The pill-shaped Insta360 Go 3S 4K motion digicam launched in June 2024 as an up to date model of the two.7K Go 3 that debuted a yr prior. Whereas final yr’s Go Extremely launched a redesign with a bigger sensor and better body charges, the Go 3S has caught round as a smaller however nonetheless very succesful various. To broaden its enchantment, the motion cam is now out there with a brand new optical viewfinder accent for framing photographs when utilizing it as a handheld digicam, however chances are you’ll be higher off splurging on Insta360’s costlier dock that provides an LCD display.
The Retro Viewfinder accent is out there in the present day via Insta360’s online store by itself for $47.99, or as a part of a brand new Go 3S Retro Bundle beginning at $299.99 that features the 64GB model of the motion cam. That’s cheaper than the $349.99 Standard Bundle that pairs the identical model of the Go 3S with Insta360’s Motion Pod dock.
As with most tiny motion cameras, the Insta360 Go 3S lacks a display of its personal. You possibly can join it to a smartphone app to see stay previews and alter digicam settings, however the Go 3S is designed to be mounted the place you wouldn’t have the ability to see a display (like atop a helmet) the place it captures practically all of the motion in entrance of you utilizing a wide-angle lens.
The brand new Retro Viewfinder is an try to repurpose the motion cam as a handheld shooter that allows you to body topics like a traditional digicam. It really works just like the Insta360’s Motion Pod the place the Go 3S slots into the entrance of the accent. There’s no spring-loaded latches to maintain it securely hooked up, however a robust magnet stored the digicam in place throughout a vigorous shake take a look at.
As an alternative of holding the accent as much as your eye to border photographs, you maintain it at chest stage and look down into the viewfinder. The entrance panel of the Go 3S capabilities as your shutter button, snapping photographs with a single press and beginning and stopping video recording with a double press. It was designed this approach to create a “classic capturing expertise impressed by traditional movie cameras,” in keeping with Insta360. And whereas framing and snapping photographs this fashion does have some novelty (at one level I felt just a little like Ansel Adams as I framed a row of neighborhood mailboxes as an alternative of mountains), Insta360’s execution comes with some frustrations.
The viewing angle is extraordinarily restricted, and tilting the Retro Viewfinder simply 15 to twenty levels entrance, again, or facet to facet ends in you seeing nothing in any respect. The picture within the viewfinder can also be flipped horizontally. Even after every week of follow, I struggled to intuitively know transfer or alter the angle of the digicam to place a topic precisely the place I need them in body, or to only guarantee a shot is stage. The method nonetheless seems like trial-and-error.
The Go 3S is a superb digicam, however its extensive area of view doesn’t assist the Retro Viewfinder. In consequence, the accent doesn’t present an correct preview of the photographs and movies you’re capturing. Strolling round my neighborhood one night, I attempted to snap photographs that centered on tree strains and a stupendous cloudy sky however ended up with pictures that included random folks, homes, and automobiles that I intentionally tried to maintain out of body. It’s simple to repair with a fast crop within the Insta360 app, however it feels counterintuitive for an adjunct designed to make framing extra deliberate. There’s nonetheless a component of shoot and see what you get.
Framing is extra correct when capturing selfies with the Retro Viewfinder, however nonetheless difficult. You should use the entrance lens as a selfie mirror, however it’s troublesome to border photographs due to darkish reflections — particularly indoors.
Battery life is restricted, even with an included clunky clip-on battery pack/charger that greater than doubles the Go 3S’ battery life from 310mAH to over 700mAh. I used to be in a position to seize about 150 photographs throughout an hour stroll earlier than the digicam fully died. Capturing 4K video will drain it even quicker, as does connecting it to the Insta360 cellular app.
Altering any settings, together with deciding on film-emulating filters or totally different colour profiles, requires a direct Wi-Fi connection to your smartphone. The Retro Viewfinder features a hidden NFC tag that streamlines launching and connecting to the app with a faucet (the method nonetheless takes about 15 to twenty seconds to totally join), however it’s nonetheless far much less handy than pairing the motion digicam with Insta360’s Motion Pod whose touchscreen offers on-device entry to most settings.
Turning the Insta360 Go 3S right into a pocketable handheld digicam is a intelligent thought given how standard tiny retro cameras like Kodak’s Charmera nonetheless are. However the execution right here isn’t perfect. The Retro Viewfinder succeeds in making the Go 3S simpler to carry, however its different performance is usually irritating. By itself, the accent is affordable sufficient to contemplate if you happen to already personal the Go 3S, however spending an additional $50 for a bundle with Insta360’s Motion Pod will serve you higher in the long term regardless of how you propose to make use of the digicam.
Pictures by Andrew Liszewski / The Verge