An action cam with swappable lens modules

The Insta360 One RS has a modular design that unlocks more creative possibilities than most action cams.

The Insta360 One RS ($549.99 as reviewed) is the company's second-generation modular action camera, a follow-up to the One R from 2020. The RS keeps the same external design, but features more internal processing power and works with better camera modules. We're not totally sold on its assembly-required modular design, but it's an appealing GoPro alternative, especially for creators who want to use both 16:9 and 360-degree footage for projects. The GoPro Hero10 Black remains our Editors' Choice winner in the action cam category, but you might prefer the flexibility of the One RS.

The One RS requires some assembly, but it's not an Ikea-level project. The camera is split into three pieces—the RS core, the camera module, and a baseplate that secures them. After assembly, the One RS is similar in size and shape to other action cams—about 1.9 by 2.8 by 1.3 inches (HWD) and 4.4 ounces. For comparison, the GoPro Hero10 Black measures 2.8 by 2.2 by 1.3 inches and weighs 5.4 ounces.

We received the One RS Twin Edition for review. This $549.99 kit includes two lens modules—the single-lens 4K Boost and the dual-lens 360. If you're not interested in 360-degree video, you can get the camera with just the 4K Boost lens for $299.99. A third option is also available, the $549.99 One RS 1-Inch Edition. This model is more ideal for low-light recording and sports a big sensor with Leica optics and 5.3K resolution.

No matter which kit you get, you need to put the pieces together before you can use the camera. The process is very easy though—connectors on the RS core match up with ports on the lens module, and the baseplate secures the pair. After assembly, the One RS is notably waterproof to a depth of 16 feet.

The One RS doesn't have any sort of built-in mounting clips, but in the package you get a mounting frame, clips for standard GoPro accessories, and an adapter that lets you use the camera with tripod quick-release plates.

With a single lens module, you can choose to either orient the LCD to face forward or backward, a nifty touch that get you a little extra mileage out of the single-screen design. But there's a downside for creators who want to go back and forth between being on-camera and behind the lens—you need to swap the parts around each time. It's not as convenient a setup as on a GoPro Hero9, Hero10, or the DJI Osmo Action, all of which include both front and rear color displays.

The square, 1.3-inch (diagonal) display is pretty small compared with the big rear touch screens on competing cameras. It's good enough for a secondary front-facing display, but it's a bit too small as the only viewfinder and touch surface. I found it difficult to see details in the frame when previewing at the full 16:9 aspect, and the touch controls are just plain cramped.

Touch isn't the only option, though. The RS core has a Record button in addition to the power toggle. Voice commands are an option, too—you can tell the camera to start and stop clips, but you need to dig into menus to set frame rates and swap video modes.

Action cams aren't renowned for their battery life, and the One RS is no exception. It's good for about 75 minutes of 4K60 recording using the single-lens module and gets about 80 minutes out of the 360-degree lens. Heat can be an issue for longer clips—the One RS overheated after 38 minutes of continuous recording in room temperature conditions.

The core includes a USB-C charging port on its side, as well as a microSDXC card slot. You can also transfer photos over Wi-Fi via the Insta360 app (available for Android and iOS). Wi-Fi transfers are pretty quick, at least for clips a couple of minutes in length at most. If you want to copy over more media, you can add the One RS Quick Reader ($59.99) accessory and plug directly into your phone.

The One RS may look like the One R, but it uses a new imaging engine and supports updated camera modules. Insta360 tells us you can use older modules with the new core if you'd like—a plus if you're interested in trying a different lens configuration when you upgrade. The old One R core can drive the new lens modules as well (pending a forthcoming firmware update).

The RS core gets you speedier Wi-Fi transfers—Insta360 says it's a 67% improvement, but we weren't able to verify that claim with side-by-side testing. The new core also offers improved digital stabilization and promises to capture better audio. In testing, however, the camera struggled with wind noise—the GoPro Max is still the class leader for in-camera audio recording among 360 models.

The single-lens 4K Boost module is an upgrade over the One R's 4K camera. This one sports an updated sensor, a 1/2-inch Quad Bayer 48MP chip with pixel-binned 12MP output, 4K60 capture, 4K30 in-camera HDR, and all the expected creative features—including slow motion and time lapse. Slow motion isn't quite on the same level as the GoPro Hero10, though—the GoPro is still the one to get if you want 4K120.

Other cameras with this type of Quad Bayer chip have been successful—it's the same type of imager inside our favorite consumer drone, the DJI Mavic Air 2, as well as the OnePlus 9 Pro smartphone. Here, it delivers detailed video and the stabilization smooths out handheld footage effectively. You choose between a vivid, standard, or flat profile. The flat look is a good choice if you want to color-correct footage; it dials back the saturation and contrast so you have more latitude for adjustment in post.

