The Insta360 ONE R is an adaptive action camera that was co-engineered with Leica. By adaptive, Insta360 is referring to the interchangeable lens design of the ONE R.
What makes the ONE R quite unique, as far as action cameras are concerned, is that its interchangeable-lens design enables 360-degree capture as well as standard 4K wide-angle capture, all from the one device. It is best to think of the ONE R as a hybrid. It’s both a 360 camera and an action camera.
Simple Concept
Insta360’s concept for the ONE R was simple. One sensor, one battery, one processor and the ability to swap over lenses. The ONE R can transform from a dual-lens 360 camera to a standard action cam.
At launch, the ONE R currently offers three ways to shoot with three available lens mods:
ONE R is designed to give creators, athletes, and adventurers a single tool that can adapt to any shoot.
With a dual-lens 360 camera, users have the ability to reframe shots after they shoot. This enables you to capture unique shots such as drone-like perspective.
For applications in which action is concentrated in one direction, a reframed shot from a 360 camera still doesn’t achieve the same level of quality and resolution as a specialized single-lens shooter. This is why Insta360 designed the ONE R with swappable optics.
Dual-Lens 360 Mod
This Mod supports 5.7K capture on two lenses that cover every direction at once. It enables a real-time 360-degree preview on ONE R’s touchscreen, while innovations like Color Plus, HDR video and Night Shot achieve the best color accuracy and low-light performance in any consumer 360 camera.
4K Wide Angle Mod
Ready for 4K@60fps, this Mod captures crisp, vibrant, stabilized action and supports up to 8x slow mo. Its reversible design lets you flip the touchscreen from back to front in a snap — perfect for getting real-time feedback when filming yourself.
1-Inch Wide Angle Mod
The 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod uses a claimed best-in-class 1-inch sensor to capture 5.3K video and 19MP photos even in complex lighting conditions.
Leica worked closely with Insta360 on the optical engineering and industrial design of the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod.
According to Insta360, the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod achieves the best performance ever in an action camera. The company says it does this by combining a 1-inch sensor with the optical expertise of Leica and 5.3K resolution, all in a compact, rugged body using Insta360’s signature FlowState stabilization.
What resolutions & frame rates can you shoot in?
Well, this depends on what Mod you are using. The maximum bitrate is 100Mbps. The ONE R 4K Wide Angle Mod and the ONE R 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod can record in H.264 or H.265. The ONE R Dual-Lens 360 Mod can only record in H.265.
The ONE R 4K Wide Angle Mod shoots in:
- 4000×3000@30fps,
- 3840×2160@60fps,
- 3840×2160@30fps,
- 2720×1530@100fps,
- 2720×1530@60fps,
- 2720×1530@30fps,
- 1920×1080@200fps,
- 1920×1080@120fps,
- 1920×1080@60fps,
- 1920×1080@30fps
The ONE R Dual-Lens 360 Mod shoots in:
- 5760×2880@30fps
- 5760×2880@24fps
- 5760×2880@25fps
- 3840×1920@50fps
- 3840×1920@30fps
- 3008×1504@100fps
The ONE R 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod shoots in:
- 5312×2988@30fps,
- 3840×2160@60fps,
- 3840×2160@30fps,
- 2720×1530@60fps,
- 2720×1530@30fps,
- 1920×1080@120fps,
- 1920×1080@60fps,
- 1920×1080@30fps
I don’t see many PAL frame rates listed here. When I asked Insta360 about this I was told, The Dual-lens 360 Mod can do 5.7k@25fps with HDR mode, while the 4K Wide Angle Mod can only do 4K@30fps with HDR mode. We’re considering to add this option in the future.
The lack of PAL frame rates is hardly ideal in 2020.
The ONE R 4K Wide Angle Mod and ONE R Dual-Lens 360 Mod support both LOH and HDR recording. The ONE R 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod is limited to LOG.
Manual Controls
You have some control over white balance, ISO and shutter speeds, but I don’t see anywhere listed where you can manually adjust the f stop. When I asked Insta30 about this I was told, The camera does not offer the ability to adjust the F Stop of the lenses manually.
There also doesn’t seem like there is any way of attaching any type of ND filters. Insta360 told me, Regarding ND filters, I’m afraid it won’t be available at launch but we will consider it in the future.
With no ability to change the f stop and no access to ND filters, the vision you are going to be recording will be at a very high shutter speed.
