Insta360's new One camera brings 360' video capture to the next level

Insta360's already made a name for itself as the maker of standalone and smartphone-mounted 360' cameras and apps. Having used the Insta360 nano on an iPhone 7, I found the soiution to be more instantaneous and elegant than many more expesive 360' cameras I had tried.

Insta360's latest product, the One, brings another level of creative capture. Mountable on a tripod or using a smartphone, the Insta360 One completely eliminates the tripod using software stitching, which gives the impression that it is floating. It also has various object tracking and focus technologies which make it one of the smartest cameras around. Insta360 One can also be attached to a string and swung around while filming, creating an effect similar to 'bullet time,' from The Matrix movies.

“We set out to make the easiest-to-use, most versatile 360 camera in the world, and the ONE is the result of those efforts,” said JK Liu, CEO and founder of Insta360. “The ONE isn’t just a step forward for 360 videography. With its unique FreeCapture technology, it stands to change the way we think about cameras in general.”  

The Insta360 ONE shoots 360 video and photos at resolutions of 4K (3840*1920@30fps, 2560*1280@60fps) and 24 MP (6912 x 3456), respectively. It significantly advances Insta360’s signature adaptability and convenience, offering three modes of operation: standalone use, remote control via Bluetooth, and control via a direct connection to a smartphone’s charging port.

The iPhone-compatible version is available now, with an Android version on the way.

The Insta360 ONE introduces groundbreaking FreeCapture technology. Using FreeCapture, users can effortlessly hone in on the key moments of a spherical video, translating the original 360 footage into a standard 1080p fixed-frame video that’s ready to share anywhere – all from their smartphone.

The process to create a FreeCapture video on the ONE is as innovative as it is intuitive. First, users hit record and effortlessly lock in every detail of an experience, as though they had a multi-cam setup covering every angle of the scene.

Then, when they’re done filming, they simply connect the ONE to their phone and offload the experience. This is where FreeCapture works its magic.

The US retail price of an Insta360 ONE – including a camera, a two-in-one case and camera stand, a MicroSD card, a Micro-USB cable, a lens cloth, and a string attachment to achieve the bullet-time effect – is USD $299.90.