The Insta360 Ace Pro is the latest addition to the action camera market and it looks to be a direct competitor to the GoPro HERO12 Black. The Insta360 Ace Pro was co-engineered with Leica and it features what is claimed to be the industry’s first 1/1.3″ sensor capable of shooting up to 8K24fps, 4K 120fps video, and 48MP photos.
It also features a 2.4″ flip touchscreen that provides live preview and camera control, while the camera itself is waterproof to 33ft 10m.
According to Insta360, the concept behind the Ace Pro was to come up with an action camera that was capable of capturing high-quality images, but it also had to be easy to use and operate.
The Ace Pro has a variety of AI features, including the new AI Warp template (Insta360 Shotlab), that allows users to customize their videos with any keyword they can think of using AI. Insta360 states that this is the first action camera capable of AIGC content right from a mobile app.
KEY FEATURES
✅ 1/1.3’’ Sensor
✅ Co-engineered with Leica
✅ 8K 24fps + 4K 120fps Video (8K available at launch)
✅ PureVideo for Premium Low Light Performance
✅ Clarity Zoom
✅ 2.4” Flip Screen
✅ AI Highlights Assistant
✅ Gesture Control & Voice Control 2.0
✅ Waterproof to 10m (33ft)
✅ FlowState Stabilization & Horizon Lock
✅ AI Warp (New Shotlab template)
The Ace Pro’s 1/1.3″ is claimed to be able to capture more light and have better dynamic range than any other action camera. The lens has an aperture of F2.6 and 35mm equivalent focal length of 16mm.
What can it record?
The Insta360 Ace Pro can record in the following resolutions and frame rates:
8K (16:9) : 7680 x 4320 @24fps
8K (2.35:1) : 7680 x 3272 @24fps
4K (4:3) : 4032 x 3024 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
4K (16:9): 3840 x 2160 @120/100/60/50/48/30/25/24fps
2.7K (4:3): 2688 x 2016 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
2.7K (16:9): 2688 x 1520 @120/100/60/50/48/30/25/24fps
1440P (4:3): 1920 x 1440 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
1080P (16:9): 1920 x 1080 @240/200/120/100/60/50/48/30/25/24fps
FreeFrame
4K (4:3) : 4032 x 3024 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
PureVideo
4K (16:9): 3840 x 2160 @30/25/24fps
2.7K (16:9): 2688 x 1520 @30/25/24fps
1080P(16:9): 1920 x 1080 @30/25/24fps
Slow Motion
4K (16:9): 3840 x 2160 @120/100fps
2.7K (16:9): 2688 x 1520 @120/100fps
1080P (16:9): 1920 x 1080 @240/200/120/100fps
The Ace Pro certainly has a lot of recording modes you can choose from and it is good to see options such as 8K (2.35:1) and 4:3 recording modes.
The Ace Pro records in H.265 and H.264, but only in 8-bit. There is also no Log recording, just the option to use a flat profile. It is a little disappointing to see an action camera with the name Pro in it that doesn’t offer 10-bit or Log recording. The maximum bitrate when recording is 170Mbps, which is higher than the 120Mbps of the GoPro HERO 12 Black.
So how does this compare to the GoPro HERO 12 Black?
Below you can see what the HERO 12 Black is capable of recording;
- 5.3K (8:7) 30/25/24 FPS
- 5.3K (16:9) 60/50/30/25/24 FPS
- 4K (8:7) 60/50/30/25/24 FPS
- 4K (9:16) 60/50/30/25
- 4K (16:9) 120/100/60/50/30/25/24 FPS
- 2.7K (4:3) 120/100/60/50 FPS
- 2.7K (16:9) 240/200 FPS
- 1080 (9:16) 60/50/30/25
- 1080P (16:9) 240/200/120/100/60/50/30/25/24 FPS
While the Ace Pro can record in higher resolutions, the HERO 12 Black can do 5312 x 2988 at 60 fps and 2.7K at 240 fps. It also has 9:16 and 8:7 recording modes. The HERO 12 can also record in 8-bit or 10-bit and it has the ability to use timecode.
The Ace Pro also has a unique, dedicated shooting mode for low light that Insta360 is calling PureVideo. A 5nm AI chip uses a custom-trained AU neural network to denoise the footage that Insta360 claims creates a clearer image. Ace Pro also features built-in Active HDR (High Dynamic Range). Insta360 states that a lot of work has also gone into color accuracy so that the Ace Pro can deliver accurate and rich colors, even when used underwater.
There is a 2.4″ flip touchscreen that will be useful for vlogging, selfies, hard-to-capture angles, and various action scenarios that require you to be able to see what you are capturing. In addition, a magnetic mounting system lets you mount your camera and easily switch between accessories.
Interesting Features
Clarity Zoom – Ace Pro can zoom in and out 2x without any loss in quality according to Insta360.
