Dubai
Having spent two weeks with the pre-production Insta360 One, I was impressed with the 4K, 360 and virtual reality camera and it also comes with a live-streaming facility for Facebook, Twitter and Periscope.
I had already tested their Insta360 Air, but this time, the Shenzhen-based company has added few more tricks such as recording a video in bullet time by swinging the camera around you on a string and removing the selfie stick from your shot.
It can also be attached to a tripod, a helmet mount, or even a drone for versatility.
It offers three modes of operation — stand-alone, remote control via Bluetooth, and control via a direct connection to a smartphone’s charging port.
Even though you swing with a thread or a selfie, in the final recorded video output, the string or the selfie stick will not be seen. The One is compatible with iPhones only and the company is launching one for Android smartphones soon.
The compatible devices are iPhone 7, iPhone 6, iPhone SE and iPads which run on iOS9.0 or above. It weighs 82 grams.
The Beats Pill speaker-shaped One sports two 24MP fisheye cameras with f/2.2 aperture. It can shoot videos in 3840 x1920 at 30 frames per second (fps), 2560 x 1280 at 60fps, 2048 x 512 at 120fps (bullet time) but not 24fps capture.
The 6912 x3456 resolution pictures can be saved in JPEG or RAW formats.
The built-in six-axis gyroscopic stabilisation helps you to take stable photos with much details and noise is kept to the minimum. Even lowlights look decent but not great.
The One is simple to use and the best thing is that the device can be used as a stand-alone with the protective case. Turn on the camera and press the button on the side to take to picture or press twice to record a video
First, the app has to be downloaded to your device and after connecting the device to the USB Type-C Port of the phone, it is ready to use. The disadvantage is that the phone has to be turned upside down to be operated.
No WiFi or mobile data is required to capture, but to stream the photos or videos, a good connection is needed.
Plugging the device into the phone launches the app and the capture screen offers a variety of features and filter effects. With a few more taps, you can easily upload these photos and videos to Facebook, YouTube, WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, Twitter, and more. The images and videos can also be exported in tiny planet format.
The app is neat and reacts swiftly to users’ input. The home page of the app displays images and videos taken by other users around the world and shared by them. Even you can contribute to it by opening an account. All the photos and videos can be reviewed with the Album tab.
To take time-lapse videos or timed photos, the phone has to be connected to the One and change the settings through the app.
The device has a support for 128GB microSD card.
Once using it as a stand-alone device for recording or taking pictures, after finishing and when the camera is plugged into the phone, the footage is synched instantaneously.
The FreeCapture editing mode in the app can turn the 360-degree video into a 16:9 fixed-view 1080p video where you can shoot first and focus later. But the quality is dubious and the editing tool is a bit tricky to use.
The SmartTrack feature lets users automatically capture a 1080p fixed-frame video where the subject of their choice is always centred. It means users can first capture everything, and then let the One give them a ready-to-share, classic-sized video that keeps the spotlight on their key subject.
Both the videos and photos can be turned into VR mode. After capturing the videos or photos, go to the settings and on the VR mode. If you have a VR headset, you can enjoy the stills and videos.
One disadvantage is that there is no way to trim the 4K videos and the file size is huge.
The editing tools are limited in the app. There are even Snapchat-style filters, but it is best to add them after you take the photo and there is also a “beauty” filter to smoothen out wrinkles.
The One has an 820mAh battery and can be charged using a micro USB port or through the phone. It gives around 60 minutes of video recording on a full charge as a stand-alone device. It is priced at Dh1,399.
Pros
4K video recording
24MP photos
Can act as stand-alone
Bullet Time and FreeCapture modes
Long video recording option
Cons
Massive file size
Phone-based stitching takes time
Editing features limited
No 24fps capture
Lack of information display makes stand-alone difficult
