TechCamerasInsta360 One RS Twin Edition action camera review: a fiddly-but-fun modular cam with GoPro-beating specsThe Insta360 One RS Twin Edition takes the brand’s modular approach and runs with it, to great successWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Mark Mayne / T3)T3 VerdictThe Insta360 One RS' flexible modular design is loads of fun (if slightly fiddly). The new 4K boost lens delivers excellent quality video, and alongside the existing 360 lens module offers a well-rounded action camera package that delivers on all fronts.Reasons to buy+Funky modular design+Excellent image quality+Decent battery lifeReasons to avoid-Fiddly SD/Charge port cover-Premium pricingWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
TechCamerasInsta360 One RS Twin Edition action camera review: a fiddly-but-fun modular cam with GoPro-beating specsThe Insta360 One RS Twin Edition takes the brand’s modular approach and runs with it, to great successWhen you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.(Image credit: Mark Mayne / T3)T3 VerdictThe Insta360 One RS' flexible modular design is loads of fun (if slightly fiddly). The new 4K boost lens delivers excellent quality video, and alongside the existing 360 lens module offers a well-rounded action camera package that delivers on all fronts.Reasons to buy+Funky modular design+Excellent image quality+Decent battery lifeReasons to avoid-Fiddly SD/Charge port cover-Premium pricingWhy you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
The Insta360 One RS Twin Edition takes the brand’s modular approach and runs with it, to great success
When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne / T3)T3 VerdictThe Insta360 One RS' flexible modular design is loads of fun (if slightly fiddly). The new 4K boost lens delivers excellent quality video, and alongside the existing 360 lens module offers a well-rounded action camera package that delivers on all fronts.Reasons to buy+Funky modular design+Excellent image quality+Decent battery lifeReasons to avoid-Fiddly SD/Charge port cover-Premium pricing
(Image credit: Mark Mayne / T3)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne / T3)
T3 VerdictThe Insta360 One RS' flexible modular design is loads of fun (if slightly fiddly). The new 4K boost lens delivers excellent quality video, and alongside the existing 360 lens module offers a well-rounded action camera package that delivers on all fronts.Reasons to buy+Funky modular design+Excellent image quality+Decent battery lifeReasons to avoid-Fiddly SD/Charge port cover-Premium pricing
T3 VerdictThe Insta360 One RS' flexible modular design is loads of fun (if slightly fiddly). The new 4K boost lens delivers excellent quality video, and alongside the existing 360 lens module offers a well-rounded action camera package that delivers on all fronts.
T3 Verdict
The Insta360 One RS' flexible modular design is loads of fun (if slightly fiddly). The new 4K boost lens delivers excellent quality video, and alongside the existing 360 lens module offers a well-rounded action camera package that delivers on all fronts.
Reasons to buy+Funky modular design+Excellent image quality+Decent battery lifeReasons to avoid-Fiddly SD/Charge port cover-Premium pricing
Reasons to buy+Funky modular design+Excellent image quality+Decent battery life
Funky modular design
Excellent image quality
Decent battery life
Reasons to avoid-Fiddly SD/Charge port cover-Premium pricing
Fiddly SD/Charge port cover
Premium pricing
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Why you can trust T3Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you.Find out more about how we test.
Insta360 One RS deals
638 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
638 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
$549.99$299.99ViewLow Stock$299.99ViewLow Stock$699.99$329.95View
$549.99$299.99View
$549.99$299.99View
$549.99$299.99View
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$299.99
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$699.99$329.95View
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New in March 2022, the Insta360 One RS is the brand’s follow-up to the Leica / Insta360 collaboration the One R, and strikes a similar note, at least from a build point of view. The former flagship Insta360 action cam won plaudits for image quality, so we were excited to see how this new addition stands up.
With this new launch, Insta360 looks to be solidifying its reputation as the maker of some of thebest GoPro alternativesaround… although the modular design is perhaps more similar to theDJI Action 2from late 2021. So can this new contender see off stiff competition to become one of today’sbest action cameras? We put one to the test to see. Read on for our full Insta360 One RS review.
Insta 360 One RS review: price and release date
The Insta360 One RS launched worldwide on 22 March 2022, available at retailers such asAmazonand direct from Insta360.com. It’s available in a few different bundle options, at different price points.
