The Highest Resolution Action Camera Ever: Insta360 One-R With 1-Inch Mod

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Insta360’s One-R was already the most innovative action camera on the market, with a modular design, incredible motion smoothing, and time-saving editing features. But they haven’t stopped there. Working with lens masters Leica, they’ve released a new 1-inch Mod, capable of shooting at an incredible 5.7K resolution. That’s the highest resolution in any action camera to date. The footage is simply unbelievable.

Featuring an f3.2 aperture, 14.4mm equivalent focal length, the 1-inch Mod gets its name from the new 1-inch image sensor housed within. Not only does this produce stunning 5.7K resolution video, but it also makes night footage and low-light photos a lot cleaner.

Since we already reviewed the Insta360 One R Twin Edition earlier in the year, we’ll be focusing purely on the new 1-Inch Mod in this review. In the review video, you’ll find plenty of sample footage (we shot the entire video on the Insta360 One R), along with comparison shots of the older 4K lens.

Upgrade Your 4K Mod, or Get The New Package

The 1-inch Mod is available individually for existing One R owners and will set you back around $300. This will essentially replace your existing 4K Mod, which you could either sell or keep around for riskier filming.

Alternatively, if you don’t already own the One R, the 1-Inch Edition costs around $550. This doesn’t include the 4K or dual-lens 360 Mod.

One R 1-Inch Edition

The 1-Inch Edition includes:

• 1-Inch Mod
• One R core camera body
• Battery base
• Basic mounting bracket (with no accessory rail)
• USB-C cable

You’ll also find a lens guard already attached, and you shouldn’t use the camera without it. Its sheer bulk means you need to remove it before placing the One R 1-Inch Edition into the case, then screw it back on. “Just don’t use the case then”, you might be thinking. Not so fast: there are no mounting points without it, so you’d be limited to handheld shots. Most of the time you’ll be using on the end of a selfie-stick, or some other action cam mounting system, so being inside this case is essential.

Unfortunately, this design also means it can be prone to fogging in hot and humid environments. So much so that Insta360 also includes a plastic bag and silicone desiccants in the package. The instructions advise that you disassemble and dehydrate the device for 6 hours before shooting in that sort of environment. Given that it’s autumn in the UK, and we’re lucky to see sunlight, this hasn’t been an issue for me during testing.

Why Would You Record at 5.7K?!

Given that most people still don’t own a device that can display 4K content, why would you even consider shooting in 5.7K?

Assuming your computer can handle it, and storage space isn’t a concern, you should always shoot in the highest possible resolution, regardless of your final project’s output resolution. Doing so will offer you the most creative freedom: the ability to zoom and crop without sacrificing quality in the output. If you shoot a video at 1080p but later need to crop it or zoom on a subject, your production will suffer from noticeable pixelation.

Resolution is also a consideration when it comes to stabilizing footage or reducing the field of view. Stabilizing any footage requires a buffer around the viewing window; essentially, you’re cropping it. When the camera moves, the algorithm can pull some of the video from the buffer area to compensate. The same is true of adjusting field-of-view during your edit. The One-R with 1-inch Mod will shoot at an ultra-wide field of view, and if you want to change this during editing, you’re essentially cropping the footage around the edges.

The other point to consider is that the 5.7K resolution is partly due to the 1-inch image sensor, which is the largest you’ll find on any action camera. So the question becomes, “why would I want a larger image sensor”? A larger sensor can gather more light, resulting in greater detail. While shooting in the daytime, this offers little benefit beyond a higher resolution, resulting in much less noise in low-light situations.

Edit Anywhere

You have two options for editing your footage, both of which come with their own advantages and limitations.

For users who want professional video editing tools and to work with the highest possible 5.7K resolution, the Insta360 Studio software for desktop or PC is the best option. A recent update also enables the One R to output mp4 files by default (as opposed to the proprietary insv format), so it’s now easier than ever to get the footage straight into your favorite editing package. An Adobe Premiere plugin is also available. However, the Insta360 Studio is surprisingly light on features, with only basic editing capabilities such as changing the field-of-view and time-shifting.

The Insta360 One app is another option for those looking to edit on the go, available for iOS or Android. It offers some quick editing features like an AI-powered “FlashCut” to automatically identify the best bits of your footage, then sequence them together in a template with music. We first saw this impressive feature on the Insta360 Go (reviewed last year). However, using the app does come with one limitation: your final output file is limited to 4K resolution. This won’t be a problem for most people, and the source footage is still 5.7K.

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for (var i = 0; i If it’s not apparent: 5.7K resolution files are big–over 1GB per minute. And they’re taxing to edit. Even my year or two old MacBook Pro struggles with processing them in Final Cut. Proxy files are recorded simultaneously for smartphone editing, so although you’ll still need a powerful device, it’s often easier to edit on the app.

New Accessories Too!

Along with the new 1-inch Edition, Insta360 has added some handy One R accessories to their line up, which are worth mentioning as you may be able to save by purchasing in a bundle.

The new One R mounting bracket has an added accessory rail on top for attaching accessories like a light or external microphone.

The USB-C microphone adaptor allows you to plug supported mics directly into the camera, such as the Rode Wireless Go. It’s also a lot cheaper than competitor’s external mic adapters at around $10–$15, compared to the $50 that GoPro demands. I should note that I still used an external recorder for most of the review video, as early firmware I was on at the time has some noise issues with this adaptor; however, this has since been fixed (in firmware 1.17).

The One R carry case features dedicated space for all three lenses and the fast charging hub, charge cable, boosted battery base, and the case with mounting bracket. If you have the full set of accessories, this is an obvious must-buy!

Want to head underwater? Officially, the 1-Inch Mod is IP68 waterproof for a depth of up to 5m. Any deeper and you should use the Dive Case, up to 60m.

Maybe Not For Vlogging

For vloggers, there’s one aspect of this 1-inch lens that may put you off buying it: a minimum focus distance of around 90cm. While this isn’t a problem for me walking around my garden with the Insta360 extendable selfie-stick or on a tripod in my studio, it might cause problems in a crowded environment. That’s not to say footage of a subject situated less than 90cm from the lens is unusable, but it may have a slight blur to the edges.

Of course, this minimum focus distance can also benefit, avoiding the stereotypical “action cam” style footage where everything is pin-sharp to infinity. Place an object in the very close foreground, and you’ll achieve a depth of field that differentiates your footage from other action cams.

The oversized lens guard also makes operating the touchscreen a little awkward when in “vlogging modes,” with the touchscreen facing you rather than on the camera’s rear. It also needs to be disassembled to place it into the case, which can be annoying if you frequently swap mods.

Should You Buy The Insta360 1-Inch Mod?

If you love your Insta360 One R already and want to up the quality of shots, particularly in low-light, the $300 1-inch Mod is a cost-effective way of upgrading without having to shell out for an entirely new camera. That’s the beauty of an interchangeable lens system.

If you don’t already own the Insta360 One R Twin Edition, the One R 1-Inch Edition will set you back around $550.

In either case, it’s not a budget option by any means. But the quality of footage speaks for itself. If you absolutely must have the highest resolution action camera available, using the largest sensor for incredible night shots, the 1-Inch Edition is for you.

 

Source: makeuseof.com