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From cobblestoned Portuguese alleys navigated one-handed with a stroller to reef dives in Fiji, this is where the trips live. Told through words and whatever camera happened to be with me.
I shoot film and digital and travel with family in tow. These posts are part travel journal, part photography log, and part love letter to the places that made an impression. I hope they make you want to go see them for yourself.
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First Impressions of the Insta360 Ace Pro2 as a Stills Camera
The Insta360 Ace Pro2 showed up on my radar a couple of months ago as I started to research replacements for my aging GoPro Hero 8 Black. While my original use case for it stemmed from its core niche (action videos of mountain biking, snowboarding, motorsports, diving etc.) I was increasingly drawn to it for its much-touted broader capability set.
Toronto street corner, Leica Eternal, Toronto, ON, Insta360 Ace Pro2
Can an Action Camera Really Shoot the Street?
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 landed on my radar while looking to replace my aging GoPro Hero 8. Initially, it was about action video—but the broader pitch pulled me in: vlogging, modular accessories, and, intriguingly, still photography. I had no expectation it would replace dedicated cameras like my Ricoh GR III, but it raised a question:
Could this be a one-camera solution for short trips, business travel, or quick weekends where I want both video and stills—without carrying much?
I decided to find out.
Early Use
After some quick setup, I took it out on a mountain bike ride. I crashed. Both I and the camera survived. Footage looked solid—already a step up from my old GoPro.
Next test: a short business trip to Toronto. These trips are typically tight—24-48 hours, packed meetings—but with small windows for street photography or a quick vlog. Most of my shooting ended up happening in the evening, making this a good test for low-light performance.
Like any new piece of gear, it was fun to experiment with—different JPEG profiles, fields of view, and modes which create a myriad of combinations to explore. But a few limitations showed up quickly.
Where it Struggles
Shutter Lag (the big one)
For street and candid photography, timing is everything. Here, the Ace Pro 2 struggles.
The Xplorer Pro Grip shutter triggers on release, not press, of the button - which certainly messed with my flow
There’s a noticeable delay (~0.5s) before capture
Buffering slows consecutive shots
For still subjects, it’s fine. For moving scenes, it’s a problem.
Using the on-screen shutter button improves responsiveness, but doesn’t solve shot-to-shot delay. Ironically, the Xplorer Pro Grip—intended to enhance stills—feels like it is holding the camera back on this one..
This camera forces you to slow down. That’s not always bad—but it limits confidence when shooting anything dynamic. You can adapt, but the question is whether you should have to (or want to).
Samples shot at “normal” pace vs consciously slowing down to account for lag:
2. ISO & Image Behaviour
The way the camera handles in auto mode is a bit perplexing, particularly when it comes to ISO.
Manual ISO caps at 1600 (despite auto going higher)
Auto tends to favor lower ISO + slower shutter in dim scenes
JPEG grain can get heavy in low light
Pureshot helps the grain considerably, but requires deliberate switching. Kudos to Insta360, though, for having an automated icon pop-up when the camera believes Pureshot is called for. - That’s well thought out and a helpful reminder in the moment.
3. Ergonomics
It looks cool, but for a “pocketable” camera it is surprisingly heavy and thick with the Xplorer Pro Grip attached. Perhaps that’s the price we pay for the extra battery capacity, and no doubt I’m spoiled by the featherweight Ricoh GR iii that typically accompanies me on street shoots (with two spare batteries in my bag owing to it’s poor battery life). Here are some thoughts on the form factor after a couple days of use:
Thumb dial is overly sensitive → accidental changes are common (for me) from the slightest nudge in a natural grip position. A cold-shoe mounted thumb rest could potentially solve this.
Grip is bulky → less “pocketable” than expected (think jacket, not jeans)
No included lens cover → constant low-level anxiety for smudges and scratches
I’ve already lost the shutter button → The screw-in button has managed to disappear having backed-out unbeknownst to me. I’ve substituted a spare that happened to be in my gear drawer, but I can’t say I’ve ever had this happen on another camera.
It’s by no means a large camera, but with the grip attached it’s heavy enough that you’d notice it quickly on a selfie stick, say if you were doing dual-duty for vlog and stills on the run.
“...it feels like the Xplorer Pro Grip, despite its intent as an enabler for stills, is actually holding this camera back.”
Gap in the steam, Leica Eternal, Toronto, ON
What Works Well
JPEG Profiles
The JPEG profiles are strong out of camera and feel very useable. There are a lot of options and I’ve only begun to scratch the surface with them. There’s something for everyone from subtle to over-the-top effects here.
The Leica profiles—especially Eternal—stand out. Dark, contrasty, and stylistically relevant. With light editing, you can get compelling results.
Desolate UP Express stations, Leica Eternal
Shot taken from the UP Express, Leica Eternal
Taken without using Pureshot, heavy grain is evident but I don’t mind it here, Leica Eternal
Attempting a panning shot with the Insta360 Ace Pro2, Leica Eternal
Downtown Toronto, Leica Eternal, Insta360 Ace Pro 2
2.Field of View
There is lots of flexibility, especially with accessory lenses. This gives it a leg-up on a lot of traditional point and shoots with fixed prime lenses or limited zoom capabilities. This combined with the many Jpeg profiles expands on the creative potential of the Ace Pro 2 - I don’t think I’ll get bored of it any time soon!
The Downside:
FOV isn’t recorded clearly in metadata
Ultra-wide setting even without an accessory lens can literally capture your fingers on the grip, and so could prove problematic for handheld shooting.
Union Station, Toronto ON
Union Station, Toronto ON
“Another surprising finding was that in Ultra Wide mode the lens actually picks-up my fingers on the grip!”
Finger visible on the grip on right side of frame, Insta360 Ace Pro2, Ultra FOV
3.Lens System
The cinematic lens is excellent—well-built and genuinely expands creative potential.
The ability to change lens attachments to achieve a multitude of looks and expand capabilities is one of the camera’s strongest advantages. Not to mention other accessories such as the dive-case, which I just recently ordered. (stay tuned for the undersea review!)
Still captured in the Insta360 Video Editing software, Cinematic Lens Attachment
4.Durability
Well it’s already survived a crash, so top marks for that!
Compared to something like the Ricoh GR series, this feels far more robust. Add-in the Insta360 replacement program, and it’s a strong point when considering this platform. The lack of lens cover for the standard lens is the downside here. With the grip mounted some watertightness is evidently lost due to removing the usb-c cover and plugging in the rubber-housed grip connector plug, but it seems more than capable even then of handling a downpour.
So—Can It Replace a Point & Shoot?
Not yet.
Image quality is certainly good enough for casual use and social content, but the responsiveness issues hold it back for serious (or perhaps I should say reliable) stills work. If results matter—or if you’re shooting anything dynamic—you’re better off with a dedicated camera (or even a modern smartphone). This may seem a likely or even obvious conclusion to seasoned or dedicated hobbyist photographers, but I don’t think that’s who this camera is targeting.
Final Take
The Ace Pro 2 is impressive—but not as a stills-first camera.
Where it shines is versatility:
video
rugged use
creative experimentation
For stills, it’s capable—but constrained.
That said, many of these issues feel fixable via firmware. If Insta360 improves responsiveness, this could become a much more compelling hybrid tool.
Until then, I’ll keep using it for video and treat stills as a bonus, not the main event.
Reflecting on the Insta360 Ace Pro2
The Road to Hana and beyond — narrow roads, raw coastline, and the question every traveler faces: turn back, or keep going?