I’ve been covering consumer tech as a writer and video content creator for about ten years now. While I can do the former – write articles – with just a laptop (or even phone, if I really wanted to), making videos requires a lot more work gear. I need a camera with a lens longer than 50mm (anything shorter than that, like the typical smartphone camera’s 23mm, would result in distorted product shots); I need a microphone; and I need a tripod.

For most of this decade, I carried a Sony ZV-E1 with a Sigma 27-70mm lens, a DJI microphone, and a carbon fiber tripod. This setup is already considered relatively lightweight for video work (lots of videomakers carry bulkier gear), but combined, they still weigh about 7 lb.

When you add that 7lbs to a workbag that already includes a laptop (a must for video editing), and other random gear, we are talking a bag that weighs over 10lbs easily, sometimes reaching 12-15lbs.

And so, lugging my work bag as I attend tech events has been very straining on my back, especially trade shows like the Consumer Electronics Show where I walk over 20,000 steps a day around the convention floor.

That all changed this year when Insta360 launched the Luna Ultra , a small pocket camera that features the typical 20mm wide lens plus a 60mm telephoto lens.

The Luna Ultra is not an original idea, as it clearly took inspiration from DJI’s highly popular Pocket series. But I had never been able to use DJI’s Pocket as my full time work camera because it didn’t have a telephoto lens (DJI has since launched the Pocket 4P with a telephoto camera too, but it came after the Luna Ultra).

And so I switched to filming my work videos with the Luna Ultra. It comes with a wireless mic that pairs seamlessly to the camera without any additional fiddling, and because the Luna Ultra is so light at 233g, I was able to downsize my tripod to a smaller plastic one. So as a result, my work gear went from weighing 7lbs to barley over one pound. Look at the image below to see the difference in size. The left side is my new work gear; the right side is my old work gear.

Cutting nearly 6lbs in weight may not sound like much at first, but think about carrying 7lbs on your back compared to 1lb and walking 20,000 steps.

The Insta360 Luna Ultra is, of course, four months old now, and I had already published a full review of the product. The reason I am writing about it again now is because Insta360 recently launched an add-on telephoto extender. It’s a small magnifier lens that clips onto the existing 60mm lens and turns it into a 90mm optical lens.

This lens weighs next to nothing and fits into the Insta360 Luna Ultra’s carrying pouch, so it adds virtually no bulk to my carry, but this add-on, along with improved software, has allowed the Luna Ultra to shoot very aesthetically pleasing 90mm shots, and even credible 180mm shots. It can go even further, in fact, but for the sake of keeping image quality as high as possible, I do not push past 180mm.

The reason I say I need a telephoto lens for my work is because the longer focal length produces natural bokeh and background compression, which makes products stand out. Shooting with a wide lens, like a smartphone’s 23mm or the previous DJI Pocket 3’s 20mm, would result in little bokeh, and also distortion due to the wide lens.

Now, of course my full-frame Sony ZV-E1 with a Sigma 28-70mm lens still produces superior footage, with even stronger bokeh, but the Luna Ultra’s footage is good enough that I am willing to take a small hit in image quality for a much lighter work bag. The screenshot on the left in the below collage was shot by the Luna Ultra, while the screenshot on the right was captured by the ZV-E1 with Sigma lens. Yes, the image on the right is superior, with stronger bokeh, and a bit more details, but the gap isn’t huge. (Also worth mentioning my Sony camera and Sigma lens cost $3,000 total, while the Luna Ultra costs $770).

I have used the Luna Ultra as my main filming camera for the past three months, during which I produced over a dozen videos with it. My workflow has gotten a lot easier. Beyond just the lighter weight, I can also connect a microphone faster, and move files to my laptop easier.

There’s still two more months to go before the year ends, but I am very confident that if I were to name my gadget of 2026, I would pick the Luna Ultra.

Now, if the Luna Ultra’s $770 price tag is a bit steep for some consumers, Insta360 has just released a single lens Luna Pro that retails for $600. The Luna Pro omits the 60mm telephoto lens (so I personally would not use it for work videos), but it keeps everything else from the Luna Ultra, including the 1-inch Leica branded 20mm main camera built on top of a three-axis gimbal, and a very useful removable front plate that doubles as a remote control.

The Luna Pro is a bit shorter and lighter than the Ultra, measuring 6-inch in height and weighing 215g. So for those who do not need the telephoto lens, it is an excellent option.

I need the telephoto lens for product shots of products. If you are using the camera more for self-shooting vlogs and landscape shots, the 20mm main camera is excellent. So I think the Luna Pro may be enough for most users.

But for me, the Luna Ultra will remain my number one must-bring work item on any work trip in the foreseeable future.