If you think the action cam category has stalled lately, you may be surprised by Insta360’s announcements at the CES tradeshow. The Insta360 ONE is about to go modular. And one of the modules has a high-end 5.3K 1-inch sensor that was co-engineered with Leica.
By going modular, the Insta360 ONE becomes more versatile, as it adds options that may not appeal to everyone. The Insta360 ONE R improves on previous models by switching to an interchangeable-lens design that enables 360-degree capture, standard 4K wide-angle capture, and the use of a high-quality 5.3K 1-inch sensor — all with a single device.
The modular concept is relatively simple. You can stack one battery, one processor, and a selection of quick-swapping lens Mods. By swapping modules, you can transform the ONE R from a standard action cam to a dual-lens 360 shooter. The ONE R provides three different ways to shoot with its three available lens Mods — the Dual-Lens 360 Mod, the 4K Wide-Angle Mod, and the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod.
According to Insta360, the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod achieves the best performance ever in an action camera. It combines “the legendary optical expertise of Leica” with a compact, rugged body “backed by Insta360’s signature FlowState stabilization.” The 1-inch sensor is designed to capture 5.3K video and 19MP photos in a variety of lighting conditions.
While Insta360 isn’t a drone manufacturer, the company will soon offer the Insta360 ONE R Aerial Edition for use with drones. It provides a specialized mounting system to make the supported drones completely invisible, letting the ONE R capture an unobstructed, airborne 360-degree view. You can swap out the standard Battery Base for a double-size Boosted Battery Base for extended shooting.
The Insta360 ONE R Twin Edition brings together two ways to shoot — the Dual-Lens 360 Mod and 4K Wide Angle Mod — in one convenient package for $479.99 USD. The Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Edition comes standard with the premium 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica. It retails for $549.99 USD. And the Insta360 ONE R 4K Edition offers creators all they need to enjoy the versatile 4K Wide Angle Mod for $299.99 USD.
Insta360’s promotional video covers some of the additional features in the ONE R: