR code for putting a super-helpful histogram (better than the Lumix one on the GX800).

A few more thoughts on the ILS... Here's a 4k shot of my balcony solar panels. I really thought I could make some moiré with this. Not the case, at least not in the 4:3 4k mode. Everything is hand-held with the E-stab on. For DR in GoPro Log2, it seems to be living up to their claims 14 stops. When it does clip, this is what it looks like: Personally, I can live with this. I have a FilmConvert Hazy plugin to smoothen out some of that harshness on the clouds: This was all done rather quickly and could have been better, I'm sure. Here, I cranked up the shadows just to see what it would look like. I might run it up against my S9 just because I'm curious.

Damn. After playing with the 7artisan 10mm, this camera looks so good. The electronic IBIS is working wonderfully and you don't hear any audio weirdness like with normal IBIS sometimes. The colors when you put the Log into FilmConvert are great IMO. About the 10mm, it's not perfect. For starters, there was quite a bit of play in the mount. I fixed it with a little electrical tape. However, it's super easy to focus and quite fun. The image seems quite sharp too.

Here's what Mathieu Stern had to say about his experience:

Well, for rigging it, maybe. The camera is just so small and the mount isn't supposed to have more than a 250g lens on it. Those Meike lenses are 540g at a minimum. And just to clarify, I really don't see the ILS as a photo-first camera, unless you're taking 8k screen grabs. The interface sucks for the most part too with only 2 physical buttons and a tiny LCD (albeit decent). You don't even get a histogram out of the box- they need to fix that.

Yes. I had already seen that fotodiox video. Those lenses have had issue with softness in the past, but maybe someone solved the design. In addition, you've got the moon involved which only adds to the softness and atmosphere. I would assume the ILS does great under 200mm.

I'm curious to know how that turns out. That kind of magnification requires near-perfect conditions for decent results.

I did a few more tests this morning. I wanted to check the 4K IQ, and I tried everything I could to induce moiré, but to no avail. I scrutinized the Red, Green, and Blue channels as well, and the results were impressive. I'm fairly certain it's due to the image processing because it blows away the already respectable 4K image from my Panasonic GX800. And all of my tests were done with HyperSmooth on; it only gets better with it off. I also tried my Konica 300mm f/4.5 on a tripod in 8K. I'm not sure there's much point in using 8K for distant landscapes, but for closer subjects, why not? I still think 4K looks just as good. One thing this camera is not is a 1080p camera. IMO, they should let us use 10-bit in 1080p, but they don't. Also, when you switch to 1080p, it changes the color profile too. You have to go back and reset it when you resume shooting in 4K or 8K. I think I'll just stay away from the 1080p modes unless I really need the 480fps and up.

I'd say it's a similar experience to your Olympus (I've had many of those, too). I will say that the colors look rather strange on the back of the screen when using peaking. I start with the lens's distance scale, then confirm with peaking. If you need critical focus, use the double-tap method. Of course, it all depends on your resolution. 8K is much harder than 4K. Shallow DOF can be achieved with this camera, but you will undoubtedly miss shots. Still, I prefer the simplicity of being intentional rather than fighting "AI" algorithms. It's far easier for me to live with screwing it up myself than having some engineer "imagine" what I'll be shooting 10000km away and program the computer to do it—and have it fail sometimes.

It seems sharp enough for me, easily resolving a 4k image. Remember, I'm only using the sweet spot of that lens. Others have notice vignetting, and corner softness- not the case when using just a fraction of the image circle. However, I notice back-lit subject will have a strong chromatic aberration (purple) at f/1.4, but it goes away at f/2.8. It flares a little too- a bonus for me. The usability is absolutely great though. Thanks. Yes, I really don't have too much time to fuss around with the files- make it look good to my eye and then off to the next one. I just do a few exposure adjustments. I got a whole new set of ND filters. The reason being that I haven't had much luck by using VND's on small/pixel dense sensors. Bad things happened when I put my VND on my old camcorder. In the end, I'm going for 55mm and using step-up rings to get there. Why 55mm? Most of my Konica glass uses that with only a few exceptions. Anyway, I got the K&F Nano-x ND4, 8, 64, and 1000 set. They should do the job and still manage decent quality from a 50MP sensor.

