Insta360 Luna Ultra 8K Gimbal Camera Targets Solo Creators, Opens Door to Smartphone Makers

Insta360 has entered the handheld gimbal camera market with the Luna Ultra 8K, a device the company describes as an AI-powered "cameraman" for a single operator. The Shenzhen-based maker of action cams and desktop webcams explicitly invited smartphone manufacturers to build their own devices in the category.

The Luna Ultra packs a 1/1.3-inch sensor paired with a 26mm f/1.9 lens and can shoot 8K at 30 frames per second or 4K at 120 frames per second. Insta360 said its key differentiator is "Active Tracking 3.0" – a five-axis stabilized gimbal that locks onto a subject and follows it without a dedicated operator touching the device. The camera ships with a built-in tripod, voice control, and the company's AI studio software for automatic subject selection and editing.

Pricing starts at $599. Shipping begins June 30.

The company positioned the Luna not as a direct rival to DJI's Osmo Pocket 3, which starts at $449 with a 1-inch sensor and a three-axis gimbal. Instead, Insta360 is aiming at a different use case: a device the user can set down and walk away from, relying on the gimbal and software to frame the shot. "We are building the category of autonomous tracking cameras, not just another pocket gimbal," the company said. "The most important partner we can bring in is a smartphone maker, because that is where the volume will come from."