Meet the Insta360 Ace Pro 2, the latest action camera on the market. It is the successor to Ace Prowith an abundance of features including Leica engineered color profiles, a dedicated Pro image chip, 8K video quality and most importantly, AI processing.

It’s raining action cameras and the Ace Pro 2 is the latest to launch after heavyweights like the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and the GoPro Hero 13 Black. What sets it apart from its competitors is the AI… well, the same stuff that seems to be everywhere these days, from healthcare to music.

But it’s not just AI. The folks at Insta360 have packed the Pro 2 with superior image quality, better sound, and a more durable build than its predecessor. It’s quite competitively priced at an MSRP of $399 – the same as the GoPro Hero 13 Black, while it’s a little more than $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. It allows you to record images in up to 8K/30fps, 4K/60fps with Active HDR and 4K/120fps for slow motion – all in a convenient MP4 format. For still images, it has a maximum resolution of 50 megapixels.

On the contrary GoPro Hero13 Black prints 240fps at 2.7K and goes up to 5.3K/60fps. To put it simply, the GoPro is preferable if you value the ability to trim and extract both vertical and horizontal sections from a single clip. It also offers a higher frame rate for fluid slow motion, while the Ace Pro 2 captures video at a better resolution and can do 4K/120fps with SDR color.

Insta360

The camera’s standout feature is a dedicated 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.

The Insta360 has previously been called out by users for its inadequate field of view but thankfully the brand has listened to those calls. It now features an industry-first 157-degree FOV lens, offering the widest field of view of any action camera available today. It also gets an interchangeable lens hood while giving you the freedom to add third-party ND filters to the camera.

All of this is made possible via not one but two separate 5nm processors. One of them is dedicated to image processing, while the other goes to camera performance and post-processing.

Insta360

Speaking of film, the new Active HDR mode is responsible for effectively tone-mapping the dynamic range the sensor records to an easy-to-use output. Still, Insta360 also gives producers another choice with i-Log, which is an excellent post-production tool.

One shortcoming is the fact that the camera still records in 8-bit color instead of the 10-bit option – something that both GoPro and DJI action cameras offer. 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.

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

Insta360

Ace Pro 2 can withstand temperatures as low as -20 ºC (-4 ºF), so putting it in the freezer overnight is no problem. It is powered by a 1,800mAh battery that takes 18 minutes to charge to 80% and 47 minutes to reach 100%.

The camera also has a new Endurance mode that extends runtime by 50% when recording in 4K/30fps. It also comes with an automatically applied 360-degree Horizon Lock and what Insta360 trademarks FlowState Stabilization for steady images. The ability to shoot with a TOD time code makes it easy to synchronize many cameras.

Insta360

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

Which do you prefer – GoPro, DJI or Insta360? You can see pictures taken of the latter, in the video below.

Source: Insta360