The in-camera HDR mode is ideal for scenes with tricky lighting; I tried it for some backlit scenes. The HDR video does a good job opening up details in shadows and stopping highlights from clipping into pure white, but those advantages don't come without some image quality compromises. Details are a little softer and the frame rate drops to 30fps in this mode. Still, it's a convenient option for working in tough light, especially for beginner vloggers who aren't yet familiar with log profiles and color grading.

The angle of view is very wide, about the same as a 21mm camera lens, so you can get plenty of the world in frame—a good fit for mounting the camera for POV shots. Digital zoom is available to 50mm, a more standard angle, and quality holds up quite well—one of the benefits of pulling 4K video out of a high-pixel sensor.

The camera also leverages the extra pixels for the ultra-wide 6K wide-screen mode. You get anamorphic-style 2:35:1 footage here at 24 or 25fps. You need to take a little more care using the camera for wide-screen shots though, as they aren't stabilized in-camera. This isn't an issue if you use a tripod or a gimbal, but you can also run the footage through Insta360's desktop software to stabilize it—the One RS saves gyroscope data along with video.

The Quad Bayer sensor plays an important role for stills captures. The default photo mode for the 4K Boost lens is 12MP, but you can swap to a 48MP mode if you want. There are certainly times when you want as much resolution out of an image as possible, but for most uses, the 12MP mode is the sensible choice.

The lens supports JPG and Raw DNG shots, so you can take ready-to-share snaps or process photos later. You also get a JPG HDR photo mode for scenes with mixed lighting. The camera saves HDR shots in triplicate, with a blended JPG right next to overexposed and underexposed versions of the scene.

Still quality is right in line with other action cams. The wide-angle lens is crisp, while JPGs show strong, vivid color and very little barrel distortion. You have more room to tone Raw DNG images to taste, so you can control color, highlights, and shadows. I was happy to see how much detail I could pull out of the shadows in backlit scenes with Raw captures, though they do exhibit some visible barrel distortion.

The Twin Edition also includes the dual-lens 360 module. It records everything around the camera, something you can use to capture video that puts the viewer into an explorable space, or that gives you the creative control to pull out flat 16:9 frames to mix into video projects. This functionality is expected for 360 cameras today—and at 5.7K, the One RS 360 camera is right up there with GoPro Max in resolution. The GoPro's microphones are much better, though.

Video is gimbal-evel smooth, even without a gimbal, and if you use a straight stick to hold the camera it's erased from the stitched-together footage. The need to stitch is a downside—to use the video you need to run it through software. Insta360 provides an app for phone editors, but I wasn't able to pull full-resolution footage out of my iPhone. For the best quality you'll want to use the Insta360 Studio desktop app, available for Mac and Windows systems. I used it to stitch footage and for editing in Final Cut Pro.

Insta360 is a brand that came to the attention of most creatives during the height of the 360-degree camera fad. Its original One camera was the first smartphone add-on to push the format to its creative limits—it had the reframing, bullet time, and other now-standard 360 features well ahead of competitors. Creators who've embraced the medium are no doubt familiar with the brand.

But 360 isn't for everyone—I'll be the first to admit that it's always baffled me. I've never found a good use for it creatively, so I'm left to admire the work of those who have. Insta360 is smartly diversifying its line to appeal to creatives who prefer single-lens capture, first with the One R in 2020, and now with this sequel.

There's a lot to like here. The 4K Boost lens captures crisp, good-looking footage, with superb stabilization. It doesn't match the GoPro Hero10 Black's high 4K frame rates, but betters it in other ways, including a 6K wide-screen cinematic look and Quad Bayer stills. The modular design has some pluses too, including the ability to keep using One R camera modules, and step up to the 1-inch Leica camera if you're looking for better single-lens video.

As for disappointments, the built-in microphones really struggle outdoors, even with just a bit of breeze. The tiny square LCD is also a bit hard to see, especially if you're previewing wide-screen shots, and we don't like the need to take the camera apart to switch between front- and rear-facing modes.

Don't count the One RS out, though. If you're a creator working in both 360 and 16:9, you'll enjoy the dual-lens versatility the Twin Edition provides for less than you'd spend to get both the GoPro Max and Hero10. And action cam shoppers on a budget should give serious thought to the single-lens 4K Boost kit for $299.99, which is a much better camera than the similarly priced GoPro Hero8 Black, even with its quirks.

The Insta360 One RS has a modular design that unlocks more creative possibilities than most action cams.

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Jim Fisher is PCMag's lead analyst for cameras, drones, and digital imaging. In over 10 years at PCMag, he’s reviewed hundreds of pieces of photo gear, running the gamut from instant cameras to high-end SLRs and lenses used for reportage and on the sidelines.

Jim has a soft spot for vintage lenses, and often dusts off classics to try with the latest mirrorless cameras. His photographic interests include wildlife and birds (waterfowl are his favorites), boneyards, and nature scenes.

In his spare time, Jim enjoys watching movies and TV, playing video games (on easy mode), and a good cup of coffee. You can find him on Instagram @jamespfisher.

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