What are the highlights of the sports camera Ace Pro jointly developed by Shadowstone and Leica, and its release?

Poor Thermal Performance and Low Light Capability of Action Cameras

Having played with Yi Action Camera and DJI, the biggest problem with this type of camera is heat dissipation. In terms of user experience, Yi Action Camera has the worst heat dissipation. The second biggest problem is lighting. Once the lighting is poor, the video quality goes straight down the drain. If you don’t believe it, you can refer to the video below:

The video was shot indoors on a cloudy day, without any additional lighting, using the DJI Osmo Action 3.

So, this thing can only be used outdoors on a good weather day. Otherwise, rich folks would have already used it as a dashcam.

Lastly, don’t have overly high expectations for 4K. The heat control for 4K is worse compared to 1080p.

Innovative Ace Pro: AI-powered flagship action camera.

AI Empowered, Innovation-filled Flagship Sports Camera? insta360 Ace Pro Review

What limits sports cameras? Is it the CMOS, the stabilization, or the image quality?

No, the only thing that limits the performance of a sports camera is you, if you’re not active, if you don’t go out.

After all, not everyone has the opportunity to go skiing, skydiving, surfing, and diving. When we see those grandiose promotional images from sports camera manufacturers, it’s not that we can’t afford the camera, it’s that we can’t afford such a lifestyle.

But does that mean our ordinary lives are not worth recording? This is what I want to talk about today, the insta360 Ace Pro, a “sports camera” for ordinary people who may not be extreme sports enthusiasts, but still want to use a sports camera effectively.

Unlimited Life

We all know that regardless of which brand’s sports camera you choose, they are all ultimately cameras that thrive in sunlight. In situations with sufficient light, everyone’s performance is excellent. However, once in low light conditions, the image quality can deteriorate dramatically.

For athletes, this isn’t a big issue because most sports are conducted during the daytime. Although there may be some nighttime cycling or night skiing scenarios, they are relatively rare.

But for us ordinary folks, when we buy a camera, we hope it can capture more scenes, including low-light environments such as at night or indoors. Since most of our daytime is occupied by work, our free time is mostly at night. Let’s take a look at how the Ace Pro performs in low light conditions.

It’s evident that the biggest difference comes from the exposure. The Ace Pro is brighter, which brings out better shadow details and better noise control. Even with stabilization, there is no noticeable shaking.

Even in indoor low-light environments, like being in a bumper car indoors where the only light source is some colored ambiance lights, the Ace Pro still provides you with a usable image. This is something that was almost unimaginable with previous sports cameras.

So how does it achieve better image quality in low-light conditions? The Ace Pro offers three solutions: a large 1/1.3" sensor, a large aperture of F2.6, and a 5nm AI chip. We all know that one of the main reasons for the significant improvement in smartphone cameras is “computational photography,” which happens to be lacking in the camera category. In this case, insta360’s Ace Pro has incorporated a 5nm AI chip into its design.

What is this 5nm chip used for? Those familiar with digital image processing know about the ISP (Image Signal Processing) process. But the computational power of the SoC in a sports camera is definitely insufficient. That’s where this chip comes in - it efficiently performs complex neural network computations, not only participating in the entire image processing process to achieve better image quality but also giving this camera more AI functionality, which we will discuss in detail below.

Of course, don’t forget about the lens. A good lens can greatly improve the image quality. The optical structure of the lenses in the Ace Pro is calibrated by Leica. As we know, this is the second collaboration between insta360 and Leica, and it is evidently more mature. The parameters themselves are not worth discussing much; what’s important is the color rendition. With built-in HDR for action shots, it provides you with a high dynamic range in high contrast environments.

Of course, the Ace Pro supports 4K/120fps.

With 48 million pixels, the Ace Pro is also a good option for taking photos. In this photo, even in low-light conditions at night, whether it’s suppressing highlights or capturing details of objects in the foreground, the performance can be described as excellent.

With its high pixel count, the Ace Pro also has the ability for lossless zoom, which expands the range of the sports camera to a certain extent. It’s no longer limited to recording wide-angle content mindlessly.

Convenient Flip Screen

Since we want to record ourselves, we need a screen for observation. The small window next to the lens? It’s not a bad idea, but it’s not ideal either. Just like our previous Go3, the Ace Pro also adopts a flip screen design, and it comes in at 2.4" in size.

It can hover at any angle between 0 and 180 degrees.

Let’s look at a few usage scenarios: At 0 degrees, this is the most commonly used angle, and at this angle, there is no significant difference in the shooting experience compared to other sports cameras. Now let’s flip the screen to 90 degrees, and it becomes a camera for shooting at waist height.

If you mount the sports camera on a car or a skateboard, this multi-angle waist-level shooting is elegant, especially in low-angle positions where you don’t have to lie down anymore.

You can even hold the screen with your mouth, achieving the first-person perspective effect that used to require a mouth mount accessory.

When we flip the screen to 180 degrees, you have a Vlog camera. It can be said that the Ace Pro currently has the largest and most enjoyable Vlog camera screen among sports cameras. Once you get used to shooting Vlogs with the Ace Pro, you will find that you can’t go back to using other sports cameras because they all feel too constricting.

However, it would be even better if the resolution of the Ace Pro’s screen could be slightly higher.

Since we’re talking about the screen, let’s briefly discuss the exterior design of the Ace Pro. On the front left is a small screen that displays key information during shooting, such as remaining storage capacity, battery life, and shooting specifications. This design is familiar to everyone, but what I want to highlight is the long indicator light below this screen. It displays blue during standby and red during recording, making it very eye-catching. Now my mom doesn’t have to worry that I missed a recording.

This small design definitely deserves a full score.

The lens is accented by a red ring, and the Ace logo and the record button are highlighted on the overall black body, which is the design language of insta360 sports cameras.

Below the lens, there is a hidden microphone, in addition to the side and top microphones, the Ace Pro offers a total of three microphones. Of course, if you want better audio quality, you can also connect third-party microphones. For outdoor sports photography, the structural reliability and durability of a product are essential considerations. The power button, memory card slot, and power interface are conveniently placed on the left side. The battery compartment is located on the right side. The product uses a large amount of plastic joints to support various components, and the joints are well-made and secure. Both the battery compartment and the card slot are covered with sturdy mechanical covers, giving a feeling of sturdiness and reliability.

Easy to Use

If I had to choose my least favorite design feature on sports cameras, it would be the screw. Every time you change an accessory, you have to spend a lot of time screwing and unscrewing. That’s why you see more and more products adopting magnetic quick-release solutions; you can attach and detach accessories with ease.

Of course, some may question whether magnetic attachment is secure enough and can withstand intense movement. But that’s not the case with the Ace Pro. Once the magnetic attachment is secured, it provides an additional layer of security with this adapter accessory.

The key is that this magnetic quick-release accessory is made of metal. When you hold it in your hand, you can easily feel its weight. It’s solid and reliable.

And you don’t have to worry about your old accessories being unusable. This quick-release accessory also has two small connectors, allowing you to easily attach some older accessories.

When recording in a crowded place, it’s easy to feel a bit anxious, so despite voice control being available for many years, I’m not very accustomed to using it. Besides voice control, the Ace Pro also offers gesture control options, which are easy to operate. A simple thumbs-up gesture to take a photo, or extend an open hand to start recording, it’s very convenient.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but when I’m recording, I tend to be greedy. I want to record both videos and photos, but switching between modes each time is cumbersome. The Ace Pro offers a video snapshot feature. While recording a video, simply tap the small circle in the lower-left corner of the screen, and it will take a high-quality photo for you.

On the Ace Pro, there are two little features that made me feel like insta360’s product managers and engineers genuinely consider the needs of the users. One is the cancel recording and pause recording functions. During video recording, we often make mistakes that result in a bunch of short, useless videos that we have to delete during post-production. This product offers a more efficient way to cancel the current recording segment: simply long-press the shutter button during the recording, and it will directly cancel and not save the current video segment, avoiding cluttering up the card with unnecessary files. It gives users an opportunity to undo their actions. After long-pressing the shutter, a countdown appears, and you can still retract the cancellation command and continue recording. This greatly reduces the uncertainty associated with canceling an action. Compared to the traditional mode of manually searching and deleting files in the file management system, this direct, quick cancellation and undo on the video segment is indeed easier to control, more efficient, and more straightforward.

In fact, this kind of interaction logic has been available on smartphones for many years. For example, if you accidentally tap the wrong button, instead of lifting your finger and canceling elsewhere on the screen to prevent a misoperation. However, the Ace Pro is the first camera to adopt this feature.

Additionally, the Ace Pro also offers a pause recording function. If you temporarily don’t want to record but don’t want to end the recording either, simply tap pause, which avoids having to deal with a bunch of fragmented footage during the editing process.

Well, I hope other manufacturers can follow suit because these features are really useful.

