Insta360 Luna Ultra gimbal camera review – it came, it saw, it conquered

The Insta360 Luna Ultra is a bold step into a new category for Insta360, the pocket gimbal camera, which was a space established by DJI a few years ago. That is far from a surprise, though – Insta360 and its partner brand Antigravity are treading on a lot of toes at DJI – already competing for spots on the best action camera, best 360-degree camera, and best 360-degree drone.

How do you come in, guns blazing, against the established competition? With more features and innovation, and that is exactly what the Luna Ultra promises. Though it only preceded DJI's Pocket 4P by a few days, the Luna Ultra was the first dual-camera device of this type, for a start. And if that wasn't enough, it also brought other innovations, like a detachable remote control and microphone.

How, though, does it measure up where it matters, when it comes to use and results? Is this new device going to lead the charge from now on, or is it all talk? I've been out testing it for some weeks, starting with a pre-release version and updating it to the launch firmware, and this is my experience and my verdict.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Price

Priced at $769.99 / £649.99 / AU$1,229.99 for the Standard Bundle at launch, this is undoubtedly a premium price compared to previous pocket gimbal cameras. The Creator Bundle is more, but includes a Mic Pro wireless mic, wide-angle lens, and extended battery.

The only truly relevant competition is actually the DJI Pocket 4P, which hasn't even been launched in the USA for legal reasons. It does come in at a rather cheaper £529 / AU$1,099 for the Standard Combo, however, so the key question in this review won't be "Is this device good?" (obviously that needs covering) "But is it worth the price premium over the DJI – assuming you can get it?"

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Specs

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Build and handling

The pocket gimbal camera has become an established form factor, and in many ways, especially at first glance, there isn't a lot new here. The buttons are below the screen, so the camera can be gripped like a wand in the hand, and the thumb used to reach the more tactile buttons.

Above is a touchscreen which rotates 90 degrees and serves as a switch, a design concept first seen on the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 but no less useful here. In fact slightly more useful as Insta360 has added a couple of physical buttons to the bottom of the rotating screen which are always accessible (an interesting contrast to DJI's approach on the Pocket 4).

Beyond the similarities, the Luna Ultra is innovative in a very obvious way – its detachable remote with built-in screen. Two little red clip releases on either side will release the controls and screen, which then come away in something a little like a hybrid of a TV remote and a broadcaster's microphone (and it does actually contain a mic).

I found this to be a brilliant design benefit. It was easy to use a tripod, or just a nearby resting place, to place the camera, then I could walk a few steps away and compose a shot using the remote for a piece to camera, which is infinitely better than doing the same thing and being dependent on the automated subject tracking.

It's not that Insta360's system for automated tracking isn't good, but as a creative, it's much nicer to have the choice. A choice which is also bolstered by a subtle improvement against the competition – controls designed to be used by feel. The separate zoom controller is much more like a video camera, and is separate from the thumbstick which can be used to pan and tilt. This is a lot more natural than DJI's default either/or process.

I personally found it difficult to go back to not having a remote when I was out and about (and it's all so much quicker and easier than a phone app!)

Insta360 has placed a USB-C socket on the base, and allow the connection of a small base or a larger battery extension – this is all very familiar if you've seen DJI's Pocket 3 or 4. The difference is that clever fold-out tripod legs, made from metal little thicker than a paper clip, are cunningly tucked in by default. DJI's alternative requires an additional screw in tripod base.

Some people have said that the device is a bit heavy, but that wasn't my experience – I felt that the extra couple of grams over DJI's Pocket 4P made for a device that felt much more balanced.

The Luna Ultra has a wind guard over the built-in microphones rather than just the drilled hole, which is a nice touch, even if for most talking pieces you'll likely be using an external mic.

Some bundles are supplied with a zippable protective case, and the camera comes with a plastic shield. When powered down, the gimbal also places the lenses into a position where they are protected by the arm itself. Nevertheless this isn't a camera for tough conditions. There are mechanisms in the gimbals which aren't likely to be sand or water friendly.

