I tested the Insta360 Go 2 action cam on my WWII-era sailboat. It blew me away

Following in the footsteps of the consumer camera market, action cam world has exploded with ever-evolving functionality and quality. Depending on your perspective, that’s either good news or unnecessary clutter that gets in the way of true craftsmanship. Could going back to basics be a step in the right direction?

That’s the premise behind Take 2 from Insta360A novelty action cam meant to be small enough to go anywhere, easy enough for one person to enjoy using, yet powerful enough to capture stunning footage from the fiercest of adventures.

Insta360 quickly emerged as a brand that challenged GoPro, the player that dominated the space. The company is perhaps best known for its consumers and professionals The camera boasts an innovative hemispherical lens along with the firmware in the system, bringing together 360-degree video capture that users can edit in any creative way. The Go 2 is a departure from the brand’s signature 360-degree video recording and truly a step away from the general trends in the action cam market.

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Designed with simplicity in mind, the body has only one button and the magnetic clip inside the base with just two buttons. The screen is a bit bit grainy and monochromatic, and video recording options are sparse. If those sound like negatives, that’s the real power of what could be the end of a dying breed: A true action cam designed to go anywhere on the right track. literal meaning.

I spent a couple of weeks testing the Go 2 on a recent trip while moving our World War II sailboat from Alaska to Mexico. How does Go 2 play out? In a few hours of video recording on multiple devices, the Go 2 emerged as the one we wanted to reach. Watch my video review above for more on that journey, or read on below.

Form factor

This thing has a super power. It’s small. Really very small.

In both appearance and size, the sealed clamshell charging case, which houses the detachable camera, reminds you of AirPods Pro case. Instead of flipping open like a pack of cigarettes, the base opens through a single stapler-like hinge, revealing the interlocking camera (more in a second) and the console in the other half.

It’s not much simpler than the Go 2 controls. Two physical buttons for calling and navigating the user menu are on the small screen, about half the size of a postage stamp. From the menu, users scroll through the different modes, choosing between the main video modes (Pro Video, HDR, and video) as well as some impressive HD resolution and frame rate options. The camera also has timelapse and timeshift modes.

Also: Is GoPro still the best action camera? Yes, it depends

The case serves as a stand and can be held, attached to a tripod with a female thread, or upright using the built-in kickstand feature.

The body, which is magnetically held in the charging dock and can be removed by grasping the metal rim of the lens case with a fingernail, looks like a colorless one-eyed minion, the little creatures from Despicable Me’s Despicable Me. Illumination, no limbs. It’s exceptionally small and poses a choking hazard when handled incorrectly (it even looks like a pill!).

To use the camera, you first connect the camera to the base with the press of a button. Once the connection is established, you record footage via the red record button on the base. Additionally, if the body and stand are separated, recording will begin by pressing a small button on the front of the camera, creating a tactile response to let you know you’re working.

Attachment

This is where this thing shines.

Several mounts are available for the camera. There is nothing as wonderful or useful as magnetic pendants in my opinion. The size of a silver dollar, the pendant is worn around your neck and threaded inside your shirt. The camera body is removed from the magnetic base and fastened to the pendant with a satisfying magnetic click*.

What’s special about this setup is that it allows for hands-free POV shooting that’s discreet enough that you don’t have to think about it. It’s also a safe bet that any people in your footage will quickly forget the camera, which is extremely valuable if your aim is to capture organic footage. Let’s face it, wearing an action camera mounted on the brim of a hat is awkward (for you and whoever’s filming). Holding a pistol grip requires a single hand to control the camera. Magnetic pendants are a really smart solution.

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It has its limitations. It works well under T-shirts, but the magnet isn’t strong enough to comfortably hold the camera through thicker material, such as a puffy jacket or thick sweater. If worn over clothing, pendants tend to wobble with movement, ruining photos. Similarly, I also have difficulty wearing a button because the buttons obstruct the natural resting space of the pendant.

Several other mounts are available that allow you to mount the camera to a solid surface, strap it to a harness, wear it in a headband, or screw it onto a tripod. Due to the size of the camera, there are plenty of creative possibilities, including attaching the Go 2 to a pet’s neck, using it on drones (including smaller drones with a very heavy payload). limited) or attach it to everyday objects for fun experiments in perspective (a spoon, for example, or a cell phone).

Scene

Of course, any action camera will ultimately be measured against the power of its footage. Fortunately, the Go 2 behaves like a high-end action cam: It offers sharp footage at several frame rates and HD resolutions, all aided by remarkable image stabilization. and a variety of color options and post-production effects through the Insta360 app.

In terms of stabilization, I’m amazed at the performance of this small camera. Users can choose to keep the horizon steady, where none of the usual twists, shakes, shakes, or obscurations my team can throw at the camera can cause footage to wobble a bit. One of the great opportunities this creates is the ability to give the camera to my kids, who are 6 and 3 years old respectively and can’t stay still for longer than a nanosecond at a time. With play stability, the kids could run with delight as we cruised through the waters of Alaska and Canada to film wildlife and crew antics. Incredibly, a lot of that footage is usable.

Video quality is also very impressive. At times, we noticed a little glitch, especially when panning while shooting moving subjects in basic video mode. You can choose between wide angle, which we found to be too wide for all but the most panoramic nature shots, or narrow angle, which is our favorite shooting mode. With 57 GB of usable storage, we didn’t have to worry about filling up the camera in the middle of the day, supporting what I think is this camera’s best feature: It’s usability. Use “don’t think again”.

Some puzzles

Is it perfect? Not necessarily.

Simplicity has its price. Navigating the menu with two buttons is confusing, reminiscent of a time ago when consumer cameras worked the same way. I also had some connection issues between the charging dock and the camera. These are infrequent and are easily remedied by reconnecting the two, but it has happened more than once.

Using the charging dock as a handheld mount is handy, especially since it gives you extra battery life, but we’ve noticed that sometimes the camera’s wide angle catches the shooter’s fingers. around the base of the base, effectively ruining that shot.

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We also didn’t like the maximum clip length (10 minutes for professional video, 15 minutes for basic video), which felt limited when we tried to capture parts of life footage such as such as dropping and anchoring or entering dramatic intakes that take a long approach often spending the entire allotted time on a clip. Cameras were often left unattended while we were busy with our trip responsibilities, and sometimes we missed out on great photos due to the maximum shooting time.

Conclusion

The The standalone 32GB Go 2 version is $300 while writing this article. The all-in-one stand set, which I would highly recommend, is another $65. That’s not cheap though it compares favorably with cameras from GoPro. For another $30, you can increase the storage to 64GB, which is well worth the investment if you’re planning on going on multi-day adventures.

This is a powerful action cam that you will need in all but the most professional uses. With its size and sharp footage, the camera occupies a unique space as a true creator’s tool that is paradoxically (or perhaps fittingly) simple enough for a child to use. In fact, what makes the camera so worthwhile is just that: It’s packed with technology to ensure stunning shots, but the user experience is phenomenally neat. That equates to spending more time on creativity than using the camera.

Alternatives to consider

If you need fewer compromises and don’t mind paying the premium, GoPro is the leader in the category for a reason.

Insta360 is making some really innovative products, like this one, which has two hemisphere lenses for 360-degree shooting and incredible editing options.

See our review here.

Gimbled and compact for buttery-smooth action footage.