Let’s talk about the process of transferring videos to your phone. What can I say? It’s just a matter of transferring directly through the app. But there is one issue: when most products' apps are downloading video clips, they need to stay in the foreground and can’t perform other tasks on the phone. However, insta360 allows the app to run in the background, freeing up your phone’s interface. This way, you can freely switch to other apps while downloading your videos.

If I remember correctly, this should be an exclusive feature of insta360.

Lightening the Burden is Key

Recording is enjoyable, but going through hours of video footage is a disaster. This product uses AI technology to automatically analyze and efficiently edit videos. With the help of the 5nm AI chip mentioned earlier, it can analyze the content of your shots and automatically construct logically clear segments based on various factors, such as where someone jumps, where someone laughs, where fireworks burst, where there is a sudden change in the video, or when someone enters the frame. This eliminates the need for you to manually sift through repetitive footage.

You can see a highlight mark on the preview progress bar, which, in my opinion, is quite reliable. For example, in this photo, the first time little Qin played Counter-Strike, his face expressed confusion after being killed. And the moment when the bumper car crashed, or when making a sharp turn while driving, can all be recognized well.

Instead of having to continuously drag through silent walking footage.

As a result, what used to be hours of long videos can be efficiently edited down into concise short videos with the help of AI. This saves a lot of time spent on editing while retaining the most exciting parts and saving SD card space. After all, if recording at a high bitrate, each minute can take up more than a gigabyte of space.

Of course, it needs to be fun too

AI Magician, if you have used insta360’s panoramic products before, you will be familiar with this feature. Simply put, it’s AI-powered background removal. Although it may not seem like much, it can still add a little flair when you share a short video on your social network.

Of course, there’s also the tradition of using a selfie stick. The Ace Pro provides an ND filter effect, which gives the footage a motion blur effect, making it look smoother and more natural. Although it may not be difficult to achieve this effect, insta360 is currently the only brand that offers it, making it a unique feature of sports cameras.

Not to Forget the “Pro”

When you hold the Ace Pro in your hand, you immediately feel its “Pro” nature, both in terms of its size and battery capacity.

As a flagship sports camera, it naturally needs to have strong adaptability and be able to withstand extreme conditions, from -20 degrees to high temperatures. Therefore, whether you go skiing in the Northeast or explore a volcano, there shouldn’t be any problems; although for these locations, I would more strongly recommend focusing on personal protection rather than the camera itself.

The bare camera has no problem with waterproofing up to 10 meters.

Stabilization is nothing special to mention, as it has always been great with insta360. It also supports 360-degree horizontal correction; in short, it is very easy to use.

On the Ace Pro, we also see two interesting features that were previously absent from products. One is the ability to connect to smartwatches—I assume that many outdoor sports enthusiasts probably own an Apple Watch or Garmin watch. So why not have these devices connected to the camera? Once the Ace Pro is connected to the watch, it can overlay sports data onto the shooting screen. Whether you want to live stream or share content, it adds a professional touch.

Actually, I think it can go further. It would be great if more control and setting functions could be implemented on the watch.

Additionally, sports cameras also serve as dash cams. The Ace Pro offers the function of automatically starting recording once it’s plugged into power. For those who enjoy motorcycle travel, this feature may become indispensable.

Multi-functional Foldable Tripod Selfie Stick. When it’s folded, it’s an ordinary selfie stick, with a comfortable curved shape in the palm. When unfolded, both the height and angle can be adjusted freely. Moreover, by bending the stick at certain angles, you can truly hide it in the frame, so the selfie doesn’t dominate the picture.

I don’t know why, but this accessory’s appearance always reminds me of a dinosaur.

Another accessory is the GPS image transmission remote control, which enables real-time image transmission and control. The image transmission range can reach up to 8 meters, and the control range extends up to 30 meters. It can also record GPS data to be added during video editing. This accessory may be indispensable for shooting special angles and scenes.

Several Details You Might Care About

The minimum focusing distance is now 0.4 meters, so selfies won’t be blurry anymore. The Ace Pro supports fast charging; it can reach 80% in 22 minutes and fully charge in 46 minutes. The battery life lasts around 100 minutes when shooting in 4K/30 specifications. Here are a few suggested settings:

Set video sharpness to medium.

For everyday sports stabilization, use the standard setting. If it’s for particularly intense sports, switch to high stabilization.

If you have a need to separately publish videos in landscape and portrait mode, you will definitely love the free aspect ratio mode.

Summary

Undoubtedly, with the Ace Pro, we can see that the innovation of sports cameras has not stopped; it’s just that some manufacturers are squeezing out every last bit. The better image quality, especially better low-light performance, significantly expands the scenarios for sports cameras, liberating them from being limited to sunny conditions.

With the assistance of AI chips, the concept of computational photography can now be applied to sports cameras, ushering in a new era of innovation. Not only image quality, but also the convenient and user-friendly features of the Ace Pro, whether it’s gesture control or powering on automatically, make you strongly feel that insta360’s engineers have sincerely considered what features users need.

This innovative ability and development mindset make it hard not to like this brand. Of course, no product can be perfect; if I had to rate this product, I would give it a 9 out of 10. How about you? What rating would you give this product?

Insta360 Ace Pro: A Powerful and Intelligent Sports Camera

[2998 yuan! Unboxing of the Insta360 Ace Pro Sports Camera!] This is the latest sports camera, Ace Pro, released by the domestic brand Insta360. This sports camera is equipped with a 1/1.3-inch sensor, capable of capturing 48 million pixel photos and shooting 4K videos at up to 120 frames per second. The camera is waterproof up to 10 meters and can operate in temperatures as low as -20℃, making it suitable for outdoor sports activities.

In terms of price, the new camera is priced at 2998 yuan and includes: the camera body, battery, quick release baseplate, flexible adhesive base, and a Type-C cable…

The imaging system of the camera was developed in collaboration with Leica. It is equipped with a Leica SUPER-SUMMARIT-A lens with an equivalent focal length of 16mm and an aperture of F2.6. This ensures good overall image quality. Combined with the years of experience in action photography from Insta360, the Ace Pro offers excellent image performance.

The design of the camera body is very much in line with a sports camera. The lens is adorned with a red ring and the Leica logo. There is a 0.9-inch front screen next to the lens, which can display parameters and other information, making it very convenient. The bottom of the camera body features a angular design with the clear wording “Insta360 Ace Pro” and a classic white and red color scheme. Notably, the front screen provides color strip display to indicate the current state of the camera, adding a nice touch to break the monotony of the body.

Ace Pro continues the design style of Insta360’s sports cameras in terms of button layout. It has a record button on the top, a power button on the side, and a Type-C charging port and card slot in the protective compartment at the bottom. It should be mentioned that the overall operational language of the camera is the same as previous models, where the quick mode and power buttons are merged. In the power-on state, pressing the power button quickly brings up the mode menu, and pressing the record button quickly powers on the camera and enters recording mode. The Pro version supports PD fast charge, which can charge 80% of the battery in 22 minutes and fully charge it in 46 minutes.

The camera’s housing has been specially protected, so you can rest assured even when using it in harsh environments. In actual tests, the camera’s protection performance is outstanding. It has an official rating of being waterproof up to 10 meters without any additional housing, and with a waterproof case, it can reach a depth of 60 meters. The camera has also been optimized for underwater shooting, addressing issues such as color shift and distortion, so you don’t have to worry at all.

The bottom of the camera body is equipped with a quick release mechanism, which can be used with the included quick release base. It is very convenient to install and remove. However, this mounting mechanism is only available at the bottom and not on the side, so if you want to mount the camera vertically, you will need additional accessories. Nevertheless, the new camera is compatible with many sports camera accessories on the market. To support this sports camera, Insta360 has developed a wide range of accessories, and Beta will try them out one by one to show you. They can basically cover various shooting environments.

Another highlight of the new camera is the flip-up selfie screen. This design was previously used by Sony’s RX0 and allows for easy shooting from different angles, such as 0°, 90°, and 180°. Whether it’s for conventional shots, low-angle shots, or selfies, you can easily handle it and find your own creative shooting style…

Ace Pro offers a wide range of features, including trajectory delay, motion delay, starry sky mode, loop recording, pre-recording, timed shooting, free proportion recording, and more. These features make your shooting simpler and allow your footage to be more personalized.

It is worth mentioning that the new camera incorporates a lot of AI assistance. The built-in 5nm AI chip provides powerful capabilities, one of which is noise reduction. This is very useful for sports cameras, allowing for bright, clear, and stable video footage even in low-light or nighttime shooting conditions, simply by selecting “Night Scene Mode”.

In addition to assisting in shooting, AI in the camera also plays a role in post-processing. For inexperienced users, there is an AI automatic editing function, making it faster and easier to produce and share videos. There is also an AI magician function in the app’s AI Creative Library, where you can freely select cool and fantastic effects to create amazing videos even on your own.