I was only able to muster a few shots today. I'm actually not sure what I'm more impressed with: colors and look with log and FilmConvert Nitrate + Hazy; or, my MacBook Air's (M5) ability to cut through the footage and watch in realtime. Initially, I wasn't that impressed with the Natural or Vivid profiles, but the Log looks great to me with FilmConvert. I need to try more. The ILS did very well with handheld shots at 17mm, given it's only electronic stab. I will have more lenses next week to try out. Unfortunately, I didn't have a ND of any type to test on this lens (who make a 40.5mm thread anyway? That's stupid). Anyway, next week, I'll have more stuff, including the media mod their new microphone kit. I know it sounds like I'm going all-in with GoPro, but I definitely think they're on to something. I'm quite impressed with the ecosystem too. No need to go through the anxiety in choosing between 5 different cameras either. You want wide- get the mission 1 pro or a Loawa lens.

Seriously, look at the ridiculousness of this. The JJC LCD hood fits perfectly on my S9. The LCD viewfinder is something I purchased with a used GH2 about 5 years ago. It fits perfectly on the ILS and doesn't really require anything else. That said, I find the LCD bright enough for daytime use. The viewfinder is really the only thing that would really help for focus. Yes. You can set it to one color or it dynamically decides a color (never seen that before). You'll need to have it on sensitive for it to mean much. I think there might be a steep learning curve if you're not used to manual focus though. I often prefer it. It slows me down and gives me something to do other than being intentional on framing.

I think this is more "normal" footage that you can shoot with this camera. I share this guys opinion on this release:

I got mine from GoPro France (probably EU fulfillment facility). I paid with Paypal. It shipped and arrived super fast. Apart from an annoyingly loud beep when you turn it on, the setup has been flawless. I'm surprised GoPro isn't in Australia. Or maybe it's the tariff BS? I wouldn't be surprised the ILS version gets sold out and quick. There's simply nothing like it on the market, being so small and light-weight. I can tell it's going to be a cult classic à la 5DII, GH2, and BMPCC OG (but for different reasons), especially if no one comes out with something similar for a long time. I'm not worried about the sale of GoPro as it always moves slowly.

I'm expecting some of this older Chinese glass to not be up to the crazy sharpness of the newer glass. For wide lenses, it's rather tricky with this camera. Sure, you could get the Laowa 6 or 7.5mm, but at that point, you might as well get another GoPro Mission 1 Pro, offering a second setup that is waterproof, etc. That's why I'm going more for the cheap stuff. I'll see this weekend if I can live with the softness of the 17mm f/1.4. Personally, I don't need the 1.4 unless in a pinch, but I'm secretly hoping that this lens can decently resolve 4k at 1.4 in the middle sweet spot of the lens. Anyway, I already have the S9 with the Laowa 28mm f/1.2 (my favorite lens of all-time). Two days ago, I was able to film a hedgehog eating at f/1.2 and 12000 ISO- the footage was so clean. Will do this weekend. Super-busy right now with teaching high-schoolers English though. :-) I'm really stoked about having smaller setups. Panasonic used to give us that in the past, but I think they've moved on; then they'll realize that had it right to begin with but it's too late (always late to the party). The whole setup with the 10, 17, and 25 with the body will be about 750g- that matters, especially considering the frame rates, codecs, and battery life.

After looking and foraging my various drawers in the house, I was able to find 3 Bell & Howell lenses from my grandfather: 0.7 inch, 1 inch, and 4 inch lenses. This was standard war-time military issue for war journalists. I also found 3 plastic Lomography lenses: I have ordered some inexpensive Chinese lenses too: 7Artisans 10mm f/3.5, TTartisan 17mmf/1.4, and TTartisan 25mm f2- a holy trinity for about 350 euros. From what I've heard, these lenses all suffer from poor corner performance; however, I'm throwing away 45% of that APS-C image anyway and only keeping the sharpest part. I figure those will be a perfect size too with the total kit under 1kg. I considered the Laowa cine lenses, but decided that they were simply too pricey for the concept of this kit. I'm bummed about not being able to use my AF M43 glass, but I love the limitations of straight up manual focus. I'll be shooting a lot with the 17mm this weekend.

