Insta360 — like its name suggests — is known for making 360° cameras, but its new ONE R action camera is still a bold new direction for the company.
What makes the ONE R unique is its modular design.
Using the 4K Wide Angle module you have a GoPro-knockoff but swap in the Dual Lens module for a super-stabilized 360° action cam.
And for those professionals among us that demand the best quality, Insta360 even has a 1” sensor action cam module which actually outperforms the GoPro 8 in most situations.
But in this post, we’ll just be taking a look at the 4K Wide & Dual Lens modules that come with the “Twin Edition” bundle.
What’s included in the Insta360 ONE R Twin Edition
Selling for $479, the “Twin Edition” bundle is likely the best fit for most people interested in this camera.
It’s $20 less than the GoPro 8 MAX and only $30 more than the Insta360 ONE R “360 Edition” (which only includes the Dual Lens mod).
Besides the 2 lens mods, the “Twin Edition” also includes:
- 1 x Core
- 1 x Battery Base
- 1 x Lens Cap
- 1 x Mounting Bracket
Insta360 also throws in a lens cleaning cloth along with the usual stickers and quick start guide.
Hands-on with the Insta360 ONE R
The first thing I noticed after unboxing the ONE R was that it didn’t feel as solid as I had expected.
Now don’t get me wrong — the ONE R is way better built than the scores of cheap Chinese-made action cameras I’ve used — however, it didn’t feel as “together” as I would’ve liked after attaching the long red battery base onto the bottom of the camera core/lens module.
(It should be noted that despite my feelings of the ONE R lacking “togetherness”, never once has the camera broken apart when I didn’t want it to).
The action of swapping from one lens module to the other (or swapping in a new battery base) is fairly straightforward and usually takes around 45 seconds to complete.
After about a dozen swaps between the 360 and 4K lens module though I began to almost wish I had two separate cameras.
In most cases — and had I not been forcing myself to test out both lens modules — I imagine users will stick with the 360 setup as it represents the ONE R in its best form.
Great 360, ok action cam
Insta360 is known for its 360° cameras and that’s where the ONE R shines brightest.
Using the Dual Lens module in tandem with the invisible selfie stick you essentially get a magical floating camera that follows you around.
Once you capture the footage, the fun has just begun as thanks to Insta360’s mobile or desktop app you can reframe the footage however you want — vertical, 16:9, wide-angle, linear, looking up, following the action — essentially giving you complete control over the final shot.
This is the best argument for 360° cameras and once you start utilizing this workflow you’ll be hooked for sure.
I took the ONE R (with Dual Lens mod) tubing to test it out and was really satisfied with the result.
Having shot many things with the traditional action cameras, I found filming with a 360° action cam pretty similar except you didn’t have to worry about “getting the shot”.
Simply extend the invisible selfie stick, press record, and go have fun — save the rest (framing, camera moves, etc) for editing on your smartphone or computer.
Sharpness and image quality aren’t as good as if it was shot traditional action cam but since most of us are viewing all video on tiny smartphone screens anyways it won’t matter for most people.
Conclusion (for now)
When compared next to other dedicated action cameras from DJI and GoPro, the Insta360 ONE R stands apart for its versatility.
It might not have as good of image quality, but what it lacks in standard dynamic range, color, and sharpness it makes up for in the ability to capture shots unlike any other using the 360 Dual Lens Mod and then switch back to the 4K Wide Angle Mod for decent action cam footage.
It will be interesting to see if other action cam makers attempt to follow Insta360’s lead with more modular action cams (GoPro looks like they are already doing this by adding back in a removable lens in its new HERO 9) or whether Insta360 continues to gain popularity by developing a camera that focus on the ability to unique shots.