In summary, this is a very capable sports camera that considers the needs of action photography and extreme sports enthusiasts in terms of design, excellent expandability, and user-friendly operation. It offers outstanding protection, superior image quality, and intelligent AI assistance. Don’t blindly rely on GoPro anymore. If you have the opportunity, you can also try domestic sports cameras, you may be pleasantly surprised.

AI Empowered Ace Pro - Better Shooting, Better Photos

Insta360 Ace Pro - AI Enhancement, Helping You Take Better Photos, Take Better Photos

AI, the Tide of the Times

2023 is a year of change. This year, whether in the imaging industry or not, we can all see a huge trend - AI.

LLM represented by ChatGPT has landed naturally to no less extent, and the landing of on-edge AI has become a question that all manufacturers must face. On the mobile side, whether it is Apple’s Transformer model, Google’s Bard, Xiaomi’s new generation Xiao Ai classmate, or vivo’s recently released BlueLM, they are all creating a wave of enthusiasm.

In the field of automotive, the interaction of car devices is becoming more anthropomorphic and intelligent. Voice assistants give cars a personality, and cars are no longer just an accessory node in the intelligent system. They are considered the next “big device” that will be connected to our computing network in an unprecedented way.

Sony has made the first move in the professional camera field by implementing a series of functions that traditional algorithms cannot accomplish through an external AI chip. From richer object recognition and intelligent focusing to intelligent composition of recognizing the subject, all without exception are breakthroughs aimed at the “insufficient intelligence” problem in traditional imaging scenes.

And what about action cameras? Or, in 2023, are there still truly pure action cameras?

Link

The action camera planning this year is generally closer to portable shooting devices. We have seen the return of many traditional device forms, but at the same time, in terms of functionality, they are unprecedentedly different from existing action cameras. As the last product to appear in the action camera category this year, the Insta360 Ace series–as a new product line of Insta360, it comes with a 5nm AI chip and a brand new product form.

The Significance of AI in Imaging

It is not difficult to find that almost all imaging manufacturers in recent years have more or less dabbled in AI.

For mobile phone manufacturers, using NPUs to assist image processing is not news. From Google’s Pixel Visual Core, to OPPO’s MariSilicon X, to vivo’s recently released V3 chip, Apple has also emphasized at its own press conferences the huge advantages that ML can bring to images. A large part of the increasing transistors are focused on AI.

With the support of NPUs, we can achieve precise object recognition and segmentation of images, and perform targeted processing according to the characteristics of different segments, such as detail enhancement and noise reduction, or color adjustment. It is not difficult to see that this is similar to the TV image quality chip, whether it is information acquisition or presentation, everyone has embarked on the path of AI. Understanding the image is key to better handling the image.

Using NPUs for auxiliary computing can further reduce power consumption, which is an effective way to improve the upper limit of image quality for passive cooling devices.

Since the application of AI can improve image quality and reduce power consumption, why haven’t we seen the implementation of this technology in action cameras? Is it because action cameras do not have an urgent need for it?

Not at all. Although action cameras inherently have a smaller size and deeper depth of field, and often use wide-angle lenses, the need for AI-assisted focusing is not as urgent as in mobile phones, but action cameras have smaller size and lower lens module specifications compared to phones, and the demand for improving image quality using AI is even greater than that of mobile phones. Both mobile phones and action cameras generally have a heat dissipation capacity of no more than 5W, and every bit of computing power that can be squeezed into such a tight heat budget can immediately improve the image quality.

At the same time, action cameras are facing another problem, which is different from the logic of editing material from a traditional camera.

The shooting logic of traditional videos is based on “shots”, that is, scene by scene shooting. We have a general idea of what is in each scene, and we can make selections based on the scene of each shot during editing. However, for emerging VLOG content, the creative process is not so rigid. It is more of a “spontaneous, capturing sudden moments” kind of creation.

For example, the recently popular CityWalk and cycling activities mostly involve fixing the action camera, pressing the record button, and then focusing on moving forward. After reaching the destination, we search for those highlight moments in a sea of data.

Is this convenient? Obviously, it is inconvenient.

We urgently need a device with a powerful processing chip and artificial intelligence that can help us make complex decisions and assist in our post-production work. It needs to find the footage in our material that is “worthy” of being a video scene and help us automatically edit it. The emergence of such a product will further deepen the level of decision-making by machines in video shooting, assist ordinary people in capturing better image quality, and make appropriate post-processing.

From the popularization of photography to the popularization of “good photos,” this is the core logic of AI empowerment for users. Therefore, we believe that AI in action cameras is an inevitable trend, and it will come in a very powerful way, fundamentally changing our experience in capturing and editing images.

5nm Chips Enable the Implementation of AI in Action Cameras

In history, the landing of any new technology has faced various difficulties. In the early stages, the performance may be weak and not very profitable, but it can meet the needs of the entry-level market. With the expansion of the market and continuous investment, it eventually replaces mature technology to complete the turnaround.

The application of AI technology also follows the characteristics of disruptive technological changes. Currently, the application of AI in the imaging industry is still relatively fragmented. However, in the long term, this technology is expected to become a major trend in the next generation of imaging systems.

Specifically for action cameras, the application of AI technology needs to overcome the obstacle of “power consumption”. Action cameras, limited by their small size, must use high energy efficiency, small package, and low power consumption AI chips. For a long time, the processing power of action camera chips has been insufficient, even if the sensor supports rich functions, the camera cannot free up enough thermal budget and computing power for processing - outdated processing chips have to compete with CMOS for power, and cannot unleash full firepower.

Previous processing chips generally lag behind the most advanced process generations to control costs. However, the Insta360 Ace Pro is the first action camera to be equipped with a 5nm process AI chip at the world’s advanced level, which has changed everything. This chip is designed to meet the core demand of maximizing the algorithm’s effectiveness in practical application scenarios, balancing real-time performance and reliability, and coordinating traditional algorithms with deep learning algorithms. The 5nm process can provide higher transistor density, thereby achieving richer functions within a given area, and optimize power consumption, allowing this powerful AI chip to fit into the compact body of the Ace Pro.

With this chip as the foundation, Ace Pro is able to process night scene videos at the rate of billions of pixels per second in real time, obtain better night scene dynamic range, and enable the action camera to see through the night. It can also intelligently identify highlight moments in each video clip, making AI highlight assistance possible. The 5nm AI chip is the intelligent brain of Ace Pro, and Ace Pro’s optics is the foundation of its top-notch image quality.

Building a Solid Foundation for AI - Ace Pro’s Powerful Hardware

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Insta360 Ace Pro adopts an integrated body design. The most noticeable feature on the front is the iconic red lens decoration ring. Red represents its deep cooperation with Leica and the jointly developed Super-Summarit-A 1:2.6/16 ASPH lens. Leica is best known for its high-performance lenses in a compact size in the field of optics, and its M series lenses are still representative products of compact, high-spec, and high-performance lenses to this day.

This lens has an equivalent focal length of 16mm and an aperture of F/2.6, making it a module designed specifically for action cameras. It has a field of view performance between linear projection and fisheye projection, and achieves a good balance in terms of field of view width, chromatic aberration control, and low-light performance. The ASPH suffix indicates that it uses aspherical lenses, which is a commonly used technology in small-sized optical design. It can correct various types of aberrations, further compressing the module size, but also posing higher challenges to the manufacturing process.

With the support of Leica optics, the Insta360 has better optical performance in action cameras. Behind this lens is a large 1/1.3-inch CMOS with 48 million pixels, using a QuadBayer CFA. This specification belongs to the first tier in action cameras and even rivals the main cameras of some flagship smartphones.

This CMOS provides a series of advanced readout functions, including 4K120p high-speed reading. Through Remosaic technology, the 12 million pixels in the center of the sensor are output independently. This technology is also known as In-Sensor Zoom, which can provide a more delicate and clear 2x crop compared to general digital cropping. If I’m not mistaken, this should be the first action camera to be equipped with a 2x lossless zoom function.

At the same time, this sensor also supports DGO output.

DGO, Dual Gain Output, uses two gain circuits arranged on a back-illuminated CMOS to obtain a low-gain mode and a high-gain mode. In high-gain mode, by switching to a smaller FWC, read noise is suppressed to an almost invisible level, thereby improving low-light performance.

Arranging the dual gain circuits has many advantages. One of the most common ones is to switch to high gain mode (HCG) in low light to achieve better dynamic range. Another is to simultaneously read out using the two gain circuits, and then stitch the two parts together during post-signal processing to achieve an amazing dynamic range. This technology is used in ARRI’s film cameras and is also used in Canon’s recent C300 Mark III, known as DGO (Dual Gain Output), and this sensor also supports this technology that can greatly expand the dynamic range. It lays a solid foundation for high dynamic range and high image quality.

