Insta360 - GO 3S

I think you're best off spending a little more for much better quality. The \[Insta Go 3S\]([https://amzn.to/44n3p30](https://amzn.to/44n3p30)), it's currently on a very decent sale too at £240 ish. I paid £300 and I'm very happy with it for running and on the motorbike. It's on sale because a new version came out (Go Ultra), but that one is huge! And it's a good upgrade and worth the extra money over the Insta Go 3. You can check out some footage I took at a cross country race here (https://youtu.be/SHw5V1bLu1w?si=clZ3eWa9slvuIDFS&t=10). I clip it onto my belt but you can clip it on your hat.

I really love mine, i tried using it for vacation. I've shot short clips and long videos but I love it for a specific use case -- POV for practical shooting. Here's a sample video - [https://youtu.be/rXAvNufX0hc](https://youtu.be/rXAvNufX0hc)

Its a camera design for me actually. I have the Go3s but the image quality is quite bad to the point I was close to getting the DJI Action 5 as a wearable. With this, it might not be as great as the Ace Pro 2 but way better than the Go3s. Now, Im waiting for the DJI Osmo Nano to drop and see.

The form factor is garbage compared to the Go3s I bought two months back. I'm glad I didn't wait, the Go3s does everything I need, it's half the size, and I don't feel any FOMO. The best POV is with a hat mount under the brim, but the Ultra would block your vision if clipped there. It just looks like you've got a GoPro strapped to your head now. The tiny Go3s works in more spots because of its compact size. I've already come across a few places where the Ultra wouldn't fit. Insta360 should have refined the original while offering the Ultra, this update really misses the mark and I don't plan on upgrading anytime soon. My Go3s and X3 are still ok top for price and versatility.

Based on this requirement, it feels like the Insta360 Go 3S could be a good choice. It's not the best quality if you compare with DJI or Gopro action cameras, but because of its unique size it is incredibly convenient to carry on the cap or even use the magnetic clip to attach it to the chest. While not as good as other cameras it is still plenty nice overall. In exchange for the quality what you get is convenience and portability which allows for good POV shots. The camera is waterproof. Of course, Gopro 13, DJI Action 5 or Insta360 Ace 2 Pro are the standard action cams and I believe any of them will be OK for you, but they are heavier so it won't be so nice having one of them attached to the cap. I would rather have it strapped to the front of the backpack instead. Cheers!

This looks to be more of a competitor to the Insta360 Go 3S. I have both the Action 2 and Go 3S, and the Go 3S is a much better mini camera, however the Action 2 has the advantage of being able to use the same mounts as my Action 3.

Go 4 ultra is vastly superior to the Go3s, I've got both along with 2 more of the original go 3

I have a GoPro and use it nearly every ride. I only notice the extra drag when I turn my head to the side. If you care about image quality, chin-mounted is the way to go. A camera inside the shield will catch glare. Also, the Insta 360 Go does not have a removable battery. You want removable batteries so you can easily swap them instead of having to carry an external battery pack. Safety-wise, my opinion isn't based on any hard facts, so take it with a grain of salt. I don't think action camera compromise the safety of the helmet as long as you use an adhesive bonded mount. These mounts are not designed to sustain an impact. It would easily tear or break away in a before it does any damage to head or neck. They also have the added benefit of recording evidence in case you're in an accident with another driver. Motorcycles are the striking vehicle more than 9 times out of 10. Without video or witnesses, it's your word against theirs. You'll want footage to prove your innocence.

For normal recording nothing can beat ace pro 2. For fpv recording, I use go 3s mostly. But there's a catch, I can only use freeframe because otherwise I get no stabilization in gyroflow. But freeframe is 2.7k only...

Insta 360 3s is the go. Put it on a headband or a cap. Hell, even clip it to the middle of a regular pair of glasses.

What the hell is that aqua lens? I love my GO 3S because it can do both normal and underwater shots, why do I now need to switch lenses to have a clear image when going underwater? (only aqualens allows good underwater img quality in GO Ultra) This makes no sense, a dealbreaker for me ...

I have an iPhone 16 pro and have been using it on the daily. But I like the Go for being a little less in-your-face when I'm vlogging in a shop or restaurant. I also like the feature of the Go automatically taking photos in set intervals during the day. It's an easy way to capture a diary of a busy travel day. I just upgraded to the Ultra for the battery life and the removal SD card.

