Is Insta360 secretly building a compact camera? CEO post sparks global speculation

Insta360 CEO JK Liu has ignited global speculation after posting an image of an unknown camera – one that appears to feature a physical aperture control, something the company has never offered before.

The Weibo post, captioned "Heading towards new focal lengths," has photographers almost certain Insta360 is about to enter the compact camera market, taking on Fujifilm, Sony, and Canon directly.

Insta360 is a big brand in some smaller places – not least, of course, the best 360 cameras (panoramic cameras), and it has expanded into other action cameras and been the guiding hand behind major new drone brand Antigravity.

In his Weibo account, Liu Jingkang shadow stone, the Insta360 founder – often known as JK Liu – made the post and shared the picture, which suggests a high degree of credibility. (It's also notable that something in the picture has been disguised, suggesting that there might be something secret in the office that Insta360 isn't yet ready to share!)

As someone who reviewed the Insta360 X5 and Ace Pro 2 cameras, among others, There are clear design similarities to Insta360’s recent cameras, particularly in the on-screen graphics, between the graphics visible on this articulated screen and those devices, too, adding an extra element of believability.

Looking around, though, there isn't much else that matches – this would, after all, be a new category for Insta360, so it would need to be a new case. It clearly features two physical buttons and a video/stills slider switch at the 'top', possibly a flash/accessory shoe, and what appears to be a thumb wheel for control.

The graphic suggests to me that there might be two thumb / finger wheels (one facing the front, one the back?)

Here one is presumably allowing control of the aperture (F1.8) and the the other the exposure compensation (EV). Clearly there is an articulation point for the screen, too.

It is, of course, the existence of a control over focal length which moves Insta360 into new territory, as, while the company has strong presence with its unusual 8K action camera, an excellent vlogging camera, neither it nor any of the company's range thus far have allowed variable aperture.

What this mystery camera could be?

• Insta360’s first fixed-lens compact camera
• A large-sensor vlogging camera with manual controls
• A DJI rival aimed at creators, not traditional photographers (a 'big Ace Pro')
• A first test ahead of a wider mirrorless push

DJI, a company Insta360 is often seen to compete with in China, did introduce a variable aperture – F2 to F4 – in its latest Osmo Action 6 action camera, but a fully fledged compact camera like this would be a new step again in the two company's rivalry.