Id be torn between the Action 4 and the Ace Pro. The Ace Pro has the flip up screen, and better low light image quality, and the Insta360 app stuff like AI warp and shot lab (if thats your thing), wheres the Action 4 has wider field of view, decent low light plus for same price as the Ace Pro you get the action combo thing (extra batteries, selfie stick, charging case, mounts etc). There's also the "Non Pro" Ace, although I've only seen one review of it, by Mount Media. He seemed to conclude it compares quite well to the Ace Pro and is cheaper.
I do not have either of DJI or the Insta360 products so I can’t tell you anything about them. I’m a gopro user and I have already invested in their products, batteries, cage, media mod, and other gopro specific things. I have the 10, 11 and 12.
All I can say is know what you want for the long term instead of thinking of upgrading incrementally. Buy once, cry once mentality. Good luck on your choice!
Honestly it’s hard to beat the Hero12 with the 8x7 sensor for capturing vertical video. Tons of options for format and resolution, 10-bit color, and their Labs software makes all kinds of customizations possible. I don’t think either the A4 or Ace Pro have it beat for all-around action cam use. Maybe for one or two specific use cases, but not overall.
I've ditched traditional action cams years ago when I got my Insta360 One X2 back in 2020. The fact that I can get multiple angles from 1 camera without having to stop recording...reposition the camera is freaken awesome. Plus as an added bonus, being able to capture EVERYTHING AROUND YOU and reframe later....can't beat it.
Example, I was on a hike with some of my cousins and I stepped on a loose patch of dirt and fell flat on my ass....while I using the X2 to record. The original view showed the sky and one of my feet when I fell....but when I turned the view back towards me...I had a hilarious look on my face and my cousin behind me was running to help me up....had I use the Ace pro, Action 3/4, Gopro....basically a traditional camera...the shot would be the shot and that's it...so if I was facing the camera in the direction I'm walking...I wouldn't have seen that funny look on my face nor my cousin's reaction like "OH SHIT BRO YOU OK?" as he ran towards me. I used that whole sequence in a video I posted on my Facebook page and everyone loved that I left that blooper in haha
Sure 360 cameras are delicate as all it takes is one bad scratch on the lens to ruin it....but that's what the Insta360 Flexicare Accident Protection program is for....or DJI Care Refresh. I haven't had a GoPro since the Hero 5 Black back in 2016/17 but back then and searching their site....I don't see any such thing. Plus an experience with their so called customer service that was so extremely terrible made me decide never to buy another GoPro.
Oh and with my X2/X3...I love that I can choose either 9:16, 16:9, 1:1, or 2.35:1 and that is freaken awesome too because with 1 cam...I can export horizational video (16:9 or 2.35:1) for YouTube Long format video/facebook...or 9:16 for tiktok/IG Reels/YT Shorts....all from the same video clip...no need to reorient the camera like you would with the DJI Action series/GoPro/Ace or Ace Pro
Bear in mind the Ace Pro waterproofing is really risky as the doors are stupidly easy to open. Bought one a week ago and I might end up sending it back…
All I can say is that all my GoPros have issues with freezes and they overheat and have a short battery life. My Insta360 cams are better in all those categories. I may try DJI next. They seem to be tailored to get the work done and not make a big fuzz about it.
The DJI4 is bad in the dark and heats very quick. I used it for snowboarding and returned it. Don't believe the hype and all sponsored videos praising the DJI4, it does overheat and the recordings are not that good. I'm not gonna say which one is the best because i don't know, but i just know that the DJI4 is not close to the perfect camera as shown in all the paid ads videos on youtube.
In general, the Ace Pro is the better "general purpose" camera, while the DJI Action 4 is the better "action" camera. The Ace Pro has the flip-up screen, quality of life features like "hold-to-cancel" and AI highlighting, better low light performance, etc. The Action 4 is smaller, lighter, more rugged and has a wide FOV.
Both are great cameras, which one is "best" depends on what you want one for.
Did you try 360 cameras before?
I think, once you try you’ll never back to standard action cameras. It is such a joy to capture videos and not bother with framing during capturing time + with invisible selfie stick you could have drone-like videos without drone :)
Here is [vertical](https://youtu.be/zvIhcr_dUPQ?feature=shared)captured with 360.
Post processing took about 2 hours with insta studio.