I've been filing some super cool looking shots with the Insta 360 Go 3s. It's super cool cause I have the option to just film via the action pod or take out the pod for POV footage! Quality is great. Only gripe is the battery life outside of the pod is short, but it's not a major issue!

I've been thinking of getting a go 3s too - just because of the price and accessories. They even had just the pod available - which is what I really want so I can have one pod charging and one pod mounted/recording. I may get the creator bundle for the ultra - which comes with a lot of mounts instead - since I'd have to have two different mounting systems if I got the 3s. The creator bundle isn't shipping until mid September at best. It's not a bad dilemma to have but I really was waiting for the go systems to have swappable memory. And now that I typed all this out - I'm going to get a second Ultra.

I'm a gear head, I own a ton of camera equipment. You don't need the latest to document you trips. I'm still using an older GoPro hero 9 and it takes fantastic 4k 60FPS video. Look into the older generations. The processing power jumped between the 9 and 10th generation GoPro. Recommendation **If you can find a GoPro hero 10 that would be the best value.** The hero12 didn't have gps, so I'd avoid that generation if that feature is important to you. *Go pro alternatives:* I own a insta360 go3s. It's great for POV, ultra small. I clip it to my hat. Max resolution is 4k 30FPS. If you're going to do fast paced activities like racing you may find the framerate at the max resolution to be too slow. Insta360 X5 is a 360 camera. Theres a learning curve to the software. But provides the ability to reframe footage. Quality of the video will not be as good as a standard action camera. DJI osmo action, it's a solid choice as well. Bit rate is lower then a GoPro, but if you're not a professional you won't know the difference

insta go is great, but the battery is only going to be 35-45 mins without the camera body.

Haha I went with none of these. I am a publicly shy person and not comfortable sticking a camera on people's faces. So I settled for the **Insta360 Go3s** which allows me to record discreetly while leaving my hands free. Yes the video quality isn't at par with the above discussed cameras, especially in low light but I have no complains. Now I just place the tiny 4k camera on my cap and record my POV in my travels. Years later I can watch these videos from the same viewpoint of how I had seen them. Plus the tiny cam is also waterproof so no worries on that front either. I used it on my recent trip to Thailand and the daytime videos with plenty of sunlight turned out great. I am happy with my purchase so far.

In that case, I would choose for a pro. It has the best low light and civilization and censor. But you are saying you also have a Samsung Galaxy S 22+. Not sure how great the footage of that is. But personally, my favorite to go cam is really the Insta360 Go cameras. You just record in manual. It's really not that hard. You just wear it on your chest using the magnetic pendant. And whenever there is anything you would like to record you just press the button and it starts recording. It's really easy to use and it helps you to get an additional layer of footage that you would otherwise miss out on.

The Go won't last that long. You'd have to have it in the battery case and then it won't be easy to mount to a hat, and it still may not last long enough. You could maybe plug the battery case into a portable power bank you keep in your pocket. But even then, I think the Go may overheat and stop recording here and there so you are unlikely to get an uninterrupted recording. I don't know anything about the Glasses, but I'd doubt something like that can have enough battery to go that long, so again, you might want to run a wire from a battery bank up to it. Concerns again for overheating in something like that as well. These things aren't made for continuous recording.

Insta360 go. Camera and charge case is similar size of IPods Pro. Very light weight. I have a hat clip-on with a magnetic camera holder, works great. The charge case works as a remote if you don't want to use the button on the camera.

So I looked up the specs on the insta360 website Go 3S maximum resolution : 4K: **3840x2160**@24/25/30fps Go Ultra maximum resolution : 4K (4:3): **3840x2880**@30/25/24fps I am asking Insta360 Technical support chat as I write this, but so far I assume that the sensor ratio is 4:3 while the 3S was more of a 16:9. So probably a bit more wiggle room than the 3S in regards to vertical free frame capability. But less than the 1:1 ratio which the 1,2,3 had. Got myself an Ultra ordered anyway. My Go 2 battery is almost depleted.

