Insta360 Confirms Two Mirrorless Cameras Are In Development

Rumors have been circulating for months about Insta360 entering the interchangeable-lens camera market, and the company has now confirmed it is developing two mirrorless cameras. Insta360 CEO and founder Jingkang "JK" Liu revealed the news in an interview with Mynavi News following the opening of the company's first permanent retail store in Japan.

He did not share specific details about the cameras, but did provide a hint about one of them. According to Liu, one of the mirrorless cameras will have a unique shape that has never been seen before. This statement opens the door for speculation, especially considering Insta360's history of designing unconventional camera models.

The company is well-known for its 360-degree and action cameras, but has been expanding into new categories, including gimbal cameras. Insta360's recent confirmation of its mirrorless camera development coincides with a cryptic Weibo post from CEO Liu back in January, which read "Heading towards new focal lengths." This post, along with a leaked image from April showing a conventional Insta360 camera with interchangeable-lens capability, suggests that at least one of the cameras in development is equipped with this feature.

The leaked image featured a white-bodied camera with physical controls like a shutter button, command dial, and mode dial, as well as an attached Olympus M.Zuiko 14-42mm lens, which indicates compatibility with the Micro Four Thirds mount. While it is unclear which of the two cameras with unusual shape the leaked model represents, it is evident that Insta360 is aiming to make interchangeable-lens cameras more accessible to users who have never used this type of camera before.

The CEO stated that the company intends to achieve this by incorporating new technologies and AI features into the cameras, although he did not elaborate on how these features will function. With Insta360 now openly confirming the development of two mirrorless cameras, it appears only a matter of time before more details about these devices become available.