It’s a cliché for good reason, but the best camera is the one you have on you. The GoPro Mission 1 Pro launches in a couple of days, and this $599 action camera on steroids intends to shake things up. Now, as much as it’s a video-first camera in my opinion, I’m eager to see how it handles photography against the camera that’s always on me: the iPhone 17 Pro.
That’s why over this past weekend, I captured the same set of photos with both the GoPro Mission 1 Pro and iPhone 17 Pro to see which delivers the better results. Action cameras have never won me over with their still-shot performance, but the Mission 1 Pro’s 50MP 1-inch sensor isn’t ordinary.
In order to make this photo shootout as fair as possible, I’m going to compare its shots against the 48MP ultrawide camera of the iPhone 17 Pro — simply because it’s the lens that best matches the GoPro’s sweeping perspective. However, the iPhone 17 Pro’s ultrawide shooter has a 120-degree field of view, which is narrower than the GoPro’s native 159-degree view. Despite this, the iPhone 17 Pro holds an inherent utility advantage thanks to its triple-camera setup.
After pixel-peeping the results side-by-side on a monitor, I’ve broken down exactly how they differ — and which one I’d trust for photography.
Backyard tree
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My go-to shot for testing just about everything is this tree in my backyard, simply because of the contrast in the scene. Right away, I’m drawn to the GoPro Mission 1 Pro’s superior dynamic range — mainly due to how it boosts the shadows to balance out the exposure across the entire shot. In comparison, those same shadow areas look underexposed on the iPhone 17 Pro.
Upon closer inspection, neither one has the sharp details to win over my attention, but the iPhone 17 Pro’s 24MP sample still manages to have better definition.
Winner: GoPro Mission 1 Pro
Luxury EV
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Under direct sunlight, the GoPro’s expansive field of view captures much more of the sky with the Cadillac Optiq framed in the center. This round is tougher to judge because both devices do an excellent job capturing the EV’s finer details, from the texture of the front grille to the branding on the Continental tires.
While the iPhone 17 Pro skews a bit warmer with its color temperature, the Mission 1 Pro’s dynamic range wins out by doing a better job of boosting the shadows under the car, around the wheel wells, and the branches of the trees in the background.
Winner: GoPro Mission 1 Pro
Indoor brewery
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Inside a brewery, you would think the larger 1-inch sensor of the Mission 1 Pro would outclass its competitor, but I’m shocked by the results. The GoPro’s shot is noticeably softer and lacks definition compared to the phone.
The iPhone 17 Pro easily gains my vote thanks to its stronger contrast and superior clarity. I’m particularly impressed by how the overhead Edison lights and the graphic wall to the right both remain in sharp focus.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro
Alternate Ending
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Again, I can’t stress enough the huge disparity between these two brewery shots. The iPhone 17 Pro delivers a moodier image that perfectly captures the atmosphere, specifically because it mitigates the strong light sources before they can overpower the frame. As a result, the yellow Alternate Ending sign is properly exposed, and the textures of the wooden siding are much sharper.
The Mission 1 Pro tries to balance the exposure throughout the entire shot, but the details on the building look incredibly soft, and it completely overexposes the highlights.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro
Selfie
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While the ultrawide camera would probably be the last lens I’d use for a selfie on the iPhone 17 Pro, it still does a better job than the Mission 1 Pro. That’s because when I zoom in on my face and shirt, the iPhone captures far more detail and definition.
I’ll give the Mission 1 Pro credit for once again delivering better dynamic range—safeguarding the exposure in the shadowed tree branches overhead—but it ultimately falters when it comes to rendering sharp facial features.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro
Cloudy New York
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You might have trouble telling it was a cloudy day in the iPhone 17 Pro’s shot because of the exposure boost it receives, but this is a prime example of Apple’s image processing working in the background to brighten the scene. Sure, the sky ends up overexposed as a result, but the brighter tone of the surrounding buildings does a much better job of grabbing my attention.
In comparison, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro’s image looks flat due to the lack of any meaningful exposure boost. Even though it’s technically more representative of reality, its subdued look and softer details don’t make it nearly as impressive.
Winner: iPhone 17 Pro
Nighttime backyard tree
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Finally, I’m back to the tree in my backyard—but this time at night under almost pitch-black conditions. Neither shot is something I’d be proud to put in a picture frame, seeing as they’re both severely underexposed due to the lack of ambient light.
Between them, however, I’m giving the nod to the GoPro Mission 1 Pro mainly because it’s a tiny bit better exposed. The green grass is more noticeable in the GoPro’s shot, whereas it’s completely blacked out with the iPhone 17 Pro.
Winner: GoPro Mission 1 Pro
Bottom line
When it comes to handling challenging, high-contrast scenes, the GoPro Mission 1 Pro’s superior dynamic range consistently pulls excellent detail out of harsh shadows — even beating the iPhone 17 Pro in broad daylight. However, its still photography leaves a bit to be desired, as it clearly lacks the crisp definition and fine detail that I crave.
That’s why the iPhone 17 Pro remains my go-to for everyday photography, especially since it’s the camera that’s always on me. Not only does Apple’s flagship offer a far more versatile triple-camera setup, but it’s clear that a massive amount of computational work goes into its image processing—resulting in better contrast, truer color balance, and superior detail capture.
Needless to say, I’d lean on my iPhone 17 Pro way more than the Mission 1 Pro when it comes to stills — but video is a totally different beast. Based on my time with the new GoPro so far, its video quality is already putting some of the best camera phones on the market to shame.
Looking ahead, I’m most excited about the Mission 1 Pro ILS when it drops later this fall. Featuring an interchangeable Micro Four Thirds mount, it has the potential to truly be the one camera that can do everything.
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