Everything You Need to Know about 4K 360 Action Camera - Insta360 One R

Here is our latest review on the Insta360 ONE R action camera, it has a modular system and can attach different lenses for multiple purposes.

All these beautiful shots you've seen just were taken by insta 360's latest camera, the Insta360 ONE R, which I have in my hand. It's neither a traditional 4k camera nor a 360 camera. It's actually both. So in today’s video, I'm going to share my thoughts on this innovative gadget and some great features it carries, I will also talk about a few places that could use some improvement.

As one of the main challengers with GoPro in the action camera arena, the One R comes with an impressive modular system, which contains three cameras, the 4k mod, the 360 mod, and a one-inch mod which we don’t have here. This allows you to attach different lenses to the core and the battery base for different types of shots.

I've never seen an action camera like that in the industry so far, so this could be a potentially game-changing setup, and the price is pretty tempting as well. The camera maker rolled out a twin version for $479, which means you can get a 4K action camera AND a 360 camera under $500. That's super competitive compared with GoPro, and super friendly for any hobbyist who wants a nice action camera but has been hesitant because of the price.

There might be a few shortcomings in the assembly process. Attaching the core parts together is rather easy, but I feel kind of daunted figuring out how those small components work by connecting the protective gear to the bullet-time handle, especially when you have a lot for different purposes. But it should be fine after several trials.

The body of the camera is equipped with a touch screen and also supports a preview of live 360 images. You can also flip the screen toward or against you. You can check out real-time footage and adjust your frame whether you are using it as a front or a rear camera. Although the screen is a little small, especially with those who've got big fingers, it's still great for beginners to have instant feedback while filming.

The One R also packs two onboard mics with an automatic wind-reduction algorithm to ensure better sound. Overall, the audio quality is great, and the microphone is sensitive to the wind sound. In addition to the built-in mic, the One R also supports an external 3.5mm mic with its USB Type-C port, situated next to the TF tray on the right. This is definitely a helpful setup for getting better live sound, especially for vlogs or documentary-style videos. Some might worry about the added weight but I think it’s worth it for premium sound.

It’s worth noting the 360 One R is waterproof up to 5 meters, or 16.4 feet in all three builds. So you can use it worry-free in the rain, or even under water. An essential feature for an action camera. And just to be clear, the camera is waterproof only if you stitch all the parts together, but separately, the individual parts aren’t waterproof.

Here comes the main part, the image and video quality. I know resolution is probably what most of you are concerned about, so we will definitely discuss that in detail later in the video.

Well the answer is, compared with its predecessors, the One R has the same specs as its predecessors. However, it seems that Insta360 has focused on improving many other aspects.

Concerning video stabilization, Insta360 said it has made an upgrade in the flow state stabilization system, which offers gimbal-like steady footage with the use of a stick attachment.

And just as expected, the footage turns out to be super smooth with less motion blur while spinning, panning and jogging. And you can only see a few weird wobbles when it comes to big movements such as running and climbing.

And a tip for the first time users, the flow state stabilization is not a built-in camera function, it needs to be activated when you upload the clips into the studio and select the mode during post-production.

Concerning night shooting, the One R comes with night mode, which optimizes footage by reducing digital noise and motion blur in low-light scenes. In combination with the stabilization mode, it should give you really decent night shots.

To strengthen the image quality, the One R has also upgraded several features, such as Color Plus, which helps make for more vibrant pictures as well as HDR video, which increases the sharpness of the video and retains more details in the highlights and shadows. On the other hand, the One R also rolls out with a H.265 coding format for both mods, which retains clearer details when the video is exported into an MP4 file. These features are shared by both the wide angle mod and 360 mod. Let’s take a specific look at each mod and unveil some features.

The 360 mod is able to capture 5.7K spherical video at 30fps and it supports shooting at up to 100fps in 3K resolution, which - I would say - is slightly better than its rival, the Gopro Max, and ensures an ultra-sharp and smooth video quality.

I know some of you might feel bummed that no upgrades were made regarding the resolution. From my perspective, 5.7K is stunning enough for beginners. 4K plus 50fps ensures image quality, and the steadiness is also eye-catching.

There are two things that I really love about this mod:

The first one is the auto frame:

Enter Auto Frame. Insta360 has developed its own computer vision algorithm to identify the best parts of any 360 video and recommend them to creators. There’s still plenty of choice, but the ONE R app’s Auto Frame feature helps you quickly narrow down the shots worth considering and does the reframing for you.

The second will be deep track / point-in track:

When editing 360 video, creators can simply select a subject to follow with a tap. The ONE R app will automatically keep it locked in center-frame. Even if a subject is obscured by an obstacle, ONE R’s algorithm will remember it and start tracking again as soon as it reappears.
It’s a game-changer for post-production, as you don’t need to adjust every key frame to finish the process.

However, the image noise is somehow annoying. Because of the iso setting, its latitude is not enough. In dark places, the image could look bad.

In conclusion, Insta 360’s One R is an amazing motion camera. It has everything a motion camera should have, as well as multiple details to help deal with problems in video production, such as better stabilization, an external audio plug-in and auto-frame, and time shift in post-production. This is a perfect motion camera for beginners.

And that’s all for today’s episode. We’d like to see what you guys think about Insta 360’s One R, so please leave a comment down below. Also don’t forget to hit the subscribe button to keep updated with this channel. I’m Luna from Pandaily. See you next time!