Among a slew of great updates to their ONE R camera, this is my favorite.
It’s Friday night, and the pandemic isn’t going anywhere. Aside from the usual games, I’ve been playing beer pong with friends over Zoom. Unfortunately, it’s kind of a pain to set up.
Using the ONE R’s new webcam mode with the 360 camera mod, I’m able to get two shots into a single Zoom feed. Now, my friends can see the cups and my reaction, finally! The alternative means putting my laptop much farther back and behind the cups, which means I can’t really see my opponent's screen.
The camera and MacBook are just connected with the MacBook's USB-C cable used for charing. A very quick and easy setup.
The latest update also comes with the following notable tweaks:
- New “Vivid” color profile
- “PureShot” mode, kind of like Google’s HDR+
- Underwater mode
- Finally, users can connect their AirPods to use as a mic
- Live streaming in 360
- Better MP4 workflow
That last one is probably the most important to me. The camera will just record a regular MP4 instead of its usual INSV files (which need to be processed in Insta360’s app). The MP4s are fine, I feel. In fact, I just used this feature at Paris Fashion Week.
In my original review of this camera, I felt that casual users might want to consider a GoPro because the files are quick and easy to work with. Now that the ONE R is supporting MP4s (except for the 360 mod of course), that point is kind of moot.
If I had one future update request, it would be for more control when using the ONE R as a webcam. With the regular 4K mod, it zooms in on my face. I’d prefer a regular wide-angle shot sometimes.
