The last part of exposure control is the one I use the most, and this is exposure compensation. It works with auto exposure and can be used to combat the tendency to go too slow with the shutter speed forcing the Ace Pro 2 to underexpose the image. The exposure comp here is the best on action cameras, running from -4 stops to +4 stops in ⅓-stop increments. I set the Xplorer Grip to control the EV, so when I’m in auto mode, the dial is an exposure comp dial like a “real” camera. (The dial can also be set to control ISO, shutter speed, shooting mode, filter selection, and white balance.)

Even better, if you’re in manual mode and want to go back to auto, the first click of the dial will open the side panel, the second will switch from manual to auto, the third will start adjusting your exposure value. It’s a quick way to get from a carefully composed exposure back to the whole car without having to enter the touchscreen menus.

The last thing worth mentioning is the included Leica color profiles. If you haven’t updated your firmware recently, you should. Insta360 adds a few more to it. Since I shoot RAW, I don’t use it much, but as long as the color profiles are good, especially the new Leica high-contrast black and white, which is what I use most often. This way I get a black-and-white JPG and a full-color RAW file.

Honestly, I don’t have high hopes for the Xplorer Grip Pro Kit. For me, action cameras are primarily for shooting around the water, and while that still works with the bare camera, it doesn’t hold up. However, I’m happy to use the Ace Pro 2 with the Xplorer grip as an everyday camera.

I’d say it’s best thought of as a compliment to your existing “real” camera. It cannot replace your interchangeable lens camera. You can replace your point-and-shoot, but I haven’t done that, because sometimes I want a pocket camera with a 28mm lens. Instead, the Ace Pro 2 with grip has become an extra camera I carry when I want a wide angle or fisheye look and don’t want to carry a big, heavy, fast, full-frame, ultrawide lens.