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Insta360 ONE RS 4K Boost Lens: Pro Tips for Killer Action Cam Content

Want to take your shots from “o-k” to “o-mg that’s epic”? We’ve put together this collection of easy pro tips to take your Insta360 ONE RS wide-angle shots to the next level. You’ll find everything from how to set up your camera to the best shooting settings and tips for exporting. Check it out and start making the most of your 4K Boost Lens.

Read on or jump directly to one of these sections:
Setting Up ONE RS
Shooting Tips for ONE RS
Using Other Modes on ONE RS
Exporting Your ONE RS Shots

(Looking for tips for the 360 Lens? Check out this article instead.)

How to set up ONE RS

Before you start shooting, there’s a few really easy things you should do.

First of all, check your camera’s firmware is up to date. Like fine wines, our cameras get better with age! We’re always releasing new updates so our cameras stay on their A-game, whether they’re a few weeks or a few years old.

Next up, make sure you’re using the best SD card for the job. We recommend using exFAT formatted microSD cards with the UHS-I bus interface and Video Speed Class V30 rating with a max storage of 1TB. Getting one from our store or another established brand such as SanDisk is a safe bet. 

Then, ensure all the mods of your camera are properly secured. We advise always using your ONE RS with the Mounting Bracket. Not only does it mean your camera can be easily mounted to accessories like the Invisible Selfie Stick, it also makes your ONE RS as tough as a linebacker, reduces wind noise and keeps it waterproof. 

Last but not least, give your lens a good wipe clean. Unsurprisingly, most shots look better without an oily fingerprint for a filter. 

Pro tips for shooting with the ONE RS 4K Boost Lens

So you’re all set, now for the fun part. 

From vloggers to skiers to gear-heads, our users all have different needs when making epic content. Just like you wouldn’t only drive a Ferrari around in first gear because it’s the first one you found that works, we recommend experimenting with your ONE RS to find the modes you like best. For example, consider if you prefer to export and post to socials straight from the camera (FlowState), or if you’re an editing whizz who likes to play around with settings in post (Post FlowState).

If you’re someone who just wants to pick up your camera and shoot, well you’re in luck, because this easy set-up is going to give you epic results. First, head to the camera settings and turn FlowState to High, then shoot in 4K30fps FlowState. This is going to give you crisp, detailed and buttery smooth results. (Note: Setting the stabilization to High will lead to a longer screen delay but will give you the best stabilization results). 

ONE RS FlowState Stabilization

For true-to-life POVs, try adjusting the FOV to capture your hands, feet or more details at the peripheries—Linear (in-camera) or ActionView (Post mode) work well for this. As for coloring and sharpness, selecting Vivid color and Medium/High sharpness will bring a vibrance to your videos.

Another important step is setting up your audio to match how you’re going to shoot. For every day shooting in a calm environment, Stereo is the ideal setting to capture your surroundings. The Wind Noise Reduction setting does what it says on the tin—turn it on if it’s blowing a gail or you’re shooting high intensity action like MTB. For higher quality audio you can set up a mic with ONE RS, just attach it with the Mic Adapter

If you’re using the 4K Boost Lens mounted on a drone, the ideal shooting setting is 4K30fps Post FlowState video with a wider FOV.

To sum it up, make sure you’ve checked these settings before you start shooting:

  • 4K30fps
  • FlowState Mode
  • High Stabilization Level
  • Linear or ActonView FOV
  • Vivid Color
  • Medium/High Sharpness

Branching out to other modes on ONE RS 

With its new larger 1/2” 48MP sensor and a whole range of new shooting modes, the ONE RS 4K Boost Lens marks a major upgrade to the 4K Wide Angle Lens. But when should you use them? 

For action

Featuring on the 4K Boost Lens is Active HDR—an innovative new HDR mode designed specifically to improve your action shots. Turning it on gives a much wider dynamic range which stops images being blown out by high contrast settings. Your shots will be more true-to-life with impressive details in shadows and highlights. We don’t recommend using it in low-light conditions, including MTB in woodland for example. It’s most helpful in settings where there’s great variation in light conditions, for instance at sunrise and sunset. 

ONE RS Active HDR

For picture-perfect moments

48 megapixels is a very good return for a small action camera. Squeeze the most out of every last megapixel by shooting in good lighting conditions.

PureShot is your best option for getting perfectly exposed photos in low light conditions. When taking a selfie, flip the touchscreen around to face you and frame up your shot perfectly. For a closer look, connect the camera to the app to preview your shot. 

For a cinematic look

6K Widescreen mode captures cinematic 2.35:1 ratio shots in stunning 6K resolution for Hollywood-worthy moments. Shooting in this mode requires stabilization to be added in Insta360 Studio rather than in-camera. For the best results, shoot in environments with good lighting conditions.

How to edit and export your shots

Stomped a landing? Caught the perfect sunset? Nailed a sick trick? What you do in the edit can take your shots to the next level. You can do this in Insta360 Studio, Adobe Premiere, Final Cut or another editing software of your choice with footage shot on the 4K Boost Lens. You can also edit your shots in the Insta360 app, with manual editing and a wide range of FlashCut templates.

If you shot in Post FlowState mode, you can add FlowState to your footage in Insta360 Studio. You can also play with different FOVs and aspect ratios to mix up your shots, and “Remove Grain” from footage shot in poor lighting conditions. When exporting your videos, it’s best to do so in 4K so you preserve all the information in the images. Export in ProRes and/or choose a high bit rate for the same reason.

For mixing different exports together in Premiere or Final Cut, it’s best to export in 4K and in ProRes 422 HQ.

We often get asked about the best way to upload to social media without the quality being compromised—so here is a rough guide to the best settings for Instagram, YouTube and Facebook:

Instagram Post:
Resolution: 1080×1350
Bitrate: 13-15Mbps
Codec: H.264
File Type: mp4

Instagram Story/TikTok:
Resolution: 1080×1920
Bitrate: 15-20Mbps
Codec: H.264
File Type: mp4

YouTube:
Resolution: 4K
Bitrate: 65-80Mbps
Codec: H.264
File Type: mp4

Facebook:
Resolution: 4K
Bitrate: 65-80Mbps
Codec: H.264
File Type: mp4


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WRITTEN BY @Cameron Atkinson
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