Big Feature Update for Insta360 ONE R: Horizon Lock, Loop Recording & More

Insta360 announced today a significant update for its flagship interchangeable lens action cam, Insta360 ONE R. Bringing several new features, image quality improvements, AI-powered editing options, a new remote and more, the update demonstrates Insta360’s continued commitment to improving the user experience for ONE R creators.

The update is available now through the ONE R firmware, Insta360 app (iOS and Android) and Studio desktop software (Windows and Mac).

Horizon Lock for 4K Mod and 1-Inch Mod

For next-level stabilization, horizon leveling is now available for the 4K Mod and 1-Inch Mod. Particularly useful for action scenes or whenever it’s difficult to hold the camera steady, Horizon Lock keeps the footage upright and level when shooting in Pro video mode (FlowState Stabilization) at 30fps.

With 360° Horizon Lock creators can access horizon leveling for full rotations along a single axis of the camera. With 45° Horizon Lock, creators can level rotations up to 45°, but with a wider field of view than 360° Horizon Lock.

Loop Recording

Loop recording is a new function that allows for continuous video recording, whereby previously recorded footage is deleted to allow new footage to be captured. With any of the lens mods, ONE R can now be used as a dash cam, with a max video length of 30 minutes.

Creators can also use loop recording to shoot continuously while they wait for a key moment to happen. Imagine for instance waiting for a friend to arrive at a surprise party—just set the camera up in advance, wait for them to arrive and then stop recording once you’ve got the shot. Only the preceding minutes of footage will be saved, freeing up vital space on the memory card.

Image Quality Goes Up A Level

For epic action moments, the 4K Mod and 1-Inch Mod now have a new frame rate option of 4K 50fps, when shooting in Pro video mode. This will be a welcome addition for those who shoot in a 24/25fps workflow.

The Vivid color profile for the 1-Inch Mod has also received a complete makeover to help creators get better, more vibrant colors straight out of the camera.

Side by side image showing the vivid color function on and off.

In addition, four different image sharpness options are now available forall ONE R mods. Sharpness can be adjusted in-camera and offers creators greater flexibility to adjust the image quality based on personal preference, environment and other factors.

New Editing Features & Improvements

This update also introduces two new Shot Lab templates, adding to the continually growing list of smart editing templates in the Insta360 app. “Horizon Flip” automatically mirrors your surroundings in the sky for a futuristic effect.

A gif showing the "Horizon Flip" Shot Lab effect with a person driving a scooter.

Meanwhile, “Overtaker” is great for motorcyclists, overlaying onto the video the number of cars you pass by using a video-game-esque style.

A gif showing the "Overtaker" Shot Lab effect with a motorcyclist overtaking cars on a road.

On top of that, creators are now able to apply AquaVision 2.0 to their footage, an underwater color correction algorithm that has been improved to make colors more vivid and realistic. AquaVision 2.0 is available for all ONE R mods now, including the 360 Mod.

A gif showing the difference in coloring when Aquavision 2.0 is on and off.

Car MultiView is another fun editing feature now available that displays a split screen of the road ahead and the car’s interior. With the ONE R 360 Mod mounted to the windshield or the dash, the camera captures a complete, wide-angle view in both directions. A great option for vloggers, road trippers or even “Carpool Karaoke” enthusiasts!

Improving the ONE R Experience

ONE R creators also benefit from a range of user experience improvements with this update, including:

TimeShift videos are now automatically sped up to 6x before being saved, so they take up far less memory on the SD card.
Audio recorded with external mics with ONE R has been improved.
A new Roadie Remote accessory is now available, a wireless Bluetooth remote that attaches to the car steering wheel for safe control of the camera while driving.