Exploring the Insta360 Ace Pro: Unboxing, Features, and First Impressions

Introduction

Take a look at the Insta360 Ace Pro with Larry as he unboxes and uncovers all of the great features of this 8K action camera co-engineered with Leica. Larry also will give you his first impressions of this camera before his full review.
What comes in the box? What are the standout features? Larry will cover that and more as he unboxes and reviews the contents of the box which include the camera, quick release mount, USB-C cable, sticky mount and more. He will also show you what is included with the multi-mount and how it comes apart and its pieces and parts, giving you a complete view of the camera and its accompanying accessories.

Larry will run the camera through a number of tests inside and also outside testing image quality, audio quality, and some of its standout features like zoom and low-light shooting. This will give you an insight on how this action camera performs in a number of different situations and environments as we lead into the in-depth review to come.

B&H carries the Insta360 Ace Pro.

Unboxing the Insta360 Ace Pro

Larry unboxes the Insta360 Ace Pro an 8K action camera co-engineered with Leica that feels like a solid and well built. The camera feels substantial in the hands and it has a decent weight to it. It appears to be well constructed and built to last. It captures in 8K, shoots Stills in 18Mp, has 6-axis stabilization, and can be controlled via their app or connected to a smartwatch via bluetooth. A robust 8K action camera co-engineered with Leica, the Insta360 Ace Pro takes some of the exceptional image capabilities of its sibling — the Insta360 One X (review coming soon), to an action camera that can be used in a broader context with a robustness that will allow it to be used in locations where the One X could not go.

Opening the box, you will find that it comes with the camera, a quick release mount, a quarter 2 adaptor, screw mount, a three-prong to quarter 2 adaptor, USB-C cable for charging and data transfer, a sticky mount for use in areas that the quick release mount can not be used. As well as Think Bold stickers that you can use to bling up your mount and camera and for some site identification in case the camera goes missing or someone attempts to remove it. It also comes with a warranty card and the safety guidelines that all of this cool stuff comes with.

One of the nice accessories is its multi-mount which comes with a three-prong to quarter 2 adaptor, a screw mount and a lanyard. This mount is quite the hand thing to have as now you can use any GoPro mount in the world and adjust between one to the other. No more proprietary mount is used hear, so you will not have to only tools and parts for you camera. It makes for less parts you have to purchase from them. The camera is equipped with a touch-sensitive flip-up screen on the front that allows for easy adjustments and monitoring.

It increases the counter balance or your camera and also allows for way to mount and shoot your video without having to turn the camera back around. This camera has some of the best image quality I have seen in the market. The color sits as accurately as any Sony or any other camera company, its image stabilization is equal to anybodys, it shoots 8K, and everything is sharp and clear even in fast panning to the left to the right. This camera has the best built-in audio of any camera out in the market. You also have additional microphone's that you can add to the unit, if you would like to have some very special audio for that scene or shot.

A good feature is its zoom button, which allows an on-the-fly zoom in and zoom out. Now you no longer have to lock down – unmount your camera to adjust the zoom. The camera is also setup to allow for low light and time-lapse or live video, whatever you want it to be. This camera also has face recognition technology and is ready to roll in about 2 to 4 seconds. Now that is a great new feature that they have added over some of the earlier model cameras.

Key Features of the Insta360 Ace Pro

The Insta360 Ace Pro is jam-packed with plenty of notable key features. First and foremost, with 8K resolution, the camera provides ultra-sharp, crisp and detailed video, ensuring every moment you film features unbelievable clarity. If you shoot in narrow spaces, the touch-sensitive flip-up screen allows you to conveniently adjust and monitor your shot without needing to rotate the camera.

The image stabilization is also noteworthy, ensuring smooth, shake-free video can be captured, even when you’re immersed in intense or rapid activity. The ace Pro’s color reproduction is also impressive as it’s able to consistently deliver deep, vibrant and pure colors. The camera’s low-light performance is also quite notable, providing clear, sharp video even in the toughest lighting conditions.

