INSTA360 ONE R TWIN EDITION REVIEW: THE MODULAR ACTION CAM
An action cam that transforms into a 360 ° camera simply by changing the lens: this is the Insta360 One R in the Twin Edition version . It is a new concept of modular action camera, which gives the possibility not only to change lenses, but also to shoot with "drone effect", perfect for those who love outdoor sports.
Thanks to a post production software that allows you to
change the shot, no acrobatics will ever be lost: the 360 ° camera captures
everything around it, with truly spectacular results in some cases.
Design and technical features
The Insta360 One R Twin edition consists of three modular
modules , like Lego bricks. The first part, essential to make the cam work, is
the battery module, on which we find a connector that attaches to the main
module, the one with the touch screen, the controls and the microphone. The
third module that makes up the camera is instead that of the optics: in the
package there is the "standard" 4K Wide Angle and the 360 ° one.,
consisting of two 180 ° lenses facing opposite directions. To assemble
everything it is important to use the Mounting Bracket, a sort of
"frame" supplied in the package, which allows the various parts not
to move accidentally, and which has the classic coupling compatible with GoPro
accessories. At the first use it is not immediate to understand how to
correctly install the frame, which gives the impression of being rather fragile
and is inconvenient in case of battery change, while leaving the memory card
easily accessible.
Speaking of technical characteristics, the battery is 1190
mAh and allows you to record about 40-50 minutes of movies, recharges in about
an hour. The main module, on the other hand, has a touch screen of very,
perhaps too small, dimensions, a limit imposed by the modular system. From the
screen you can switch between video and photo, but also set different shooting
modes, such as Standard video, HDR video, Timelapse Mode and Bullet Time video.
The possibility of mounting the screen outwards, in order to
use it for selfies, is convenient, while the quality of the touch screen is
partly to be reviewed, given the lack of sensitivity to touch. On the other
hand, the possibility of activating voice commands is very useful, in order to
start or stop shooting even without hands. On the upper part of the main module
there are the power and shutter buttons, while on the side there is the door
for the memory card and to connect the USB cable for battery charging.
The third and most important module is that of optics.
Inside the package of the Twin edition version we find two, a 4K Wide Angle and
a 360 °. The 4K Wide Angle lens, with f 2.8 aperture and 35 mm equivalent focal
length of 16.4 mm, allows you to record videos in 4K at 60 or 30 fps, but you
can set lower standards to use less space on the memory card, for example in
2.7K or in 1080p at 24 or 25 fps. Photos can have a resolution of 4000 x 3000
in 4: 3 and 4000 x 2250 in 16: 9.
The 360 ° module instead features two 180 ° lenses with f
2.0 aperture and focal length equivalent to 35 mm of 7.2 mm, for a maximum
resolution of 5.7 K at 30 fps. Alternatively, supported resolutions also
include 3840 x 1920 pixels at 50 fps or 3008 x 1504 pixels at 100 fps. The
photos with the 360 ° lens instead have a resolution of 6080 x 3040 with a 2: 1
format. Videos can be shot in both 16: 9 and 4: 3 format with H264 or H265
codec, and can be in proprietary INSV format or in MP4, but in this case it is
not possible to use Flow State Stabilization with the 4K Wide Angle module ,
thus making the image less fluid.
The frame that unites the whole guarantees an IPX8
certification, which allows you to immerse the cam up to 5 meters, although the
advice is to buy the underwater case resistant up to 60m, sold separately, in
case you intend to do many underwater shots.
Proof
The Insta 360 One R proved to be light and comfortable to
use during sports, even if switching from one lens to another involves
disassembling the frame and removing the modules, an operation not immediate to
do, but not complex once. that you understand the mechanism. The start with
voice commands is instead a very useful tool for those who love to film
themselves during a descent with a snowboard or a mountain bike ride. The 4K
Wide Angle module performs quite well even in unstable situations, for example
on a helmet or on the handlebar of a bike, but in low light situations it has
some difficulties. The use of the 360 ° camera with the stick, available in
some bundles, is interesting: thanks to the 360 ° lens, the stick
"disappears", giving the impression that the shot is being made by
another person or by a drone. The shot can obviously be controlled live from
the smartphone thanks to the app.
The app is an indispensable tool for downloading videos,
especially those shot in INSV, Insta 360's proprietary format. Available for
Android and iPhone, it allows you to edit videos, modifying shots and subjects.
The use is not immediate : it is necessary to do some tests before
understanding which tools are needed to modify the images, especially with the
360 ° lens.
The ability to change the shot is very useful for those who
practice sports and want a spectacular "drone effect" and more. The
360 ° module captures everything around itself thanks to the two 180 ° lenses,
and then "stitches" the two images together, giving the possibility
to frame the surrounding environment. It is also possible, always in post
production, to fix the subject to be framed: the software will follow any
movement it makes, thanks to the 360 ° shooting.
In addition to these functions, from the app you can insert
background music, with a library already available for free, cut, speed up,
slow down the video, change the framing angle and, of course, export it.
We tested the Insta 360 One R "in the field": the
drone effect obtained with the selfie stick is truly spectacular, but the post
production work is long and not really easy if you don't know the app. It takes
a long time to get a good result and, often, it happens to be wrong to use a
"track point" or another function, with the result of having to start
over.