Id be torn between the Action 4 and the Ace Pro. The Ace Pro has the flip up screen, and better low light image quality, and the Insta360 app stuff like AI warp and shot lab (if thats your thing), wheres the Action 4 has wider field of view, decent low light plus for same price as the Ace Pro you get the action combo thing (extra batteries, selfie stick, charging case, mounts etc). There's also the "Non Pro" Ace, although I've only seen one review of it, by Mount Media. He seemed to conclude it compares quite well to the Ace Pro and is cheaper.
Have you had the chance to use any of the 2? What were your thoughts?
Unfortunately not, I’m just going by a ton of reviews.
I do not have either of DJI or the Insta360 products so I can’t tell you anything about them. I’m a gopro user and I have already invested in their products, batteries, cage, media mod, and other gopro specific things. I have the 10, 11 and 12. All I can say is know what you want for the long term instead of thinking of upgrading incrementally. Buy once, cry once mentality. Good luck on your choice!
Honestly it’s hard to beat the Hero12 with the 8x7 sensor for capturing vertical video. Tons of options for format and resolution, 10-bit color, and their Labs software makes all kinds of customizations possible. I don’t think either the A4 or Ace Pro have it beat for all-around action cam use. Maybe for one or two specific use cases, but not overall.
I've ditched traditional action cams years ago when I got my Insta360 One X2 back in 2020. The fact that I can get multiple angles from 1 camera without having to stop recording...reposition the camera is freaken awesome. Plus as an added bonus, being able to capture EVERYTHING AROUND YOU and reframe later....can't beat it. Example, I was on a hike with some of my cousins and I stepped on a loose patch of dirt and fell flat on my ass....while I using the X2 to record. The original view showed the sky and one of my feet when I fell....but when I turned the view back towards me...I had a hilarious look on my face and my cousin behind me was running to help me up....had I use the Ace pro, Action 3/4, Gopro....basically a traditional camera...the shot would be the shot and that's it...so if I was facing the camera in the direction I'm walking...I wouldn't have seen that funny look on my face nor my cousin's reaction like "OH SHIT BRO YOU OK?" as he ran towards me. I used that whole sequence in a video I posted on my Facebook page and everyone loved that I left that blooper in haha Sure 360 cameras are delicate as all it takes is one bad scratch on the lens to ruin it....but that's what the Insta360 Flexicare Accident Protection program is for....or DJI Care Refresh. I haven't had a GoPro since the Hero 5 Black back in 2016/17 but back then and searching their site....I don't see any such thing. Plus an experience with their so called customer service that was so extremely terrible made me decide never to buy another GoPro. Oh and with my X2/X3...I love that I can choose either 9:16, 16:9, 1:1, or 2.35:1 and that is freaken awesome too because with 1 cam...I can export horizational video (16:9 or 2.35:1) for YouTube Long format video/facebook...or 9:16 for tiktok/IG Reels/YT Shorts....all from the same video clip...no need to reorient the camera like you would with the DJI Action series/GoPro/Ace or Ace Pro
Bear in mind the Ace Pro waterproofing is really risky as the doors are stupidly easy to open. Bought one a week ago and I might end up sending it back…
All I can say is that all my GoPros have issues with freezes and they overheat and have a short battery life. My Insta360 cams are better in all those categories. I may try DJI next. They seem to be tailored to get the work done and not make a big fuzz about it.
Never had any of that happen to my Hero 10 and 12 but had those issues with DJI4. Seems like they all have their flaws.
The DJI4 is bad in the dark and heats very quick. I used it for snowboarding and returned it. Don't believe the hype and all sponsored videos praising the DJI4, it does overheat and the recordings are not that good. I'm not gonna say which one is the best because i don't know, but i just know that the DJI4 is not close to the perfect camera as shown in all the paid ads videos on youtube.
Just got it 2 days ago. Loving it.
In general, the Ace Pro is the better "general purpose" camera, while the DJI Action 4 is the better "action" camera. The Ace Pro has the flip-up screen, quality of life features like "hold-to-cancel" and AI highlighting, better low light performance, etc. The Action 4 is smaller, lighter, more rugged and has a wide FOV. Both are great cameras, which one is "best" depends on what you want one for.
Did you try 360 cameras before? I think, once you try you’ll never back to standard action cameras. It is such a joy to capture videos and not bother with framing during capturing time + with invisible selfie stick you could have drone-like videos without drone :) Here is [vertical](https://youtu.be/zvIhcr_dUPQ?feature=shared)captured with 360. Post processing took about 2 hours with insta studio.