Go 3s has all the accessories/mounts available. Ultra doesn't. One big thing for me is the ability to swap memory - first I already have an insta360 quick reader so grabbing the sdcard and pulling stuff to a phone/ipad is quick. Second, swapping cards was a big thing for me as I wasn't too keen on managing the 128gb onboard the camera. I wanted the ultra to have a simple chest mount. Every other mount isn't available yet. If you aren't planning on a hat mount or chest mount - go get the 3s bundle that suites you now. It takes a while for these cams to get any kind of discount , and the newer cameras don't get much of a discount anyway, but maybe if you wait for a discount the mounts will be released by then.

The battery life has become a strong point for me, said that it might seem strange, but I'm coming from the go2 which outside the Pod has an even more limited life. Being forced into short and limited clips, I performed "targeted" recordings, all in favor of faster editing without very long videos. Now with the Go3s I limit clips to 15 seconds! https://www.instagram.com/reel/DDoSQrLqE2g/?igsh=Z2xudXprYzFpNXJy

I'd recommend the InstaGo3 (edit: bad spec info removed from my comment here). The fisheye on the Go3 isn't as pronounced as a GoPro, so any mode you choose will be solid for b-roll or interviews. PLUS it's tiny; comes with a little magnet lanyard and a neat hat brim clip on mount. I don't know about integration with exteranl mics though.

I had the same idea this spring, and bought a go 3s and a X4 ( a month before the X5 came out.) to add some videos to my runs on Strava. Just under 30 second videos, mostly timelapses or 3-4 different 10 second videos put together. The go 3s size is great, it's light and you can put it on a ball cap and run. The run time on the camera is only about 30 minutes out of the action pod. The quality isn't as good as the go ultra, or ace pro 2 but if it's a nice sunny day, I don't think people will complain about the output of the 3s. Each camera has there strengths and weaknesses. In the Insta360 line right now the Ace Pro takes the best quality, but it's bulky. The X5 is great, but it's large too. People on Strava loved when I would take the X4 on a run and replace the sky with one of Instas canned creations. There are more creative things you can do with the X line compared to the Ace Pro line or the go line, but it's like holding a cell phone from 1994, it's ok when I tuck it into a running vest with a selfie stick, but I didn't do that all the time. I sold my X4 and have a go ultra, and the 3s (which I'll put on Ebay), the Ultra is bulkier but the output is better. I did buy the headband for the go Ultra, but feel like a fool using, it. I do have a go pro chest harness that I've used with the go ultra, but same thing, feel like a fool using it. With the 3g and a ball cap it felt more natural. Stabilization is better on the X line. Sorry for the ramble, but if you want to do POV shots, with some narration, I'd go with the go ultra or 3s. If you want to be more creative and plan your shots, and make some goofy reels, I'd go with the X5. or even this new X4 air that is supposed to come out next week. Good luck.

IQ improvements just don't feel worth it at the price when it's still significantly lower than full size cameras and the 8 bit doesn't look great). Although admittedly I returned the 3S because size vs IQ trade off wasn't worth it for me over Ace Pro and Action 5. I also wish they would really have a small charging back magnet so you could run a long cable to a battery pack to films continuously for 3+ hours. Since adding the pod for 200 minutes makes it so I'd rather just go full size action cam at that point since my use cases need battery swaps for minimal downtime and even 10 minutes charging is a long break.

I would get the thumb sized [Go3](https://www.insta360.com/sal/go-3?utm_term=INRDA5L) if you want something simple for a 10yo. You really have to get a bit stuck in editing to use the 360 cameras, that being said, if you go for a 360 camera I second going for a metal case for added protection or get the [X3](https://www.insta360.com/sal/x3?utm_term=INRDA5L) which is a bargain compared to the twice more expensive [X5](https://www.insta360.com/sal/x5?utm_term=INRDA5L), however the X5 has an option of replacing broken lens guards. I have been using my Go2/Go3/Go3s for vacations and biking, cooking and general fpv videos, you just clip it on your shirt via a magnetic pendant you wear under your shirt (included), or attach it to a baseball cap or just about anything. Your son will love any one of those cameras, it just depends on your budget and how confident he is on the editing side if you go for one of the 360 ones.

I'd suggest you to get the Action 4. Better vfm. Can get the action 5 spare batteries for better battery life (if needed). Insta 360 is doing different ball game. It's an awesome secondary camera but not a good primary one.

