Insta 360 is a real all- rounder
THIS NEW PIECE OF KIT WILL GIVE YOU A FRESH VIEW OF THE WORLD
WHO says you can’t have it both ways? Not, this Chinese camera company, it certainly seems to believe you can have it ALL ways.
Its new offering is a modular camera system that can do both wide-angle action-cam footage to a very high standard, and 360-degree footage that’s up there with the best of them. Stills are possible, too, of course.
So we all know what action-cam footage is – the super-wide supersmooth video that usually involves someone careering down a steep hill on a bike, or ducking into an overhead wave on a surfboard.
But we might be a little less familiar with 360-degree capture.
It is, essentially, what it says – the camera captures the full sphere of view using two cameras, front and back. You can reframe it later, while editing, to create a traditional video with the focus on the best bits.
The Insta360 One R comes in two flavours – the twin edition and the 1-inch edition. The twin features four parts – a battery base, a screen module, and two lenses – a 4K wide and a 5.7k 360-degree.
The 1-inch edition features the same modular approach, but offers just one wide-angle lens with a large one-inch sensor – built-in collaboration with the German camera perfectionists Leica.
This unit is for those who want the best quality – it can capture 5.3k footage at 30fps, or 4K at 60fps.
The action-cam world has had to react to the improvements made by smartphone camera-makers to their offerings over recent years – smartphones have become more robust, and, crucially, those at the top end now offer the kind of waterproofing that makes them much more of a go-anywhere device than before.
And by bringing this versatile system to the market, Insta360 really is showing the kind of innovation that sets it apart from the pack.
No one else is offering this two-lens modular system.
So what do these devices have over the smartphone camera that you already have in your pocket. Quite a lot, actually.
Firstly there’s the size – the One R is just 7.2cms wide. Then there’s the overall robustness – you might be able to take a smartphone to the beach these days and not worry too much about the sand and water, but would you really want it strapped to you bike helmet as you career down a mountain?
Probably not. Software-wise, too, the One R has all sorts of tricks up its sleeve to make sure the footage captured is of the best quality possible. It’s optimised for the purpose.
So you have Insta360’s FlowState stabilisation technology, which produces super-smooth footage even on the roughest of terrain.
Then there’s the “invisible selfie stick” which is a separate accessory that allows you to capture 360-degree footage with the stick
auto-removed from view. So it looks like low-flying drone footage.
The One R, using the selfie stick, also allows you to lock on to your subject and the camera will automatically keep it front and centre in your footage, even if your aim wanders a bit as you film... very useful for a moving target like a skier or skateboarder.
All these things combine to make the One R a compelling device – and with spring approaching, you’ll be wanting something special like this to capture your outdoor adventures.
The Insta360 One R twin edition costs £439.99, while the 1-inch edition comes in at £519.99. A variety of combinations are available.
Find out more at Insta360.com