RIP DJI Pocket? Insta360 Luna Ultra Full Review!

If you're a solo content creator, vlogger, or mobile filmmaker, you're going to want to pay close attention to this video, because DJI have ruled the pocket gimbal space for years. But now, Insta360 has just dropped a device that might completely blow the competition out of the water. And it's this: the brand-new Insta360 Lunar Ultra, co-engineered with Leica. This gimbal can shoot spectacular 8K video, and it packs a massive one-inch sensor alongside a dedicated 3x telephoto lens.

But here is the killer feature. See these two little red buttons next to the controls? When you squeeze these, the entire front display and the controls come off. You can now set the Luna down somewhere using its built-in feet to stabilise it. Or, of course, you could thread it onto a proper tripod. You can now walk right across the room and use the built-in controls and display for a live preview of what the Luna can see.

But here's the catch: does this insane modular ecosystem make it the ultimate all-in-one production studio, or is it just another expensive addition to your collection of tech gadgets? Well, let's find out. And do me a favour: stick around to the end, because I'm going to show you guys an accessory combination that will definitely turn a few heads, but completely changes how you can film first-person video. So first things first, let's talk about the hardware. The Insta360 Lunar feels very premium, exactly what you'd expect at the price point that this comes in at. It's not flimsy; it's well built, and it's got a bit of heft to it as well. Weighing in at just over 200g, it sits on a highly responsive three-axis mechanical gimbal that keeps your footage buttery smooth, giving you that floating Hollywood Steadicam look, even if you don't know how to use a proper camera.

And even if you're running down the street, or even down the sideline of a football pitch, when it comes to controllable range, you've got pan, tilt, and it's even got roll flexibility. Tucked into the top of the gimbal is a dual-lens system co-engineered with Leica. The main lens features a wide 20mm equivalent-angle lens with a bright f/1.8 aperture, paired with a massive one-inch sensor underneath, which means you get a nice, natural shallow depth-of-field effect from this, and incredible low-light performance, especially when you use the PureVideo mode.

And this supports Dolby Vision. And right next to it, you've got a 1/1.3-inch sensor driving a 60mm pro-grade telephoto lens, which gives the Lunar Ultra a 3x optical lossless zoom and up to 12x digitally. And on a pocket gimbal, this is an absolute game-changer when it comes to shooting B-roll. And get this: both of the lenses can shoot up to 8K at 30 frames per second, or even 4K at up to 120 frames per second.

There is, of course, AI deep tracking. All you need to do to activate it is click down the little joystick, and it will lock onto your subject. You can now move the gimbal around, or if the person moves around, it will stay locked on. There's also active zoom tracking, smart framing, and rapid focus to keep everything in frame and in focus. And it has a triple AI chip system for supreme picture processing and enhanced low-light performance all the way up to 4K 60. And if you just want to make people silky smooth — and this one's for me — well, then you're going to love this feature. If you swipe from the right-hand side inwards, here is where you can find the beauty effects and filters, which can be added to your recordings without having to do them in post.

Yeah, I think I'm going to need some of this. So the Insta360 Lunar Ultra is definitely a top contender in the pocketable gimbal space right now. And I've done so many camera comparisons on this channel with smartphones, and the specs on this thing basically kill them all. And that Leica branding isn't just for show. That is a mark of approval from one of the best lens makers in the business. And the reason this is so important is because when you have good lenses that have been professionally chosen and calibrated, you're going to see way less ghosting, less chromatic aberration, and better low-light performance. But we're not done there, because Insta360 has made this absolutely genius design choice when it comes to this. This is a two-inch OLED touchscreen.

Even if it didn't detach, I'd still be impressed by it. It's high quality, it's nice and bright, but the fact that it can simply click off the body and be used as a wireless remote with HD transmission up to 20m makes this thing an absolute game-changer. And DJI aren't doing this. And this is why I said, if you are a solo creator, this could be an absolute game-changer, and it will make your life so much easier when setting up a shot, because you won't have to keep running back and forth to check the framing. And not only that, it has a built-in microphone hidden behind the display, which means not only can you control and monitor the camera from a distance, but you can also record audio at a distance.

If you guys only knew how much time I could have saved with a little gadget like this when it comes to making my videos. Honestly, I think this might be the most revolutionary feature added to one of these gimbals to date. And of course, when you're out and about shooting video content, if you're going to film in 8K at 30 frames per second, the battery life on this standalone will last up to two hours. But let's be real, most people won't shoot 8K because of the file sizes, and the fact that pretty much no one's phone or TV supports it at this point. And if you're happy to film in 1080p, you can double the battery life up to four hours. And if that still isn't enough, well, that's where this comes in: the Insta360 battery handle. This does exactly what you think it does. It clicks onto the base of the camera just like this, and this will give you that extra boost when it comes to battery life.

