Insta360 - GO 3

Insta360 Go3 S with a clip mount to your hat brim. Or you may also want to look into the new Oakley Vanguards which seems quite good for your use case (but Meta)

Yea, sadly, last camera closest to 180-degree concept was Go 3. Why can't they make just half of X5 in Go form-factor?

Go 4 ultra is vastly superior to the Go3s, I've got both along with 2 more of the original go 3

I shot adult semi professionally for years and now still shoot personal adult for fun.  If you're shooting handheld, you're going to run into tons of stability shake issues for anywhere you'd need the go3's size aside from public/voyeur style shoots where you really don't want to draw attention. But a phone would be just as good in most of those situations. And in the few the go might be more discreet its lighting and dynamic range are going to suck as much as the x3.  The x3 can be relatively just as discreet if you act cool and you (as you should) have subjects coordination and consent. Just did a fun upskirt walking with my partner last month with the x3 on a selfie poll (screen set to 5s off after recording) held down at my side with a swoop between the legs when the coast was clear.  People don't think of the 360 as capturing what it does and with auto screen off and screen facing out so it looks "off" with it between you and your partner so it wouldn't be capturing anyone else there's nothing that would flag concern in peoples minds. And you make sure that you're holding it against your leg with your partner on the other side and high enough so that it wouldn't capture anyone else inappropriately because the sight line would only capture someone walking directly next to you and coordinating their walking to capture the shot. Really for shooting indoors you're going to need to focus on lighting lighting lighting. Use directional but diffused lighting from multiple angles so it's not creating harsh spots unless you're doing an artistic style. Otherwise expect to be using lots of lighting/natural lighting. You'll basically have to learn the same skills as a small budget indie film/documentary but less on the artistic lighting side unless that's the style you find customers prefer (example is kink.com's brand enhancing scene lighting). Anyways that's not what I thought I'd be spending a long time commenting on in the insta360 sub so I'll wrap it up there but hopefully it helps.  And for insta360's product sake "although I wouldn't recommend the GO series for adult work I would highly recommend the X series 360 camera as a secondary camera for intro price range inventive and innovative consensual adult shooting. To bring new possibilities for all content consumers and creators of legal age in their respective countries "

I switched long ago after my GoPro had the same SD card error and none of the day's videos were saved. Never again. Since then, I've not lost any footage on Insta360 X3, X5, Go 2, Go 3. Insta360 have their issues but definitely better than GoPro.

I have the iphone 16 pro and wouldn't think of comparing video or photo to the go cameras, iphone is so much better it's not even close, but for me they differ a lot in use cases. I use my go3 when travelling and usually have it mounted on my chest using the pendant or on the back of my cap using the hat clip, one tap, start recording, record for a minute or two, compile each day into a 2 minute summary. Sometimes I mount the camera or give it to another family member, I take it to the beach, submerge it in a pool or a glass of beer etc, things I wouldn't necessary do with my iphone. I would probably go for the ultra between the go3s and the ultra because of the larger FOV and better low-light tolerance.

It works but you'll have decreased handling and flight time. Slow cruising is fine. I'd recommend an Action 2 or Insta360 Go2 (or Go3). You won't even notice they're there.

I find the GoPro and like to be too heavy for chin or visor mounting, drags my helmet down in front. I sometime run a 360 camera for limited sections. The camera I keep coming back to time and time again is the Insta360 Go 3. It's about the size of a GoPro, but the little snap-out camera is brilliant. It's tiny and weighs almost nothing. Clip it anywhere, and you will not even notice it. I like to clip it to the front of my visor. So easy to snap in and out of different mounts for different perspectives. For my use, it's limitations are perfectly acceptable. Even if it does not become your #1 camera, it is a great little unit to have in the bag as it allows for shots and mounts that no other camera will fit. For generating content, this is pretty important... minutes of video all shot from the same perspective/mount gets boring.

Despite loving DJI products, I've been disappointed by the last few camera launches. Action5 has some positives - inbuilt memory, night mode - but overall it's less pleasing to me than the Action4, which has nicer image to my eyes. And with the Nano, it's clearly better tech than the Action2 - bigger sensor, bluetooth mics, low light mode - but I still prefer the form factor of the Action2. Stick the Action2 in a proper metal case and the overheating is less of a problem too I discovered. Overall, though, I just don't understand the logic of making these "wearable" cameras bigger and heavier with each generation. Right now, I still see Insta360 Go3 as the sweet spot, especially given it has square sensor for "freeframe" mode. For POV videos that gives you enormous versatility in the edit. Which is more valuable to me than the landscape(ish) sensors in Go3S, Go Ultra and DJI Nano. I'm now waiting to see what DJI comes up with when Action6 is released. Hopefully they can keep the same dimensions and mount as Actions 3/4/5 despite the rumoured bump to 1-inch sensor. I don't want to shell out for a whole new set of accessories.

