Insta360’s Go 3 was an extremely enjoyable motion digicam. It might morph from a extra conventional GoPro-like digicam to a novel, pendant-style wearable. It made photographs attainable that you just simply could not get with extra conventional GoPro-style cameras.
This yr, the corporate launched the Go 3S. The up to date digicam provides help for 4K video, larger bit charges for smoother video, and improved battery life.
Sensor Enhancements
Externally the Go 3S is troublesome to differentiate from the Go 3. They’re the identical measurement, the rear flip-up display screen is unchanged, and the USB-C port is in the identical spot. The principle seen distinction is the lens guard, which is larger and thicker. I like this transformation as a result of it makes it a lot simpler to tug the lens portion out of the Motion Pod, as Insta360 calls the physique portion of the design.
The one different minor exterior modifications I discovered are the more-textured, easier-to-grip edges for the digicam lens portion and the ability and Q buttons on the aspect. In any other case, all the numerous modifications within the Go 3S are contained in the digicam.
{Photograph}: Scott Gilbertson
The headline function of the Insta360 Go 3S is undoubtedly the 4K video. I mentioned in my assessment of the Go 3 that “I by no means as soon as seen the two.7K footage from the Go 3 being 2.7K, which is to say, except you shoot side-by-side with a [4K camera], most individuals would by no means be capable to inform the picture high quality distinction.” I stand by that. However whenever you are placing 2.7K aspect by aspect with 4K in the identical video, you possibly can inform the distinction. As an illustration, I all the time discovered it troublesome to combine footage from the Go 3 with footage from my GoPro, which I typically shoot in 5.3K. That is the place the actual 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, notably in movement photographs. The place the Go 3 tended to get fairly pixelated in movement photographs (e.g., whereas using a motorbike), the Go 3S doesn’t. This enchancment is probably going due extra to the Go 3S’s larger bit price (120 Mbps versus 80 Mbps) than the 4K video, however both approach it is a welcome enchancment.
That mentioned, there may be nonetheless a very good little bit of pixelation at larger body charges, so I like to recommend avoiding them. Capturing at 120 fps is not too unhealthy, however the 200 fps mode is usually unusable. (The standard of the footage relies upon lots on lighting, however even in fairly good gentle, 200 fps is an excessive amount of for this sensor and lens to deal with properly).
