Insta360 has launched two new action cameras in the US, the Ace and the Ace Pro. Both action cameras feature some impressive capabilities, including 4K@120fps video recording, a flip touchscreen, and a magnetic camera mounting system. Plus, the Ace and the Ace Pro also have features powered by generative AI, which help people with shooting and editing videos, and managing storage among other things.
The Ace and the Ace Pro cost $449 and $546 respectively, making these cameras more expensive than the GoPro Hero 12 Black, which is one of the most popular and feature-packed action cameras. Both cameras have gone on sale in the US. You can purchase them from the brand's official website and Amazon. However, Insta360 has neither announced the pricing nor availability details of the two cameras for markets outside the US.
Flip touchscreen
The Ace and the Ace Pro feature a 2.4-inch display with touch functionality. The screen can not only be adjusted at a 90-degree angle but also flipped towards the front. The ability to do so lets people check the output from the camera sensor in scenarios where they cannot look at the screen in its standard position, such as when they are recording themselves. It also allows people to control the camera more easily in such situations. This is the first feature that gives these action cameras an edge over the GoPro Hero 12 Black.
Generative AI features
Coming to the features powered by generative AI, the Ace and the Ace Pro come with AI Warp, which, according to the company, can “add a dynamic twist to your videos with AI.” With this feature, you can describe the kind of effect you want in the text format, and the camera will use generative AI to come up with the effect you described. You can then apply that effect to the whole clip or parts of the clip. That could be a game changer for people who want to apply effects to videos without spending much time.
There’s also an AI Highlight Assistant onboard. According to the company, “It finds the best moments from a single video and shows you the highlights to review, in-camera!“ You can then “decide what to keep and what to delete for convenient file management.” Insta360 says that this feature can “save precious time and SD card space.”
Imaging hardware
The Insta360 Ace Pro features a camera sensor that is 1/1.3-inch in size. It has a 16mm focal length and f/2.6 aperture. According to the company, this model is co-engineered with Leica. The Ace Pro can record 4K videos at 120fps and 8K videos at 24fps. The Insta360 Ace, on the other hand, has a smaller, 1/2-inch sensor with a 16mm focal length and f/2.4 aperture. While this model can record 4K videos at 120fps, it lacks 8K video recording. Instead, the Ace maxes out at 6K@30fps video recording.
The Ace and the Ace Pro come with the PureVideo mode, which, according to the company, “blows other cameras out of the water when it comes to night scenes.” Insta360 says that the two action cameras feature a “5nm AI chip” that can “reduce noise and enhance brightness day and night.” There are FlowState Stabilisation and Horizon Lock modes onboard. The first one keeps the videos stable and the second one keeps the horizon level when the camera rotates 360 degrees. The two cameras can also fetch various stats from Garmin products or Apple Watch and overlay those details on your video.
Mounting mechanism and rigidity
According to Insta360, the Ace and the Ace Pro feature a Magnetic Mounting system, which allows you to quickly attach the camera to compatible accessories. Both action cameras are waterproof up to 10 meters (33 feet). You can extend that to 60 meters (196 feet) with the Dive Case.
Battery life and connectivity options
The Ace Pro packs a 1,650mAh battery and the Ace has a 1,700mAh battery. Insta360 claims that both action cameras have a battery life of more than two hours and can last 100 minutes when recording 4K@30fps videos. The Ace Pro features 30W charging over USB Power Delivery (PD) protocol, which can charge the battery from 0% to 100% in 46 minutes. The Ace, on the other hand, features 15W charging, which can charge the battery from dead to full in 70 minutes. Connectivity options include Bluetooth v5.2, dual-band Wi-Fi a/b/g/n/ac, and USB Type-C port. Both cameras support microSD cards up to 1TB.
