Insta360 brings artificial intelligence and 8K image quality to the action camera game

Meet the Insta360 Ace Pro 2, the latest action camera to hit the market. This is the successor Ace Prowhich boasts a wealth of features including Leica color profiles, a dedicated Pro image processing chip, 8K video quality and, most importantly, AI processing.

It’s raining action cameras, and the Ace Pro 2 is the latest to hit the market after heavyweights like the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and the GoPro Hero 13 Black. What sets it apart from the competition is the AI… yes, the same stuff that seems to be everywhere these days, from health care to music.

But it’s not just about AI. The folks at Insta360 have given the Pro 2 superior image quality, better sound, and a more durable build than its predecessor. That’s a pretty competitive price at $399 MSRP — the same as the GoPro Hero 13 Black, but slightly more expensive at $349. DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro.

Any camera is only as good as its sensor, and Insta360 knows that. The Ace Pro 2 features a Leica Summarit lens and a 1/1.3-inch 8K sensor with a dynamic range of up to 13.5 stops. This allows you to record videos at up to 8K/30fps, 4K/60fps with Active HDR and 4K/120fps for slow motion – all in the convenient MP4 format. For photos, it has a maximum resolution of 50 megapixels.

In contrast to this GoPro Hero13 Black delivers 240fps at 2.7K and reaches 5.3K/60fps. Simply put, the GoPro is better if you value the ability to crop and extract both vertical and horizontal sections from a single clip. It also offers a higher frame rate for smooth slow motion, and the Ace Pro 2 captures higher-resolution video and can produce 4K/120fps with SDR color.

A special feature of the camera is a special shooting mode called PureVideo, which uses an AI neural network to enhance detail and reduce noise in low-light conditions in real time. There’s also what Insta360 calls AI-powered creator-friendly features like AI Highlights Assistant and Auto Edit, which can be accessed by voice or gesture.

In the past, users have criticized Insta360 for its insufficient field of view, but luckily the brand has heeded those calls. It now features an industry-first 157-degree field-of-view lens, offering the widest field of view of any action camera available today. It also gets an interchangeable lens hood, giving you the ability to add third-party ND filters to the camera.

All of this is made possible by not one, but two separate 5nm processors. One is for image processing and the other is for camera performance and post-processing.

If we talk about the footage, the new Active HDR mode is responsible for the effective tonal display of the dynamic range that the sensor records in ready-to-use output. However, Insta360 also gives producers another choice with i-Log, which is a great tool for post-production evaluation.

One drawback is the fact that the camera still records in 8-bit color instead of the 10-bit option – something that GoPro and DJI offer action cameras. To compensate, the Ace Pro 2 has a number of pre-programmed image profiles, including two that Leica designed for users who don’t want to get into the messy business of post-grading.

On the hardware front, you get a 2.5-inch touchscreen that offers 70% higher pixel density, 6% more brightness, and 100% more durability than its predecessor. There’s also a snap-on wind shield to improve sound quality when recording in windy weather, which can be removed for underwater use. The camera’s water resistance has also been improved, as it can now withstand depths of up to 12m (40ft) without the diving case and up to 60m (197ft) with it.

The Ace Pro 2 can withstand temperatures as low as -20 ºC (-4 ºF), so putting it in the freezer overnight will be no problem. It is powered by a 1800mAh battery that charges up to 80% in 18 minutes and takes 47 minutes to reach 100%.

The camera also boasts a new Endurance mode that extends runtime by 50% when recording in 4K/30fps. It additionally comes with automatic 360-degree Horizon Lock and what Insta360 brands FlowState Stabilization for stable video. The TOD timecode shooting option makes it easy to synchronize multiple cameras.

The Ace Pro 2 is already on sale on the company’s website and through retail partners worldwide for $399 USD for the standard package. This includes a USB Type-C cable, wind shield, battery, standard mount and microphone cap. There is also a Dual Battery kit that includes two batteries in addition to the previously listed accessories, priced at $419.

Which do you prefer – GoPro, DJI or Insta360? You can see the latest footage in the video below.

Source: Insta360