Despite boasting a sizable product range already, Insta360 may be considered one of the newer kids on the action camera block. But don’t let that fool you, as its flagship Ace Pro 2 camera is one powerful bit of kit. It’s brimming with features you may have to buy aftermarket with other cameras, and it produces top-quality and stable footage without requiring all that much knowledge. It could do better in terms of battery life, however, but if you’re looking for a super versatile action cam that knocks out decent footage with little effort, look no further.
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Insta360 Ace Pro 2 - Technical details
Alright, so an awful lot is going on here, so let’s start with the hardware. Built into its hard plastic casing that feels rather durable is a 1/1.3” sensor that’s capable of capturing 8K footage with 13.5 stops of dynamic range. That sensor can support 4K at 60fps while using Active HDR (a technology that adjusts contrast and colour frame-by-frame while boosting details in the highlights and shadows) and 8K at 30fps.
That footage capture is aided by not one, but two processing chips, and the Ace Pro 2 is said to be the first of its kind to do so. One chip handles noise reduction and image processing, while a 5nm AI chip boosts processing further while ensuring ‘powerful performance’, whatever that may be. The combination of the two boosts computing power while enhancing low-light details.
Speaking of, the camera introduces PureVideo, which leverages the two chips to both reduce noise and enhance image quality in low-light scenarios — regular occurrences in mountain biking. That’s all shot through a Leica Summarit lens, providing up to an F2.6 aperture. If you know your photography, you’ll know that a Leica lens is certainly nothing to be sniffed at.
The Ace Pro 2 isn’t just about video as the brand pushes its stills capability, to the point where it offers an Xplorer Bundle that comes with a little handle and is built for street photography.
Not that we’ll be using it all that much for riding footage, but Insta360 says that the Ace Pro 2 can zoom in 2x without loss of quality. That’s achievable both through tapping on the little 1x or 2x on the camera’s touch screen, or by double-tapping anywhere on the screen.
Of course, the camera is capable of capturing slow motion footage at 4k and 120fps, but importantly, that Leica lens is seriously wide. Insta360 says it offers a 157-degree field of view, and that can be tweaked through a variety of adjustments that either zoom in or straighten up any distortion produced by the wide-angle lens. Users can also choose from two Horizon Lock modes: 45-degrees keeps the footage level up to 45-degrees of camera tilt, while 360-degrees keeps the shot level at all angles. Note, any footage created using these modes needs to be exported through the app.
The Ace Pro 2 also works hard to address wind noise. There’s a built-in but removable Wind Guard, which is something you would usually have to buy aftermarket for other cameras. The camera then uses a bunch of algorithms to up sound clarity.
If you’ve got a Garmin or Coros device, or something that uses Apple Health, you can also hook the camera up with one of those devices to overlay key stats onto your video.
Finally, it’s waterproof up to 12 metres, according to Insta360. There’s a removable lens guard, and there’s that characteristic flip screen. There is a lot more to this camera, all of which supercedes what mountain bikers and cyclists will find useful, but that just bolsters the camera’s versatility. I’d love to go more in-depth here, but I’ll be here for hours, so let's move on.
Insta360 Ace Pro 2 - Performance
I’ve used the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 throughout my regular mountain bike rides, and with that in mind, I’m merely scratching the surface of what it’s capable of. That said, I’ve been mighty impressed with many of its features, but most importantly, it’s incredibly easy to get great-looking footage without putting in much effort or techy know-how.
That’s mainly thanks to a comprehensive bank of presets loaded into the camera from the factory. Of course, you can go nuts and fiddle with the stabilisation, shutter speeds, and so on, but bunging the Ace Pro 2 into video mode with the biking presets pretty much hits the nail on the head from the word go.
[4k - FlowState High - 60fps]
Doing so pops the camera into 4K shooting mode at 60fps and with the lens in its widest ‘actionview’ setting. But unlike other cameras, this achieves a mighty wide field of view all while utilising the full clout of Insta360’s FlowState stabilisation, which is very impressive indeed. Even while rattling over extended root and rock gardens, the Ace Pro 2 stabilisation didn’t miss a beat. Footage remained smooth, without any harsh jolts from the camera moving around on my chest mount, and well, it looked rather cinematic, especially at 60fps.
Suppose the actionview and FlowState stabilisation isn’t enough, by flicking the camera into FreeFrame video mode, users can access the 45 and 360-degree horizon lock modes, but compared to other cameras with this feature, the Ace Pro 2 does it a little differently. Rather than crop into the frame against the users’ will, which narrows the field of view, which can be troublesome when filming mountain biking, this camera goes to a native 4:3 aspect ratio. From there, users can pick their aspect ratio in post production through the Insta360 app. This comes as a double-edged sword as it provides flexibility, as users can choose the level of stabilisation from there, but such footage has to be exported from the app, which won’t be ideal for everyone.
