Insta360 Is Building Two Mirrorless Cameras, and One Sounds Wild

For years, photographers have joked that Insta360 would eventually make a mirrorless camera. Turns out, they were right. As first reported by MyNavi, Insta360 founder and CEO Liu Jingkang has publicly confirmed that the company is actively developing not one, but two mirrorless cameras, with one described as having a shape “you have never thought of before.”

The comments came during an interview in Japan to mark the opening of Insta360’s first flagship store in Asakusa. While Liu stopped short of revealing specifications, his remarks offer the clearest confirmation yet that the 360 camera maker is preparing to enter the interchangeable lens camera market.

Two mirrorless cameras are already in development

According to MyNavi, Liu said Insta360 is working on two distinct mirrorless models with very different characteristics.

One of them is expected to follow a more familiar direction, while the other is described as a radically different design that challenges the traditional photography workflow. Rather than relying on the usual process of framing, focusing and pressing the shutter, Liu suggested the new camera could rethink how photographs are captured altogether.

That is an ambitious statement, especially from a company best known for action cameras and 360 degree imaging.

AI appears to be at the center of the project

Liu also explained why Insta360 decided to build an interchangeable lens camera in the first place. The goal is not simply to compete with established mirrorless brands, but to make these cameras easier for newcomers by combining AI with new shooting technologies.

That philosophy already appears across Insta360’s recent products. The company’s newest cameras lean heavily on automated editing, intelligent subject tracking, and computational photography, reducing the technical steps between capturing footage and sharing it.

If those same ideas make their way into a mirrorless system, photographers could see a camera that automates more of the traditional shooting process while still offering interchangeable lenses.

A prototype could arrive at CP+ 2027

Photographers may not have to wait too long for a first look.

Liu told MyNavi that Insta360 hopes to show a prototype at CP+ 2027, one of the world’s largest camera trade shows held annually in Yokohama, Japan. No technical details, sensor size or lens mount were revealed, but the timeline suggests development is already well underway.

That also makes 2027 a particularly interesting year for the camera industry, with another major player preparing to enter a category long dominated by brands such as Sony, Canon, Nikon, and Fujifilm.

Japan remains a key market for Insta360

The interview coincided with the opening of Insta360’s first directly operated store in Japan, located in Tokyo’s Asakusa district. Liu described Japan as one of the company’s most important markets alongside the United States, adding that another flagship store is scheduled to open in New York’s Times Square.

During the conversation, Liu also discussed the strong early demand for the company’s latest products, including the Insta360 Luna Ultra and the recently announced Insta360 X6, whose AI powered editing features are expected to expand to older cameras through future firmware updates.

Why photographers should pay attention

Camera rumors often fade away without confirmation, but this one is different. Thanks to MyNavi’s interview, the speculation now comes directly from Insta360’s founder himself.

Exactly what these mirrorless cameras will look like remains a mystery, but one thing is clear: Insta360 is not trying to build just another interchangeable lens camera. If Liu’s hints are accurate, photographers could be looking at one of the most unconventional camera launches in recent years, and CP+ 2027 may be where the first chapter begins.

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