Insta360 has announced its most expensive and powerful 360 consumer camera to date, the $800 One RS 1-inch 360 Edition. The complicated name is due to the fact that the core of this camera is the same as the core in Insta360’s ONE RS, the second edition of the company’s modular action camera that launched in April this year. But the 1-inch 360 edition adds a larger battery mount and dual 1-inch CMOS sensors. All of this is held together by a mounting bracket to create a much more capable 6K 360 camera.
The One RS 1-inch 360 Edition consists of four parts: a mounting bracket, battery brick, brain and dual 1-inch sensors mod.
Insta360 started betting big on modular camera design in early 2020 with the release of the One R. It was the first action camera to offer multiple lens mods for different movie styles. There was a basic 4K mod that mimicked traditional action cameras like the GoPro Hero 8, a 1-inch mod capable of 5.3K footage, and a dual-lens 360 camera mod that could film 5.7K spherical video, much like Insta360’s standalone 360 camera at the time, the One X. Its modular design was perfect for action camera makers who may be curious about 360 filming but don’t want to invest in a dedicated 360 camera.
Two years later, in March 2020, Insta360 announced the One RS, which improved the microphone quality and Wi-Fi transfer speeds of the One R and overall improved the processing power of the core. It felt like a very minor upgrade at the time, but now with the introduction of the One RS 1-inch 360 Edition, that processing power update seems to make a lot more sense. The core of the One RS is exactly the same core used in the One RS 1-inch 360 camera. And owners of the RS and R can only buy the battery, mounting bracket and dual 1-inch 360 sensors for $650.
A 1.3-inch touchscreen displays camera modes, playback, menu settings and a live view.
On the side of the camera are a power button and a record button.
The One RS 1-inch 360 Edition consists of four parts: a plastic mounting bracket; a battery pack with a USB-C charging port, ¼” tripod mount and USB-C plug to connect to the core; a core with a USB-C port, micro SD card slot and 1.3-inch touchscreen; and the dual 1-inch CMOS sensors and lenses. When stacked and slid into the housing, this creates the 6K 360 camera.
Those dual 1-inch CMOS sensors are capable of filming 6K 360-degree images at 30 fps and can shoot 21-megapixel 360 photos. Insta360 claims that the larger sensors provide better low-light performance and more dynamic range than previous 360 consumer cameras. But the larger sensor comes with a weight of 239g and two larger, protruding glass spheres that may be more prone to scratches and cracks. That’s why Insta360 does not recommend using the camera on selfie sticks longer than 1.60 meters during high-intensity activities such as cycling. And unfortunately the system is only rated IPX3 water resistant and should not be submerged in water or used for high speed water activities such as surfing.
Plenty of photo and video samples come in the full review.
I’ve been using the One RS 1-Inch 360 Edition for a few days now and will be posting a full review in the coming days, with tons of camera samples. So far, this system feels like a breath of fresh air in a rather stagnant 360 camera market, but the larger size gives me a lot more anxiety while using it. More on that soon.
The Insta360 One RS 1-inch 360 Edition is available now for $800. For One R and One RS users, the 1-inch 360 mod, battery, and mounting bracket are available for $650.
Photos by: Vjeran Pavic / The Verge
This post Insta360’s One RS 1-inch 360 Edition is the most capable camera yet
was original published at “https://www.theverge.com/2022/6/28/23185493/insta360-one-rs-1-inch-360-edition-action-camera-price-specs-features”