Insta360 recently announced its newest flagship action camera, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2. Here’s how it compares to the GoPro Hero 13 Black.
The Ace Pro 2 is the successor to the Insta360 Ace Pro – the first 8K-capable action camera. The question is, how does the second-generation Ace Pro measure up to the king of action cameras, the GoPro. We haven’t tested the most recent model ourselves just yet, but that doesn’t mean we can’t compare the specs and features available on each camera.
Keep reading to learn how the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 and GoPro Hero 13 Black compare.
Price
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 was announced on October 22 2024 and costs $399.99/£389.99 for the Standard Bundle, which includes the camera, a battery, wind guard, standard mount, mic cap and USB-C cable.
The GoPro Hero 13 Black launched just over one month earlier on September 4 2024. Prices start at $399.99/£399.99 for the camera, Enduro battery, curved adhesive mount, mounting buckle, thumbscrew and USB-C cable.
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 can record in 8K
One of the headline features on the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is its ability to capture 8K video at up to 30fps.
While 8K is definitely nice to look at, our reviewer actually preferred shooting at a 4K resolution, which allows you to shoot at up to 120fps, gives you a wider field of view and supports more modes, including different colour profiles, higher stabilisation and PureVideo for low-light shooting. 4K is also more widely supported, with very few people having the means to watch 8K content in their homes.
The GoPro Hero 13 Black, meanwhile, allows you to capture 5.3K video at up to 30fps or 4K video at up to 120fps. Again, 4K is more widely supported than 5.3K, so you might not feel the need to use the highest resolution. We haven’t tested the latest GoPro just yet, but 5.3K video has been a mainstay on GoPro cameras since the Hero 10 Black and we’ve generally found the image quality to be fantastic in daylight, with the camera falling behind the competition somewhat in low-light conditions.
The GoPro Hero 13 Black has two screens
The GoPro Hero 13 Black has two displays to monitor your video – a 2.27-inch touchscreen on the back and a smaller 1.4-inch colour display on the front with no touch capabilities.
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2, on the other hand, has a single 2.5-inch touchscreen with a 180-degree hinge that allows you to use it to monitor the view whether you’re recording yourself or something in front of you. There’s also a small greyscale screen on the front of the camera to view your settings.
There are benefits and drawbacks to Insta360’s flip screen. The screen is bigger than that found on the GoPro Hero 13 Black, making it easier to see what you’re recording in detail. It also has touch capabilities, allowing you to control it with a tap even when facing the camera. However, we did find it tricky to switch between the front and back-facing view quickly, making the GoPro the stronger choice if you don’t want to miss a moment of action.
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is more waterproof
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 beats the GoPro Hero 13 Black when it comes to water protection without any additional casing, making the camera the more rugged of the two when faced with the sea, pools and water sports.
The Ace Pro 2 is waterproof up to 12m (39ft) out of the box, or 60m (197ft) with Insta360’s Dive Case. The Hero 13 Pro, meanwhile, is protected from water up to 10m (33ft) or 60m (196ft) with GoPro’s Protective Housing. Both the Dive Case and the Protective Housing are sold separately.
The GoPro Hero 13 Black has a bigger battery
Finally, when it comes to endurance, the GoPro Hero 13 Black has a larger battery.
The Hero 13 Black is powered by GoPro’s 1900 mAh Enduro battery, enabling up to two and a half hours (150 minutes) of continuous recording. We haven’t gotten the chance to test the battery ourselves yet but will update this guide when we do.
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 packs a slightly smaller 1800 mAh battery which claims to provide around 180 minutes – or three hours – of battery life. We found we were able to capture 140 minutes of 4K/30fps video before the battery drained.
Of course, all of the above numbers depend on the video resolution and whether features like image stabilisation and HDR are switched on.
Early verdict
The GoPro Hero 13 Black and Insta360 are two leading action cameras with competitive specs and features. The Ace Pro 2 has the edge when it comes to 8K video and higher waterproofing, whereas the Hero 13 Black benefits from a second front screen and a larger battery.
Check back here in the future to hear our final verdict based on our review of the GoPro Hero 13 Black.
