Insta360 Ace Pro Review
Announced on 21 November 2023, the Ace Pro put a 1/1.3-inch sensor co-developed with Leica into an action camera body of roughly 179.8 g. The headline that sold it was 4K at 120fps; the 8K modes above it run at 24fps and nothing else. It is for someone who wants a bigger sensor than the class norm and can live with a generation that has since been replaced.
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The Verdict
Action cameras are built around small sensors, and the Ace Pro is the generation where Insta360 stopped accepting that. The sensor is 1/1.3 inches, co-developed with Leica, behind an f/2.6 SUMMARIT lens at a 16mm equivalent, driven by a 5nm chip. The cheaper Ace launched the same day with a 1/2-inch sensor and an f/2.4 lens, which is the size of the gap inside Insta360's own line-up.
Read the frame rates before you buy on resolution. 8K exists in two aspect ratios and both are locked to 24fps. Active HDR, which lives inside the ordinary Video mode, stops at 4K30; PureVideo, the low-light mode, also stops at 4K30. The mode with headroom is 4K at 120fps, with 1080p reaching 240fps. Take it for daylight 4K, for the flip-out screen, and for 10 m of waterproofing with no case. Skip it if you need 8K at 30fps, 10-bit, or a lens guard you can replace.
- Overall
- 8.4/10
- Image quality
- 8.2
- Video
- 8.6
- Handling and build
- 8.4
| Imaging | |
|---|---|
| Announced | 21 November 2023, alongside the cheaper Insta360 Ace |
| Sensor | 1/1.3-inch, co-developed with Leica; 5nm AI chip (manufacturer specification) |
| Lens | Leica SUMMARIT, f/2.6, 16mm equivalent in 35mm terms; minimum focus 0.4 m, the only focus figure Insta360 publishes for this camera |
| Field of view | 151° — published only in Insta360's Ace Pro 2 comparison, not in the product-page specification sheet |
| Stills | 48MP (8064 × 6048), 36MP, 12MP and 9MP; JPG and DNG RAW, the RAW exported through the app or Studio |
| Exposure | ISO 100–6400; shutter 1/8000–120s for stills, 1/8000 to the frame-rate ceiling for video; ±4EV; white balance auto or 2000–10000K |
| Video | |
| Maximum video | 8K 7680 × 4320 (16:9) and 7680 × 3272 (2.35:1), both at 24fps only — Insta360's own wording is "capped at 24fps" |
| 4K | 4K (16:9) to 120fps; 4K (4:3) 4032 × 3024 to 60fps; FreeFrame at 4K (4:3) 60fps and below |
| Slow motion | 4K and 2.7K (16:9) at 120/100fps; 1080p at 240/200/120/100fps |
| Active HDR | Built into the Video mode, up to 4K 30fps (manufacturer comparison table: Max. Active HDR Resolution 4K30fps) |
| PureVideo | Low-light mode, up to 4K 30fps |
| Codec and audio | H.265 or H.264, up to 170 Mbps, MP4; three microphones, 48 kHz 16-bit AAC. Insta360 publishes no bit depth; Newsshooter reports 8-bit with no Log, RedShark that there is no 10-bit mode |
| Stabilisation | FlowState Stabilization with 360° Horizon Lock (manufacturer terms; no stop rating is published) |
| Colour profiles | Six on the current product page; the launch specification listed three (Standard, Vivid, Flat), and firmware v1.0.60 added two in-camera Leica profiles |
| Body | |
| Screens | Flip-out rear touchscreen, 240 × 400 at 192 PPI, listed as 2.4 inches and 850 nits in the comparison table and 2.42 inches in the manual FAQ; front screen 96 × 128 at 180 PPI, 0.89 inches |
| Lens guard | Pre-installed and, per Insta360's store page, not removable or replaceable; the comparison table lists Removable Lens Guard as No |
| Water and dust | 10 m without a case, 60 m in the Dive Case; IP5X for dust |
| Size and weight | 71.9 × 52.15 × 38.5 mm; approx. 179.8 g |
| Storage and wireless | No internal storage, microSD to 1 TB; Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac; BLE 5.2; USB Type-C (USB 3.0 in the manual); six-axis gyroscope; rated −20°C to 40°C |
| Power | |
| Battery | 1650 mAh; rated at approx. 100 minutes under Insta360's stated lab conditions — 25°C, AI Highlights Assistant off, recording 4K30 with Active HDR |
| Charging | 46 minutes with the 30W adapter, 63 minutes at 5V/3A, 22 minutes to 80 percent |