The camera’s 8K resolution gives creators the ability to zoom, without sacrificing image quality, while the insta360 ace Pro’s time-lapse capabilities make it easy to shoot super-smooth time-lapse with the click of a button. Although the camera’s built-in audio is decent, there is also the option to use an external microphone to attain optimal audio. This is a camera that allows you to create and shoot in different modes and settings, ensuring it remains an invaluable tool for capturing a diverse range of content, in a wide array of scenarios and environments.

Testing the Camera: Studio and Outdoor Performance

Before taking the Insta360 Ace Pro, the Ace Pro into the great outdoors, Larry decided to push it hard first in a studio environment. In 8K resolution, not only did he test the mics that come built in, Larry then said you can also port in audio using a Bluetooh-enabled microphone for better audio, but if you want to bring in an off-device mic, then you need a rig and an extra adapter. Larry then decided to take it outdoors, and filming walking and talking with built in mics, he eventually ran into wind and ambient noise, so we had to bring in audio from an off-device mic that he was wearing under his shirt. The upshot: We need better audio solutions from Insta360 and expect to see a wireless mic kit coming as their main product for mics, if they’re wise. Next, Larry showed how you could pan and zoom inside the frame, but you were actually, electronically zooming. He demonstrated again by double-tapping and zooming in for a 2X shot while still recording in 8K. With the flip of another feature, Larry clicked on “Pure Video” mode and gave us various shots in different light by heading into dark tunnel and outside in bright daylight and stated that this mode not only worked well in adjusting exposure, but video quality as well, which was beautiful to behold. Also, we tested Ace Pro in low-light as well, as you could see from the drive-by shot that followed up the tunnel shot.

And when we finished up, Larry gave us his first impressions about the Pro, then spoke about what he liked by it in the fact that Ace Pro was built like a tank, with a fold out touch screen, very good image stabilization, spot-on color rendition, and handled low-light (we closed down the shoot in near darkness). And the fact that it can record in 8K and makes creating time-lapse as easy as falling off a log, But, finally, he spoke about the audio built in Ace Pro, and that was good, but we need better access to even high-quality external audio if we were going to take in the full breathless scene.

Audio Performance and Considerations

When it comes to audio performance on the Insta360 Ace Pro, built-in microphones deliver respectable performance though external microphone solutions are likely to appeal to video professionals. While Bluetooth microphones are supported, connecting wired microphones to the camera requires additional adapters and brackets.

Given the significance of audio in video production, it would be advantageous for Insta360 to incorporate audio solutions into its future camera designs. An Insta360 designed wireless mic kit developed in tandem with their next-generation camera would provide a seamless and more efficient means of recording high-quality audio without the need for additional equipment.

All told, while the Insta360 Ace Pro provides impressive image quality, excellent low-light performance, and vibrant color reproduction, it’s one that’s worth considering if for no other reason than to allow users to explore external microphone options. By tackling what those audio considerations might be, Insta360 can begin to make the user experience more seamless and look to meet the demands of content creators looking to reproduce, professional-grade audio in their recordings.

Zooming Capabilities and Resolution

With impressive zoom capabilities and professional-grade quality for high-resolution recording, capturing stunning footage on the move and from unique vantage points is easy. The Ace Pro makes it easy to capture detailed, crisp footage. With seamless 2X ultra-high-definition zoom, users can get that perfect shot without compromising quality for a second. The Ace Pro’s ultra-high-definition 8K resolution brings every key visual aspect of a grab to life. In every type of light, whether filming indoors or nature, it’s always sharp, always beautiful. The Ace Pro’s 2X high-definition zoom during live streaming makes it a go-to for professionals who want to capture a variety of scenes and get creative with framing and composition. In night mode, during a time-lapse – it’s as easy to use as it is versatile.