The main three are listed below. All include your battery pack, ‘Core’ control module and mounting bracket modules, but there are different lenses bundled in. To further complicate matters, you can also buy all three of these in slightly different accessory bundles. These are the prices for the most basic ‘standalone’ options.
If you already have an Insta360 ONE R, the modules are also to some extent interchangeable – so you can use ONE R lenses with the RS core, for instance.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne / T3)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne / T3)
Insta 360 One RS review: design and what’s new
The Insta360 One RS takes the modular design from the Insta360 One R, and runs with it. I’ll go through it all in more detail below, but here’s a quick rundown of the different bits we’re dealing with here:
So the main camera body is in fact three modules, intricately clipped together. The red bit is the battery pack, which bridges the two units as before, there’s a control module (dubbed the One RS Core) that holds the SD, charge port, buttons and screen, and a lens cube that can be swapped from a 4k/48MP single aspect lens to a dual aspect, 360 POV beast that knocks out 5.7k /30fps. Blimey. Astonishingly, this intricate techno-jigsaw is waterproof to 16 feet, a bewildering feat that we didn’t dare test too brutally.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
In summary, what’s new on the Insta 360 One RS:
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
The downside of this modular jiggery-pokery is that the finished brick is on the larger side – not ludicrously so, but a good few mm bigger than the market-dominatingGoPro. The obvious benefit is that you can swap lenses whenever you like, as well as (presumably) adding in larger battery packs, or at least swapping them easily. In addition, the rear touchscreen can be swapped round to the front if you’re in selfie mode, which is a neat trick – arguably more faff than simply having two screens, but undoubtedly less battery-draining.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
Insta 360 One RS review: setup and use
Overall, the modular hardware is a slick and intriguing package that makes you want to explore, and is all-too-easy to use as a fiddle toy if left on a desk. The real shortcoming on our pre-production test model is the SD/charge cover, which requires fiddling to master. It pops off when a latch is released, then hangs on a retaining tether, but inevitably a fingernail has to be used as encouragement, and frankly the whole thing would be better with a normal hinge. Closing it again is a bit hit and miss, but Insta360 has sensibly added a yellow flash to the locking tab to show when it’s not quite closed properly (a common occurrence).
It’s also annoying that this is the only method of charging the battery, especially given the modular nature of the beast – a USB clip or caddy to charge the batteries off-camera would be useful.
On the other side of the coin, the case (required to bolt the beast to your desired mount) is a study in micro-tech joy, a pair of buttons front and back flick the end of the case open when squeezed, allowing the body to be slid in. It’s a positive action, both in the open and the close, and one that’s easily fiddled with while on boring Zoom calls. Essentially, it’s fun.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
Unlike some action cam cases, this one has been carefully considered, so accommodates the two different lenses, as well as the screen orientation being flipped, and still allows access to controls and SD. That said, it is possible to insert the camera backwards so that the case push-through buttons don’t work – something to watch out for.
The supplied ‘invisible’ selfie stick has a solid build quality to it, extends enormously to 116cm, and although it doesn’t have a lanyard built in, there is a screw thread in the base so such a thing could be added. In summary, the modular build is fun, and the tactile quality is excellent – it feels like a quality item, a serious tool for the action cam trade (apart from the SD door).
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
The companion app, Insta360, will be familiar to owners of the Insta 360 One R, Insta 360 X2 or Insta 360 Go 2, and rather excitingly doesn’t require logging in or account creation to use it, which is a pleasant change. The Shot lab takes the work out of creating exciting new video content, just choose the effect and point it at your video clips and you’re done. The preview and editing tools work perfectly well, albeit not always as intuitively as others. The connection between camera and phone (Android) seems to begin with Bluetooth, then cycles to Wifi for larger data exchanges, but once connected it’s pretty reliable, and we didn’t experience any noticeable issues shooting, reviewing and editing content.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
Insta 360 One RS review: picture performance
Let’s be clear, the new 4K boost lens shoots beautiful video, a feat that it was duty-bound to perform, after the general acclaim of the older Insta 360 One R. The 1/2" image sensor does a great job of hoovering up photons, both in video and in stills mode, and to be honest the 4K Boost lens is what we spent most of the time going back to, in spite of the undeniable joys of the 360 lens pod.
