Insta360 might be the dominant force in 360 cameras, but the brand just stepped out of its lane in a major way — and muscled into DJI territory — with its first vlogging camera, the Luna.
The Luna rivals DJI’s unique Pocket series of gimbal-stabilized 4K vlogging cameras. With no obvious competition, the DJI range has sold by the bucket-load for years. But with Insta360 adding its own unique features, could DJI see some proper competition at last?
I’ve been testing the Luna ahead of its official launch, and while I can’t share everything I know about the Luna yet, nor any sample footage I've taken, there are a few details I can reveal. First up, Luna comes in two varieties, the single-lens Luna Pro and the dual-lens Luna Ultra, which are clearly set to rival the DJI Osmo Pocket 4 and the recently teased / soon-to-be launched Pocket 4P respectively. Both Luna versions are available in black or white colorways, and the pricing is yet to be confirmed.
I’ve been using the dual-lens Ultra version which, like the Pro version, features a 1x main wide-angle f/1.8 lens and 1-inch sensor — that’s the largest sensor in an Insta360 yet, and matches DJI — but also adds a 3x telephoto camera.
Users can punch in with that telephoto camera for a 6x lossless zoom — meaning that there should be no obvious degradation in image quality — and up to 12x with a digital zoom, a total of five zoom steps.
We don’t have concrete details of the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P yet, but from the early teasers it seems as though DJI is taking the same dual-lens approach as the Luna Ultra, so the rivalry is about to get real. Who gets there first with a world-first dual-lens vlogging camera, we’ll have to wait and see.
Naturally, the Luna cameras are supported with 3-axis gimbal stabilization like the Pocket cameras. In another first for Insta360, they offer 10-bit color depth and an I-Log color profile, again matching the specs of the DJI Pocket (though which one has the better-looking footage is another matter).
All of the above suggests that Insta360 is ready to go toe-to-toe with DJI, but that’s not even the most exciting part about the Luna.
The feature that DJI wishes it had
The Luna has a modular design party trick that DJI wishes it had: a multi-function removable screen, and it’s brilliant. You simply press in buttons on either side of the screen to release it from the camera body, and then you can see what the camera is seeing remotely, complete with the record, zoom and joystick controls.
Here’s where things get really clever — the Luna’s removable screen features a built-in microphone, so you can use it to remotely view yourself, compose the shot, and present to camera.
What’s more, the Luna features subject tracking. With a double tap on the screen of your intended subject, the camera will then track them, keeping them centered in the frame as they move about.
Pair those features — a removable screen with microphone and subject tracking — and you truly can be a one-person show, gaining the impression of a cameraperson tracking you as you walk around the scene (though of course you will need to find a suitable surface to rest the camera body on or mount it to a support).
The removable screen is such a neat feature, especially for solo creators, but also when you’re traveling with friends or family and would like to take selfies.
What makes the Luna even more compelling as a DJI Pocket alternative is that Insta360 has recently launched new accessories, including the recent Mic Pro wireless mic (see above), which we awarded a maximum 5 out of 5 rating in our review. These excellent accessories mean that you don’t need to mix and match brands to get top quality video and audio — Insta360 now has its own complete ecosystem for vlogging.
Yes, DJI has been making vlogging cameras for longer than Insta360 and I expect it to continue dominating the space for some time — reports suggest the Pocket 4 took a huge 72.5% of total video camera sales in Japan last month, despite it being launched in the third week of the month — in the same way that DJI launched its own Osmo 360 to rival Insta360, but Insta360 still has almost 70% total market share. However, the Luna might just do things differently enough to persuade first timers or DJI fans to switch.
I’m excited to share more Luna details with you when the full embargo lifts. But what do you make of the features I have been able to share — game-changer or gimmick? How does the Luna look compared to the Pocket 4? Have your say in the comments below.
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