How many remote meetings have you attended in the last year? How many Zoom chats have you had with friends, family or colleagues? For many of us, this has been a big part of 2020, and looks likely to be a big part of our lives going forward.
The good news is that you can make all these chats better and easier using Insta360 ONE R! Not just an action camera, this versatile piece of tech doubles as a sophisticated, easy-to-use wide angle webcam. In this post we will explain how to use ONE R as a wide angle webcam and the benefits of doing so.
So, it’s easy to use?
Yes! Whether you work from home or just want to catch up with family and friends, using ONE R as a webcam couldn’t be easier. Essentially, it’s a plug-and-go system with just three basic steps:
- Connect ONE R with the 4K or 360 Mod to your Mac or Windows computer via USB cable
- Select Webcam mode on the ONE R
- Open your video conferencing platform and select ONE R as the camera
That’s it, DONE! The cool thing is that unlike many other webcam options, there is no need to download any additional webcam software or programs. ONE R is a zero-hassle option that also comes with plenty of other benefits.
OK. But why not just use the camera on my laptop/PC?
Good question. Here are four main reasons:
1) Improved image quality
With webcam footage shot on Insta360 ONE R you will get an output resolution of 1080p (1920×1080). For reference, on your average laptop, such as a MacBook Air or Pro, the built-in camera outputs 720p (1280×720). While these are both classified as HD, ONE R with its 1080p has more than double the number of pixels, resulting in greater detail and image precision.
2) Wide-angle field of view
Another benefit of ONE R is that as a wide angle webcam, it offers a wider field of view than your laptop camera. That means if you’ve got your whole family in the room, you can make sure they’re all in frame without squeezing in next to the computer.
3) Auto-zoom (4K Mod only)
Another cool feature, this clever algorithm automatically detects who is in the shot, and adjusts the image to fit them perfectly in frame. If someone leaves the room, the camera re-adjusts to focus on whoever is remaining. And… if you move around the room, the camera will follow you to keep you in shot. Smart or what?
4) Doubles as a 360 webcam (360 Mod only)
An extra bonus is that you can also use ONE R as a 360 webcam. For group meetings just swap out the 4K mod for the 360 mod and place ONE R in the middle of the table. The camera will output a split screen of everyone on both sides of the table.
Nice. And can I use ONE R with any video conferencing platform?
Yep. ONE R is compatible with all the most widely used video conferencing software, including Zoom, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and more.
Keen to keep up to date on Insta360 user stories? Keep an eye on our blog. See the latest and join in on the discussion by joining Insta360’s user group or signing up for our mailing list.
Hi is there any way to disable the auto zoom feature on the 4k-mod? As many other users I like the feature but it often zooms randomly to certain parts and is very sensitive to light. It would be amazing if one could just set an own focus and zoom and then it stays fixed and if desired the auto zoom can be reactivated. This would be amazing. I am looking forward to hearing from you. Love the updates and the One R please keep up improoving it further!
Hi Florian, you can now enable or disable the auto zoom feature under “Webcam Zoom” in the ONE R camera settings with the latest firmware. You can download the latest version from our website or the App Store. https://www.insta360.com/download/insta360-oner
I can’t seem to find the option to turn auto zoom off, I have the latest firmware V1.2.18
Hi Angel, you can find the option under Settings – General – Webcam Zoom on the camera screen. Hope that helps!
Hi Angel,
the Webcam Zoom option is only available in the settings when the 4k Module is mounted
I was able to the web cam to work using the usb gen 2 cables by Wirotech. I used the 10 foot cable so I could incorporate it into my desktop. Excellent quality.
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Hmm really cool… I should have brought this as a fricking webcam in 2020!!!!!
Webcam doesn’t show up as an option when using the Leica mod. Why?
Hi Scott, Sorry, webcam mode is only available for the 4K and 360 mods at this time. We will pass on your request to our R&D team for further evaluation.
