This Is All So Weird and, Frankly, Stupid

For the past several months, the photography community has been subjected to the strangest series of product launches that we’ve ever seen. I use the word “launches” very loosely, because two-thirds of those products have yet to actually “launch.”

I speak, of course, about this next-generation series of dual-sensor gimbal cameras: The DJI Pocket 4P, the Insta360 Luna Ultra, and the Xtra Muse 2 Pro. DJI, Insta360, and Xtra have collectively been edging content creators since April, and today, most of the way through June, that continues. If not for premature product availability from B&H last week, we wouldn’t have actually seen the Luna Ultra “launch” until last Thursday.

All three companies have spent months teasing and hyping while effectively saying nothing substantive. I understand that a lot of this was driven by both pricing competition and accusations of patent applications, but Xtra’s “early access” system that asks people to put down a deposit to save a space in line without knowing what the final price or delivery date is is next-level insane.

What are we doing here? I cannot in good conscience advocate that people support this.

The two product photos Xtra shared of the Muse 2 Pro. It didn’t include any images of the other sides of the camera. | Xtra

Oh, and I am fully aware that Xtra has some cozy relationship with DJI, whether that means Xtra is owned by it via a series of shell companies or is just the U.S.-based arm of a company that can no longer sell its products here. Given Xtra’s entire product line is just carbon copies of DJI cameras, I’m willing to call a spade a spade. I am sure there is a nice, clean legal agreement between the two brands that explains why DJI is suing Insta360 and pretending Xtra doesn’t even exist.

But given DJI’s inability to import products into the U.S., I also get why this has to happen. Gratefully, Xtra seems to be making some changes to its Muse 2 Pro versus the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P. Even if they’re minor, I think they are good.

My other issue has to do with launch timing. For months, both DJI and Insta360 have waffled on when their products would be available. DJI still hasn’t provided a final price or availability date for its Pocket 4P in most regions, despite the camera officially and fully launching in China already. At this point, DJI already knows what Insta360 has; why are we obfuscating further? Xtra is also unwilling to be exact about its launch timing or pricing, probably because DJI hasn’t yet.

We are still under NDA and therefore can’t tell you more about the DJI Osmo Pocket 4P. That doesn’t mean the information isn’t already out there, though. | Photo by Jordan Drake for PetaPixel

And that’s another issue: staggered releases based on region. It’s as though these companies don’t know that the Internet exists, and they act as though they can release products in one region without the rest of the world finding out all they need to from a website. Insta360 has done this before, and there are also Japanese companies that seem to think regions live in a bubble. It’s baffling.

Look, ya’ll: if you’re not willing to release the most important bits of information about a product (major specs, pricing, and release date), then it is not beneficial to anyone to say anything at all. Insta360 would get a pass for hiding its Luna Ultra behind frosted glass if it didn’t, at the same time, get some content creators to just show it off that same day, uncovered. DJI only letting the media state that it has a Type 1 sensor, 10-bit D-log, and 17 stops of dynamic range is also frustrating. Doubly so after it accidentally revealed this camera existed right after the Osmo Pocket 4 was announced and had an event around the camera at Cannes where it only talked about those same things. Xtra saying the price of the Muse 2 Pro will be “$6XX” while making sure not to call its reservation system a pre-order (because it’s not) is just bizarre.

Part of me gets it: this camera segment exploded in popularity with the Osmo Pocket 3, to the point that it was easily the most popular standalone camera in the world. There are millions of dollars to be made here. But these companies are playing chess with each other, and we are the pieces, and that doesn’t feel good. Stop using us to wage your war.

The launch of this series of gimbal cameras could have been really exciting, but this staggered and elongated release window is just giving everyone pocket camera fatigue. Don’t do it again.

Image credits: Header photo made using assets licensed via Depositphotos.com.