The Insta360 Camera RS One, which costs $549.99, adds a superior action camera to its modular design.

 The brain has been tweaked a little, but the 360 lens remains the same.

The One RS is the successor of Insta360's modular One R action/360 cam, which was released last year. The RS is largely a cosmetic upgrade, with a few adjustments to the brain module (or "core," as Insta360 refers to it) and mounting system that should improve the experience of shooting with the 360 lens marginally.

The One RS updates largely improve the quality of life in a subtle but pleasant way. The core includes an extra microphone, faster Wi-Fi for downloading photos and videos, a speedy menu for selecting camera settings, and "Instant Zoom," which allows you to zoom in up to 2.7 times while filming.

According to Insta360, the camera's built-in "FlowState" stabilization has also been improved. The mounting bracket that connects the RS to other accessories has been redesigned to open from the side, making the 1-inch Edition mod much easier to use. It also sports a new front plastic and foam component that shields the microphones from wind noise, potentially improving audio quality.

The new 4K Boost lens, which is the standard action-cam lens element of the camera system, is the greatest upgrade Insta360 is making with the One RS. It sports a "upgraded 1/2-inch 48MP image sensor," according to the business, which has several stat boosts over the older version: it's slightly quicker, with a f2.4 aperture vs. a f2.8, and it has a higher maximum ISO, maxing out at 6400 vs. 3200 for the original 4K lens. It also has a slightly wider lens, with a 16mm full-frame equivalent vs the previous version's 16.4mm.

Active HDR and 6K Widescreen are the two new modes that deliver the major new features. Insta360 claims that the 6K widescreen mode takes "full advantage" of the sensor to generate a movie with a "cinematic" 2.35:1 aspect ratio, and that Active HDR mode will help you capture shadow and highlight information even in fast-motion sports video. That corresponds to a maximum resolution of 6016 x 2560 for non-360 footage on the One RS, which you can shoot at 24/25 frames per second (the One R's 4K lens had a maximum resolution of 4000 x 3000, or 3840 x 2160).

When Becca Farsace of The Verge reviewed the original One R in 2020 (with a pre-production device, mind you), she thought the 4K modification was "decent" as an action camera in terms of image quality. However, being able to rotate the screen was a revolutionary function at the time. That's no longer the case, thanks to DJI's introduction of the Osmo Action 2, a dedicated action cam with a modular design that's quite similar to the Osmo (that can be used in an ultra-compact mode with just the camera cube). If Insta360 wants the One RS to compete as an action camera, it'll have to improve the boost lens.

Becca took the One RS on a ski vacation over the weekend and claims that if you watch the video on a phone, it'll look exactly like other action cams. However, when I looked at it on a computer screen, it didn't seem as remarkable. "There isn't much of a difference between film shot on the R and footage shot on the S. The side-loading housing, which allows the 1-inch mod to be put into the case without having to remove the mod's lens cover, is the most visible enhancement."

Of course, action cameras from DJI and GoPro can't easily be converted to 360 cameras (though GoPro hinted at expanding its camera lineup, so who knows what it has in store). However, Insta360 hasn't made any significant changes to its 360-degree module, so if you have an original One R and want better 360 films, this update won't help you much. The good news is that the parts should work together – Insta360 claims that a software update will let the One R core to support the 4K Boost Lens, and that the updated RS core will work with existing 360 and 5.3K 1-inch type mods.

The One RS is now available. A Twin Edition featuring both the 360 lens and the 4K Boost lens, like the original, costs $549.99 (about $70 more than the original's launch price). There are additional options as well: for $550, you can have the One RS with only the 1-inch lens, and for $299.99, you can get the One RS with just the 4K Boost lens.

Insta360 will sell a bundle with the RS core, battery, and mounting bracket for $269.99 for One R users who are pleased with their lens arrangement But it may be a tough sell, considering the relatively minor enhancements and dearth of new mods to take advantage of the One RS' updates.

RS ONE