| Measured recording | 360 Rumors, 27 November 2023, indoors without air conditioning: three 8K24 runs on the internal battery stopped at 28:13, 44:22 and 44:12; 4K30 indoors ran 1h35m to a flat battery with no overheating |
What Stands Out
- 1/1.3-inch sensor co-developed with Leica behind an f/2.6 lens, against 1/2 inch and f/2.4 on the cheaper Ace launched the same day
- 4K (16:9) to 120fps, 2.7K to 120fps and 1080p to 240fps for slow motion
- 48MP stills at 8064 × 6048, with DNG RAW as well as JPG
- Flip-out 240 × 400 rear touchscreen rated 850 nits, plus a 96 × 128 front screen; 10 m waterproof with no case, 60 m in the Dive Case
- 46 minutes to full on a 30W adapter and 22 minutes to 80 percent; 360 Rumors recorded 4K30 for 13 hours on USB power with the battery removed, stopping when a 400 GB card filled
Trade-offs
- Both 8K modes run at 24fps only; Insta360's own word for it, when selling the successor, is "capped"
- Active HDR and PureVideo both stop at 4K 30fps — the Ace Pro 2 takes both to 4K 60fps
- No published bit depth and no Log profile: Newsshooter reported 8-bit recording, RedShark that there is no 10-bit mode
- The lens guard is pre-installed and cannot be removed or replaced; the Ace Pro 2 changed that
- 0.4 m minimum focus and a 151° widest view — ProVideo Coalition found close-up faces soft "unless you fit a diopter", and RedShark called the widest setting "not spectacularly wide"
In Depth
8K is a 24fps mode, and Insta360 says so
There are two 8K modes and both run at 24 frames per second: 7680 × 4320 at 16:9 and 7680 × 3272 at 2.35:1. There is no third 8K option and no 25 or 30fps variant of either; when Insta360 later sold the Ace Pro 2, its own comparison described this camera's 8K as "capped at 24fps". A project cut at 25p or 30p either conforms the footage or leaves 8K alone. The frame rate the launch actually marketed was 4K at 120fps, and that is the number to judge the sensor readout by; 8K here behaves like a resolution ceiling rather than a working mode.
Active HDR and PureVideo share one ceiling
The two computational modes stop in the same place. Active HDR is built into the ordinary Video mode and works up to 4K 30fps. PureVideo, the low-light mode, also stops at 4K 30fps. On the Ace Pro 2 both run to 4K 60fps, which is Insta360's own measure of where this generation sat. One firmware detail matters if you buy used: until V1.0.35, released in February 2024, the camera switched into HDR by itself at 30p and below with no control over it, which RedShark reported independently in December 2023. That update added the switch, a webcam mode, and Clarity Zoom in more modes.
What 100 minutes covers, and what long takes measured
Insta360 rates the 1650 mAh battery at about 100 minutes and publishes the conditions: a 25°C lab, AI Highlights Assistant off, recording 4K30 with Active HDR. Independent timings from 360 Rumors (Mic Ty, 27 November 2023, indoors without air conditioning) fill in the rest. Three 8K24 runs on the internal battery stopped at 28:13, 44:22 and 44:12; the page attaches no overheating flag to any of them. A 4K30 run indoors reached 1h35m and ended on a flat battery, explicitly without overheating, while a 4K30 run on a car dashboard did shut down at 43:26, flagged as overheating. With the battery out and USB power supplied, 4K30 ran 13 hours until a 400 GB card filled.
A fixed lens guard and 0.4 m
Two things about the front of this camera matter before it is mounted anywhere abrasive. The lens guard is pre-installed and, in Insta360's own store wording, cannot be removed or replaced; the store pairs that with free repair inside the first year. The Ace Pro 2 made the guard removable, and Insta360's comparison table records the difference as a plain No against Yes. The second is the 0.4 m minimum focus distance. ProVideo Coalition put the consequence plainly: at close range "your face will be soft unless you fit a diopter". The successor moved that distance to 0.37 m.
