TriangleUpBuy NowMultiple Buying Options Available $600 at Amazon (Luna Pro) $770 at Amazon (Luna Ultra) CommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this story Rating: 7/10 Open rating explainer Information WIRED Excellent gimbal and subject tracking. Detachable screen with recording controls. Superior image quality compared to action cameras and smartphones. The Ultra’s dual lenses allow for more versatility. TIREDSmall screen makes accessing advanced settings somewhat fiddly. Non‑replaceable battery.
Not long ago, a compact, capable, and affordable camera gimbal seemed like a distant dream. DJI changed that landscape with the Osmo Mobile, a gimbal for smartphones, and the Osmo Pocket, a gimbal‑camera hybrid that quickly became popular. Insta360 has now entered the arena with two competing models, the Luna Ultra and the Luna Pro.
At a glance, the Insta360 devices could be mistaken for DJI’s Osmo Pocket 4 and 4 Pro. The two companies are currently locked in a U.S. lawsuit over these and other cameras, and because of that legal dispute DJI’s models are not being sold in the United States. This makes the Luna series a more attractive option for American buyers, especially given the strong gimbal performance, crisp 4K footage, and, in the case of the Ultra, a built‑in zoom lens. Together they may represent the best gimbal cameras available in the U.S. market today.
Insta360 introduced the Luna Ultra in June. Its futuristic, Wall‑E‑like shape houses two lenses: a wide‑angle main lens developed with Leica and a dedicated zoom lens. In September the company added the Luna Pro, which is essentially the Ultra without the second zoom lens, offering a lower price point for users who do not need optical zoom.
Both models share many features, so the review first covers their commonalities before noting the Ultra’s extra advantages over the Pro and, by extension, the DJI Osmo Pocket 4.
The Luna cameras use a 20‑mm equivalent lens with a bright f/1.8 aperture. This main lens projects onto a 1‑inch sensor, delivering an effective field of view similar to a 20‑mm f/5 lens on a full‑frame camera. The sensor is the same 8K‑capable 1‑inch unit found in the Insta360 X6, but the Luna’s optics (or dual optics in the Ultra) produce noticeably better image quality. In almost every test scenario the Luna video outperformed the X6, except in bright sunlight where the two were comparable. The narrower field of view results in sharper, clearer footage. Thanks to the 8K sensor, the camera can apply a digital 2× zoom while still delivering true 4K resolution. The X6 remains more rugged and can capture 360‑degree content, which the Luna line does not.
The Ultra’s design follows the familiar DJI Osmo Pocket layout: a handle that contains most of the electronics, a flip‑out OLED screen for activation, and a three‑axis gimbal that holds the camera head at the top. This configuration works well for shooting both the subject and the surrounding environment.
The three‑axis gimbal keeps shots steady and allows smooth pan, tilt, and roll movements without the need to move the entire device. An auto‑tracking mode lets the lens follow a subject automatically. During testing the gimbal performed reliably, producing stable footage. Occasionally a bump required a quick recalibration, but the process was simple and fast.
A key difference from the Osmo Pocket 4 is the detachable front panel that includes the OLED display, record, zoom, and pan buttons, plus a microphone. This means the camera can be mounted on a tripod or other rig while the user frames the shot and controls the device from a distance of up to about 66 feet, according to Insta360. That remote capability is especially handy for solo creators.
Both Luna models cap at 4K/120 fps for slow‑motion capture, which is slower than the Osmo Mobile 4’s 4K/240 fps. However, the Luna Ultra can record 4K/120 fps in log mode, something the Osmo Mobile cannot do. For creators who plan to color‑grade slow‑motion footage, the Ultra holds a clear advantage.
All of Insta360’s advanced filming modes are present in the Luna cameras, along with a range of color profiles. The default setting offers a 10‑bit color depth and includes Insta360’s proprietary I‑Log (log) recording for those who prefer post‑production grading. The standard color profile tends toward oversaturation, especially in blue skies, which can look unrealistic. Most of the testing was done using the Leica Natural filter or log mode followed by grading.
Battery life is similar on both models. In outdoor testing at roughly 65 °F, the cameras recorded 4K/24 fps video for two hours and 55 minutes without overheating, though the handle did become warm. Indoor continuous shooting, such as an interview, should not pose any battery or heat concerns. The downside is that the battery is not user‑replaceable, so a dead unit cannot be swapped on the fly. A portable power bank can extend runtime, but it adds bulk to the setup.
Ultra Zoom
The Ultra’s telephoto lens uses a smaller 1/1.3‑inch sensor and provides 3× optical zoom, equivalent to a 60‑mm focal length on a full‑frame camera. Digital zoom can extend this to 15×, or a 300‑mm equivalent, after a firmware update that raised the maximum from the original 12×. Initial impressions of the zoom lens were modest, but further testing revealed its usefulness in a variety of shooting situations.