# Can Leica make an action camera a real camera?

> The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 with Leica engineering produces surprisingly good still images that stand up beside traditional cameras.
- Title: Can Leica make an action camera a real camera? | Shortify
- Summary: The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 with Leica engineering produces surprisingly good still images that stand up beside traditional cameras. Action cameras have evolved…
- Keywords: insta360 ace pro 2, leica, action camera, leica m240, camera comparison, 1/1.3-inch sensor, 50mp still images, 8k video, xplorer grip pro, leica optics, compact camera, dng raw files
- Source: Digital Camera World — https://digitalcameraworld.com/cameras/action-cameras/can-leica-engineering-really-turn-an-action-camera-into-a-proper-camera-i-tested-the-insta360-ace-pro-2-to-find-out
- Published: 2026-09-21T00:10:00+00:00
- Read time: 3 min
- Topics: insta360 ace pro 2, leica, action camera, leica m240, camera comparison, 1/1.3-inch sensor, 50mp still images, 8k video, xplorer grip pro, leica optics, compact camera, dng raw files
## Leica meets action cameras
The Insta360 Ace Pro 2 pairs a 1/1.3-inch sensor with Leica optics, raising the question: can an action camera produce images as good as a traditional camera?
## An unusual pairing
Leica represents slow, deliberate photography with expensive glass. Action cameras are tiny boxes strapped to helmets and handlebars. The combination seems contradictory.
## The real test
The reviewer took the Ace Pro 2 into the field alongside a Leica M240 to see if an action camera with Leica engineering could produce images worthy of being called photographs.
## Not a fair fight
The M240 has a 24MP full-frame sensor while the Ace Pro 2 uses a much smaller 1/1.3-inch sensor producing 50MP stills. The cameras serve completely different purposes.
## The grip changes everything
The Xplorer Grip Pro adds a proper shutter button, zoom control, and exposure dial, transforming the Ace Pro 2 from a video device into something that feels like a compact camera.

> Suddenly, this little action cam starts feeling remarkably like a compact camera.
## Leica looks applied instantly
The camera applies Leica-inspired presets like Leica Vivid directly to JPEGs while recording DNG RAW files for later editing, blurring the line between action camera and traditional compact.
## Massive resolution for an action cam
The full 4:3 sensor produces 50MP images at 8192 by 6144 pixels. Switching to 16:9 still yields roughly 37MP, giving photographers real freedom to crop and reframe.
## Photography is not an afterthought
The Ace Pro 2 treats still images as genuinely developed, not just a side feature. RAW files offer real editing latitude when treated like images from any other camera.
## The Leica M240 still wins
The full-frame sensor produces superior depth, tonality, texture, and natural rendering that the tiny Ace Pro 2 cannot replicate. But that was never the real question.

> The larger full-frame sensor produces a completely different quality to the image.
## Ace Pro 2 images hold their own
The Ace Pro 2 images did not fall apart beside M240 photographs. They showed plenty of detail, excellent colors, and the Leica presets deliver polished images ready to share instantly.

> What surprised me was just how good the Insta360 images looked beside it.
## RAW editing gives real control
Taking DNG files into a photo editor provides genuinely useful latitude for adjustments. This editing flexibility is remarkable for a camera that also shoots 8K video.
## Action camera label is outdated
The Ace Pro 2 is not replacing the M240, but it proves the term action camera is increasingly restrictive for devices this capable at still photography.
## A rugged compact camera
With the Xplorer Grip Pro, the Ace Pro 2 becomes an incredibly capable compact camera that is rugged, tiny, shoots 8K video, and goes places an M camera never would.
## Good photographs, period
The Ace Pro 2's still images are not merely good for an action camera. In the right conditions, they are genuinely good photographs.

> Its still images are not merely good because they came from an action camera; in the right conditions, they are genuinely good photographs.
## Leica engineering delivers
Yes, Leica engineering helps make the Ace Pro 2 feel like a proper camera. Insta360 is now leading the pack when it comes to still photography with action cameras.

> So, can Leica engineering help make an action camera feel like a "proper" camera? After using the Ace Pro 2 this way, I think the answer is yes.
## Key takeaway

Action cameras have evolved so far that the category name no longer fits devices like the Ace Pro 2, which can produce genuinely good photographs alongside 8K video.