Leaked images suggest Insta360 is building its first MFT mirrorless camera. And with a rumored sensor borrowed from the OM-1 II, it looks serious.
One more rumor from the pre-NAB action cam space, because it's a good one.
Leaked images circulating online this week suggest that Insta360 is developing a Micro Four Thirds mirrorless camera.
The images, originally posted on Bilibili before being pulled and shared by 4/3 Rumors, show what appears to be a traditional SLR-style body with an Olympus 14-42mm lens attached. That is, of course, an MFT lens, meaning the new camera would have instant potential access to a deep ecosystem of glass from OM System, Panasonic, Sigma, and others.
The white styling, and the styling in general, is dividing opinion. But it is consistent with the deliberately blurred image that Insta360 CEO and founder, Jingkang “JK” Liu posted on Weibo in January.
More to the point, with many people disappointed that GoPro's own now-announced Mission 1 Pro ILS MFT camera leans into its own action camera heritage looks so hard, that traditional camera body styling looks set to win over a decent subset of potential buyers. Perhaps it will come in different colorways?
The potential spec sheet makes things more interesting still. The camera is said to use the Sony IMX472, a 20 MP Four Thirds sensor with a native resolution of 5280 × 3956 pixels. That's the same silicon inside the OM System OM-1 II and OM-3, which is a serious starting point. Also rumored are physical dials for aperture and exposure compensation (a first for Insta360), a dedicated photo/video switch, and a flip-up touchscreen UI that appears to evolve from the Ace Pro interface.
There are still plenty of questions. Is that mount active? In other words, does it have autofocus and aperture control, the lack of which appears to be a notable weakness with the Mission 1. Is there IBIS onboard to go alongside Insta360's already impressive FlowState stabilization? And, of course, how much will it be?
The pricing of these new MFTs from action camera brands is going to be as much of a factor in their potential success or failure as the featureset. You feel it needs to undercut the current market, but much will depend on exactly where it can land in a rough window of $599–$799.
Hopefully we'll find out more, even if it's just official confirmation of existence, from Insta360 at NAB.