Quick Links
TheInsta360 Go 3may be smaller than the average thumb, but don’t let that deter you. This incredibleaction camcan capture 2.7K video at up to 30 frames per second, is submergible in water up to 16 feet deep, and can be magnetically docked to a number of useful accessories.
Design: A Bold Little Camera
About no bigger than my thumb, theInsta360 Go 3is 2.1 inches wide, 1 inch tall, 0.9 inches from from to back, and weighs a mere 1.2 ounces. Available in32GB,64GB, and128GBversions (I was sent the 64GB model), the base color of both the Go 3 and Action Pod (more on that in a moment) is white, although you may order a custom skin for the Go 3 body when purchasing through Insta360’s website.
The camera lens and a recessed action button are located on the front of the camera. When powered, you can give that button a single tap to start recording video or to snap a photo. A second tap stops the recording, and pressing and holding the button will turn the Go 3 off.
Related:5 Reasons You Should Buy a GoPro (or Similar Action Camera)
Now the main selling point of the Go 3 is that you’re able to use a number of magnetized and threaded Insta360 accessories to mount the action cam in several different ways, but the best accessory of all (if you can even call it that) is the Action Pod.
To me, the Action Pod looks like a white GoPro, but it’s actually a separate flip-top LCD monitor and charging station for the Go 3. The recessed portion of the Pod features magnetized contacts for the camera body; simply place the Go 3 inside, and it will start recharging.
By default, the LCD monitor is hinged into a flat position, but you may easily flip it up to help you frame shots while standing in front of the Go 3. And thanks to the Bluetooth connection, the Action Pod also functions as a controller for the Go 3, with physical buttons including start/stop recording, power on/off, and settings.
The Go 3 has a built-in 310mAh battery that will get you around 45 minutes of recording time, with an additional two hours of capture supplied by the Action Pod (based on a 1080p/30fps trial w/ Wi-Fi and screen turned off). Based on my experience with the camera, I would say these numbers are pretty accurate, although there were a few instances where off-Pod recording tended to cut off around the 35 to 40-minute mark. That being said, I was shooting at the highest resolution/frame rate during most of my camera tests, because I wanted to see how long the cam could hold its own at max settings.
In addition to the Go 3 and Action Pod, other box contents include a charging cable, a magnetized pendant, a pivot stand, an easy clip, a quick start guide, and a warranty card. Insta360 was also kind enough to send me a2-in-1 mini tripodand aflexible monkeytail mount (no real chimps were harmed in the writing of this review) to test alongside the action camera.
Using the Action Pod: The Brain of Your Go 3
For those familiar with Insta360’s previous version of the Go camera, the big difference with the latest model is the introduction of the Action Pod. Part LCD monitor, part settings dashboard, part recharge station, I like that the Go 3 can record on its own without the housing, but if you’re low on battery, you may slap the camera on the Action Pod for up to two hours of additional recording. And seeing as the Go 3 only sports a 320mAh battery, the Action Pod is pretty much a must-have for vlogging and any longer excursions.
In terms of Go 3 controls and customizations, the Action Pod is your one-stop shop, and there are quite a few things you’ll be able to toggle and tweak. Once you power the Pod, the first thing you’ll see is a real-time view of whatever the Go 3 lens is aimed at. Pertinent camera info, including storage and battery remaining for the Go 3 and the Action Pod, can be found at the top of the screen. Drag your finger down from the top of the touchscreen to reveal a few different settings, including toggles for QuickCapture and voice assistance, stabilizer adjustments, and a few other helpful tools. Swipe from the left of the screen to reveal another panel of settings.
Do you see the “Q” button on the side of the Action Pod? Press this to pull up the Go 3’s photo and video presets. (you may also get to this preset dashboard by just sliding left or right on the Home Screen). Here you’ll see options for time-lapse photography, HDR picture-taking, slow-motion recording, and several others.