I thought the same and did consider that as an option, but the DJI Nano overheats in about 20-30 mins of use. I've run my old Hero 5S cameras continuously for 90+ mins and never had an issue. Their limitation for record time was always battery capacity and whatever size SD card you used. I do think the Insta360 Go 3 (not 3S) is about as close as we've come to a H5S recently, but outside the charging pod the camera on its own gives me about 35-40 mins recording time due to battery capacity limits.

Honestly, wildly different cameras for wildly different needs. The AcePro is a good action camera, and if you are going to be cliff-diving, motocross racing, or swimming with sharks, probably a good choice. The Canon is a great camera for traditional vacation photos - standing in front of a tourist location and taking a picture for example. And the Go3 is one of my personal favorites, because of it's small size and the unique perspectives it can take. I often have it attached to my ballcap and capture video that I likely wouldn't get with other cameras. But, the quality of the video and photos isn't as good as the Canon. In short, the Canon is likely to produce the best raw photos and video, but it's also bigger and heavier, and for me, that is what pushes me to the Go3 most often. I typically carry my Go3 and my Insta360 X5 unless I'm specifically going with a focus on photo-taking. The combo is pretty flexible and allows me to capture fun shots that no one else in the family is getting. A trip to Turkey would likely make me get my Sony out for some good photos.

They are less safe than without. Some racetracks even prohibit them. If it easily breaks away it might be fine but standard mounts are not designed to break away. It will cause some drag but that’s probably not that much of a concern. The Insta360 go3 is a great alternative if you don’t mind the more restricted viewing angle from inside the visor. It all depends on what you’re going to use it for. btw: I don’t trust Ruroc helmets. I don’t know if they have improved but at least when they first started to get popular they were so bad, that using a Ruroc helmet was probably a bigger risk than a helmet mounted cam.

First of all, thank you for taking the time to give such a detailed answer. I really appreciate your usage tips for the X3 in consensual voyeur-style shooting I like that idea a lot About our current usage and content creation we do only use a good smartphone but it is indeed shaky and not handy to use (because obviously it is better to be hand free for pov content) You’ve also convinced me about the GO 3: its low-light performance does seem just as limited as the X3. But what about the GO Ultra? From what I’ve seen, its low-light performance looks significantly improved!

I had a go3 that sank (despite its stated waterproofness) and I bought a go3s to replace it. And I think that freeframe was almost the main feature of go3 and that cut-down version of freeframe in go3s (and, in fact, it is not there), for me personally, made it practically useless as an action camera, despite 4K and so on.

No, it's not worth it. The old Go 3 was better, because in go 3s they actually killed the main features - freeframe and horizon lock. Formally it is there, but it works in a different way and is useless. And without it, go 3s is just an ordinary rather mediocre camera.

Best use case for go3 :)

One of the things I didn't like about the GO3 I had, and returned, was I felt the FOV was too narrow. It wasn't a full 180 degrees, so if the camera wasn't aimed properly, I couldn't adequately reframe in post. Ie: I was on a rollercoaster, the camera was tilted upwards on my chest, and all Ingot was sky. I guess I was expecting more of a "half X3", but itnwasnt that. Is the Ultra wider than previous GO models, allowing for better post correction? I have an X3 currently, but the mounting options are not as elegant as the magnetic pendant of the GO series.

If you want reaaaally small, and focused on video: Insta360 GO3. If you want a pocket camera, extremely tough and rugged, focused on photos but capable of video: OM System TG-7. If you want a budget alternative to the TG-7 there's the Pentax WG-90. Even less money, Kodak WPZ2.

The best action camera you want is the “Insta360 Go2” or “Go3” I personally think it has better stabilization than GoPro. Also the go2 does NOT have a screen. But it has every video choice imaginable you can take photos with it. You can replace the lens with different lens filters and it’s waterproof. On eBay, you can find good quality use ones for around $200

and insta360 customer service is garbage. my go3 bricked while updating it's firmware. and they can't do anything and ask me to purchase the camera module only. but it's over $300 CAD. Might as well pay for Osmo Nano. DJI never had shitty firmware update that bricks cameras.

