Insta360 Evo
Shoot your own immersive VR video
The 5.7K resolution captures stunning footage
the Insta360 Evo camera is capable of shooting 360° and 180° footage for VR hardware, such as the Oculus Go.
It’s a niche device, but the ability to swap between two recording formats gives it a degree of flexibility. The camera costs £419.99, and that also gets you a pair of foldable VR glasses, tabletop tripod and a protective carrying pouch.
The Evo consists of two cameras connected by a hinge. When locked in side by side, the two cameras film simultaneously to capture a 180° video or photo. Release the lock and the cameras fold back to back to capture 360° videos.
Overall, it’s quite small but chunky. When in 360° mode it’s certainly not something you can stuff into your pocket. The latches that lock the modes are fiddly, and we’re not convinced about the durability of the hinge. There’s currently no shockproof case either.
The build is mostly plastic, with two small LED indicators on the front near each lens to indicate status. There’s an exposed MicroSD slot which we would have preferred to be covered, as well as a Micro-USB charging port. Buttons on the top allow you to turn the Evo on, start recording, and swap between video and photo. We would have loved some sort of information screen, but you have to do everything through the accompanying app.
The app offers plenty of shooting options, including HDR. The 5.7K resolution captures stunning footage, and the stabilisation tech is phenomenal. We’d recommend going through
the stitching configuration to get the best results. Conveying the 3D aspect can be tricky to master, too. Objects that come too close to the camera tend to be slightly blurry when viewed, so you need to maintain a comfortable distance and keep things level.
VR video
Resolution is impressive but the overall colour can be disappointing, and while the Evo excels in outdoor, brightly-lit environments, it tends to suffer when trying to capture low-light scenes. Editing captured footage through the app is simple, and you can apply various effects before exporting the video as an MP4 file to upload.
For an extra £29.99, Insta360 sells the HoloFrame, a phone case that adds a ‘3D effect’ to your videos without the need for 3D glasses. It’s available for iPhone X, XS, XS Max and XR models, and is a bit of a mixed bag. You’ve got to pry your phone away from its case, set up the video in the app, then snap the HoloFrame cover on. You then have to steadily hold your phone so that the front camera can track your eye movement and apply the effect. We found that the app kept losing sight of us and stopping the video, and the 3D effect itself was barely noticeable.
Where the Evo does excel – as intended – is when paired with a VR headset, such as Oculus Go, HTC Vive Focus and Samsung Gear VR. The Evo can be wirelessly paired with a headset for instant playback, or can be exported using the app.
If you own a VR headset and want to shoot your own 360° footage to watch on it, this camera is a great option that’s worth considering. Nick RegO