Dash cams are incredibly useful in an age in which insurance scams are through the roof. It really puts the emphasis in DOOM-scrolling when you see clips of people deliberately reversing into people in the hope of making spurious claims against them, only to panic when caught out by a dash cam. But could the best dash cam actually be something else – specifically the stunning 8K Ace Pro 2?
Dash cams and other cameras were separate breeds though, or so I thought, until recently I found myself reviewing the brand new Insta360 Ace Pro 2 and finding a 'dash cam mode' on it.
The Ace Pro 2, incidentally, is one of the two cameras – alongside the DJI Action 5 Pro – which has made a legitimate claim to unseat GoPro as the best action camera. And interestingly all three brands have now taken slightly different routes.
It's not a surprise, though, that the Ace Pro 2 is the only one to specifically add a separate dash cam mode. It is also the only one that has consciously re-tthoguht the classic GoPro-inspired action cam design and considered viewing angles – with the addition of a flip screen.
To be clear, though, it's not actually an 8K dash cam. The Ace Pro 2 can capture video in 8K, when shooting as a video camera (limited to 30fps, mind). So you could actually use it like that, if you wanted, but set it to its specific 'dash cam' mode and it'll have other ideas. Dash cam mode defaults to a more practical and battery-preserving 4K – still more than enough to read license plates by.
It also captures video in one-minute clips, but it still has that excellent camera which is ideal in low light.
Of course GoPro users might be used to video coming in irritating little clips whether they like it or not, but users of other more grown-up action cameras expect a single file from the moment they hit record to the moment they press stop. For a dash cam, however, it makes sense to keep creating a new file every minute so the system can operate in a loop and start deleting them after a certain time period.
The other thing 'dash cam mode' does is apply metadata directly to the clip, just like a typical dash cam, so your evidence already has a time code.
Depending on the kit you choose, a suction cup mount from Insta360, so you fit it onto your windshield and not obscure too much of your view. Whether it's as simple as a properly fitted dash cam is another matter. You certainly need to make sure the screen is clean before you push it on!
As someone who doesn't habitually use a dash cam, though, it helped made me start to see the appeal as I caught the assorted drivers of London charging past red lights around me, knowing full well that one of these might cheerfully zap past me and take my wing mirror with them – I very much doubt they'd stop!
Oh, and if you're having problems finding the Ace Pro 2 at the moment, you can buy it directly:
• 🇺🇸 / 🇬🇧 / 🇦🇺 Insta360 Store direct – up to 47% off cameras this holiday season
If you don't need a dash cam mode, but still want an 8K action camera, the old model Ace Pro is being discounted now it has a younger sibling:
