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| Insta360's official look at the Luna vlogging camera. |
The battle for the pocket-sized gimbal market is heating up. Earlier this week, Insta360 officially confirmed rumors that it is developing a direct competitor to DJI's hugely popular Osmo Pocket line. Dubbed the Insta360 Luna, the new device was announced hot on the heels of news that smartphone giant Vivo is also planning to enter the fray.
While Insta360 has only teased that the Luna will arrive sometime before July, a fresh wave of patent leaks and social media posts from reliable tipster Igor Bogdanov have now painted a much clearer picture of what to expect. And it suggests Insta360 is taking a fundamentally different approach to image capture than its rival.
A Smartphone-Style Dual-Camera Approach
The most significant revelation about the Luna is that its dual-camera system will not work in tandem to create a single image, as we've seen on some other devices. Instead, according to the newly surfaced patents, the Luna's cameras will operate much like the rear camera array on a modern smartphone.
The setup is rumored to include:
- A standard 1x wide-angle lens for general shooting.
- A dedicated 3x optical zoom telephoto lens for close-ups with better quality than digital zoom.
This design choice directly challenges the current market leader. For context, the DJI Osmo Pocket 3 (currently available for around $482 on Amazon) relies on a single, larger sensor to achieve its quality, using digital zoom to get closer to the action. A native optical zoom lens, like the one rumored for the Luna, would allow users to frame tighter shots without losing resolution or image clarity—a major advantage for vloggers and content creators who need versatility on the go.
Inside the Luna: The Power of Dual Processors
Beyond the lens hardware, the leaks detail a sophisticated internal imaging pipeline designed to maximize quality from those two sensors. The Luna will reportedly utilize a standard mobile chipset with an integrated Image Signal Processor (ISP) to handle the core camera functions.
However, the magic may lie in a secondary, dedicated "Pre-ISP" chip. According to a detailed post by Igor Bogdanov on X, this auxiliary processor activates when needed to refine the image before it hits the main ISP.
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As Bogdanov explains, the signal from the sensors is first routed to this auxiliary chip. Its job is to perform critical initial enhancements, including:
- Minimizing image noise, especially in low-light conditions.
- Optimizing brightness across the frame.
- Enhancing shadow details to recover more information from darker areas of the shot.
Only after this pre-processing is complete does the enhanced feed get sent to the main ISP for final processing. This dual-processor architecture suggests Insta360 is laser-focused on delivering superior image quality, particularly in challenging lighting, which could be a key differentiator in the market.
How It Works: Joysticks and a Fold-Out Screen
In terms of user experience, the Luna is expected to feel very familiar to anyone who has used a modern pocket gimbal. Zoom levels can be switched using either a dedicated physical joystick or via touchscreen gestures on the device's fold-out viewfinder.
In this sense, the Luna's operational design mirrors the successful formula of the DJI Osmo Pocket 3. The fold-out screen allows for easy framing and menu navigation, while physical controls offer a tactile way to adjust settings without taking your eyes off the action.
The Race to Market
The timing of these releases is becoming a fascinating subplot. While Insta360 has confirmed a pre-July release window, the rumor mill suggests that DJI is not standing still. Whispers of an Osmo Pocket 4 Pro, which is also expected to feature a dual-camera setup, are growing louder. According to current speculation, the Osmo Pocket 4 Pro may actually hit shelves before the Insta360 Luna.
This sets the stage for an exciting showdown. If DJI launches first with a second-generation dual-camera gimbal, it could steal some of Luna's thunder. However, if Insta360's unique Pre-ISP chip and optical zoom deliver noticeably better image quality, it could be well worth the wait.
For now, all eyes are on the coming months. With Vivo also planning its own entry, the pocket gimbal category—once defined almost solely by DJI—is about to become a much more crowded and innovative space.
Source(s): Igor Bogdanov (1) (2) (3) (4) (5)
