I’ll admit: I’m not a skater, I’m not deep-sea diving, and I certainly can’t jump from wall to wall on an upward trajectory. But when you hand me a thumb-sized action camera, it’s hard not to take it out just to see what that little thing can do. And that’s exactly what I did this weekend with the new one Insta360 Go 3.
Also: Set my switch camera for the smoothest phone video. Just don’t overdo it
As the name suggests, this is Insta360’s third launch with a pocket-sized camera, and it’s made some notable upgrades this time around such as the ability to record at 1440p (from 1080p) and shoot long. more than two hours.
And in place of last year’s tripod, the camera is now accompanied by this ingenious flip-out display module that acts as a battery pack. Modern thinking vlog camera but smaller.
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Insta360 Go 3
The most pocket-friendly travel camera with up to 2.7K video recording and a wide range of mounting accessories.
Naturally, the Go 3 secures the attention of not only thrill seekers but also gamers like me. (Sorry, that’s the best rhyme I can think of to move on to this next segment.) See below for a short compilation of footage I shot with the camera, then I’ll take a look. analyze exactly how the entire footage was captured and why the Insta360 Go 3 will be a mainstay in my travel bag for the foreseeable future.
The Insta360 Go 3 is 2 inches long and has a single button in the center to turn on the camera (press and hold) and start or stop recording (tap once). If you’re using the Go 3 exclusively, you won’t be able to see the exact framing of your shots because there’s no physical viewfinder. However, since the Insta360 uses an ultra-wide-angle lens, you can expect most of the subjects in your eye view to make it into the final crop.
That means capturing life’s moments is as simple as mounting the camera, with the included clip-on mount, swivel stand, magnetic pendant (imagine wearing a pendant and having You can snap the camera through your shirt) or my personal favorite, the new Action Pod and hit record.
The camera has an LED indicator light so that both you and those around you know when recording. Jun Wan/ZDNET
With the Action Pod, you not only get a flip screen to visualize what’s being recorded, but also the ability to reduce distortion caused by the ultra-wide-angle lens, increase video resolution, and extend video playback time. Go 3’s battery life. Attaching the camera to the module is as simple as fitting a puzzle piece, and its ease is part of the reason why I keep coming back to the accessory.
Also: This $15 accessory unlocks GoPro’s game-changing camera feature
Venturing into the video game lobby, I thought of two mounts and a shooting mode: a magnetic pendant for hands-free POV shots (watching basketball and turn on the lock), pillar stands for games with props (see Grave Thief And MotoGP) and Insta360’s FreeFrame Mode, which set the camera’s field of view to the maximum so that I could easily cut out both the 16:9 and 9:16 videos in the post. Together, I was very pleased with the shots I was able to capture, especially when it took very little effort to frame the shots.
The Insta360 Go 3 comes with a lens protector to prevent scratches. Jun Wan/ZDNET
I only had two issues with the Insta360 Go 3 and both stemmed from the editing and exporting phases of the experience. First, you need to pair the Insta360 app on your phone with the camera to download any video over local Wi-Fi. When you think about the magnitude of these ultra-wide, frameless videos, each video can take three to five minutes to download. The worst part is that since the Go 3 has to keep working while you’re transferring video files, it tends to get hot enough to disconnect.
Also: This thermal camera is so sensitive it can see you breathing
There were a few times when I had to turn off the camera after three or four outputs just to let it cool down, and then repeat the process, all while hoping that it didn’t disconnect midway. But remember, this is a very, very small camera, so its internal cooling and heat dissipation can only be so effective.
In the end, a little patience is all it really takes for you to have an easy and unobtrusive vlog experience with Insta360 Go 3. Camera starts at $379 for 32GB model, but I recommend choosing the 64GB or 128GB variants, as I often find myself recording more than necessary due to the ease of doing so. And chances are you will too.
