2021-03-09 16:00:00
The last 12 months haven’t really been much about getting out and about, for obvious reasons. Lockdowns, restrictions and activities have taken a back seat, but with all that about to start easing off and winter weather giving way to sunnier days – this will be a summer to treasure.
If you’re anything like me, the wish list of stuff to do is getting pretty long – zip wire, indoor rock climbing, horse riding and many many trips to the beach are going to be had. And I’ve spent the last few weeks getting ready for adventure getting hands on with the latest action camera from the clever folks at Insta360.
If you’ve not seen their gadgets before, Insta360 are a company that started out, unsurprisingly, with 360 cameras at various consumer and professional levels – and even branching out into 3D camera kits for immersive experiences. But two years ago, they set their sights on a new market and released their first action camera, The Go.
Today sees the launch of the follow up to that tiny toy, in the form of the Insta360 Go 2 – and this time their action cam offering has grown up to play with the big boys.
Like its predecessor, the Go 2 is a tiny action camera. Tiny. Like size of your thumb tiny. And that makes it lightweight, wearable, flingable, nook and cranny ready for shooting.
The Go 2 has a variety of snapping and shooting modes you would expect, using its fisheye lens for wide and ultra wide imaging, 50fps at 1440p resolution and industry leading stabilisation in the form of their Flowstate system. The Go 2 photo mode offers a 9MP camera for action snaps and the in-app editing allows you switch your up your footage using a new ‘vivid’ colour profile and a log mode for more photo heavy editing using Photoshop.
Not stopping there, on-board HDR, timelapse, hyperlapse and 120fps slow motion modes means you can capture any action, any way you can think of.
Also new with the Go 2 is waterproofing right out of the box, certified up to 13ft with no additional dive case required.
The original Go was a tiny tech marvel but it had some limitations too. The most obvious ones were the restrictions on the length of footage you could take in a single shot and not much in the way of onboard storage. All were easy to work with but made it a ‘fun’ action camera, whereas the Go 2 leaps far beyond and gets serious.
The feedback very much taken onboard, the Go 2 is an evolution in its own right – bringing 32gb memory, lens guards, smart case, remote control, tripod mount and no restriction on the length and type of shot.
Build quality is an amazingly important aspect of any action camera, and the Go 2 doesn’t disappoint. Either in its case or in solo use, it’s an incredible rugged piece of kit that will certainly survive high octane shoots with occasional bumps and scrapes that come with it.
But the real leap with the Insta360 Go 2 is the smart case. No, really!
The Go 2 sits neatly in the case to charge when not in use, is its own tripod with the built in mini leg stand, a visual interface for switching modes and settings.
And the case is also a remote control – finally the ability to quickly mount and use the camera from a distance without the hassle of pairing and using a phone. Insta360 cameras have had GPS remotes as separate offerings before, but to just have it included as standard and to be so quick and easy to use is a game changer. One I hope that they will carry over to their main product line in the future.
USB-C charging port and traditional tripod mount on the bottom of the case are also welcome additions, the latter opening up a world of mounting options with traditional accessories or selfie sticks you may already have rather than shelling out for yet more customised add-ons.
Speaking of accessories, what else is in the box? Well the Go 2 retains the unique magnetising mount system that I loved about its younger sibling. The pendant mount allows you to mount the camera on your chest for a unique point of view angle (and making you feel like Iron Man).
The pivot stand with adhesive back plate is great for placing the camera on a variety of surfaces, including exterior vehicle shots. Rounding off the “it will mount anywhere” list is the revised wearable clip – a small mount designed to be worn on clothes, clipped to frisbees or attached to your beloved household pets. A useful change is the ability to angle the mount a full 180 degrees, so you can centre the frame around your fancy football skills.
The final part of the Insta360 eco-system is their ever evolving app and AI system. As with other cameras in their range, the final output of your photos and videos really take a leap when you bring the files onto your smartphone and start to play.
The app has a growing shot lab, where you can experiment with funky features like cloning yourself in your video, create hyperlapse tours of your holiday walks. Or, just select your favourite clips and let the AI editor flash cut everything together, cherry picking the best footage into one montage ready to share with the world.
The tag line on the box of the Insta360 Go 2 says “The tiny mighty action cam” and it really does deliver. It’s a smart, sleek and rugged action camera housed into a smart remote control case with a mounting solution for pretty much anything you can think of.
It removes any bug bears the previous edition had, bringing more storage and waterproofing, yet still retains the tiny form factor that made the original so fun. And coming in at under £300, it’s a decent price point for all that it offers, pitching it perfectly against other action cameras bang for buck.
There’s a summer of fun ahead and this tiny action cam is coming with me to capture it all…
The Insta360 Go 2 action camera is on sale now for £295.
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