Low Light Performance Testing

Testing the Insta360 Ace Pro in low-light scenarios, we put it through its paces to see how well it adapted and what the image clarity was like. Transitioning from well-lit studio scenarios to outdoor lighting that varied from bright daylight to almost nighttime gave us a good impression of the action camera's ability to adjust exposure and clarity of the shot. Walking and talking with the built-in microphones that are rated to handle speeds of up to 120mph, we were impressed with the audio in awkward outdoor conditions. Utilizing an external microphone for the first time in the video, the possibility for better audio was showcased.

We explore the 2X Zoom feature without image quality loss afforded by the 8K recording capabilities of the camera in the future.

Something that we didn't demonstrate in the video was the capability of the camera to adjust exposure in the dark. As we walked deeper into a tunnel that was pitch black, the camera adjusted to allow it to see better than our eyes could.
It handled the low-light conditions extremely well, and the footage was clear and detailed with minimal noise. What was immediately apparent was the adaptability, exceptional image clarity, and exposure adjustment weren't unwarranted claims. With that impressive low-light performance, users can really get out and start capturing some cool videos in a variety of conditions.

Final Impressions

The camera feels very robust and is definitely well constructed. At 212g, it has a nice solid feel to it, and although it feels heavy in the hand, it's not heavy enough to be a real issue unless you are mounting it on one of the lighter drones. The touch-sensitive flip-up screen is a big bonus for one-touch angle changes on the fly. The camera's 6-axis stabilization gave us nice, smooth, shake-free footage and is capable of 8K resolution.

Vibrant color capture, those aforementioned low-light capabilities, and that 2X zoom make for some pretty versatile shots in a variety of shooting environments. The built-in audio performs well, but the majority of power users will be using external microphones, and the potential for vastly improved sound was shown in the video.

Testing both indoors and out really showed that the camera is a pretty versatile little unit and performed well in the majority of tasks that we tried out with it. On top of things like its time-lapse capabilities, the Pure Video mode was a real enhancement to the overall video quality. Adjusting well to low-light conditions that saw crisp, clean shots with hardly any noise was another plus for the camera.

The Insta360 Ace Pro is most definitely a powerful and versatile action cam that does what it says on the tin with exceptional image quality and ease of use on top of a bunch more video-related reasons to buy. The way that it's been put together makes it more obvious just how high-end the product is compared to other action cameras that you can purchase. It's not just that, though. The features that the camera has and the type of video it generates speak volumes for this unit, a camera that shows a lot of promise from what we were able to test out.

FAQ

a. Do I need to buy some extra accessories for external microphone connectivity?

Yes, to plugin an external microphone directly to the Insta360 Ace Pro you will need to buy a special microphone adapter, a bracket and some other mount of at least one type. The camera does, however, support Bluetooth microphones.

b. What is the resolution of the new Insta360 Ace Pro?

The Insta360 Ace Pro is an 8K 360 camera, allowing users to capture highly detailed video with plenty of clarity. Being able to double the resolution of 4K means users have much more flexibility when using features such as reframing and because it’s fully spherical a videographer can capture images confident in the knowledge that their content grabs the viewers attention, no matter where they look.

c. How does the recently announced device perform in low-light situations?

The Insta360 Ace Pro is impressive in low-light, giving users decently crisp and clear footage with minimal noise. The device is quite adaptable in regards to lighting adjustments and providing good image clarity, so it isn’t just a tidy performer, it’s a reliable tool in any unforeseen or challenging lighting situation.

d. What are the main features of the upcoming Insta360 Ace Pro?

The Insta360 Ace Pro has a number of key features. It has image stabilization for nice, smooth and shake-free footage, it’s got a lovely color representation with nice low light and of course, zoom capabilities. It also has time-lapse capabilities and a few shooting modes which makes it also a bit of a plaything even for the seasoned professional.

e. Can I zoom in while shooting with the Insta360 Ace Pro?

Shooting in 8K resolution allows a videographer to digitally zoom in up to 2X in full HD without losing any resolution. It is possible on the Insta360 Ace Pro which allows professionals and prosumers to create tight shots and enhance the framing without any loss of pixels or image quality.