I have found this mode to produce a little more noise, or image grain, but as the stabilisation is so good in ActionView, I've not found myself wanting more, so I've rarely touched either of the Horizon Lock modes. However, grain can be reduced in the Insta360 app, which again, you'll need to export any Horizon Locked footage through anyway.
[1080p - 360 Horizon Lock - 25fps]
Colour reproduction is something that can be rather hit and miss on action cameras, although it has gotten better as technology has advanced, and it’s rather good on Insta360’s offering. If I’m going to be picky, I would say that they’re a smidge over saturated, but they pop and provide plenty of clarity. The footage is fairly contrasty too, again, being picky, but this is where that HDR capability flexes its muscles. While storming through the dappled light of a forest’s canopy, or from the forest, out into open exposure, both the highlights and the darkest points have plenty of detail in them. In fact, I’m yet to run into a blown-out highlight. The result is an image with a pleasing dynamic range that’s easy on the eye.
Many action cameras rely on aftermarket add-ons or modifications in order to control sound and wind noise, whether that’s neat foam cases or make-shift, glued-on bits of cut-up deadcat. Insta360 addresses this head-on and has built in a Wind Guard that’s removable, should it not be required. With it in place, wind noise is absolutely minimal, which is key for shooting mountain bike riding footage. Any sound is crystal clear as the camera does an excellent job of recording both ambient sound, the howl of squealing brakes, and a cacophony of heavy breathing sounds post-descent.
The titly screen is a great feature too. It’s not something the average mountain biker would take full advantage of, but if you’re looking at getting into the vlogging game, it’s the best front-facing screen solution I’ve seen on an action camera. It can be locked in place when not in use, but when it is, it provides full access to the camera’s menus and all of the information.
Downsides of the Ace Pro 2 are very few, as you might have guessed, but compared to other action camera offerings, I’ve noticed the battery life to be rather short. Like others, users can keep the camera off and only tap the record button when needed for the camera to do its thing, but even then, the battery life cut my day’s filming bike park trails short. Once the battery is on its last legs, there’s nothing really to notify you either, other than the camera shutting off with a quick vibration. Once dropped into a trail, it can be hard to feel any vibration or hear any sound from the camera. With that, if Insta360 weren’t to make any changes to the battery, it would be great if it could make more of a fuss when its battery is low.
[4k - FlowState High - 60fps]
It’s always cool to see a magnetic mount… Mount, too. It makes for easy footage reviewing and moving the camera around from mount to mount. However, there’s only one on this camera that sits at the bottom. There’s no secondary magnetic bit that allows for portrait mounting of the camera for shooting vertical videos, reels and the like. A vertical mount will have to be bought after-market for an additional £20, but that is the case with most action cameras.
And to further hunt for fault, it’s a chunkier unit than other cameras on the market. It’s larger and weightier than DJI’s Osmo Action 5 Pro and GoPro’s HERO13. For myself, this posed little issue to my experience with the camera, but it’s worth noting nonetheless.
Back to the good stuff, the interface is incredibly responsive. Taps on the screen are met with quick vibrations, and it’s very easy to navigate. It’s not too dissimilar from DJI’s set-up on the Osmo Action cameras, but it feels better refined and faster to use. The app is a belter too, being quick to connect to the camera while showing full resolution previews of any footage before anything is downloaded to the phone.
Insta360 Ace Pro 2 - Verdict
The Ace Pro 2 sits somewhat in the middle of the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro and the GoPro HERO13 Black, but even then, the slew of features it's built with represents decent value for money — it rewards the extra expense. Neither of those cameras gets that flippy screen or a built-in wind guard, both features I’ve come to appreciate.
The GoPro offers a 156-degree field of view, a degree narrower than the Insta360, and it can’t shoot as high a resolution. Against the DJI, the Insta360 falls short in terms of battery life, so it’ll be wise to stock up on a spare.
In a market that’s getting ever more competitive with every release, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 isn’t one that’s easily overlooked. When it comes to simplicity and ease of use, few do it like Insta360, where the Ace Pro 2 knocks out great-looking and mega stable footage thanks to spot-on presets and the ability to go deeper into the settings without having to scroll through menu after menu. Sound quality is excellent, too, thanks to its built-in wind guard. For filming MTB footage, it doesn’t get much better, but its battery life leaves room for improvement, and it is a larger unit than others.
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