By default, one of the buttons below the screen opens the menu of built-in effects, including some styles designed with the help of the Leica team to replicate Leica film. These are a quick and easy way to get visual effects that do look good. I'd also note that it's a good idea to familiarize yourself with this menu, not least because the OS isn't good at explaining the effects on screen. (On one occasion I accidentally left this feature on and got photos that I couldn't really use, which was a shame.)

Pros will prefer to use the I-Log 10-bit for videos anyway, of course, and shoot with the raw mode.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Performance

Overall, I was thoroughly impressed with the camera's performance on picture, subject tracking, and display.

Video might ever-so-slightly lack some of the dynamic range of the DJI Pocket 4P when shooting in Log, but there is more than enough range to achieve results that look essentially identical if you do shoot with Log, so I'm not certain it is the advantage some suggest.

In terms of telephoto, the optical zoom is great, and the digital zoom is good too – though I did see some problems with noise artefacts at 12x, so I'd think of that as a last resort.

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The sample video I took of the eclipse – I simply left the camera running during the whole event at maximum zoom – is interesting because there is a detectable drop in resolution as the event reaches totality (ring of fire). That is presumably the camera auto-switching to an equivalent of "PureVideo," the low-light mode, which ordinarily only works in 4K anyway.

The battery life was not, in my experience, four hours, but nearer to two. That's in part because I tended to use the 8K mode, while staying in 4K will deliver more time. On one crucial occasion, the battery did run out while I was shooting an interview (with an Insta360 co-founder, ironically) and I was a little caught out by the fact it stopped recording but the screen stayed on reassuringly, so we just finished the interview and then found the problem. A loud beep in this scenario might be an idea in a software update!

Topping up the charge with USB-C is easy, however, and it is possible to buy spare battery handles. I should have planned better for that interview, but sometimes things just go wrong, and it was near the end of a busy day.

It's also worth noting that Insta360 has been quick to come up with innovative accessories – I've also already tested a neck strap that lets you wear the camera while it automatically follows your head movements with the gimbal and (once I'd got used to connecting it) I was impressed. It might not be to the taste of a photographer or creator used to composing each shot, but it's very practical.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Overall verdict

Sometimes when a new company enters a market and makes significant changes to the genre, a reviewer (yes, like me) may end up using words like "ambitious." That's code for "I admire what you tried..." and is then usually followed with a "but here's why it didn't quite work."

Here, however, there is no evidence that Insta360's innovations have done anything but deliver more options to creatives, and they don't really seem to come with any compromise. Sure, there are contacts behind the removable remote, but gimbal cameras already have vulnerable elements, so there is a big gain and no loss.

It is not quite perfect. There are moments I found the operating system a little off. It has a lot to say on screen about the Leica image styles, but doesn't give me time to read them, for example. A few other usability tweaks for future software updates could definitely help. But that is par for the course.

On the other hand the I-Log is consistent across both lenses, whereas the DJI Pocket 4P frustratingly stops your workflow and requires you to switch down from D-Log 2 to D-Log if you want to use the telephoto. Now that's frustrating.

Ultimately, any high-end content creator – especially one looking for portability and flexibility – will find the Luna Ultra a near-peerless device. Some may question the price, but the relative ease and simplicity (compared to a phone app or remote) of the remote make this ideal, especially for solo creators, and comfortably pay for the difference.

Insta360 Luna Ultra: Alternatives

The DJI Pocket 3 in the USA (and, better still, the DJI Pocket 4 in the rest of the world) is arguably still the best choice if you're content with a single lens – its lower cost of entry will not deprive you of much by way of output quality, so long as 4K is your goal at least.

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The DJI Pocket 4P is the other dual-lens pocket gimbal camera out there (though DJI aren't selling directly in the USA, so you might need to hunt it down). It might lack 8K and a detachable remote, but it has impressive (if complex) color science and a clever accessory option which means you can pop a fill light on and off; I have tried both of these devices and I can see the appeal of both.

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How I tested the Insta360 Luna Ultra

It's firmly my belief that the best way to review a camera is to experience it over as long a period as possible, so you can use it in everyday shooting situations – coping with the slightly unexpected all the time.

Insta360 provided me with a Luna Ultra camera before it's release, and I have added it into my bag and taken it with me to a number of locations. On many of those occasions I've also had the new DJI Pocket 4P with me, so I've had the chance to compare the two against each other.