There was a time when getting genuinely good video meant carrying a camera bag, a selection of lenses, a tripod and enough accessories to make leaving the house feel like a production. The Insta360 Luna Ultra takes a rather different approach.
It is a compact, three-axis gimbal camera designed to sit somewhere between a smartphone and a full camera setup, but with a few tricks that make it particularly interesting for anyone who creates content on their own. There is 8K video, Leica-developed optics, a second telephoto lens, subject tracking and, perhaps most usefully, a detachable touchscreen that can be used as a remote control.
At £649.99 for the standard Luna Ultra, it is not cheap. But after seeing what it can do, it is easy to understand who it is aimed at: vloggers, travellers, fitness creators, small businesses and anyone who regularly finds themselves both the person behind and in front of the camera.
A Camera Designed Around Solo Shooting
The first thing that makes the Luna Ultra different is its detachable 2-inch OLED screen. Pull it away from the camera and it becomes a wireless remote, allowing you to see what the camera is filming, change settings, control the gimbal and start recording from up to around 20 metres away.
That sounds like a gimmick until you actually think about how often creators need to film themselves.
Want to record a workout without asking someone to hold your phone? Put the Luna on a tripod, remove the screen and start recording. Shooting a piece to camera while travelling? You can frame yourself without repeatedly walking back to check the shot. Want to capture a wide shot of yourself running, cycling or exploring somewhere? The camera can sit away from you while you still control it.
The detachable screen also houses a microphone, meaning it can double as a basic audio solution when the camera is positioned away from you. For more demanding work, an external wireless microphone is still preferable, and reviewers have noted that the built-in audio can struggle in windy outdoor conditions.
The Image Quality
The Luna Ultra is not just clever hardware. It is a serious little camera.
The main camera uses a 1-inch sensor and a Leica-developed 20mm-equivalent f/1.8 lens, while the second camera provides a 60mm-equivalent telephoto perspective. It can shoot up to 8K at 30fps and 4K at up to 120fps, with support for Dolby Vision and Insta360’s 10-bit I-Log profile for people who want more control when grading footage.
In practical terms, that means you can use it for far more than quick Instagram clips.
The footage is detailed enough for YouTube, brand content, travel films and professional-looking social media. The telephoto lens is particularly useful when you want to create separation from your subject, while the wide main lens works naturally for vlogging, interiors, food, travel and talking-to-camera pieces.
Independent testing has praised the image quality, stabilisation and low-light performance, although the digital zoom becomes less convincing at higher magnifications.
Your New Travel Camera
This is probably where the Luna Ultra makes the most sense. Travel is full of moments that are difficult to capture properly with a conventional camera. You are walking through a market, sitting in a restaurant, exploring a city or standing somewhere with an incredible view. You want the footage, but you do not necessarily want to spend five minutes setting up a camera.
The Luna is small enough to carry constantly, stabilised enough to shoot while walking and versatile enough to move between wide establishing shots and tighter details. It is also particularly useful for travel creators because you can put the camera somewhere and operate it remotely. Rather than handing your phone to a stranger to take a picture, you can frame yourself properly and shoot multiple takes.
For Fitness Content Creators
There is a particularly strong case for the Luna Ultra if you create fitness content. Filming a workout on your own is usually awkward. A phone needs to be positioned, you have to check the framing, run back into position and then repeat the process when the exercise changes.
The Luna’s combination of stabilisation, tracking and remote screen removes much of that faff. Its Deep Track 5.0 subject tracking is designed to keep people or other subjects in frame, while the gimbal keeps footage smooth as you move.
For running content, gym sessions, padel, HYROX-style training or simply filming a workout for social media, that means you can concentrate on what you are doing rather than whether the camera is still pointing in the right direction. It also opens up more creative shots. Put the camera on the floor for a low-angle running shot, place it at the edge of a gym for a wide workout sequence or position it away from you for a full-body exercise demonstration.
For padel you can record your whole game and then use the in app AI feature to create you a highlight reel which will save a lot of editing time if you just want a short video for socials.
The Verdict
The Luna Ultra feels less like an action camera and more like a tiny production studio. That is what makes it interesting.
Its combination of excellent stabilisation, strong image quality, two lenses and a genuinely useful detachable monitor means it can replace several pieces of equipment for the right creator. You can use it for travel, fitness, interviews, vlogging, restaurant content, events or simply documenting your life without needing someone else behind the camera.
It will not replace a full mirrorless setup for a professional shoot, and there are cheaper ways to get good video. But if your priority is producing high-quality content quickly, particularly when you are filming yourself, the Luna Ultra is one of the most interesting compact cameras to arrive this year. At £649.99, this is not an impulse purchase, however Insta360 has thought about how people actually create content. For anyone who is looking to record their special moments or create content the investment into the Insta360 Luna Ultra will be a great investment to give your content an upgrade!
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