I have a running channel on YouTube and I use the AP2 as part of my setup. I recently reviewed it also. https://youtu.be/8aKhcLHPXWM I also use Insta360 Go 3S and iPhone as other cameras i shoot video with. All have different strengths and weaknesses.

For your use case I would suggest Go3s, actually. 360 footage is 'useful', but if discretion is your objective then nothing will beat the chest-mounted Go3s, or mounted magnetically to a mic/stand at rehearsals, etc. if you're going travelling and don't want to spend a ton of time editing then I'd also say 360 footage is not your friend - remember you have to keyframe every shot you take to get the angle/s you want. The quality of both is likely to be similar, but the size and ease of use gives the Go3s the edge here, imo.

Insta 360 go3s Cant get much more discreet. Just beware it has no mic input, so you'll need an external audio recorder.

Hi op, one issue is you'll now no longer be waterproof. I use the DJI mic 2 internal recording inside my helmet to a GoPro 13. You can check the sound here. [action camera with DJI mic2 inside helmet no wires retains waterproofing](https://youtu.be/y7ENSoDiaUg?feature=shared) Use the mini as the second camera, the 11 black as your main. I have a 13 as main and either an action 4 or insta 360 as handlebar.

Insta go is a standard for a reason

If you want to stay with insta360, then you should look at the ace pro 2. I find the 3s quality to be just ok, and the battery life is quite short. When you put it in the action pod, and want to slip it in and out of a pocket, you may find it slips out of the pod and is easy to drop. It does however work really well for mounting to your body on a running belt or cap. So you can get some good hands free POV shots. The ace pro 2 has much better quality and battery life. It is however larger. You can get a small selfie stick with built-in tripod, and it will allow you to get some shots of yourself doing stuff. I find the problem with the x series is that you need a decent length selfie stick, and the lenses are much more fragile and prone to scratching. It's also larger and heavier than the other options. It will however give you a lot of flexibility in shooting interesting looking footage. Yes, I know the x5 lenses can be replaced. I carry mine occasionally, and when I do, I put it in the quiver of my running pack. But I have a lens cover on it whenever I'm not using it. I find this to be a much less practical choice for running and hiking. I didn't really talk about use on the bike, so there you could use just about anything.

I'm a Photographer who recently got into videos. I have to point out that the Insta 360 video quality is nowhere like the mirrorless cameras I've had, BUT, it's really about the spontaneous moment captured with it and not the quality that I'm impressed of. I've found footages of myself in the moments of serendipity that I know I will never achieve with any of my mirrorless camera unless somebody is following me around with it. I also tried the Osmo Pocket but I certainly love the convenience of the Insta 360 more because you can choose which frame, back, front, up or down you want to finally edit for posting. Really helpful the 360 view.

Just tried it! Low light is great but tbh found the daylight footage to be way too processed and colors paler. Prefer the more natural yet saturated look of my go 3s! Anyone else feel similar?

Insta 360 anytime of the day

The x series are heavy, while they can be used for running, after the honeymoon period of a new device has gone it might just be annoying with the extra weight. I would go with the go series, but the 3s pod battery is very short at around 30min give or take settings. I use the x4 for cycling and I definitely feel the weight of the camera when turning ( I have the independent bike mount too ) and garmin.

So like is this not that much better than the Go3s? I feel the notable improvements are just minor upgrades. Longer battery life SD Card slot - in a world where internal storage is becoming a norm, could they not have kept it while adding an SD card slot? Marginally larger screen Better lowlight performance 4K films up to 60 fps now Since no one is talking about it in the videos released so far, the video quality in non lowlight conditions is probably not better in any meaningful way. They only mention the sensor being bigger but don't stress or highlight any footage to show that it leads to better video quality. Seems to me like you lose the biggest selling point of the camera for slight improvements here and there. edit: Just watched DC Rainmaker's video and he goes into more detail with video comparisons and it's as expected. Looks like the larger sensor size really only equates to better low light performance. A notable Pro I left out is that the Go Ultra has wireless mic compatibility. That would be the biggest reason for me to upgrade, all the other enhancements are nice but not too critical for me. Neither is the wireless mic, to be honest, but it's the feature I think I value the most among all the upgrades.

Insta360 have done us dirty here. I bought the go3s because I thought I'd be able upgrade again by buying the camera unit only. But to be fair I haven't used it that much anyway because the stability is awful.