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Insta360's next VR camera is made to be thrown around
With the Insta360 One marking its first anniversary earlier this month, it's no surprise that the company is preparing a follow-up model to this standalone 4K 360 camera. But first, we have a teaser (as usual). From afar, the first video appears to be yet another sample that shows off "FlowState" video stabilization combined with slow motion and FreeCapture editing, so nothing new in that sense. What actually caught my attention were two brief moments when the camera operator's shadow gave the game away -- that person was throwing the camera, as opposed to waving it around on a selfie stick. Later on, you can also just about see another person holding an upside-down umbrella for catching the camera.
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Insta360 One update adds 'pro-level' video stabilization
The Insta360 One made quite an impression when it launched about half a year ago, but even with its 4K 360 capture and bullet-time trick, there was always room for improvement. Today, this camera is receiving a major update that adds a much improved "FlowState" video stabilization, along with two new tools that should make fix-frame video editing more intuitive. The company went as far as calling this "pro-level" package a "gimbal killer," and indeed, the official video does show some impressive sample clips, but it wasn't until I tried it myself -- thanks to the help of my dog -- that I was convinced.
Insta360 One is a 4K 360 camera with smart tricks
For those who haven't been following, earlier Insta360 released a montage of cool sample clips to tease its upcoming camera's bullet-time video capability. What baffled me at the time was how those slow-motion shots orbited around a person with his upright arm seemingly holding onto something, except there was no visible string nor selfie stick to suggest that the camera was being swung around. Well, as it turns out, I was wrong, but there's no need to be disappointed -- it actually takes a lot more than just a piece of string to achieve this bullet-time effect.