With the support of the 5nm AI chip, by flexibly applying ISZ, DGO, and various complex processing algorithms, the Ace Pro’s image quality has excellent performance regardless of day or night.

The ISZ mode can also be enabled in night mode, which is probably the most important feature in this image quality update.

With the strong support of the Insta360’s powerful research and development team and massive user feedback, they have specifically trained a neural network for night scenes and achieved several times, even dozens of times, improvement in energy consumption efficiency using the 5nm AI chip, reducing the power consumption of this feature from watts to milliwatts and achieving real-time processing at the edge. Thanks to the overall optimization, even with the addition of a large number of features, Ace Pro’s battery life is still very usable.

But what surprises me even more is the power control during low battery situations. Friends who have taken photos with a mobile phone will surely notice that the phone will “turn off the algorithm” when the battery is low, because the battery system cannot support the sharp power spikes, which in turn leads to a decrease in image quality. However, on the Ace Pro, even when the battery is very low, it can still record 4K30p night scene videos, enable real-time lens correction, and even add a 2x ISZ zoom.

High-quality video that is available at all times, this is the impressive performance achieved by Ace Pro after optimizing the entire imaging chain, from optics to sensors, to chips, and then to algorithms.

How is the effect? Let’s take a look at the pictures directly.

In the past, action cameras were most afraid of low light. However, in these night scene scenarios, the details of the street are clearly visible, even with various highlights in the frame, their colors are well preserved.

Faced with low light and high dynamic range environments, Ace Pro still maintains good highlight control. The contours of the car headlights are clearly visible, and the highlights do not cause haloing on the silhouettes behind. At the same time, the skin tone of the person is accurately restored, and there is plenty of detail in the hair. The overall tonal control is very good.

After seeing the still images, let’s take a look at the videos.

On the Ace Pro, using 4K30p will default to HDR. When obtaining a wider dynamic range, there will be no motion ghosting. We recorded simultaneous videos with Ace Pro and another camera, both using the night scene auto mode, and you may be amazed at the huge difference in the visual perception of the two.

In low light video image quality, thanks to the addition of AI night scene noise reduction, Ace Pro is far superior in noise control, highlight reconstruction, and overall image brightness. We can see that in the video, the Ace Pro can retain the color of the highlights while suppressing the dynamic blur much better than the competitors.

The ground details and the light box on the right side of the image have been blown out in the competitor’s image, while in the Ace Pro’s image, we can even see the details inside the display window.

Ace Pro has rich levels and wonderful details in the entire image. It is not a product of its time.

Ace Pro is the action camera with the best night scene performance among the products I have tested, and I can take responsibility for this conclusion.

From Taking Good Photos to Taking Better Photos

Ace Pro, which boasts the best “night scene recording,” “motion HDR,” and “lossless zoom” in the industry, is undoubtedly a top-notch action camera in terms of image quality. However, the reason why it can create a new product line is also related to its innovative form.

Observant friends may notice that Ace Pro’s front screen is a mirrored monochrome dot matrix screen, with a LED light strip at the bottom for indicating recording status, storage card and battery status, and the current recording specifications. It cannot be used for framing. Does this mean that Ace Pro is abandoning the VLOG market? Of course not.

On the back of Ace Pro is a 2.4-inch screen that can be flipped!

This is the first action camera equipped with a flip screen. The 2.4-inch flip screen has a visual area nearly twice as large as any action camera with a front screen. It is like the difference in area between a smart bracelet and a smartwatch.

This screen has continuous hover angles from 0 to 180 degrees. You can use it for waist-level framing or selfie. The clear and bright framing experience makes Ace Pro the best and most enjoyable product for recording VLOGs among all the action cameras I have tested.

All I need to do is to put it on the magnetic quick-release mount, prop up the flip screen, and gesture a high five to start/stop recording. Even when walking on the road, passersby won’t pay attention. If I want to take a quick selfie, I only need to make a V sign, and it will start the countdown.

During the time I used Ace Pro, this gesture control has replaced the shutter button and become the most commonly used recording method for me, especially in places like cafes or libraries, where I can silently record life without bothering others. This is the best.

If the flip screen brings joy to VLOG users, old-school action camera users may have some complaints - will the additional mechanical structure reduce the reliability of Ace Pro in extreme sports scenes?

Of course not.

In order to prevent the flip screen from loosening, Ace Pro adopts a design with two card locks on the left and right. Only when both are pressed simultaneously can it be unlocked, effectively avoiding misoperation.

The back cable is also reinforced with rubber, and combined with a sturdy metal hinge, when locked, the flip screen can be firmly connected to the body. When flipped open, the large hinge spanning the top of the body provides sufficient twisting rigidity, allowing it to provide convenience without compromising its robustness as an action camera.

When you lock the flip screen, it becomes an action camera that can withstand falls and rough use. When you flip it open, its logic is more similar to a camera with a shoulder screen. It not only has a large screen for framing, but also has a front display for status indication. It is not flipping the screen just for the sake of flipping the screen, but rather a well thought out answer from Insta360 after in-depth exploration of the usage scenarios for action cameras.

This user-friendliness is also reflected in software feature updates. In order to solve the problem of difficult material management and finding highlights when shooting VLOGs using action cameras, Ace Pro provides two sets of solutions.

The first is the “pause/resume recording” function. If you are a more traditional creator, you can choose to connect the next segment of footage after the previous segment is recorded, just like making a movie, scene by scene, to eventually obtain a long video. The other solution is the “AI highlight assistant” implemented with the help of the AI chip.

During my recent trip to Nanjing, I used the AI internal highlight analysis of Ace Pro intensively. After turning it on, it can recognize the highlight moments in each recording segment. After connecting to the app, the app will automatically push the edited highlights. In the “Memories” module, you just need to save them with a simple click, greatly reducing the labor intensity of selecting and editing materials.

At the same time, as long as it is connected to a mobile phone, the downloading of materials can be completely done in the background. This is a major pain point when using action cameras. When using other action cameras, if I am transferring materials, I cannot do anything else on my phone. If I put the app in the background, the transfer will stop, which may cause data corruption. It greatly affects the experience.

Now Ace Pro can download in the background, and the phone is free to do other things. It’s really convenient. I completed this VLOG while on the high-speed rail. I just connected the camera, put the app in the background, and continued watching videos on the foreground. After a while, all the materials were downloaded.

Link

This short film is a VLOG that I automatically trimmed using the AI highlight assistant and “Memories” feature - the effect is quite good, isn’t it?

In addition to automatic editing, we can also upload materials to the cloud for AI stylization processing. This feature is called AI Magician and can turn ordinary daily scenes into sci-fi blockbusters, adding a touch of Generative AI to your video creation.

In addition to intelligence, Insta360 is also building Ace Pro and future action cameras into a node that can be integrated into other ecosystems. It can connect to AirPods for audio recording and import cycling data from Garmin and Apple Watch. Previously, to export videos with stopwatch data, you needed to export the video and data separately and then combine them. Now it has been streamlined and can be done directly in the app. This is also an exclusive feature of Ace Pro.

Insta360 is building a “software ecosystem” that goes beyond the “accessory ecosystem.” This gives us a great space for imagination - imagine if in the future, with the combination of XR devices and 360 devices, can we restore those wonderful moments in a “multi-dimensional” way?

Ace Pro - The Future, Coming in Full Force

The lowering of the entry barrier and the cost constitutes the trend of the popularization of cameras every hundred years - from miniaturization (popularization of 135 format), to synchronous framing (invention of SLR structure), to digitization (digital SLRs and compact cameras), to electronicization (removal of mechanical structure with pure electronic mirrorless cameras), as well as the simultaneous high-speed development of intelligence (rich functions of smartphones, computational photography), action cameras will also inevitably follow this trend.

Action cameras, gimbal cameras, panoramic cameras, and flagship smartphones for mobile photography will eventually all become the “ultimate camera”. Ace Pro has a chance to become a milestone in the intelligent transformation of the action camera category and, of course, it is the first step.

https://xg.zhihu.com/plugin/aca288c6645afd43850ab15b6aebcd03?BIZ=ECOMMERCE

As the action camera with the best image quality, Ace Pro is the action camera that comes closest to my idea of a perfect form. It is powerful, intelligent, and very resistant to use. For VLOG users, Ace Pro’s flip screen and AI highlight assistant are undoubtedly good helpers for creation, and the significantly upgraded AI night scene also allows the action camera to be on standby all day long. For friends who love sports, in addition to Insta360’s consistently strong image quality and stabilization, Ace Pro also offers the unique feature of importing external device (Garmin and Apple Watch) data, allowing you to create a more convenient and complete ecosystem with your daily activities.

