I tried Insta360’s tiny new 450mm telephoto lens, and it changed how I look at street and portrait photography
A new lens adds serious reach, while a free update brings 15x zoom and a dedicated concert mode to every Luna Ultra
Insta360 is rolling out a major update for its Luna Ultra vlogging camera, adding more zoom, a dedicated concert shooting mode, and a selection of new portrait features.
To coincide with the update, the company is also releasing the new Ultra Telephoto Lens that pushes the pocket gimbal camera to a 450mm-equivalent (!) focal length.
The free firmware update increases Luna Ultra’s maximum in-camera zoom from 12x to 15x, or 300mm equivalent, covering six focal lengths.
Insta360 says its AI Remosaic technology retains more detail at higher magnifications than conventional digital cropping, with processing available in Video and PureVideo at up to 4K30fps.
Perhaps the biggest software addition is Stage Mode, designed specifically for concerts, festivals, and theatre performances.
It adjusts exposure, focus and white balance for difficult stage lighting, while an upgraded tracking model is intended to keep performers locked in even at higher zoom levels.
Stage Mode records at up to 4K30fps and can also be combined with Insta360’s new HighRes Zoom feature.
HighRes Zoom uses a dedicated AI model to tackle noise, strong lighting and loss of detail when shooting distant performers, although enabling it means giving up features including Dolby Vision and I-Log.
Insta360 has also added Stage Audio, which prioritises sound coming from the performance, and Ambient Audio for capturing more of the surrounding venue atmosphere.
A much longer reach
Alongside the software update comes the Ultra Telephoto Lens, a compact magnetic 1.5x extender designed exclusively for Luna Ultra.
Attach it, and the camera’s usable telephoto range becomes the equivalent of 90mm to 450mm, with its maximum 15x in-camera zoom effectively becoming 22.5x.
Luna Ultra automatically detects when the extender is fitted, although Insta360 recommends carrying out a focus calibration before shooting.
I’ve already been trying the new lens, and while it’s not about to replace a full-size camera and proper optical telephoto setup, it does make Luna Ultra a much more flexible little device, especially for portraiture and macro imaging.
The most obvious benefit is reach. One of my early tests involved a fox sleeping several gardens away. In the wider frame, it occupied only a tiny part of the image, but with 15x zoom and the telephoto attachment fitted, it became the clear subject without me needing to move any closer.
The same applies to static subjects. I used the lens to zoom in on a garden ornament from across the drive and on architectural details around the seafront, both of which were much easier to isolate than they would have been with the standard setup.
I also tried it indoors on my Godzilla figure, where the added reach let me move from a normal full-body shot to an extreme close-up of the face, and on a houseplant by the window, where the lens pulled out the fuzzy texture of the leaves surprisingly well.
On both occasions, zooming in and using the camera for macro shots showcased another limitation: focus misalignment. Everything looked dandy on the Luna Ultra's display, but once downloaded to my phone/computer, it became clear the focus wasn't where I thought it was.
Moving away from the subject could help, of course, and the comparatively high pixel count means you can crop the image afterwards. However, a simple focus peak feature would make it less of an issue. Maybe in the next update?
At the extreme end of the range, there is some visible softness, so anyone regularly shooting wildlife, sport, or distant action will still want proper telephoto glass.
One benefit of the Luna Ultra + Ultra Telephoto Lens setup – apart from its pocketable nature – is subject tracking and shake-reduction, which can help you shoot sharper images than on your phone.
Of course, the small vlogging camera with a compact lens attachment isn’t a substitute for a larger camera system, even though I'll be the first to admit that really isn't the point of the Ultra Telephoto Lens to begin with.
What Insta360 has done here is give Luna Ultra more range and more versatility, while still improving the camera for existing owners who never buy the attachment at all.
I like the company's approach of tweaking its products after the launch, introducing meaningful updates sometimes long after they were launched (see also the Flash Print Bundle available for the Ace Pro 2).
The telephoto lens is the flashy add-on, but the more meaningful story is that the company keeps treating its cameras as platforms it can keep expanding, instead of abandoning them the moment they’re announced.
Price and availability information wasn't available at the time of writing. Visit Insta360 for more information.