Gesture Control – This allows you to use hand signals to start/stop recording or take a photo.
Cancel Recording – This feature allows you to instantly cancel the recording and go again so that you can save space on the SD card.
Pause/Resume Recording – You can press pause and record to keep everything you want to film in one continuous file for easier file management and editing.
Photo Grab – If you’re filming a video you can also take a still image at the same time but in far higher resolution than a screen grab from the video.
AI Highlights Assistant
AI Highlights Assistant automatically detects the peak moments in a video and delivers ‘clip highlights’ for in-camera review. Users can then merge all the good moments into one, or choose the ones they like, and quickly delete any unwanted clips to save storage.
The Assistant will also edit your footage into one video and push it directly to your device.
The Insta360 app also features a range of advanced AI editing tools. There are auto-editing tools that will sort your clips very quickly, or if you prefer, you can do full manual editing.
Stats Dashboard
The Ace series comes equipped with a unique Stats Dashboard and is the first action camera to integrate with a Garmin device or Apple Watch, allowing you to overlay your videos with GPS, speed, and other data.
AI Warp
AI Warp is another new creative tool that you can use. Through preset or custom keywords, you can add effects to your videos. According to Insta360, this AI feature is highly customizable.
Familiar Shooting Modes
The Ace series also features Insta360’s default shooting modes, including the ability to shoot time-lapses, and hyper lapses (in TimeShift mode). The Invisible Selfie Stick effect is also possible with the Ace series via the new AI Selfie Stick Eraser which renders your selfie stick invisible in shots.
The camera also has Insta360’s FlowState Stabilization technology, to ensure your videos remain smooth. 360° Horizon Lock can also keep your videos perfectly level, even when you’re on the move.
Dive case
With their waterproof design, the Ace series can handle depths of up to 33 feet / 10 meters), however, if you need to go deeper there is a Dive Case that allows you to take your camera down to 196 feet (60 meters).
Hot or Cold
The Insta360 Ace Pro can operate in temperatures as low as -20°C (-4°F), making it ideal for winter sports shooting.
Battery & Run Time
The Ace features fast charging, and according to Insta360, the battery charges to 80% in just 22 minutes (full charge in 46 minutes). Insta360 states that the maximum runtime is 100 mins when tested in a laboratory environment at 25°C with AI Highlights Assistant off, recording 4K@30fps Active HDR video.
As a comparison, the GoPro HERO 12 Black can record continuous 5.3K60 footage for 70 minutes or 1080p30 video for over 1.5 hours.
Ace
Insta360 is also offering a more budget option called the Ace with the key difference being that it has a slightly smaller 1/2″ 48MP sensor and the resolution is capped at 6K. Apart from that, everything else is essentially the same.
Below you can see what the Ace is capable of recording:
6K (16:9) : 6144 x 3456 @30/25/24fps
6K (2.35:1) : 6144 X 2616 @30/25/24fps
4K (4:3) : 4000 x 3000 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
4K (16:9) : 3840 x 2160 @120/100/60/50/48/30/25/24fps
2.7K (4:3) : 2688 x 2016 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
2.7K (16:9) : 2688 x 1520 @120/100/60/50/48/30/25/24fps
1440P (4:3) : 1920 x 1440 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
1080P (16:9) : 1920 x 1080 @240/200/120/100/60/50/48/30/25/24fps
FreeFrame
4K (4:3) : 4000 x 3000 @60/50/48/30/25/24fps
Active HDR
4K (4:3) : 4000 x 3000 @30/25/24fps
4K (16:9) : 3840 x 2160 @30/25/24fps
2.7K (4:3) : 2688 x 2016 @30/25/24fps
2.7K (16:9) : 2688 x 1520 @30/25/24fps
1440P (4:3) : 1920 x 1440 @30/25/24fps
1080P (16:9) : 1920 x 1080 @30/25/24fps
PureVideo
4K (16:9) : 3840 x 2160 @30/25/24fps
2.7K (16:9) : 2688 x 1520 @30/25/24fps
1080P (16:9) : 1920 x 1080 @30/25/24fps
Slow Motion
4K (16:9) : 3840 x 2160@120/100fps
2.7K (16:9) : 2688 x 1520 @120/100fps
1080P (16:9) : 1920 x 1080 @240/200/120/100fps
Price & Availability
The Insta360 Ace and Ace Pro are now available to order via Insta360.com, Amazon, and select retailers. The Insta360 Ace retails for $379.99 USD, while the Insta360 Ace Pro is priced at $449.99 USD.
As a comparison, the GoPro HERO 12 Black is currently available from B&H for $349 USD.
Despite the increased resolution, the new Insta360 Ace Pro faces very stiff competition from the GoPro HERO 12 Black which can shoot in Log and in 10-bit. It will be interesting to see how the image quality of both the GoPro and the Insta360 compares.