Ace Pro will go on sale at 9:30 pm tonight (November 21, 2023) with a retail price of $2998. At the same time, there is also a standard version of Ace with a 1/2-inch sensor to choose from. If you want a smart and powerful action camera, you might as well take a look at this brand new series.

Insta360 Ace Pro: The Ultimate Action Camera with Advanced Imaging Technology

Powerful Image Quality, Insta360 Ace Pro Review: Action Cameras Enter the Era of Computational Photography!

On the evening of November 21st, the Insta360 Ace Pro action camera was officially released. Unlike the previous modular ONE R/RS series, the Insta360 Ace/Ace Pro is a purebred action camera. The Insta360 Ace Pro features a 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel sensor, a 5nm AI chip, a flip screen, and the iconic collaboration with Leica, all for a price of 2998 yuan.

2023 is a big year for vloggers and action camera enthusiasts. In August, DJI released the Action 4 with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor for 2598 yuan. In September, GoPro introduced the HERO 12 Black with a 1/1.9-inch 8:7 sensor, improved HDR, stabilization, and battery life for 3198 yuan. In late October, DJI released the Pocket 3 with a 1-inch IMX989 sensor and built-in gimbal for 3499 yuan. And now, in late November, we have the Insta360 Ace/Ace Pro with a 1/1.3-inch CMOS sensor for 2998 yuan.

The Latest Work of Flip Screen Enthusiasts:

1. The Insta360 Ace features a 1/2-inch 48-megapixel sensor (IMX586?), supports 4K 120fps recording, a 2.4-inch flip screen + 0.7-inch front screen, and is priced at 2398 yuan.
2. The Insta360 Ace Pro features a 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel sensor (OV48C?), supports 4K 120fps recording, a 2.4-inch flip screen + 0.9-inch front screen, and is priced at 2998 yuan. Other specifications include:

• Minimum focusing distance of 0.4 meters
• Supports 4K 120fps, 2.7K 120fps, and 1080P 240fps video recording, with a maximum bitrate of 170Mbps
• 2.4-inch 400x240, 192ppi flip screen
• 1650mAh battery, with a 100-minute battery life for 4K 30fps recording
• 27W PD fast charging (9V, 3A), charges to 80% in 22 minutes, and fully charges in 46 minutes
• Waterproof up to 10 meters without a housing

Competitors:

• The DJI Action 4 features a 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel sensor, a 1.4-inch 320x320 front screen + a 2.25-inch 360x640 main screen, is waterproof up to 18 meters, has a 1770mAh battery with a 160-minute battery life (at 1080P 24fps), and supports 30W PD fast charging (charges to 80% in 18 minutes, and fully charges in 50 minutes) for 2598 yuan.
• The GoPro HERO 12 Black features a 1/1.9-inch 8:7 sensor, captures photos up to 27 megapixels and videos up to 5.3K, has a 1.4-inch front screen + a 2.27-inch main screen, is waterproof up to 10 meters, has an Enduro battery with a 150-minute battery life (at 1080P 30fps), and supports charging for 110 minutes for 3198 yuan.

Appearance and Accessories

The Insta360 Ace Pro comes with the usual accessories, including logo and slogan stickers, a sturdy dual-C charger cable, a magnetic quick-release plate, and a suction mount.

The camera follows the traditional layout of action cameras, with a metal frame and rubber coverage on the edges. The front screen glass is slightly elevated from the body.

The most notable feature is the magnetic quick-release port on the bottom, as well as the flip screen design similar to the Insta360 GO 3 (which still retains the front screen and front indicator light).

Comparison with Other Cameras

The Insta360 Ace Pro features a 1/1.3-inch, 48-megapixel sensor with 1.2μm pixel size and an equivalent 16mm F2.6 lens.

Based on the sensor size, pixel count, and maximum video recording specifications, it is highly likely that the Insta360 Ace Pro uses the OV48C sensor from Sony, which is also used in the Xiaomi Mi 10 Ultra smartphone.

In terms of comparison, it’s only fair to compare DJI and Insta360, with both using 1/1.3-inch sensors. The GoPro HERO 12 with a 1/1.9-inch sensor will not be included in this comparison.

The DJI Action 4 also uses the OV48C sensor (which is also used in the DJI Mini 3), with a 155-degree field of view, equivalent to an 11mm lens, and an F2.8 aperture.

Comparing the photo angles (default 12-megapixel mode)↑

The Insta360 Ace Pro’s equivalent 16mm focal length is noticeably longer, with a slightly larger aperture (F2.6 vs. F2.8). Its field of view is smaller than the Action 4’s (although there may be some discrepancy in focal length reporting between the two). In theory, the Insta360 Ace Pro will have a slight advantage in capturing more details due to its higher pixel density.

In the 2x zoom comparison below, you can see a significant difference in field of view and the size of objects in the center of the frame between the two cameras.

The Insta360 Ace Pro’s maximum field of view is between the wide-angle (12mm equivalent) and ultra-wide-angle (11mm equivalent) modes on the Action 4.

The most interesting aspect is the difference in lens design between the two cameras. When both are set to the maximum distortion correction and the first level of stabilization, the size of objects in the center of the frame is almost the same. However, the Insta360 Ace Pro still has some barrel distortion.

To make the horizontal field of view comparable, the Action 4 is set to its standard mode (maximum distortion correction), while the Insta360 Ace Pro is set to the lowest level of distortion correction (maximum field of view).

Comparison at 4K 60fps

Note the highlights on the building on the right↑

Highlights on the building and details in the shadow areas (leaves and road)↑

In 4K 60fps mode, neither camera triggers auto HDR, but due to differences in internal algorithms, the Insta360 Ace Pro has a higher dynamic range, with stronger highlights and shadow details.

When the maximum stabilization is activated (below FlowState, which is the highest stabilization level on the Ace Pro), the dynamic range of both cameras is comparable. The Insta360 Ace Pro even has a slight advantage in dynamic range in the 2.7K 120fps mode.

The Insta360 Ace Pro’s noise reduction and sharpening are much lighter compared to the Action 4. At first glance, the Action 4’s image appears sharper, but in reality, the Insta360 Ace Pro captures more details.

Comparison at 4K 30fps

Note the highlights on the sign↑

Note the highlights on the sign and lightbox below↑

Highlights in this scene don’t need to be circled, right?

In 4K 30fps mode, both cameras default to HDR. The overall dynamic range of both cameras is closer in this mode, but the Insta360 Ace Pro’s highlight suppression is noticeably better. It maintains a significant lead.

Low Light Comparison

With the introduction of 1/1.3-inch sensors, both DJI and Insta360’s action cameras can now capture low-light videos in 4K 30fps mode. Surprise!

In terms of low-light control, the Insta360 Ace Pro’s automatic mode and night mode are slightly weaker compared to the Action 4’s “low-light stabilization” mode, but it performs better than the Action 4 with low-light stabilization turned off.

On the other hand, the Action 4’s “low-light stabilization” reduces motion blur but significantly reduces overall brightness compared to what the human eye perceives. So, in low-light scenes, the Insta360 Ace Pro should be used in night mode, while the Action 4 should be used with low-light enhancement and manual disabling of low-light stabilization. Let’s compare the two cameras' best low-light modes↓

In the night mode of the Insta360 Ace Pro, the noise reduction is slightly stronger, and the sharpening is lighter.

As expected, the Action 4 initially appears to be superior in low-light conditions, but in terms of details, the Insta360 Ace Pro has a slight lead. The difference is not as significant as in daylight or well-lit scenes. In low-light conditions, the differences in white balance and color saturation are more apparent.

“2x Zoom” and Photo Comparison

At 2x zoom, the significant difference in focal length and field of view between the two cameras is immediately apparent.

Both are zoomed in by 125%, but the Insta360 Ace Pro has a smaller field of view and larger objects in the frame.

Comparison at 2x zoom for 4K 60fps 1

Comparison at 2x zoom for 4K 60fps 2

Comparison at 2x zoom for 4K 30fps 1

Comparison at 2x zoom for 4K 30fps 2

Comparison at 2x zoom for 4K 30fps 3

Comparison at 2x zoom for 4K 30fps 4

Comparison at 2x zoom for 4K 30fps 5

Surprisingly, the biggest difference is seen in the 2x zoom mode.

Neither the Action 4 nor the DJI Mini 3 offers a 48-megapixel photo mode, whether due to software or hardware limitations. This significantly affects the effectiveness of the “2x zoom” feature, resulting in a noticeable gap between the Insta360 Ace Pro and the other cameras, regardless of whether it’s 4K 60fps or a well-lit scene.

Comparison in photo mode, both global view and zoomed in (note the antenna on the rooftop)↑

(Due to the large file sizes, Insta360 Ace Pro’s 12-megapixel JPG photos are 3.3MB, while the 48-megapixel photos are 8MB, and the 48-megapixel DNG photos are 83MB. The average user no longer needs RAW format.)

