My quest to find an outdoor adventure-proof camera continues. This time, Insta360 have sent me their latest Go3s camera to try out and review. I’ve tested it over several months on walks around Dartmoor and runs. As we’ll talk about in a moment, I had an Insta360 Go2 a few years ago that I took everywhere from via ferrata in Switzerland to winter mountaineering in Morocco. But the camera has changed a lot in this upgrade.

If you are just buying the Insta360 Go3s camera alone, it comes with:

• the Go3s (the mini camera)
• the action pod (rest of the standard camera body, to make it the size of a normal action cam)
• charge cable (USB to USB-C)
• Lens guard
• Magnetic pendant (for easily attaching Go3s to yourself)
• Easy clip mount (for attaching Go3s to things like peaked caps)
• Pivot stand (for attaching the action pod to a flat surface. You can unscrew the pivot section from the sticky base to screw it into a standard tripod shoe)

Initial Thoughts – Compared to Go1 and Go2

It’s been interesting to watch how quickly Insta360 have developed their cameras over the past few years. The technology has been coming on leaps and bounds. Although I didn’t have a Go1, I did have a Go2. I say had because I sadly lost it in a snowstorm in Morocco. I’m gutted that the footage was lost forever but there’s not a lot you can do trying to find a small white pod in a white out.

So my most obvious comparison of the Go3 to the Go2 is that it’s more substantial. The mini camera itself is a little bigger and slightly heavier. The magnet, particularly when attaching to the pendant, is significantly stronger. So I would hope that a knock wouldn’t dislodge it, like my poor Go2. The action pod is far more than just a charging case and is now a full-blown action camera, once the Go3 is placed inside. This pairing is far more secure than the last one too.

You can look at the full features on the official Insta360 Go3s page, but in short: it is a significant upgrade in hardwear, even without the capability upgrades. There are many, but I’m going to focus on the ones that I think are the most important for outdoor adventures.

Interval Feature

I LOVE the interval recording feature. This is something that was in the original Insta360 Go but got taken out in the first upgrade. Now it’s back and it’s better and it’s exactly what you need for documenting days out in the mountains. Here’s how it works: you set the camera to interval mode (choose a time interval and a recording length), then attach the camera and go about your day. It’ll turn on by itself, record the clip and turn off by itself. You don’t have to think about it at all. Then, at the end of the day, you tell it to stop.

For me, this is exactly what I want in an action camera. I don’t want to have to think about composing shots or have half my brain wondering if I should shoot this bit or regret it later. A set and forget suits me perfectly. The tests that I’ve done of this during day hikes have been frankly hilarious. It did do a really good job of capturing what the day felt like – the spread of terrain and locations – but the audio was the best. Because none of us knew when it was recording and the nonsense we were all chatting is great to listen back to!

My preferred interval set for hiking is 15 minutes and 30 seconds of recording. This does drain the battery quite a lot and I don’t think you could keep it up beyond 24 hours without a recharge. On a cold day, those settings from 8am to 3pm left me with 30% battery, to give you an idea. There are several built in presets too, for different activity types, but there’s always the option of custom to get what feels right to you.

I think it is possible to interject within this interval mode to take a photo or video, but I need to do more testing. The complication is that, if you don’t know whether the Go3s is recording or not, your single button press might do one of several things (e.g. stop recording, turn it off, nothing much at all!)

Standard Photo and Video

The standard photo and video capture options are significantly better than the Go2. There are several setting for different view angles (e.g fish eye wide angle, portrait) The best part is that you can choose to have a wide shot without distortion, so you’d barely know it was taken from such a tiny camera lens. You can adjust all of these settings in the camera itself – through the touchscreen menus while inside the action pod, so there is no faffing around on the Insta360 app if you just want to use a camera!

The quality of both photo and video is very good. You can record up to 4K and it’s very simple to video in both portrait and landscape. The camera works out for itself, simply by its orientation, whether you want vertical video or landscape. The stabilisation is smooth too. And there are a whole host of modes like Timelapse, Hyperlapse etc – more than I’ve had time to look at fully.

