Insta360 Ace Pro 2 vs Action 5 Pro vs GoPro Hero 13 Real World Comparison

DJI recently released the DJI Action 5, GoPro released the Hero 13 Black, and now Insta360 has released the Ace Pro 2. Let’s test and compare these cameras to see which one might be right for you.

Image Quality and Stabilization

I don’t see any reason to compare stabilization between these three cameras because they all stabilize incredibly well. When it comes to footage, there’s a fair amount of difference between these cameras. The Insta360 will film 8K up to 30 frames per second, which you’re seeing now. Insta360 says you should really only use that in bright, well-lit conditions. The Action 5 Pro will film 4K up to 120 frames per second, which pretty much all these cameras do, and the GoPro will film 5.3K.

In full disclosure, I purchased all these cameras originally. DJI did send me an Action 5, but it met with an unfortunate accident, so I purchased another one. All these cameras were purchased specifically to test and Review for this video.

Focus Performance

What you’re seeing right now is the ideal conditions for any action camera – very well-lit space, very bright, and I’m using a selfie stick to hold them about 3 feet away. The reason for that is that the Insta360 seems to struggle with close focus distance. The Action 5 Pro does as well. This is where the GoPro actually wins, as it gets everything in focus at a fairly close distance. With the Action 5, you definitely want to be at least an arm’s length away. I struggle with the Ace Pro because it just does not seem to have subjects in focus. The background is in focus, yes, but it also feels artificially sharpened.

Image Quality Comparison

In most of this footage, I feel the GoPro looks the best, particularly in close focus situations. The GoPro and Action 5 Pro are tied for which one you can make look closest to other cameras. The GoPro has a log profile, does fairly well with 10-bit color, and produces very GoPro-esque footage. The Action 5 has its 10-bit log color profile (D-Log M), which you can match to many other cameras.

Insta360 Image Quality Issues

One thing that has stuck out since I started testing was the Insta360 Pro 2’s image seems softer, less detailed – not less sharp, but it has less detail in the video. Even at 4K 30 with HDR on or off, it still has that same softness. The place I can really tell is in my hat, which has lots of fine detail that doesn’t come across on the Insta360 at all. The colors look crushed, and the background looks over-sharpened.

Color and Detail Performance

From an image quality standpoint, I would rate the Action 5 or GoPro as number one, depending on the look you’re going for. The Insta360 is definitely last as it just does not look as good to me. This is in ideal conditions where everything should look amazing – it’s super brightly lit with great colors in the snow, but it doesn’t deliver.

Professional Features

One very disappointing aspect of the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 is there is no 10-bit color option. If you’re going to label your camera “Pro” anything, you need to have at least one mode with a 10-bit option. Not having a 10-bit option means there’s absolutely no reason to shoot any sort of log profile. It’s going to be much more difficult to match up to other cameras in post if you’re color grading.

Shadow Detail and Color Accuracy

There’s some strange behavior with the Insta360 – there is detail in the hat, especially when zoomed in, but it’s kind of smeared, as if it’s been artificially constructed or oversharpened. Another issue with the Insta360’s Ace Pro 2 footage is that it severely crushes the shadows. You can see almost no detail in any of the dark shadow areas, whereas in both the GoPro and the Action 5 Pro, you can see details in the shadows and dark areas. If you pull those shadows up or pull the mid-tones up, you can recover a lot of detail – with the Ace Pro 2, they just don’t exist.

Regarding color accuracy, the Ace Pro 2’s colors in pretty much any mode were not nearly as accurate as the GoPro or Action 5 Pro. For example, my red jacket in the Ace Pro 2 footage is way off color-wise, very different from what it actually looks like in real life. The Action 5 Pro got it closest, with the GoPro Hero 13 a close second.

Low Light Performance

When it comes to low light, no action camera will give you truly spectacular performance – they’re just not designed for that with their small sensors. Insta360 has their Pure Video mode, which is supposed to be super clean in low light. DJI has their Super Night mode, which I’ve found to be fairly good overall. The GoPro, on the other hand, struggles in low light and doesn’t have a dedicated low light mode anymore.

In testing about an hour before sunrise, the Action 5 Pro and the Ace Pro 2 are neck and neck. In some circumstances, the Ace Pro 2 does a little better, and in others, the Action 5 does. The GoPro is by far the worst, and I wouldn’t recommend using it in very low light. The Ace Pro 2 actually does a really good job, though I still prefer the look of the Action 5 Pro. In some highlights, like lights in the background on buildings, the Ace Pro 2 does slightly better.

Audio Features

The Ace Pro 2 has a wind cover in the front and voice isolation features. The Action 5 doesn’t have a wind cover but can wirelessly pair directly with up to two DJI Mic 2s. The GoPro doesn’t have a wind mic cover but has voice isolation features and can pair with Bluetooth audio devices. Insta360 has added support for USB-C audio, meaning any USB-C compatible microphone can plug directly into the camera, and I believe it can also pair with Bluetooth devices.

For sound quality straight out of camera with no extra processing, the Ace Pro 2 generally sounds pretty good, the Action 5 Pro sounds fine, and the GoPro Hero 13 sounds good as well. The real difference comes in higher winds, where pairing with an external mic like a DJI Mic 2 makes a significant difference.

Vertical Video Capabilities

Each camera handles vertical video differently. The GoPro has a native vertical mode since it shoots with an 8:7 sensor – you can do a 16:9 crop and still get full 4K/30 without rotating the camera. With the Action 5, you can film in 4K 4:3 mode and crop, or better yet, use the cage to flip the whole camera on its side with the magnetic mount for full 4K/30 vertical video. The Insta360 can be rotated, though I haven’t figured out exactly how. It also has a free frame video mode that gives you two crops of the sensor to choose from in post, providing full 4K vertical video. Overall, GoPro wins for quality, while the Action 5 wins for ease of use.

Subject Tracking

The Action 5 absolutely beats both GoPro and Insta360 in subject tracking mode. While you can get tracking with GoPro or Insta360 in their ultra-wide field of view, the slight movement that the tracking gives the Action 5 is nice for adding variety to your shots.

Battery Life and Cold Weather Performance

In battery life tests at 4K/30, the Action 5 Pro is the absolute best, averaging 2 hours and 30-50 minutes. The GoPro Hero 13 follows with around 1 hour and 40-50 minutes. The Ace Pro 2 has the worst battery life at about 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, depending on shooting modes.

In cold weather, the GoPro performs worst – it has always struggled with this and continues to do so.

User Interface and Design

The Action 5 Pro features an excellent OLED rear screen and a bright front screen that becomes touch-sensitive when you swipe up. The GoPro has a nice front screen, but only the rear screen is touch-sensitive and it’s not OLED. It’s also slightly smaller than the Action 5 but still adequate for an action camera.

The Action 5 Pro is the smallest and lightest, making it great for FPV use. The Ace Pro 2 is the largest and heaviest, with no front screen but a flip-around screen that might appeal to vloggers. However, this could be a potential point of failure in rugged conditions. The Insta360 is notably larger than the others, making it questionable as a true action camera.

Price Comparison

• DJI Action 5 Pro: Cheapest at $340-350
• GoPro: $400 (or $300 with GoPro subscription, currently on sale for $350)
• Ace Pro 2: Most expensive at $400

Final Verdict

The Ace Pro 2 isn’t worth its $400 price tag due to image quality issues and lack of professional features like 10-bit footage. While it has some nice features, it doesn’t justify the “Pro” designation. For serious use or client work, the Action 5 Pro or GoPro Hero 13 would be better choices.

Thank you for watching this video. I will see you in the next one.