In photo mode, the Insta360 Ace Pro has noticeably less noise, and the difference in high-resolution mode is even more significant.

Comparison of photos in 48-megapixel mode↑

The Insta360 Ace Pro’s 48-megapixel photo mode allows for ultra-wide-angle photography that surpasses what most flagship smartphones can achieve. It’s a pity that other cameras can’t achieve the same level of performance.

Simple User Experience

The user experience of the Insta360 Ace Pro is similar to that of GoPro, possibly due to improved performance, or the benefit of a new machine. The system’s UI is noticeably smoother, with a cold start time of approximately 4 seconds, which is similar to the Action 4.

The main screen has a lower pixel density (ppi) than the Action 4 and does not have an ambient light sensor. The official claim of the main screen’s brightness exceeding 800 nits means it’s usable even on sunny days.

The flip screen’s hinge is tight and can be stopped at any angle between 0 and 180 degrees. The selfie framing experience is much more comfortable compared to using the front screen, although it requires more control over eye contact (the angle of gaze deviation is more noticeable when looking at the screen). Personally, I would prefer to remove the front screen to reduce weight and cost.

The Insta360 Ace Pro’s lens has an equivalent focal length of 16mm and a warmer color temperature. It has face detection and is clearly designed for vlogging.

In terms of audio recording, no further explanation is needed. The Insta360 Ace Pro default’s noise reduction level is higher compared to DJI. There’s nothing else particularly noteworthy.

The official claim is a 1 hour and 40-minute battery life for 4K 30fps recording with AI Highlight Boost turned off (although it’s unclear why the camera doesn’t provide a battery percentage display).

The Insta360 Ace Pro’s heat dissipation is slightly better than the Action 4 (mainly due to its larger body and possibly more advanced control processing). Nevertheless, it is still a hot action camera. After 20 minutes of recording at 4K 30fps with the built-in HDR mode and AI Highlight Boost on (this should be the most stressful combination), the temperature reached a maximum of 53.4 degrees Celsius. After 30 minutes, it was 56 degrees Celsius, after 40 minutes it was 59.2 degrees Celsius, and after an hour it reached 62.1 degrees Celsius. The camera did not overheat and shut down even when the battery was completely depleted.

The Insta360 Ace Pro is equipped with an AI chip with a 5nm process, although the specific model is unknown. It appears to have more advanced performance and processing compared to other cameras:

• It is capable of running more powerful multi-frame synthesis algorithms, resulting in the industry’s strongest highlight suppression. This highlight suppression is stronger than that of some premium smartphones and is close to the level of computational photography found in smartphones.
• It has an AI Highlight Boost function that automatically identifies highlight segments during recording and makes in-camera highlights compilation. (Can you believe that an action camera can perform rudimentary in-camera AI editing?)
• It is capable of in-camera output of photos processed at 48 megapixels. (Although zooming in on images/videos in-camera is not possible…)
• It can take photos during video recording.
• It can output underwater color profiles in-camera.
• It has gesture control and voice control features.
• The battery is smaller compared to competitors, but it generates slightly less heat and has a battery life similar to others.

The camera does not have professional features such as time codes or Log mode, but it offers interesting features for general users in terms of shooting and post-processing.

The Insta360 Ace Pro has three unique “media management” features:

1. During recording, you can press and hold the shutter button to cancel and discard the recording. (No more manual deletion required!)
2. Pause recording (like on a smartphone, you can pause recording without creating multiple clips).
3. Power on and start recording automatically (can be set to automatically start recording when powered on, a favorite feature for cyclists and motorcyclists).

Other features include timed shooting (available in all modes), the well-known FlowState stabilization (enables free recording and automatic horizontality in post-processing), AI removal of selfie sticks, and the newly added “Algorithmic ND Filter” effect (which was unexpected).

Summary: Action Cameras Now Do Computational Photography!!!

It’s inevitable that the evaluation of the Insta360 Ace Pro will conflict with advertising laws: it has the strongest HDR, dynamic range, highlight suppression, 2x zoom, and high-resolution mode among all action cameras, without exception.

It is the only legitimate action camera with a flip screen, and at this point in 2023, it is the action camera with the best overall image quality: strong white balance, light metering, dynamic range, and details in highlights and shadows. Who would have thought that an action camera could achieve the high highlight suppression quality of modern computational photography on smartphones?

But during the time I used the Insta360 Ace Pro, the most astonishing moment was when I viewed the 48-megapixel photos. This is the ultra-wide-angle that pixel peepers have always wanted to see on smartphones! Unfortunately, no flagship phone currently matches this level of performance.

The main disadvantages of the Insta360 Ace Pro are its larger and heavier body, as well as its excessively long name.

DJI Action series will need an Action 4 Pro or Action 5 with a 1-inch sensor to redeem itself in terms of image quality. The Pocket 3 has a 1-inch sensor, but it serves a different purpose, excelling in image quality and stabilization, but with a narrower field of view and no waterproofing.

The well-balanced Action 4 has a price advantage of 400 yuan, and GoPro has high-speed recording capabilities (5.3K 60fps/2.7K 240fps), while the Insta360 Ace Pro excels in image quality and flip screen. Each camera has its own strengths, so users can choose according to their needs.

Overview and Key Features of Insta360 Ace Pro

Hi, I’m Insta360 Technology.

Yesterday, Insta360 launched the Ace series sports camera. We got our hands on the Ace Pro, developed in collaboration with Leica. Below is a detailed introduction and demonstration of its features.

Overview

Insta360 Ace Pro was released on November 21, 2023. It features a large sensor, 5nm AI chip, Leica-certified lens, and a flip-out touchscreen, providing excellent imaging quality and a comfortable user experience. The official price is 2998 yuan and includes the main unit, battery, quick-release base, flexible adhesive base, and a data cable.

Key specifications: 1/1.3-inch 48-megapixel CMOS | 16mm equivalent focal length, F2.8 lens aperture | ISO sensitivity from 100 to 6400 | Up to 4K 120p video | 2.4-inch flip-out touchscreen | Weight approximately 179.8g

Main Differences

The Ace and Ace Pro have similar body designs and software functions. The main differences are:

• The Ace Pro has a larger sensor size (Ace has a 1/2-inch 48-megapixel sensor).
• The Ace Pro lens is Leica-certified and achieves a minimum focus distance of 0.4m.
• The Ace Pro supports 4K 120p recording.
• The Ace Pro supports PD fast charging (tested at 18W).
• The Ace has a dedicated quick mode button.
• The Ace has a slightly larger front screen.

Summary

Following the modular design of the ONE R series and the detachable design of the Go series, Insta360’s sports camera lineup has finally completed the puzzle. No matter what size or form factor you need, you can find the right product within the Insta360 brand.

During the test shooting process, the Ace Pro did demonstrate better image quality in most scenarios. Combined with various AI features, a large display, and Insta360’s leading FlowState stabilization technology, it is also easy to use. If future firmware updates can add 10-bit video and LOG, it will undoubtedly meet the needs of more creators.

Learn More

Design

Ace Pro is the first sports camera with a 180-degree flip-out LCD screen. At first glance, it looks a bit like the expansion module of the Go 3+. It still has IP10 water resistance and can be used in low-temperature environments down to -20°C.

The question of whether a sports camera needs a flip-out screen was answered as early as ten years ago. In January 2014, Olympus released the TG-850 with a 180-degree flip-out screen and a 21mm ultra-wide-angle lens, hoping to allow adventurers to record themselves and their environments in various scenarios. Now, with the rise of VLOG videos, adding a flip-out screen to a sports camera to enhance selfie shooting and operating experience is definitely meaningful.

There is a 0.7-inch information display on the front of the camera body, which cannot be used for framing or touch input, but provides status indications through LED colors and blinking.

Image Sensor

Ace Pro features a 1/1.3-inch sensor, which not only provides better image quality than GoPro but also avoids the bulkiness of the 1-inch version of the ONE R. This sensor has an effective resolution of 48 million pixels and supports high-resolution output and 2x “lossless zoom.” It also automatically activates “Motion HDR” to expand the dynamic range when recording at up to 30p.

It should be noted that most sports cameras use fixed-focus lenses and do not require focusing, and Ace Pro is no exception. This means they cannot increase the amount of light by widening the aperture like smartphones or VLOG cameras (a larger aperture would result in shallower depth of field). To address the issue of weak low-light image quality, Insta360 equipped the Ace series with a 5nm AI chip, which provides better noise reduction, highlight suppression, and stabilization in night mode.

Lastly, Ace Pro offers three field-of-view options, four sharpness adjustments, and various color presets. Unfortunately, at present, only a “flat” color profile is available, and it does not support 10-bit video.

