Is Insta360 ONE R an action cam or a 360 cam? Trick question – it’s both! With Insta360 ONE R, you can switch lenses on the fly to transform your 360 camera into a wide angle shooter. 

As an interchangeable lens action camera, Insta360 ONE R opens up a world of creative possibilities. But with more creative choice comes more questions and decisions. What are the capabilities of each of the lens Mods? How does ONE R’s modular design affect its performance? What “Mod” or “Edition” is the best fit for your needs? 

Read on to get the answers to these questions and more.

1. Which parts of Insta360 ONE R are interchangeable? Can I buy replacement Mods?

Insta360 ONE R is made up of three main pieces: a lens Mod, a Battery Base and the Core. The Core is ONE R’s processing unit and also contains the touch screen for manually controlling your camera. There are currently four lens Mods available to help you capture different types of content:

• Dual-Lens 360 Mod: Captures 5.7K 360° content 
• 4K Wide Angle Mod: Captures 4K wide angle content 
• 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica: Captures 5.3K wide angle content on a premium 1-inch sensor
• Split-Lens 360 Mod: 5.7K 360° Mod that can be split in two for use with the Drone Mount. Just remember, unlike the others, this one’s not waterproof!

By letting you swap between a 360 and standard wide angle setup on the fly, ONE R gives you the best of both worlds — the unique creative possibilities of 360 and high resolution wide angle capture for those scenes when you want to control every aspect of your shot.

In the Insta360 Store, the Mods detailed above are offered in different combinations known as “Editions” so that creators can choose a package tailored for their needs. The Insta360 ONE R Twin Edition comes with both the Dual-Lens 360 Mod and the 4K Wide Angle Mod, the Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Edition comes with the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod and the Aerial Edition comes with the Split-Lens 360 Mod and Drone Mount.

You can assemble any of the lenses into a standalone camera with the same Core and Battery Base (additional battery needed for Drone Mount). And all of these pieces are replaceable. Dropped a lens and broke it? Battery died? Buy backups or replacements at any time in the Insta60 Store — without ever having to throw down for a whole new camera.  

2. Is Insta360 ONE R’s modular design rugged enough for action sports? 

Sure is. Insta360 ONE R uses an easy snap-in-place design. The three Mods snap together and a buckle on the Battery Base locks everything together. You’ll also get a Mounting Bracket with your Insta360 ONE R, which helps give extra protection and ensures ONE R is ready for breakneck speeds and strong vibrations.  

Assembling the parts together only takes a few seconds before you start shooting. And the camera can easily handle a drop without falling apart. The camera is also designed and rigorously tested to withstand the wear and tear of continual assembly and disassembly over its lifetime. 

Each lens Mod also comes with added lens protection. The 4K Wide Angle Mod is designed with hardened glass, the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod sports a specialized screw-on lens protector, and the Dual-Lens 360 Mod comes with a rubberized lens cover for safe and easy transport. You can also buy additional snap-on, protective Lens Guards when shooting with the 360 Mod. 

3. Is Insta360 ONE R waterproof without a case? How is it waterproofed?

Yes, Insta360 ONE R is IPX8 waterproof up to 5 meters (16.4ft) in both fresh and seawater when it’s fully assembled and inside of the included Mounting Bracket (that’s the black frame around the camera in the image above).

If you want to go deeper, you can buy a Dive Case that enables waterproofing up to 60 meters (for the two wide angle Mods) or 30 meters (for the Dual-Lens 360 Mod). And although the Dual-Lens 360 Mod is natively waterproof, you might also want to buy the Dive Case to improve stitching quality for underwater 360-degree capture. Natural light refraction affects underwater stitching, but the Dive Case is specially designed to counteract this.

ONE R is waterproofed via specialized weatherproof seals added to all of ONE R’s interlocking connectors. There might be a small gap between the Battery Base and the rest of the camera body when assembling your ONE R because of this seal. This gap is normal and will not affect waterproofing. 

Check out our waterproofing tutorial video to make sure you properly care for your camera before and after using it in the water. 

4. What is the difference between the Insta360 ONE R Dual-Lens 360 Mod and Insta360 ONE X2? 

Both Insta360 ONE R’s Dual-Lens 360 Mod and Insta360 ONE X2 capture 5.7K 360° videos and 18 MP 360° photos. And they’re both equipped with FlowState Stabilization technology for super-smooth action shots.

The main question you’ll need to ask yourself if you’re considering ONE X2 or ONE R is whether you have a need for a standard, wide angle format action cam. Insta360 ONE X2 is purely a 360 camera, while ONE R’s 360 lens can be easily swapped out for a wide angle lens. If you want flexibility, versatility and the efficient upgrade potential of a modular system, go for ONE R. But if you’re zeroed-in on creating 360 content, Insta360 ONE X2 is an excellent choice. 

Both Insta360 ONE R and ONE X2 also have a host of AI editing features for 360 content, including: 

• Deep Track: Tap a subject to keep it locked in center-frame. Even if an obstacle blocks your subject, the AI algorithm will start tracking it again as soon as it reappears.
• Auto Frame: Reframing 360 video has never been easier. Auto Frame’s algorithm analyzes your 360 video and recommends the best angles for you.
• FlashCut: FlashCut analyzes your footage based on theme, quality and time of capture to create social-media-ready compilations.
• Shot Lab: Discover a range of fun, smart templates for the latest 360-degree camera techniques, like Stop Motion, Auto TimeShift and more. 

