Josh Hendrickson
When it comes to action cameras, you generally have two basic choices of styles: the traditional 4K camera, and the 360 camera. They have different strengths and weaknesses, and it might be hard to pick. But what if you didn’t have to choose? Insta360’s new One R camera lets you swap from 4K to 360 lenses, even on the go.
A Modular Camera for All Your Action Needs
The Insta350 might look like a standard action camera at first glance, but look closer, and you’ll notice unusual seems. The camera consists of three main components: the battery, the core, and the lens. The battery is the flat red part at the bottom, and the core houses the screen, buttons, ports, and microSD slot.
Connect those together, then choose a lens to make your camera. You can pick from a traditional 4K lens, similar to what you might find on a GoPro, a 360 lens (which features two lenses on either side of the box), and a 5.3K Wide-Angle lens made in partnership with Leica.
Insta360 says that the last lens “achieves the best ever performance in an action camera.” The company also promises the camera is water-resistant up to five meters.
Because the core contains the touchscreen, it’s fairly small at just 1.3 inches. That might make it difficult to work with if you have larger hands. But one benefit to the modular setup is you can face the screen either way, which could handy for taking selfies.
All that transforming capability won’t come cheap, though. Insta360 is selling the cameras in bundles. You can buy the battery, core, and 4K lens for $299.99, or all that plus the 360 lens for $479.99. If you want the 5.3 Wide Angle lens, you’ll have to shell out $549.99. Naturally, there’s no shortage of accessories from bigger batteries to diving cases.
Source: The Verge
