Las Vegas, NV—The Insta360 One R adaptive action camera launched in several editions. It uses a unique interchangeable camera module to combine 360º capture with the precision and resolution of single-lens shooting.
In addition, Insta360 and Leica Camera AG announced a partnership aimed at bringing innovation to the action camera and 360º camera category. The announcement coincides with the launch of the Insta360 One R adaptive action camera.
Insta360 and Leica co-engineered the premium Insta360 One R 1-inch edition. It uses a 5.3K, 1-inch sensor to achieve image quality and dynamic range. Users can instantly swap the 5.3K wide-angle lens for a dual-lens setup that captures action in all directions for a 360º field of view.
In addition, the One R is IPX8 waterproof to a depth of 16.4 feet. For those who want to go deeper, a dive case permits descents of up to 197 feet.
“For more than a century, Leica has never stopped pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with a camera, and it’s never lost sight of a guiding ethos of craftsmanship and quality that inspires photographers to push their own work further,” said JK Liu, Insta360 founder. “They are the ideal partners to join us in perfecting a new generation of cameras that serve users at every step of the creative process—from capture to editing to sharing.
“Combining the expertise in optics and imaging design of Leica with Insta360’s unique portfolio of innovations, including gimbal-free stabilization and smart editing software, will allow both brands to redefine categories and realize the potential of new camera formats and modes of capture.”
Insta360 One R Features
The adaptive action cam has a unique interchangeable-lens design that enables 360º capture; standard 4K wide-angle capture; and the use of a 5.3K 1-inch sensor—all with a single device.
Moreover, the One R uses a fully upgraded FlowState stabilization algorithm to achieve gimbal-like stabilization, whether shooting in 360 or with a standard wide-angle lens. Using a smart scene-detection algorithm, the camera is said to outclass the competition with stabilization that holds steady even in low-light scenes.”
The concept is simple: one battery, one processor and a selection of quick-swapping lens mods. In an instant, shooters can transform the One R from a dual-lens 360º camera to a standard action cam. Currently, it offers three ways to shoot with three available lens mods: the Dual-Lens 360 mod; the 4K Wide-Angle mod; and the 1-inch Wide-Angle mod co-engineered with Leica.
The camera gives creators, athletes and adventurers a single tool that can adapt to any shoot. The dual-lens 360º unlocks the ability to reframe shots after the fact; it ensures users don’t miss the action; and it enables unique techniques such as drone-like aerial angles. However, for scenes in which action is concentrated in one direction, a reframed shot from a 360º camera doesn’t achieve the level of quality and resolution as a specialized single-lens model.
These two camera formats have unique strengths and tradeoffs. Insta360 recognized that the only way to take advantage of both formats is with an easy way to switch from one to the other on the fly. The result is the One R.
The Mods
Each of the One R’s three available mods unlock creativity.
Dual-Lens 360 Mod
It supports 5.7K capture on two lenses that cover every direction at once. It also enables a real-time 360º preview on the One R’s touch screen. In addition, functions like color plus, HDR video and night shot help achieve the best color accuracy and low-light performance.
4K Wide-Angle Mod
For 4K 60-fps recording, this mod captures vibrant, stabilized action and supports up to 8x slow motion. Its reversible design lets users flip the touch screen from back to front—for getting real-time feedback when filming oneself.
1-inch Wide-Angle Mod
Co-engineered with Leica, it uses a 1-inch sensor to capture 5.3K video and 19-megapixel photos even in complex lighting conditions.
Additional Features
Voice control lets shooters control the action cam with a few commands. If One R is mounted on a helmet or out of reach, they can just give it a shout.
In addition, its auto frame function uses an Insta360-developed computer vision algorithm to identify the best parts of any 360º video and recommend them to creators. What’s more, AI-powered computer vision also enables One R’s tracking capabilities. When editing 360º video, creators can select a subject to follow with a tap. The One R app will automatically keep it locked in center-frame, even if obscured by an obstacle.
Further, if creators don’t want to wait for postproduction to choose a subject, they can use Deep Track in real time. One R’s “point to track” feature lets them lock onto a subject with a voice prompt. The next time they connect to the camera, they’ll get an automatically reframed shot that follows the chosen subject.
No drone. No problem.
Moreover, the One R uses Insta360’s invisible selfie stick feature that captures aerial angles and video-game-style third-person views by making the camera grip invisible. However, this is only supported when using the Dual-Lens 360 mod.
Other features include: hardware and software upgrades to achieve low-light performance; night shot mode captures low-light photos while automatic de-noising preserves detail in low-light video; HDR modes for photos and video; two onboard mics and an automatic wind-reduction algorithm; a USB Type-C port; and top-mounted accessory shoe for a third-party 3.5mm mic connection.
App Editing Functions
In addition, the One R app comes with new editing features. The TimeShift hyperlapse effect is now completed with a couple taps; in addition, a new pose-detection algorithm lets creators identify and extract every frame of a clip in which they strike a similar posture to enable stop-motion effects that used to take hours of work.
Plus, starlapse mode automatically calibrates exposure settings to capture time lapses of the night sky. And the bullet time effect was also upgraded with a smart horizon-leveling algorithm. Additionally, FlashCut is the app’s content-aware editing algorithm.
The Insta360 One R twin edition retails for $479.99; the 1-inch edtion for $549.99; and the trio edition for $779.99.