Two of the most important presets here are labeled “Video” and “FreeFrame Video,” the latter of which removes all stabilization and in-camera cropping. This preset is best used by those who plan on using the Insta360 app for video editing.
To be able to view the videos and photos you’ve taken, just swipe from the left on the touchscreen to head into preview mode. Here you’ll see a thumbnail of the last clip or picture taken. Swipe up or down to go through your Go 3’s reel, or tap theShapes iconin the top-left corner for a gridded breakdown of footage and pics. Resolution, frame rate, and clip duration are displayed at the bottom of the thumbnail, and the littleTrashcan iconin the top-right corner is your delete button.
Image and Sound Quality: Great Video, Good Sound, So-So Stabilization
The real meat and potatoes of the Go 3 is its video capabilities. When the camera is set to Video mode, you’ll see a readout on the bottom left-hand corner of the Action Pod LCD that shows what aspect ratio, resolution, frame rate, and stabilization level the Go 3 will record at. Tap this banner to head into the settings dashboard for these four items. (You can also swipe up from the bottom of the touchscreen to bring up this menu).
As far as video goes, the Go 3 tops out at 2.7K at 30fps. For those who plan on using the Go 3 for vlogging and social media, you can conveniently switch between 16:9 and 9:16 aspect ratio, the latter of which is ideal for platforms like Instagram and TikTok. And if you drop the resolution down to 1440p or 1080p, you’ll be able to record at up to 50fps. These lower recording specs may rob you of some pixel power, but the Go 3’s internal storage and battery will definitely thank you.
When testing the Go 3’s video features, I decided to max out the resolution and frame rate. At 2.7K, things looked pretty great during playback, even without any touchups. I went for a little power-walk around my apartment community on an overcast day; and even with the lack of sun, the Go 3 did a pretty great job with natural exposure on a bright, sunny day. Greenery, cars, and even the varied blue shading of the sky received impressive highlighting. Whenever I start shooting video on a camera that’s smaller than my iPhone, I start worrying about color saturation, but the Go 3 instantly put these fears to rest. With the resolution and frame rate maxed out, the Go 3 provided lots of detail, without falling victim to overexposure or other visual maladies.
Now when it comes to audio, I was also pleasantly surprised by the Go 3. During my apartment community power-walk, the far-field mics did a nice job at capturing a pretty wide sound-stage. Everything from bird chirps to distant traffic was compressed in a way that let these background sounds thrive without intruding on what was front and center. In most cases, these closer sounds included A/C compressors, footsteps, and a delightful cameo from me clearing my throat and other sinus sounds.
In terms of overall performance, there are a few things that concerned me though:
For one, both the Go 3 and Action Pod tend to get a little toasty. I thought this might just be during video capture, but even when idle, the gear was warm to the touch. And yeah, I get it: small camera, small battery, lots of data to process. I guess my concern is how much of a power drain an overworked Go 3 and Action Pod could be in the long run. Could this affect processing power? That’s hard to say, although I’ll admit that my own Go 3 rig was snappy and responsive when starting and stopping a recording. My other concern is overall stabilization.
While you can adjust how strong the stabilizer is for video capture (my Go 3 was set to the “High” setting), I think I was expecting a little bit more from the Go 3 in this department. During playback, you can definitely see the smoothness applied to the clip, but it’s the kind of subtle effect that you could fool me into believing isn’t actually there to begin with; that is until I pick up on the fact that my every footfall was followed by a bouncing camera movement.
As far as pictures go, the Go 3 can snap photos in four different aspect ratios: 16:9, 9:16, 1:1, and 2.7:1. I must admit that even when shooting in HDR, the images I captured were pretty lackluster. That’s after touching things up in the Insta360 app, mind you (I added a little extra exposure and saturation to these HDR pics). In terms of photographic appeal, I think single snapshots are best left to smartphones and DSLRs, because it’s pretty clear that the Go 3 is the lesser option of the herd. One nice thing, though, is that even after you take a picture, you can head into the Insta360 app to adjust things like aspect ratio, frame style, and filters after the fact.