151 degrees, six colour profiles, 8 bits
The widest view is 151°, a figure Insta360 publishes only in its Ace Pro 2 comparison and not in the product-page specification. RedShark judged the widest Action setting "not too far off a GoPro using Superview, which is okay, but not spectacularly wide", placing it behind the Osmo Action 4 in Ultra-Wide and the HERO12 in Hyperview. Colour has moved since launch: the launch specification listed Standard, Vivid and Flat, then firmware v1.0.60 added two in-camera Leica profiles, Leica Natural and Leica Vivid, and the product page now lists six. The recording format has not moved. Insta360 publishes no bit depth: Newsshooter reports 8-bit and no Log, RedShark that there is no 10-bit colour mode.
How this score is put together
8.4 out of 10
- Image quality Weight 25% 8.2
Type 1/1.3 sensor co-engineered with Leica
- Video Weight 20% 8.6
8K24, the highest flat-lens resolution in this group
- Handling and build Weight 20% 8.4
FlowState stabilisation, flip screen, 10 m waterproof
Scored against action and 360 cameras. The overall figure is the weighted mean of the rows above — it is computed, not set by hand.
How It Compares
| Spec | Insta360 Ace Pro | Insta360 Ace Pro 2 | GoPro Hero 13 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 1/1.3" | 1/1.3" | 1/1.9" |
| Video | 8K24 | 8K30 | 5.3K60 |
| AF Points | N/A | Fixed | |
| IBIS | FlowState | — | HyperSmooth 6.0 |
| Buy | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
Recommended Accessories
Essential gear to maximize your Insta360 Ace Pro experience:
SanDisk Extreme PRO microSDXC 256 GB
There is no internal storage and the camera writes up to 170 Mbps; microSD to 1 TB is supported.
SmallRig BUT2664 Mini Tripod
At 179.8 g the body is light enough that one grip covers handheld and static takes. To fit a 1/4-20 grip it needs Insta360's quick-release mount or its 3-prong to 1/4-20 adapter.
Ulanzi VL49 LED
PureVideo stops at 4K30, so light on the subject is what keeps 60 or 120fps usable after dark.
More gear guides: Best TripodsBest Camera BagsBest SD Cards
FAQ
Is the 8K mode worth using?
Only if 24fps fits your timeline. Both 8K modes, 7680 × 4320 and 7680 × 3272, run at 24fps and nothing else, which Insta360 itself calls capped. Length is a second consideration: 360 Rumors timed three 8K24 runs on the internal battery that stopped at 28:13, 44:22 and 44:12. If you want the resolution to reframe a locked-off shot, it is there. For anything cut at 25p or 30p, 4K at 120fps is the mode this camera was actually marketed on.
Ace Pro or Ace Pro 2?
The Ace Pro 2 launched on 22 October 2024 and changes almost every line listed as a trade-off here: 8K goes to 30fps, Active HDR and PureVideo both to 4K 60fps, the field of view widens from 151° to 157°, the lens guard becomes removable, waterproofing goes from 10 m to 12 m, the battery from 1650 to 1800 mAh, minimum focus from 0.4 m to 0.37 m, and the screen to 2.5 inches at 900 nits. It also runs two chips instead of one and ships with a Wind Guard. If none of those lines describe your work, the older body carries a sensor of the same 1/1.3-inch size.
How long can it record in one take?
Insta360's own rating is about 100 minutes, measured in a 25°C lab with AI Highlights Assistant off while recording 4K30 with Active HDR. 360 Rumors measured a 4K30 run indoors that reached 1h35m and ended on a flat battery with no overheating, and a 4K30 run on a car dashboard that shut down at 43:26 flagged as overheating. With the battery removed and USB power supplied, 4K30 ran 13 hours and stopped only because a 400 GB card filled. Charging takes 46 minutes with the 30W adapter, 63 minutes at 5V/3A, and 22 minutes to 80 percent.
Can the lens guard be replaced if it scratches?
No. Insta360's store page states that the pre-installed lens protector cannot be removed or replaced, and offers free repair within the first year instead; the company's generation comparison lists Removable Lens Guard as No for this camera and Yes for the Ace Pro 2. Treat the front element as part of the body when choosing mounts and a case. The 0.4 m minimum focus distance is a separate limit, and the accessory ProVideo Coalition suggested for it is a diopter, not a guard.