I've had the go3 for a year and before that the go2. The go 3 recharges in the action pod. I use it for mountain bike videos. So it'll charge if I'm on a char lift or pedaling up. The battery life wasn't a huge issue, but definitely from time to time, it got annoying. The lack of space for a sd card was a big hindrance for me. I think the ultra really solves the issues the 2 and 3 had. The ability to choose aspect ratio after shooting is the best feature. The stabilization is amazing too, but don't use the magnet through the shirt. Your shirt moves too much.

I returned my Go3 because of the “blue-tinged videos “ it randomly took… Now, I’m debating between the Go3S and the DJI Osmo Action 5 Pro… I had the Go2 in the past that I unfortunately, lost. I got a lot of use of that because I can inconspicuously vlog. It was great for walking tour vlogs. But the Go3 really disappointed me. The last time, it wasted about an hour total of video clips.

I really love mine, i tried using it for vacation. I've shot short clips and long videos but I love it for a specific use case -- POV for practical shooting. Here's a sample video - [https://youtu.be/rXAvNufX0hc](https://youtu.be/rXAvNufX0hc)

I use an Insta360 Go as I can pop out the tiny camera bit and mount it on my helmet. It only does about 40-45 mins like that but that’s enough for my commute or if I’m with others. Really nice quality. For longer rides I mount the whole thing underslung on my handlebars.

Oh agreed on the app, I just use it to export videos and do any editing on my PC. The mounts aren’t entirely magnetic on mine, they just help guide either the full unit or just the camera ‘puck’ into some physical clips on my handlebar mount or my helmet one. Haven’t had a crash yet but it happily stayed put on a rugged mtb ride.

I have an iPhone 16 pro and have been using it on the daily. But I like the Go for being a little less in-your-face when I’m vlogging in a shop or restaurant. I also like the feature of the Go automatically taking photos in set intervals during the day. It’s an easy way to capture a diary of a busy travel day. I just upgraded to the Ultra for the battery life and the removal SD card.

I have a GoPro and use it nearly every ride. I only notice the extra drag when I turn my head to the side. If you care about image quality, chin-mounted is the way to go. A camera inside the shield will catch glare. Also, the Insta 360 Go does not have a removable battery. You want removable batteries so you can easily swap them instead of having to carry an external battery pack. Safety-wise, my opinion isn’t based on any hard facts, so take it with a grain of salt. I don’t think action camera compromise the safety of the helmet as long as you use an adhesive bonded mount. These mounts are not designed to sustain an impact. It would easily tear or break away in a before it does any damage to head or neck. They also have the added benefit of recording evidence in case you’re in an accident with another driver. Motorcycles are the striking vehicle more than 9 times out of 10. Without video or witnesses, it’s your word against theirs. You’ll want footage to prove your innocence.

In that case, I would choose for a pro. It has the best low light and civilization and censor. But you are saying you also have a Samsung Galaxy S 22+. Not sure how great the footage of that is. But personally, my favorite to go cam is really the Insta360 Go cameras. You just record in manual. It’s really not that hard. You just wear it on your chest using the magnetic pendant. And whenever there is anything you would like to record you just press the button and it starts recording. It’s really easy to use and it helps you to get an additional layer of footage that you would otherwise miss out on.

insta go is great, but the battery is only going to be 35-45 mins without the camera body.

Insta go is a standard for a reason

Insta360 go. Camera and charge case is similar size of IPods Pro. Very light weight. I have a hat clip-on with a magnetic camera holder, works great. The charge case works as a remote if you don’t want to use the button on the camera.

Insta 360 go on the hat clip.

I have owed the insta360 x2, x3, x4 and the go. The go sucks, it's no where near wide enough, and if youre using the necklace magnet to chest mount it won't hold through a ski jacket, and you will lose it. I would go for the x5 for the removeable lens. 360 cameras are so much better than single lens cameras, I would definitely get a 360 cam.

The image quality on any of the Insta360 Go series cameras is awful. In fact, just about all their cameras have awful image quality. I've had every iteration of Insta360 camera and was a loyalist but finally defected after the X5. Unless you're video editing guru, it's damn near impossible to get the same quality you see from the advertisements or from any of the popular youtube reviewers. With the DJI cameras, I find that you get better results without all the magic. They may not be perfect but still much better than most of Insta360's stuff. Just my two cents having used both brands extensively.

