Insta360’s modular One R can transform into a GoPro competitor or a 360 camera

One of the camera modules co-engineered with Leica has a 1-inch sensor for better low-light photos

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So long as you have the core and the battery base, you can swap in any of the three mods. (Picture: Insta360)

Published: 10:00pm, 7 Jan 2020Updated: 10:04pm, 16 Feb 2020

This article originally appeared on ABACUS

If you’re still on the fence about getting a 360-degree camera because you find possible uses limited, Insta360 might have a solution for you. The Shenzhen-based company’s new Insta360 One R has interchangeable lenses, allowing it to function as both a traditional action camera and a 360-degree camera.

The latest Insta360 camera achieves this by using swappable camera modules that connect to the core of the device and a battery base. If you want it to take 360-degree photos or videos, you mount the dual-lens 360 mod that has lenses on the front and the back. As you film, the device stitches together the images from the two lenses for a full 360-degree image.

But if you don’t want to be bothered with 360-degree footage, you can switch out that mod with the 4K wide-angle mod. This allows the camera to take crisp wide-angle photos and videos in 4K resolution. And if you don’t trust the lenses Insta360 engineered on its own, you can connect the more premium 1-inch wide-angle mod that was co-engineered with Leica.

The One R was launched at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, and it’s now available to order online and at select retailers like Best Buy. At US$479.99, the Insta360 One R Twin Edition – which includes the dual-lens and the 4K wide-angle mods – undercuts the GoPro Max by US$20. But the Insta360 One R 1-Inch Edition that includes the lens from Leica will set you back US$549.99. (We have a full review coming soon, so stay tuned!)

As Insta360’s name suggests, the five-year-old startup made a name for itself by producing 360-degree cameras. The company’s first camera without 360-degree video was the Insta360 Go, which the company called the smallest stabilised camera. The flagship Insta360 One and the subsequent One X have been praised by YouTubers like iJustine and Peter McKinnon for giving 360-degree videos mass appeal thanks to their ease of use and impressive image stabilisation.

But the challenge for Insta360 is that many people still consider 360-degree cameras to be a gimmick. Without many use cases, many users prefer hardcore action cameras like the GoPro Hero series or DJI’s Osmo Action.

Josh Ye

Josh joined the Post in 2016 to cover politics and business in mainland China and Hong Kong. Since 2018, he has covered China's emerging tech sector. Having graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a degree in English and philosophy, he is now pursuing a master's degree in law at the University of Hong Kong.

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Insta360’s modular One R can transform into a GoPro competitor or a 360 camera

One of the camera modules co-engineered with Leica has a 1-inch sensor for better low-light photos

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