FlowState stabilization
The ONE R uses a fully upgraded FlowState stabilization algorithm to achieve gimbal-like stabilization whether you’re shooting in 360 or with a standard wide-angle. It uses a smart scene-detection algorithm.Insta360 states that the ONE R outclasses the competition with stabilization that holds steady even in low-light scenes.
Low Light Performance
ONE R offers a range of both hardware and software upgrades to achieve what Insta360 calls, best-in-class low-light performance. New Night Shot mode captures low-light photos, while automatic de-noising ios claimed to preserve detail in low-light videos.
ONE R also supports HDR modes for both photos and video, and creators can take advantage of Color Plus to do an automatic, one-touch color grade.
Auto Frame
If you are capturing 360 video you have the ability to choose various angles. The worst thing about shooting 360 video is that you capture an infinite number of possible angles and that can make it difficult when it comes to editing. As products like the ONE R are aimed at consumers and not necessarily professional users, Insta360 has come up with artificial intelligence that analyzes a scene in every direction at once to find the most interesting moments and angles.
Insta360 calls this Auto Frame. the company has developed its own computer vision algorithm to identify the best parts of any 360 video and recommend them to creators. There’s still plenty of choice, but the ONE R app’s Auto Frame feature helps you quickly narrow down the shots worth considering and does the reframing for you.
Deep Track
AI-powered computer vision also enables the ONE R to have pretty impressive tracking capabilities. When editing 360 video, creators can simply select a subject to follow with a tap. The ONE R app will automatically keep it locked on that frame, even if a subject is obscured by an obstacle. The ONE R’s algorithm remembers the frame you have selected and it will start tracking again as soon as it reappears.
And if you don’t want to wait for post-production to choose your subject, you can also use Deep Track in real-time. ONE R’s unique “Point to Track” feature lets you lock onto a subject with the voice prompt “Mark that!”. The next time you connect to your camera, you’ll get an automatically reframed shot that follows your chosen subject.
Waterproof
ONE R has an IPX8 waterproof rating, so it can be taken to depths of 5 meters (16.4 feet). For those who want to go deeper, a Dive Case enables descents of up to 60 meters (197 feet).
Voice control
Voice control lets you control ONE R with a few simple commands. If ONE R is mounted on a helmet or out of reach, you can use various voice commands to operate and control the camera.
Invisible Selfie Stick feature
ONE R brings back Insta360’s Invisible Sefgvie Stick feature. This lets you capture aerial angles and video-game-style third-person views by making your camera grip invisible. Invisible Selfie Stick is only supported when using the Dual-Lens 360 Mod.
Sound
Every ONE R build comes standard with two onboard mics and an automatic wind-reduction algorithm. If you prefer, a USB Type-C port and top-mounted Accessory Shoe also allow for third-party 3.5mm mic connection.
New Editing Features
The ONE R app comes with a range of new editing features designed to help creators take advantage of all its capabilities. The TimeShift hyperlapse effect popularized by ONE X can now be completed with a couple of taps, and a new pose-detection algorithm lets creators instantly identify and extract every frame of a clip in which they strike a similar posture. This enables users to create stop-motion effects that used to take hours of work.
A new Starlapse mode automatically calibrates exposure settings to capture time-lapses. The ONE series’ signature Bullet Time effect has also been upgraded with a smart horizon-leveling algorithm.
FlashCut is the ONE R app’s content-aware editing algorithm. First, it finds shots based on a theme set by the creator, such as food, travel or pets. Then it combines them on beat into a stylish edit. FlashCut can filter and combine footage captured by any ONE R build — 360 or standard.
More Mods Coming
ONE R doesn’t stop at three Mods. Its unique design enables a huge range of efficient add-ons and upgrades. The standard Battery Base can be swapped for a double-size Boosted Battery Base for extended shooting.
There are also mounting kits, lens guards and a whole heap of other accessories.
Insta360 today also announced an Aerial Mod, which makes supported drones completely invisible and captures an unobstructed, airborne 360-degree view.
Price & Availability
The Insta360 ONE R Twin Edition features the Dual-Lens 360 Mod and 4K Wide Angle Mod for $479.99 USD.
The Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Edition comes standard with the premium 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod, and it retails for $549.99 USD.
The Insta360 ONE R 4K Edition features a 4K Wide Angle Mod for $299.99 USD.
More details on ONE R can be found at Insta360.com.
