Insta360’s Go 3 was an incredibly fun action camera. It may morph from a extra conventional GoPro-like digital camera to a singular, pendant-style wearable. It made pictures attainable that you just simply could not get with extra conventional GoPro-style cameras.
This 12 months, the corporate launched the Go 3S. The up to date digital camera provides help for 4K video, greater bit charges for smoother video, and improved battery life.
Sensor Enhancements
Externally the Go 3S is tough to differentiate from the Go 3. They’re the identical dimension, the rear flip-up display screen is unchanged, and the USB-C port is in the identical spot. The primary seen distinction is the lens guard, which is larger and thicker. I like this modification as a result of it makes it a lot simpler to drag the lens portion out of the Motion Pod, as Insta360 calls the physique portion of the design.
The one different minor exterior adjustments I discovered are the more-textured, easier-to-grip edges for the digital camera lens portion and the ability and Q buttons on the aspect. In any other case, all the numerous adjustments within the Go 3S are contained in the digital camera.
{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson
The headline characteristic of the Insta360 Go 3S is undoubtedly the 4K video. I stated in my review of the Go 3 that “I by no means as soon as observed the two.7K footage from the Go 3 being 2.7K, which is to say, until you shoot side-by-side with a [4K camera], most individuals would by no means have the ability to inform the picture high quality distinction.” I stand by that. However once you are placing 2.7K aspect by aspect with 4K in the identical video, you possibly can inform the distinction. For example, I all the time discovered it tough to combine footage from the Go 3 with footage from my GoPro, which I usually shoot in 5.3K. That is the place the true attraction of the brand new Go 3S lies. The 4K footage does objectively look higher (although once more, it’s essential put it aspect by aspect to see it). Extra importantly, it mixes naturally with 4K footage from different cameras just like the GoPro Hero 12 (8/10, WIRED Recommends) or the Insta360 Ace Professional (8/10, WIRED Recommends).
What impressed me most about video from the Go 3S wasn’t a lot the extra sharpness, which is there, however the lack of pixelation, significantly in movement pictures. The place the Go 3 tended to get fairly pixelated in movement pictures (e.g., whereas using a motorcycle), the Go 3S doesn’t. This enchancment is probably going due extra to the Go 3S’s greater bit price (120 Mbps versus 80 Mbps) than the 4K video, however both approach it is a welcome enchancment.
That stated, there’s nonetheless a superb little bit of pixelation at greater body charges, so I like to recommend avoiding them. Taking pictures at 120 fps is not too unhealthy, however the 200 fps mode is usually unusable. (The standard of the footage relies upon rather a lot on lighting, however even in fairly good mild, 200 fps is an excessive amount of for this sensor and lens to deal with nicely).
