The GOOD:
This camera alone is a fun camera to use and play with. I love the fact that you can record all directions without worrying about missing a shot (but you still need to be mindful of the direction you point your camera). To get the best video quality without giving yourself or the viewer a headache you need to actually point and record with the lens facing the subject (if you're taking clips from a weird angle the video doesn't look that good.)
The battery life for the most part is pretty good considering it's supposed to be waterproof (haven't dared to test it in water yet). I find the battery outlasting the gopro and also the dji osmo action.
Price vs video quality is not bad, I would say it's very competitive with gopro and dji BUT still not as good as my phone (S22 Ultra) video quality. I mainly choose this over my phone as I wanted to have a camera that acts like a cameraman for me so as I'm doing activities this will be able to capture myself. (very capable).
Now... The CONS:
I really hate that there are no good lens protectors (well they have a premium protector that is like $50, but even that can get scratched or cracked and you're out $50) that are cost efficient and don't hurt the video quality. I've read many reviews that any lens protection available still depreciates the quality. I've opted to not get a lens protector yet but just the rubber lens cap for now. I'm extremely worried for the lens getting scratched or worse cracked. I don't see this as an action cam and the GoPros and DJI osmo action definitely has this beat as far as durability.
I do find that the camera does heat up pretty warm when recording for awhile, I haven't got any errors in regards to overheating but have had issues with the micro SD card not being able to record fast enough (even though I'm using a 128GB Sandisk Extreme 160MB/s card. The camera just ends recording and shuts down.
Video/Data Transfer to Phone & Mobile App - A HUGE NEGATIVE and
Potential Deal Breaker:
First off, the Insta360 app is a pretty decent app which allows editing to be fun and intuitive BUT... I find the process EXTREMELY frustrating, time consuming, and not efficient.
The ONLY way I currently can transfer the recorded videos from the camera (micro sd card) to my phone (S22 Ultra) is via wifi connection with the camera and only through the Insta360 app. (I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO FIND ANY OTHER WORK AROUND).
I've tried via USB cable - USB C to USB C does not work (I read on forums that ONLY THE INSTA360 USB C cable will work, I haven't tried yet because it was not provided with the camera and can only be ordered through the Insta360 site for $8 + $18 shipping and tax?)
I've tried taking the micro sd card out and using a card reader - DOES NOT WORK, the app doesn't load any of the files via card reader.
I don't mind taking the time for post production editing the videos (ie adding keyframes, exporting, adding music). Took a few hours just to edit a 7 minute clip, and I still needed to import the clips into another video editing app, BUT the end product is awesome.
THE ISSUE - they advertise that you don't need to download the clips in order to edit in the app BUT if you choose not to download and edit straight from the camera you are consuming the camera battery as well as your device battery (the camera itself also gets very warm, also the video clips lag when editing).
If you decide to download the video clips from the camera to edit it TAKES FOREVER! and on top of that you still need to spend time to re-frame then export which also TAKES FOREVER! During the download and export times, your phone or device is pretty much unusable because you have to wait for the processing to complete.
If I had to reconsider my purchase this big issue would have changed my decision... Hopefully this information helps others to make up their own minds.
If Insta360 would of just provided the USB C cables (USB C to USB C) this issue probably wouldn't have been a deal breaker.
| Brand Name | Insta360 |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 4.9 ounces |
| Product Dimensions | 4.45 x 1.82 x 1.17 inches |
| Country of Origin | China |
| Item model number | CINOSXX/A |
| Batteries | 1 Lithium Polymer batteries required. |
| Is Discontinued By Manufacturer | No |
| Color Name | Black |
| Special Features | Image-stabilization |