Full Specifications
| ONE R 4K Wide Angle Mod | ONE R Dual-Lens 360 Mod | ONE R 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod | |
| Aperture | F2.0 | F2.8 | F3.2 |
| 35 mm equivalent focal length | 16.4mm | 7.2mm | 14.4mm |
| Photo Resolution | 4000×3000 (4:3) 4000×2250 (16:9) | 6080×3040 (2:1) | 5312×3542 (3:2) 5312×2988 (16:9) |
| Video Resolution | 4000×3000@30fps, 3840×2160@60fps, 3840×2160@30fps, 2720×1530@100fps, 2720×1530@60fps, 2720×1530@30fps, 1920×1080@200fps, 1920×1080@120fps, 1920×1080@60fps, 1920×1080@30fps | 5760×2880@30fps, 5760×2880@24fps, 5760×2880@25fps, 3840×1920@50fps, 3840×1920@30fps, 3008×1504@100fps | 5312×2988@30fps, 3840×2160@60fps, 3840×2160@30fps, 2720×1530@60fps, 2720×1530@30fps, 1920×1080@120fps, 1920×1080@60fps, 1920×1080@30fps |
| Photo Format | jpg, RAW (RAW files require desktop software to edit) | insp (can be exported via App or Studio), RAW (RAW files require desktop software to edit) | jpg, RAW (RAW files require desktop software to edit) |
| Video Format | insv (can be exported via App or Studio), mp4 (enable in-camera FlowState Stabilization), supports LOG and HDR videos | insv (can be exported via App or Studio), supports LOG and HDR videos | insv (can be exported via App or Studio), mp4 (enable in-camera FlowState Stabilization), supports LOG videos |
| Video coding | H.264, H.265 | H.265 | H.264, H.265 |
| Video Bitrate | Up to 100Mbps | Up to 100Mbps | Up to 100Mbps |
| Video modes | Standard, HDR, Timelapse, TimeShift | Standard, HDR, Timelapse, TimeShift, Bullet Time, | Standard, Timelapse, TimeShift |
| Gyroscope | 6-axis gyroscope | 6-axis gyroscope | 6-axis gyroscope |
| Compatible devices | System on Chip (SoC): A11 or above iOS (iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X and above) Kirin 980 or above (Huawei Mate 20, P30 and above) Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi 8 and above) Exynos 9810 or above (Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, Note9 and above) NOTE: The models above provide full functionality, including AI-powered editing functions. Lower-specs’d models may support some but not all features, and speed may be impacted when using processor-intensive, AI-powered features. | System on Chip (SoC): A11 or above iOS (iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X and above) Kirin 980 or above (Huawei Mate 20, P30 and above) Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi 8 and above) Exynos 9810 or above (Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, Note9 and above) NOTE: The models above provide full functionality, including AI-powered editing functions. Lower-specs’d models may support some but not all features, and speed may be impacted when using processor-intensive, AI-powered features. | System on Chip (SoC): A11 or above iOS (iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X and above) Kirin 980 or above (Huawei Mate 20, P30 and above) Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi 8 and above) Exynos 9810 or above (Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, Note9 and above) NOTE: The models above provide full functionality, including AI-powered editing functions. Lower-specs’d models may support some but not all features, and speed may be impacted when using processor-intensive, AI-powered features. |
| Photo modes | Standard, HDR, Burst, Interval, Night Shot | Standard, HDR, Burst, Interval, Night Shot | Standard, HDR, Burst, Interval, Night Shot |
| Live to streaming | Details TBA | Details TBA | Details TBA |
| Exposure value (EV) | ±4 EV | ±4 EV | ±4 EV |
| Exposure modes | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) | Auto, Manual (Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) |
| White balance (WB) | Auto, 2700K, 4000K, 5000K, 6500K | Auto, 2700K, 4000K, 5000K, 6500K | Auto, 2700K, 4000K, 5000K, 6500K |
Thoughts
The ONE R looks to be an interesting camera and it is good to see Insta360 thinking outside the box and coming up with a unique product.
While there is a lot to like, unless someone comes up with a third-party solution for adding ND filters I’m not sure how much use this product will have in a professional environment. You also have no control over the cameras f stop so everything you shoot outdoors is the sun is going to be at a very high frame rate. In saying that, there are times when a camera like this can come in very handy for grabbing certain shots and you will just have to live with the high shutter speeds.
In a world where Vlogging and travel videos are so popular, this camera is sure to be a hit.
What are your thoughts on the ONE R? Let us know in the comments section below.