Check out our full comparison of these two cameras here.

5. What is the difference between the Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod and 4K Wide Angle Mod? 

For creators looking for premium quality in an action cam, look no further than the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod. Its best-in-class 1-inch sensor enables better performance in low and tough lighting conditions. Co-engineered with Leica, this Mod captures 5.3K wide angle video and 19MP photos, with fantastic dynamic range and color science. 

Check out what the 1-Inch Mod can do below:

Meanwhile, the 4K Mod captures 4K wide angle video and 12MP photos. The 4K Mod has everything you need in a versatile, run-and-gun action camera—4K 60fps, stabilized footage and up to 8x slow motion. 

For creators looking for an affordable 360 and wide angle combo, the Insta360 ONE R Twin Edition provides the best of both worlds. You get both the Dual-Lens 360 Mod and 4K Wide Angle Mod for the price of a single action cam. 

For the highest quality 360 and wide angle combo, pick up the Expert Edition. This Edition comes with the 360 Mod and the 1-Inch Mod. You can also upgrade to the Ultimate Kit for additional accessories like an extra battery, selfie stick and SD card.

6. How is Insta360 ONE R’s battery life? Can I charge and capture at the same time? 

Insta360 ONE R’s battery life is approximately 70 minutes for the 4K and 360 Mods and 65 minutes for the 1-Inch Mod. Battery life may vary depending on shooting conditions and capture settings. The ONE R Battery Base is designed for a temperature range of -20°C to 40°C (-4°F to 104°F), so it’s ready to go on just about any adventure. 

You can also charge ONE R simultaneously while capturing content. Simply plug ONE R into a power bank with the included Charge Cable and keep shooting. 

If you need even longer-lasting power, ONE R’s modular design comes to the rescue again. You can simply swap out the standard Battery Base for a double-capacity Boosted Battery Base that will be available for purchase starting in April.

7. Which drone models does the Insta360 Aerial Edition fit? Can you use it as a standalone camera?

There are two versions of the Insta360 ONE R Aerial Edition, designed for use with the DJI Mavic Pro and DJI Mavic 2. With both editions, you can reframe your footage in any direction and your drone will appear invisible.

You can also assemble the Split-Lens 360 Mod that comes in the Aerial Edition into a standalone 360 camera with the Core and Battery Base. However, remember that — unlike the standard Dual-Lens 360 Mod — when ONE R is assembled using the Split-Lens 360 Mod, it’s not waterproof without a case. 

8. Which lenses is the Drone Mount compatible with?

The Drone Mount is compatible with the Split-Lens 360 Mod. It does not support the regular Dual-Lens 360 Mod, 4K or 1-Inch Mods at this time. 

In addition, when using Insta360 ONE R with the Drone Mount, you must use the Vertical Battery Base, rather than the standard Battery Base. You’ll get the Vertical Battery Base with the purchase of the Aerial Edition or Aerial Add-On. You can also use this same Vertical Battery Base to assemble ONE R vertically for optimized 9:16 shooting, but it won’t be waterproof. 

9. What phones can I use with Insta360 ONE R? Is there an Insta360 ONE R app or desktop app?

Insta360 ONE R is compatible with both Android and iOS phones. There is a dedicated Insta360 ONE R mobile app for each, available in the App Store and Google Play Store. 

ONE R is recommended for use with iOS mobile devices with chip A11 and above, including iPhone 8, 8 Plus, X and above.

ONE R is recommended for use with Android mobile devices that meet the following capabilities:

• Kirin 980 and above chips, including Huawei Mate 20, P30 and above
• Snapdragon 845 and above, including Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi 8 and above
• Exynos 9810 and above chips, including Samsung Galaxy S9, S9+, Note9 and above

Due to the numerous Android mobile devices on the market, not all models have been tested. As long as the model meets the basic performance requirements, it should support ONE R use.

If your phone doesn’t meet these minimum requirements, you can still control ONE R and shoot using ONE R’s touch screen, but some features in the app may be unsupported or operate more slowly.

Meanwhile, for those who prefer a desktop workflow, free Insta360 Studio is perfect for seamless stitching, stabilizing, editing and exporting. And the free Premiere Pro Plugin lets you stitch, stabilize and edit footage straight off the camera using Adobe Premiere Pro CC.

10. Does Insta360 ONE R support external microphones?

Insta360 ONE R has two onboard microphones, but vloggers can also connect external microphones to Insta360 ONE R. To record with an external mic, you’ll need to purchase Insta360’s USB-C to 3.5mm mic adapter (third-party mic adapters are not compatible). You can also record audio directly with your AirPods via Bluetooth for an easy, hands-free audio solution.

An Accessory Shoe mounting bracket is also available, with a cold shoe top mount for attaching external mics or lights.

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Check out our detailed FAQ section for answers to more common questions about Insta360 ONE R. Or if you’re ready to purchase Insta360 ONE R, head over to our store!