Winding the capture quality up to the 6K widescreen setting does challenge many aspects of the camera, including the battery life. On longer clips the unit gets pretty warm, not catastrophically so, but ‘quite’ hot, and the battery life dives well below the claimed 75 minute runtime for the 4K boost lens, and 84 minutes for the 360 array. A couple of test runs on widescreen 6K 2.35:1 got more like 45 minutes apiece, which isn’t too bad considering the competition.
The active HDR is pretty good at smoothing footage out, even when you’re wilfully waving the unit around to test it. It’s hard to be certain, but it’s pretty close to GoPro’s stabilisation, which is a big accolade. Insta 360 has also improved the in-camera ‘FlowState’ image stabilisation on offer in the Core component - the combination is certainly capable enough for most users.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
What isn’t quite enough is the Core unit’s screen size, which is still on the postage-stamp scale, and although the majority of the controls have been designed to mitigate this, it’s still a bit of a compromise. Although you can frame shots successfully, the screen is too small to review clips in a practical manner, although you can if you choose to. The modular design allows the screen to face front or back, and as a front screen it’s fine, just it can be fiddly to make adjustments on the fly.
Audio is a bit of a mixed bag – clipped into the wind-protective case, and with wind cancellation activated, almost no sound is captured at all – perfect for extreme sports, but less ideal for vlogging or similar. With stereo recording enabled in the menu the situation is improved, and with ‘directional enhancement’ you’ll be able to knock out a decent vlog, although this is a setting you’ll need to fiddle with to successfully create different content types.
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
Insta 360 One RS review: alternatives to consider
The obvious competitor/elephant in the room is theGoPro HERO10 Black, which is an excellent action camera, and even more dangerously, is considerably cheaper than the Insta360 One RS… at least to the casual glance. At the time of writing, the GoPro Hero10 Black comes in at £329.98 – discounted from £529.98 thanks to GoPro’s ingeniousGoPro subscription pricing discountstrategy.
Insta 360 One RS review: verdict
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
(Image credit: Mark Mayne)
The Insta 360 One RS is without doubt a premium action camera, packing in an impressive raft of features both hardware and software. It comes in at a premium price too, but you’re getting a lot of bang for your buck here. We like the build quality throughout (apart from that SD door), and the fit, finish and sheer fiddliness of clicking the modules into different configurations is compelling in itself. The problem comes as a result of that choice – there’s often a moment of ‘ooh, the other lens would have been great there’, which encourages tinkering and fiddling rather than getting on with whatever you’re doing.
That said, the choice is a good thing, and the flexibility it brings is another, especially considering the backwards compatibility of the modular system, allowing older One R models to upgrade. The company says that the new Core, battery and Mounting Bracket will be available to purchase as a separate bundle.
Is it better than a GoPro HERO10 Black? Yes (nearly) and no. No, if you just want ease of use, and no if you’re watching your wallet, or have already invested in a 360 cam. Yes if you would like the option to switch lenses on a whim, and don’t mind flipping the screen from front to back as needed. The image quality of the Insta 360 One RS is right up there, but the GoPro’s suite of effortless tools does tip the balance slightly.
That said, the Insta360 One RS is a quality act overall, and a fun one at that – which might just be more important in the end.
Insta360 One RS: Price Comparison
638 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
638 Amazon customer reviews☆☆☆☆☆
☆☆☆☆☆
$549.99$299.99ViewLow Stock$299.99ViewLow Stock$699.99$329.95ViewLow Stock$699.99$329.95ViewLow Stock$449.95$339.95View
$549.99$299.99View
$549.99$299.99View
$549.99$299.99View
$549.99$299.99
$299.99
Low Stock$299.99View
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$299.99View
$299.99View
$299.99
$299.99
Low Stock$699.99$329.95View
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$699.99$329.95View
$699.99$329.95View
$699.99$329.95
$329.95
Low Stock$699.99$329.95View
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$699.99$329.95View
$699.99$329.95View
$699.99$329.95
$329.95
Low Stock$449.95$339.95View
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
Low Stock
$449.95$339.95View
$449.95$339.95View
$449.95$339.95
$339.95
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