The things that impress me most about this camera are the frame rates and processing. In addition, it’s so damn small and light. I purchased it, and it’ll be here tomorrow. I’ve seen both super positive and super negative opinions about it, but it really does feel like a new category. I have a few assumptions about it, though: I think it will be a stellar performer when it comes to moiré and rolling shutter. It’s also going to be pricey to get wide, sharp lenses for it. That’s why I plan on using it with my S9. I feel like they could complement each other well. I’ll definitely be playing around with it over the next few days.

Thanks! I didn’t see the other discussions. I haven’t been here in a while, as I’ve been busy installing solar panels on my roof and taking care of some other upkeep. This camera seems very quirky, which is a bonus for me. I’m looking forward to learning how to use it and figuring out what it’s good at. I’ve never had the ability to shoot at some of those frame rates, and 8K isn’t really my thing, but I’ll give it a try. It reminds me of the BMPCC OG days. Just so you know, I sold my GX800 (amazingly, a bigger and heavier camera) along with some kit lenses. I’ll probably let go of my Leica 15mm f/1.7 as well, since it won’t be of much use to me with this camera. I have a few plans for this thing, especially using some of my vintage glass, which could be a lot of fun. I’ll definitely report back once I’ve had a chance to play around with it.

I know we’re not supposed to talk about action cams, but this action cam is not! Why is no one talking about the Mission 1 Pro ILS? This thing looks so good. Have I bought into the YouTube shill hype? I just sold another camera and a couple of lenses to get it. Is anyone else going to pull the trigger on one?

You really have to be impressed with the weight of these new primes, light even by MFT standards. FF still dominates the wider focal lengths considering what they are.

This looks like a really cool set-up. One thing I would definitely be worried about is the lens though design. Optically, from everything I've seen it looks great, but it has been well-known to have issues with dust getting trapped inside and that was the reason I never really went after the LX100(I or II). However, it's the same problem with almost all POS cameras. Did Lumix say anything about this?

I just commented on the Lumix Live weekly upload asking for a modern, small MFT camera- most liked comment. IMO, there are so many people, for whatever reason, want this. It could be practical or nostalgic for the Lumix fans. Just do it Lumix.

I have the Sanity hacks (not 100% sure), Apocalypse Now (Drewnet), Cluster X (Drewnet), and Cluster X (Moon). I wish I took better notes. Why are personal view forums down? That's a good site.

@Ilkka Nissila, I think you're chasing a very different camera than me. Just because a camera is small doesn't necessarily mean it must have bad ergos. Panasonic has said nothing at CP+ 2026, except a stupid microphone that supposedly someone wants. In this interview, they said virtually nothing, a feat in itself. Really, I think they should have been a little more reassuring to the customers. No investor would have watched this anyway.

That's a rather absolute statement and probably easy to debunk. Also, hinting progress isn't making an announcement of any kind. You'd probably agree that it shouldn't be expected that Lumix would make a announcement with CINED either. But, saying there's development is certainly doable. Does it? This is mature tech now and certainly not on the cutting edge. I think the cost is more in weight than anything else. Although, the E-P7 is only 337g and has proper 5-axis IBIS. I agree with this, except the new market could easily accept premium compacts too. There's also room for in-between products similar to the GX9, which wasn't really a bottom feeder either. A newer version of that camera would be exactly what I want, perhaps even smaller and lighter and even more premium. My feeling is that if they can do stuff in a phone, they could also do it in a camera. @Andrew - EOSHDwas right in saying that there's been an "Americanization" of these cameras, meaning bigger, chunkier cameras and seemingly without too much consideration for how components could be miniaturized. (I believe he said something like this in his GH6 review). The difference in size between the GH6/7 and a GH1 is massive; unapologetically ignoring all advancements in smaller components. I want smaller with M43, not more capable if it means massive bodies. Yeah, that really depends on the manufacturer. They're always giving up something, with a few exceptions.