If using just the Go3s alone, without the action pod, simply press down on the front to start recording. You can find the basic setting for buttons here, but you can adjust what the quick action buttons do from within the Insta360 app.

Action Pod

With the Go3s housed inside the action pod, it becomes like a normal action camera. You can take pictures or videos using the buttons. The screen is responsive in cold and damp conditions and flips up over the top so you can record yourself more easily. It contains all the modes and adjustments you’d expect from a higher end action camera. You can adjust the settings like white balance, zoom, exposure etc – and review the clips you’ve taken, add crosshairs to the screen etc etc.

The pod is much stronger than the Go2 model and the lock clip physically keeps the mini camera in place, beyond the magnetic strip. It seems pretty bounce proof and the action pod is definitely rain resistant when in use. (I haven’t tested but I don’t imagine it would be a good idea to get the insides wet when the Go3 isn’t filling that hole.) The only niggle for me is the interface of the buttons. There are three: the big top button that is to start filming/take photo, then two on the side: the on/off button and a button marked Q for Quick Action that is programmable within the app. If the pod is off, pressing the top button will turn the camera on and start recording immediately. Whereas the small black button on the side turns the camera on without auto recording.

It’s worth mentioning too that you can use the screen on the action pod as a live preview with the Go3s outside of the pod. There is a small amount of lag between the two.

Accessories

There are a plethora of accessories that you can get for the Go3s and action pod. The most useful in the outdoor sense is the quick release mount that attaches the action pod into a standard action camera or GoPro mount. Although the mount itself looks tiny it is surprisingly secure. There is no standard screw attachment on the action pod body, so you have to use this mount or half of the pivot mount to attach to a tripod.

There is also a pocket flexi mount, that allows the Go3s to be stuck to flat surfaces (like kitchen cabinets, desks etc). And a quick reader, that fixes to the Go3s and allows you to back up files to a memory card or computer or phone via a hard connection. It is compatible with Type C and Lightning ports.

What works well

Remarkably small and sturdy

I am completely sold on the concept of such a tiny camera. Assuming I don’t drop it on some mountainside again, I’ll be taking this on all my adventures for the forseeable. Because I can without much thought – it is very small, it is water resistant, it can take a knock. The quick download accessory means I can bypass the app altogether for situations when battery life is a premium.

I love how much improved the hardwear is compared to previous models. That you can attach it to a tripod or a magnetic clip provides so many options and covers a huge range of potential uses.

The interval mode!

Yes, I’m still gushing about this, but it’s exactly what I want in a camera. Something that allows me to set and forget and enjoy my day without having to think about capturing the day. The fact that it can do this and behave like a normal action camera and have so many modes I haven’t explored them all yet is a huge plus for me.

What could do better

Although the Go3s is a fantastic action camera, there are a few things that could make it even better.

You can’t add memory

I deeply wish that they had added a slot for a micro SD card. The ability to add memory or change cards without having to send everything through your phone would be very helpful, especially for time away in the mountains. Or even if I could download straight to a harddrive without having to go through another device. (The same goes for swappable batteries.)

Not quite plug and play

Like the Go 2, there is a bit of a song and dance before you can use your camera. You can’t use the features without “activating” your camera. To do that, you must download the Insta360 app, turn on WiFi and location and bluetooth, pair the device, unpair the device – get confused about where your internet has gone… etc. This was much more straightforward than with the Go2, but still a little frustrating when all you want to do is try out the camera. The app has come on a huge way since the earlier models but there are still quirks. For example, the activation codes given by your camera on screen seem to have absolutely nothing to do with the process of activating the camera.

Interface on the action pod is slightly confusing

As mentioned in the text above, try as I might, I can’t seem to get it into my head which button is which on the action pod. It should be simple, but for some reason I just want to press and hold the big top button to turn it on. Which causes it to start recording immediately. Not a major issue but I’m still working on it!

Overall Verdict

The Insta360 Go3s is a fantastically flexible action camera for outdoor adventures. Although it does still have some small niggles, it is a huge upgrade on the Go2 model and is perfect for hands-free recording or hands-on adventures.