AI Assistant

After purchasing sports cameras or VLOG cameras, many people start by shooting a large amount of footage. However, the process of selecting and editing videos can be cumbersome, and these video files end up sitting on hard drives, causing the cameras to gather dust over time. To solve this pain point, Insta360 added an in-camera highlight clip analysis function to the Ace series. It not only helps us identify exciting moments in the footage but also helps us delete unwanted clips, saving storage space and post-production costs. When connected to the app, it also provides AI-generated compilation clips for different time periods, allowing quick review of the highlights.

In addition, the app’s “AI Creative Library” has added cool effects such as cyberpunk, sci-fi, and space, as well as the ability to make selfie sticks invisible and add ND (neutral density) filter effects to the footage (to control motion blur).

Other Features

• It can overlay motion data recorded by Garmin devices and Apple Watch onto the captured video.
• It supports video snapshots (taking photos during recording).
• It allows pausing/canceling recording.
• It automatically starts recording when powered on.
• It offers features such as track lapse, starry sky, pre-record, and free aspect ratio recording.

Accessories

• Optional GPS video transmission remote control, which can be worn like a watch or mounted on a bicycle handlebar.
• Compatible with quick-release bases and magnetic quick-release accessories from the ONE RS series, making assembly and disassembly more convenient.
• Optional multi-functional folding tripod selfie stick in collaboration with PGY.
• Optional 3.5mm audio adapter.

@Insta360 Technology is composed of a group of professionals who are passionate about mobile phones, computers, photography equipment, and digital gadgets. We look forward to your attention and interaction.

Nighttime video quality of the Insta360 Ace Pro.

Since the official has just started, I won’t hide anymore.

Insta360 Ace Pro by Shadow Stone, this is the best sports camera you can buy for night scenes.

The Ace Pro is a new sports camera co-developed by Shadow Stone and LEICA, with a small blue light, very handsome.

1. Starting from night photography:

As we all know, sports cameras are not suitable for shooting at night (just kidding), because their image quality is simply unable to capture anything. For example, in night runs or night rides, all you can capture is a blurry mess, and you can’t see the nose and eyes clearly.

I usually enjoy off-roading and mountaineering in the snow mountains, and sometimes I use FPV to record something. But everyone knows that FPV is not great at night, so most FPV footage you see is all shot during the day. At the latest, you can only shoot ten minutes after the sun touches the horizon, and then it’s too dark to shoot.

Shot in the Dolomites, Italy. I crashed my drone after shooting this scene…

When I climbed the second peak of Mount Siguniang earlier, the sports camera I brought with me didn’t capture much before sunrise.

Although I didn’t look presentable and it’s not suitable for recording myself, the ability to capture or not capture is a different matter. It was pitch black, with no image quality to speak of.

Only the image quality after sunrise can be considered usable. I’ve already reached the summit, and at this point, I’m breathing heavily.

Recently, I used the Ace Pro in my personal creative short film and captured some shots after the blue hour.

This photo was taken with a sports camera, surprising, isn’t it?

At that time, there was almost no light on the scene, it was quite late, and there were only faint street lights. I used the Ace Pro’s 48 million pixel shooting mode to take this photo.

Contrary to intuition, for photography, pixels are important but not the most important. The most important thing is image quality and a good dynamic range to support it.

Many friends may not have a direct experience of the image quality of sports cameras. They are often referred to as “sunshine-only” cameras, meaning they are useless without sunlight.

However, the Ace Pro by Shadow Stone is different, it’s not a sunshine-only camera.

This video was shot during the blue hour before sunrise, doesn’t it look like daytime? Actually, the ambient lighting conditions at the time should look like this:

2. A comparison speaks louder than words:

Here I have another camera at hand. Before the Ace Pro, the best sports camera in terms of image quality (I won’t mention the brand name here), I use both of them to shoot videos in low light environments, and everyone can compare them.

The Ace Pro has a 1/1.3-inch CMOS, which is relatively large compared to other sports cameras on the market. Additionally, I believe the key is the 5nm AI noise reduction chip. Although there are many 1/1.3-inch CMOS cameras on the market, their night scene image quality is generally disappointing.

This combination of a 1/1.3-inch CMOS with an AI chip, plus the optical tuning by Leica, is very powerful. I originally wanted to show some comparison images for you to guess, but the difference is too big, no guesswork is necessary.

Dim lighting in an underground parking lot, settings: 4K 50, all in log mode (the terminology varies among different brands), other settings on auto:

A separate light source scene in the underground parking lot, settings: 4K 50, all in log mode, other settings on auto:

Zoomed in detail near the light source:

Street scene, settings: 4K 50, all in log mode, other settings on auto:

The bluish tone is not solely a white balance issue, the main reason is that the noise is too dense, obscuring the details.

Charging station scene:

We can’t say it’s very good, only usable. But there is a huge difference between unusable and usable.

My favorite Lawson convenience store:

The difference in this scene is not as significant as expected because the store sign is still bright, providing some additional lighting. However, scenes with high contrast like this test the dynamic range of a sports camera. Ace Pro’s highlight suppression function enhances the details in the highlights. Look closely at the Lawson sign.

3. Low-light image quality with the night video mode:

Thanks to hardware and software support, the Ace Pro by Shadow Stone has good low-light image quality, which was previously impossible for a sports camera to achieve.

Here’s a time-lapse screenshot taken by the Ace Pro at night. Honestly, even ordinary people using a full-frame mirrorless camera may not achieve the same image quality as mine:

Due to the small CMOS size, conventional sports cameras often lack sufficient dynamic range, struggling to capture both highlights and shadows.

The Ace Pro uses a unique highlight suppression algorithm, allowing for stable and clear footage even at night.

For example, in this scene, the bare LED beads would definitely cause overexposure with a conventional sports camera. But thanks to the unique algorithm, the Ace Pro is able to control the intensity of the highlights in the footage.

4. Other user experiences:

The Ace Pro is equipped with a flip screen, which makes it more enjoyable for taking selfies.

However, the high-quality night scene comes with a disadvantage - the body is not slim, it’s about 4mm thicker than a regular sports camera due to the flip screen.

Controlling the camera and reviewing footage using the app, paired with my Huawei Mate X3, the data transfer and connection are fast.

There’s one aspect that I think the Ace Pro excels in compared to other sports cameras - it supports background downloading of footage.

When you download footage from the camera to your phone, it can download in the background without occupying your phone’s usage time. You can download the footage while doing other things, such as browsing TikTok or checking messages.

Because the footage captured by a sports camera is quite large in size, waiting for several seconds or a few minutes can feel agonizing.

Furthermore, there is an AI highlight assistant, similar to a “Memory” function, that automatically selects some highlight moments and combines them into a compiled video. The AI Magic feature supports one-tap effects, give it a try.

In terms of overall battery life, if you shoot at 4K 30 fps, you can use it continuously for 100 minutes, or even longer if used intermittently, such as a morning or afternoon.

Next, I plan to use it to shoot some night scene FPV videos.

I’ll share more about my experience with you then.

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Ace Pro: A Game-Changing All-in-One Action Camera.

Preface

In fact, as early as seven or eight years ago, when I was on a business trip to the United States, I borrowed a G-branded action camera from a friend.

At that time, I had a wonderful idea: to use it to record what I saw and heard during my first business trip to the other side of the Pacific Ocean. After all, running in Portland would be a particularly novel and unique experience.

But later, when I looked back at the footage I shot with that action camera, the image quality was comparable to a disaster film. Even during a walk (not even running), the shaking of the footage had reached a level that was “unwatchable” and “unusable”. In the end, I had to give up on the idea of editing a sports vlog.

Since then, I haven’t had any contact with action cameras. Coupled with the fact that I rarely bring my phone with me when I go running, it has been difficult for me to record beautiful scenes and interesting experiences in video format. This has been a pain point and regret for me as a full-time running content creator.

Until recently, I received the Insta360 Ace Pro, the latest flagship all-in-one wide-angle action camera from Insta360. Everything started to quietly change, and let me tell you slowly.

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Specifications and Configuration

I have to say, the name Ace Pro has a certain ring to it: Ace represents the “ace” or “top player,” while Pro signifies professionalism.

When the “ace” meets professional, it’s like stacking buffs. Insta360 has brought together the best of its software and hardware design and put them in the Ace Pro.

From its 1/1.3" large sensor with Leica support, to its exclusive use of the advanced 5nm AI chip in the field of action cameras (emphasis: this chip provides stronger computing power when dealing with complex shooting scenarios, achieving real-time AI noise reduction and resulting in fewer noise points and higher image quality). The Ace Pro also supports high-spec shooting like 4K 120fps.

In terms of image quality, it is indeed at the top of the market among action cameras.

As for my own usual shooting, I mostly use specifications like 4K 60fps or 30fps/24fps. With the support of H.265 encoding format, Ace Pro can effectively control the size of the footage, achieving a good balance between quality and size. It also automatically enables video HDR mode when shooting in 4K 30fps, enhancing the contrast and faithfully reproducing the scene.