Also, it makes it a bit easier to grip and control as well. So your thumb kind of rests a bit more naturally on the controls here. So the Lunar Ultra provides everything you need to create some brilliant video content. But brilliant video content with bad audio is not good, no matter how nicely you filmed it. And of course, you could use the remote as a microphone, but that might not look so pro. And that's where this comes in. This is the official Insta360 Pro Mic. And check this out: it features a customisable ink display on the front. So I've uploaded my WhatGear logo right here onto the transmitter, and tell me that this doesn't look professional. And this little transmitter packs a three-mic array, allowing you to switch between four different directional pickup patterns, including a super-directional mode that acts like a shotgun mic to isolate your voice in a crowded space.

Plus, it records 32-bit float internally, which results in you not having to worry about clipping your audio. Also, if you need to boost it up in post, it will still sound great. Now, if you want a more streamlined, budget-friendly audio setup, you can check out the Insta360 Mic Air, which I also did an unboxing video for. This is a super-lightweight alternative, and very competitively priced too. This can connect directly to the Lunar, and it can connect via Bluetooth to a phone. And if you get the USB dongle, you can make use of a 2.4GHz connection from any USB-C device for audio. And this thing is tiny. It's about the size of a pound coin.

It's a little bit thicker, but it is very lightweight, as the name would suggest. And if you have a favourite third-party microphone that you simply refuse to leave the house without, Insta360 has launched the Mic Pro USB-C to 3.5mm jack adapter, allowing you to plug any traditional wired mic straight into this system seamlessly. So, of course, I could sit here and talk about all the microphone capabilities, or I could show you how they sound in the real world.

All right, so I'm here in a pretty noisy spot right now. This tunnel is around 300m long. Actually, it's a bit longer than that. There are quite a few people in the way, but there is a direct line of sight, and this mic can actually go all the way up to 400m. So we're about to test it out now. Let's see how clear the quality is at that distance. I'm here at the end of the tunnel, roughly around 300, maybe 310m away. There are lots of people in the line of sight, so if it's not that clear, I won't be that surprised.

Now remember that ridiculous-looking accessory setup I mentioned at the start of this video? Well, this is it. So check this out. First, we slide on the Insta360 neck mount. This gives you a stable, completely hands-free, chest-height view. But normally, chest mounts are fixed, so wherever your body points, the camera also points. Enter the Insta360 POV Head Tracker. This device sits right on your ear, and through the power of the Luna's triple AI chip, the three-axis gimbal automatically syncs with your natural head movements. So if I turn my head to look at something on my left, the gimbal smoothly pans over to the left. If I look up at a building, it tilts up. It creates an incredibly immersive, stabilised first-person perspective without needing an extra camera operator. Again, another game-changer for content creators, and this will literally make you look like a pro, even if you don't have much experience using a classic camera. And you know what else you can do whilst using the head tracker? You can actually detach the controls and the monitor, so you can actually see what's going on.

It's pretty impressive. When you've got all this stuff strapped to you and this earpiece on, you do get a few funny looks, but let me know if the video quality is worth it. Here you go. So I've just realised I haven't shown you guys the app. You can connect the Lunar to your phone and import all your videos from it directly onto your device. And then you can, of course, share to social media or edit it on your phone and do things like that. And check this out: if you want another preview, you can also preview what the camera sees on your phone as well. So you've got the ball control with the display, and if you want, you can use your phone as a monitor as well.

And I'll be honest with you guys, if you do rock the camera on your chest like this, you are going to turn a few heads. And if you turn your head, you can look right back at them and catch the exact expression on their face if you're using one of these. So what is my final verdict on the Insta360 Lunar Ultra? Well, Insta360 hasn't just built a pocket camera here. They've built an absolute powerhouse of a modular production suite. The dual Leica lenses are incredible. The sensors used here are very premium and fantastic for shooting high-quality video in daylight and in low light, which is an area where some other gimbals struggle.

The detachable screen with the built-in mic is the absolute game-changer, in my opinion, and this feature alone really makes this a unique offering. And when you pair this up with the Mic Pro, your audio game also goes up another level in line with this camera system. And both the Pro Mic and the Lunar Ultra have their own onboard memory, so if you forget your SD cards, you'll have a backup. And that point-of-view head tracker opens up incredible creative angles that, frankly, were impossible for a solo creator to shoot before. I do see myself using this a lot for my hands-on demos of products, although keep in mind, this isn't cheap. It is still brand new, but it may go on sale at some point. Right now, the full ecosystem of accessories will cost you a fair bit of coin, but for the sheer flexibility and the quality on offer, it's hard to argue against this being the best pocket gimbal out there right now.