Using the Insta360 App: A Very Busy Companion
The Insta360 app is available foriPhoneandAndroiddevices, and it’s a companion app you don’t want to ignore. Designed to be an editing suite for your Go 3 videos and photos, there are all kinds of filters, adjustments, and customizations you’re able to make to the Go 3 using the app. To get started, download and launch the app, then figure out what permissions you’re willing to grant Insta360. Next, you’ll be asked if you want to search for a new device. Using good ole' Bluetooth, the Insta360 app discovered my Go 3 camera right away. After this, you’ll want to download and install the firmware update if one is available. You’ll then be prompted to turn on the Action Pod to confirm the final handshake between your Go 3 and the Insta360 app.
When paired to your Go 3, tapping “Album” at the bottom of the screen will put you into the Go 3’s internal library of videos and pics. There are filters at the top of the Album screen to help you sort through content, but “All” is a fine choice if you don’t have a ton of footage yet. When you tap a clip or pic, you’ll be brought to an editing screen with a ton of post-processing tools to play with. These include clip trimming, volume adjustments, playback speed, color filters, as well as options for downloading and exporting edited videos to either your phone or a number of social media platforms (including the Insta360 community).
Videos and photos that you’ve downloaded to the Insta360 app will still be viewable and editable when your Go 3 and/or Action Pod is powered off.
Personally, outside of the awesome editing features, I’m not the biggest fan of the Insta360 app. Why? Because there’s just a little too much going on for my liking. Outside of the Album tab, other in-app tabs include “Explore” and “Stories,” which act as social media and Insta360 community portals. If you’re a fan of sharing your uploads and seeing what the rest of the Insta360 world is up to, it’s definitely immersive, but you’ll need to create an Insta360 account to fully use some of these features (especially the “Activities” tab, which is located under “Explore” and gets you access to Insta360 community games, quizzes, and polls).
Using Insta360 Studio 2023: Thanks, But No Thanks
The Insta360 Studio 2023 desktop software is available forWindowsandmacOSoperating systems for free. The only thing you’ll need to download the software is your Go 3’s serial number, which can be found under “Device Info” in the Insta360 app. When you activate the setup wizard, you’ll have the option of enabling plugins for both Adobe Premiere and Thumbnails (both of which I declined). After agreeing to terms and conditions and letting the installer do its thing, Studio will be added to your desktop in no time.
So what’s Studio all about? Think of it as a secondary version of the Insta360 app, but with onboard integrations for both Adobe Premiere and Final Cut Pro. Personally, I didn’t have the easiest time using the software and much preferred the editing options available in the Insta360 app. To import files into Studio, you’ll need to manually add your Go 3 footage to your desktop, and then drag and drop clips into the editor. In the top-left corner, you’ll see filters for “Local Files” and “Camera.” I thought the latter would allow me to pair the Go 3 to my MacBook to offload media, but not even a direct USB connection to my computer would allow this. Thus, I had to AirDrop clips to my MacBook, then import them into Studio.
Once you’ve selected a clip or pic, you’ll be able to trim footage, take snapshots, and use various media processing tools to enhance colors, contrast, and audio, but that’s about it. Once you’ve gotten your footage to where you want it to be, you’re able to click the “Export” button to send the edited video or photo to your computer. Before exporting, Insta360 does give you the option to adjust final resolution, bitrate, and the encoding format (which is set to H.264 by default).
Should You Buy the Insta360 Go 3?
TheInsta360 Go 3is a solid buy, but I think I’d be on the lookout for a sale. With prices starting at $379 for the 32GB model, it would be difficult not to consider an alternative, such as theGoPro Hero 11 Black. But from a design standpoint, the Go 3 can definitely capture some impressive footage, and both in-camera editing and the Insta360 post-suite give you plenty of ways to enhance your videos and photos.