I agree that this would be great to have. The Leica lens is so nice and I want to use it as a webcam. Thanks
Any updated on this? Actually I bought 1″ and supposed that webcam support will be implemented in reasonable time. I don’t insist on 5k mode, evethough it would be nice.
The webcam mode is only available for the 4K and 360 mods at this time. We hope to work on integrating the 1″ sensor into the webcam mode but we don’t have an exact timeline for this.
Is there a way to use the 360 lens as a webcam to a PC and output the equirectangle view as opposed to a split screen?
I’d like to use OBS to broadcast a 360 view to YouTube that users can control.
Hi Nat, currently only split-screen is supported in webcam mode. However, you can broadcast in 360-degrees to YouTube using the live streaming function in the app. You can check this article for further details https://blog.insta360.com/how-to-live-stream-360-video/ and the live streaming tutorial under App Use https://www.insta360.com/support/supportdetail?name=oner
The camera by itself works great, and it used to do the same when I used it as a webcam (half the reason I purchased this camera) but now, for months, when using my One R as a webcam my colors are totally off — making everything look like an old western photo — with no settings that I can figure to adjust it back to normal. Please help. Frustrated.
Hi Jef, Please contact us at [email protected] and we’d be happy to help!
Hi Jef,
I also had this when fideling with Amcap and setting the Insta360 One R to any resolution lower than 1080p -> try setting the camera of the SW to 1080p and see if this fixes the situation. Nonetheless, would be nice with Insta fixes this problem!
Hi Insta360,
I have another feature request (besides the above mentionen making the splitscreen optional for the 360° Module and making the Webcam mode also available for the 1-Inch Module):
– give the User the option to choose FPS, resolution and FOV for the Webcam Mode (currently only Wide and 30FPS possible) -> would love to use my Insta360 One R at 1080p and 200 FPS in FOV at linear for head tracking!
– allow PC software to change the exposure of the camera settings (with other webcams gamma, gain, exposure etc. can be changed over Amcap but Insta360 One R cannot due any of that!)
– perhaps having a basic and pro mode for the Webcam mode would allow this
Thanks in advance!
Hi Oliver, thanks for your feedback and suggestions. I’ve added them to our feedback sheet for the ONE R team. I hope we can get some of these features you requested integrated into our software and cameras.
The video quality and color are not working when plugged in as a webcam to a Macbook pro. The video has blocks of color artifacts. I’ve tried turning it on and off, removing the battery, and reconnecting to the computer numerous times without success. I recorded a video with just the cam and it works fine. Any tips?
Hi there Gerry,
Could you please let us know what Firmware version and which mod (360, 4K) are you using during webcam mode?
I’m trying to use my insta 360 one R as a webcam with skype on my Windows PC (windows 10). I have set the device to webcam mode, and have made sure that the ‘privacy’ settings in windows allow cameras to be used for this application. The camera isn’t appearing as an option to select at all – I’m a bit lost here….. help! I can’t use the insta360 one R in the basic ‘Camera’ app on my PC either. The computer doesn’t seem to pick it up?
Let’s get this fixed for you. Please reach out to our customer service team. Either through our website live chat or by emailing [email protected]. They’ll be able to assist you with troubleshooting your camera.
Hi. Can one r be used as a webcam with iPad Pro 2021? Thanks
Hi there, the ONE R should be used with PC/Mac laptops or computers, it isn’t compatible with Android phones or Apple Phones
Is there any way to stream a 360 view from the RS One without using Cellular Data? The option provided requires connecting to the app over Wifi, which then requires using cellular data to stream…
Are there any options for streaming 360 video over wifi?
Thanks!
Hi there, currently live streaming from the ONE RS will require using cellular data. We’ll pass on the suggestion to our developers for further consideration.
Hey guys, I love my Insta 360 x3, however we need the feature to use a webcam too, it is promised under the product description as a future update, pelase take care of that feature…
Hi Antonio, glad to hear you’re enjoying your X3! Apologies for the delay. As soon as there’s any news we’ll let everyone know!