Insta360 Ace Pro 2 Xplorer Grip Pro Collection review: A better action camera

The final exposure control feature is one I use often, exposure compensation. This works with auto exposure and can be used to combat the tendency to go too slow as the shutter speed forces the Ace Pro 2 to underexpose the image. The exposure comps here are the best among action cameras, ranging from -4 stops to +4 stops in ⅓-stop increments. I set the Xplorer Grip to control the EV, so when I’m in auto mode, the dial is an exposure dial just like a “real” camera. (The dial can also be set to control ISO, shutter speed, shooting mode, filter selection, and white balance.)

Better yet, if you’re in manual mode and want to switch back to automatic mode, the first tap of the dial will open the side panel, the second will switch from manual to auto, and the third tap will start adjusting the exposure value. This is a really quick way to go from carefully configured exposure to fully automatic mode without having to enter the touchscreen menus.

The final thing worth mentioning is the built-in Leica color profiles. If you haven’t updated your firmware recently, you should do so. Insta360 has added a few of these things. Since I shoot RAW, I don’t use them very often, but as color profiles go, these are great, especially the new Leica high-contrast color black and white, which is what I’ve been using most of the time. This way I get a black and white JPG file and a full color RAW file.

To be honest, I didn’t have high hopes for the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit. For me, action cameras were primarily intended for shooting around water, and while this still works with a bare camera, it doesn’t work with a grip. However, I was pleasantly surprised using the Ace Pro 2 with the Xplorer Grip as an everyday camera.

I’d say it’s best taken as a compliment to the “real” camera you have. It will not replace your interchangeable lens camera. It could replace a point-and-shoot camera, but I didn’t, because sometimes I want a pocket camera with a 28mm lens. Instead, the Ace Pro 2 with a grip has become an extra camera I bring with me when I want a wide-angle or fisheye look and don’t feel like carrying a big, heavy, fast, full-frame, ultra-wide lens.