In addition, this generation of Ace Pro also supports a special “night video mode,” which improves the problem of shooting in low-light conditions both indoors and at night. I tried shooting indoors and at night, and the results were satisfying.

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Product Details and Highlights

Talking about creation itself, good equipment always serves the content.

Apart from the biggest advantage of “excellent image quality,” what I think best embodies the identity of the Ace Pro as a versatile flagship action camera is its attention to detail.

First of all, in terms of hardware, it features a flip screen that can be rotated to any angle within 180 degrees. It is incredibly convenient, whether for selfies or capturing objects and subjects, because what you see is what you get.

Nowadays, people’s expectations for action cameras have changed. It’s no longer just about casual shooting or simple recording, but about becoming the best assistant for creators to tell great stories. This 2.4-inch flip screen largely meets my requirements for various shooting methods with action cameras, making it more than just a decoration.

In terms of operation, both the gesture control and voice recognition on the Ace Pro are excellent. Whether it’s starting or ending a self-timer by raising your hand, the recognition is exceptionally accurate, eliminating the need to press physical buttons. The voice control is also impressive and easy to use.

Demonstration of gesture recognition: link

In addition to the advancements in operation, I believe the evolution of AI is worth mentioning.

Many people think AI is just a gimmick, but on the Ace Pro, both the “AI Highlight Assistant” and “AI Magician” features are practical and improve efficiency.

Many people have experienced the painful process of shooting but struggling to edit the footage, ending up with a pile of unused clips. Faced with a large amount of material, it’s easy to give up within seconds.

However, during the daily shooting process, by enabling the “AI Highlight Assistant,” the Ace Pro automatically identifies the “highlight moments” of the footage. This allows you to directly access and edit these “memories” in the Insta360 app without having to review a large amount of material, saving a significant amount of time in post-production editing.

And the “AI Magician” combines the hottest AI-generated content with your preferred shooting style, creating even more novel and unique ways to showcase your content.

For example, when I shoot my runs, I often incorporate a segment of myself running in the footage. I can use the “AI Magician” to achieve cool effects like the one below, adding a lot of special effects to my content.

AI Magician - Actual effect: link

In an era where content creation tends to be homogeneous, the AI Magician can truly bring some new tricks to the table and provide more possibilities for our creation.

After using it extensively for some time, if you ask me, “Does kung fu + soccer work?” I may not be able to answer you. But if you ask me, “Does AI + sports shooting work?” I think it has great potential.

Now let’s get back to some of the details of the Ace Pro. For example, it has the practical function of being able to pause and cancel recording by long-pressing the recording button.

One time, when I was halfway through shooting and noticed that a passerby accidentally appeared in the frame, I quickly pressed the pause button, waited for the person to leave, and then resumed recording. This not only saved storage space and reduced wasted footage, but what’s even cooler is that when I swiped right to enter the preview album and clicked on the completed footage, I could continue from where I left off. This feature is really amazing and I strongly suspect that the product manager of Ace Pro is also a sports vlog expert. These two small functions can solve many users' pain points.

If the hardware upgrade can be achieved through better materials, then the innovation and improvement on the software side are undoubtedly the results of the product manager’s repeated refinement based on user feedback.

Let me give you another example. Many people hope to have a real-time display of the data dashboard while running. Ace Pro has made this feature possible:

After some simple settings, whether it’s a Garmin watch or an Apple Watch, you can overlay a more dynamic and intuitive dashboard on your recorded videos. This feature is very timely for us running creators.

Let me mention one more practical feature: Ace Pro supports “background downloading” through the app and is smoothly compatible with my iPhone 14 Pro:

Since then, my mom no longer has to worry about me having to keep the app open to complete the download of the footage. The background download can still proceed smoothly, which is fantastic.

In addition to shooting in landscape format, many creators have started to create more vertical content suitable for viewing on mobile phones. Ace Pro provides excellent solutions from both the software and hardware perspectives:

In terms of software, it supports “free ratio recording,” allowing for better composition of both landscape and portrait content during landscape shooting, preparing for cropping in post-production.

In terms of hardware, it offers a “landscape/portrait quick-release bracket” that directly supports vertical shooting without sacrificing any image quality (vertical recording is still in 4K resolution), meeting the shooting needs of more vertical content creators.

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Conclusion

For a running creator like me who doesn’t like to carry a phone when going out, the Ace Pro is like a heavenly gift.

Many people have asked me before, “Why use the Ace Pro to record running?”

I think the best meaning of videos, or the meaning of using a flagship all-in-one action camera, is to capture beautiful moments and faithfully reproduce them, serving the stories you want to tell as much as possible.

This is also why videos are more popular than text and images now, and why more and more people are trying to use videos to record their active lives. The Ace Pro, with its outstanding image quality and stabilization, meets my needs for sports shooting. Plus, with its strengthened AI capabilities, it can save me a lot of time on post-production editing and special effects, allowing me to spend more time conceiving and shooting, telling one fascinating story after another in video format. That’s the real reason we need it.

The Ace Pro is like an AI assistant that helps us improve the efficiency of shooting, editing, and delivering final footage, allowing more ordinary people to use it to record running and capture life.

That’s all.

This is my 99th answer on Zhihu in 2023.

Follow me, an interesting answerer who takes you running and understands the running community.

Professional look of the red circle (Protection of the dog’s head)

Do not say anything else, this red circle looks professional! (Dog head protection)

Ace Pro: Overrated with Flaws

The biggest highlights: Flip screen + Leica + AI

But if you ask me, my conclusion is that I won’t buy it.

I am not a media outlet and I haven’t had the actual device in my hands, but I still want to complain a bit about the Ace Pro. The pixel density of the monitoring screen is poor, and the display is not clear. These are minor issues. After all, action cameras are mainly used to capture videos during sports activities. Nobody would be constantly staring at the screen. However, the price of the Ace Pro is 2998, which is more expensive compared to DJI. But there is indeed a visible difference in the screen quality.

The design of the flip screen is indeed “innovative.” However, the display effect is average. And does the design of the flip screen increase the chances of accidental damage to the device? Compared to DJI’s Action 4 and Go Pro 12, these two devices have a high probability of surviving accidental drops during recording by simply picking them up and wiping them off.

But with the Ace Pro, if the screen gets hit when the flip screen is opened, it would be disastrous. After watching, I feel that the Ace Pro, priced at 2998, is not attractive. It seems more like an intentional design of a flip screen to highlight its uniqueness, but the durable and sturdy aspects of an action camera have been overlooked.

I also watched other videos by content creators testing the durability of the Ace Pro after it drops. My doubts remain. When the camera is unfolded, the shape of the entire device resembles the letter “b.” If the folded part with the screen falls to the ground, I believe the screen will most likely break or crack.

Another issue is the screen’s delay. A 0.3-second delay gives the impression that there might be a problem with the machine. Personally, I can’t accept it. If it were a wireless screen or connected to a smartphone via WiFi, I could tolerate a 0.3-second delay. However, for a camera that directly connects and needs to use the vlog feature, having a 0.3-second delay on the screen, I can only say, please polish the product before selling it.

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In terms of HDR algorithms, it might be slightly better than the Go Pro 12 and Action 4, but only slightly. Currently, action cameras are mostly used for capturing sports scenes. Usage scenarios with high contrast ratios are actually rare. But in terms of image quality, it is indeed slightly better.

However, Ace Pro’s HDR only supports up to 4K 30fps, and it is not supported at higher frame rates. 30fps is usable, but video creators know that many external environments have flickering lights, and there is no HDR for shooting at 50fps under anti-flicker conditions.

I also noticed that many Key Opinion Leaders (KOL) praise the Ace Pro’s nighttime shooting capabilities. Does an action camera need to be praised for its nighttime shooting capabilities? Let’s not compare it to DJI’s Pocket 3, but rather the nighttime shooting capabilities of iPhone 14 or 15. Without having the Ace Pro, after watching sample footage, I feel that the iPhone’s nighttime shooting capabilities might not be worse than the Ace Pro.

As for the Leica lens, sound effects, and the issue of underwater videos turning green, leading channels like Impact and Hurricane haven’t tested them. But in the video about the DJI Action 4, they mentioned waterproofing and improvements made to address the green tint issue in underwater videos. They have also done tests on sound quality.

Both being action cameras, the content and quality of the Ace Pro on Impact and Hurricane have been “cut down” compared to DJI’s Action 4.

I don’t believe that a professional team like Impact and Hurricane has not discovered these issues. It is more likely that they are unwilling or unable to point them out.

Compared to the media outlets that can receive the device for free in advance, they haven’t mentioned many aspects. As ordinary consumers, let’s just wait and see.

Perhaps someone might argue that it has AI enhancement. Dude, for such a small camera with limited battery capacity, do you really think this AI can bring about a visible improvement and change?