I just got the insta go for POV because DJI didn’t have anything 🙃🙃🙃 would have much rather had a DJI native tool to seamlessly work with my mics

I think you're going to be happier with a Pocket 3 than either of the Insta models you have. Editing 360 footage has got to be the biggest headache I've encountered while making content, it just really is not very intuitive and the files are so enormous that it's just a whole thing. I know because of its small size that the 360 Go is not offering you anywhere near the image quality you could get from a Pocket 3. I do have a mirrorless camera a la the A7III you're looking at--they have a pretty steep learning curve and when you buy a camera with interchangeable lenses like that, the camera body is kind of just the beginning of the $$$ (I paid about $1300 for my camera; I bet I have at least that in gimbals, lenses, etc to go with it to make it functional as a video production device.) I think your girl will be way less pissed about a $500 camera (especially if you end up liking it so much you sell off some of the Insta stuff) over a mirrorless camera that is probably going to have you buying more stuff for the next six months to get it to where you want it to be. (I mean, on the other hand you said girlfriend, not wife, so I don't know why what you spend your money on is any of her business tbh) It just really kind of depends on what you want to do. If you're a sucker for image quality, a 360 camera ain't it. I probably wouldn't sink the money into a mirrorless if this is a personal hobby you're not making $$$ with, or I'd go track down a serviceable used one just to see if it does it for you to save some money. TL;DR if you want it buy it, I think it's more versatile and easier to use than what you say you have. I'd sell the Go 3S if you buy the Pocket unless you really need a teeny tiny stealth camera.

For sure I ride daily but I don’t even have a chin mount I use an insta360 with a pole mount. It’s probably still better to have one of these than nothing at all is what I’m getting at.

I'm a Photographer who recently got into videos. I have to point out that the Insta 360 video quality is nowhere like the mirrorless cameras I've had, BUT, it's really about the spontaneous moment captured with it and not the quality that I'm impressed of. I've found footages of myself in the moments of serendipity that I know I will never achieve with any of my mirrorless camera unless somebody is following me around with it. I also tried the Osmo Pocket but I certainly love the convenience of the Insta 360 more because you can choose which frame, back, front, up or down you want to finally edit for posting. Really helpful the 360 view.

Hi op, one issue is you’ll now no longer be waterproof. I use the DJI mic 2 internal recording inside my helmet to a GoPro 13. You can check the sound here. [action camera with DJI mic2 inside helmet no wires retains waterproofing](https://youtu.be/y7ENSoDiaUg?feature=shared) Use the mini as the second camera, the 11 black as your main. I have a 13 as main and either an action 4 or insta 360 as handlebar.

I'd suggest you to get the Action 4. Better vfm. Can get the action 5 spare batteries for better battery life (if needed). Insta 360 is doing different ball game. It's an awesome secondary camera but not a good primary one.

Insta 360 anytime of the day

I would pick the dji any day over the insta 360 for a primary camera. Although the insta 360 gives a very good variety of angles, there’s not much of creative freedom that comes with it. Dji on the other hand, you can connect your mic easily for vlogging; it has better clarity, the overall quality is also much better. Accessories for the dji are priced fairly and the intsa 360 mounts are known to be fragile so I personally would stay away from those. If you already have a main camera, then go for the insta and try new angles for cinematic shots, but bear in mind, if you end up damaging the 360, there’s almost no way of getting it repaired.

If u want to vlog n need a good low light performances than go for Action 5 pro. DJI wireless mic system can be easily paired with Action 5. Please don't go for any GoPro. DJI n Insta360 r far ahead of it interms of technology n features. If u want versatility than go for Insta 360. Also wait for few days. Amazon freedom sale will be coming. U can get better deals on both if cameras.

Yeah, that breaking parallel ski relationship at initiation, lazy inside leg, park and ride possibly could have been helped during a couple of days of group lessons you could buy for the price of Insta 360.😉

I admit I also consider insta 360 for my own ski technique improvement but still unsure about the value. My notes about your skiing are limited because such POV doesn't let me see what your body is doing. Ideally, ski technique analysis is best when a skier comes to the camera and passes it so the skier is visible from the front, side, and then the back.