Insta360 Go 3S Review, Greatest Action Camera?

The Insta360 GO 3S is the latest evolution in Insta360’s compact action camera lineup, refining and expanding on the foundation laid by its predecessor, the GO 3. Launched in June 2024, the GO 3S offers a blend of advanced features and enhanced performance while retaining the compact, user-friendly design that made the original GO 3 popular among both casual users and enthusiasts.

Having recently acquired the GO 3S as our first action camera, We were eager to put it to the test. From its sleek, pocket-sized design to its impressive array of features, the GO 3S has already made a strong impression on us. Whether you’re new to action cameras or a seasoned user, this review will delve into every aspect of the GO 3S, including its design and build quality, features, performance in various scenarios, and the overall value it offers.

Design and Build Quality.

• Materials and Construction: The GO 3S features a sturdy yet lightweight build, with the camera measuring 25.6 x 54.4 x 24.8 mm (1.0 x 2.1 x 1.0 inches) and weighing 39.1 grams (1.38 ounces). The accompanying Action Pod, which houses an additional battery and various controls, measures 63.5 x 47.6 x 29.5 mm (2.5 x 1.9 x 1.2 inches) with the screen folded and 63.5 x 86.6 x 29.9 mm (2.5 x 3.4 x 1.2 inches) with the screen unfolded, weighing 96.3 grams (3.40 ounces). Both the camera and the Action Pod feature a fast-clipping proprietary mounting system that uses strong magnets for quick attachment and detachment, ensuring a secure hold during intense activities.
• Design Aesthetics: Available in white and black, the GO 3S maintains a minimalist and modern look. The camera’s streamlined form factor is complemented by the Action Pod, which includes a rear touchscreen that can flip up 180 degrees, making it easy to film yourself or view settings and recordings. The Action Pod also includes a USB-C port and provides additional battery life.
• Portability: Despite its compact size and increased weight compared to the GO 3, the GO 3S remains highly portable and convenient. It fits comfortably in your pocket or small compartments, making it an ideal choice for travel and adventure. The camera’s magnetic mounting system and the included accessories enhance its versatility. In the box, Insta360 provides a Lens Guard (pre-installed on the lens by default), a Magnet Pendant, a Pivot Stand that is reusable granted it will degrade with time, and an Easy Clip, offering various mounting options for the camera.

Features

• MEGAVIEW FOV: The GO 3S offers a new wide-angle MegaView FOV, providing less distortion and straighter, cleaner edges. This feature ensures that your footage looks picture-perfect and accurately represents what you see.
• FlowState Stabilization: This advanced stabilization technology ensures seriously steady footage. It removes shakes, bumps, and rolls, making it perfect for action-packed scenarios or walk-and-talk vlogs. Along with the tilt fix feature, your video can be stable without the need for postprocessing.
• Tilt Fix: Corrects the camera tilt by up to 10 degrees to ensure level footage.
• 2x Zoom: Provides 2x digital zoom capability for closer shots. It is not something you will use that often but it is also a nice addition when you are vlogging.
• QuickCapture: With QuickCapture, you can start recording instantly by pressing the front button on the camera, even when it’s off. This feature ensures you don’t miss the perfect shot. It is really one of the underrated features. You don't need to hold a button to power on the camera or anything. You can program two options 1 press and two presses. It is also worth mentioning that the action pod and the camera can be programmed differently since both the action pod and the camera have their own buttons.
• Interval Video: Automatically captures moments throughout your day and combines the highlights into a single video synced to music, using the AI Editing feature on the app. The interval can be set to capture, for example, every 10 minutes record 30 seconds. Set it, wear it, and go!
• Gesture Control: Allows you to control the camera with simple gestures, ideal for group snaps or when in noisy environments. It is a bit limited supporting only V sign for taking a picture and Palm for starting a video recording.
• Voice Control 2.0: Provides true hands-free operation and easy camera control through voice commands. Just say the word to capture your next moment. This feature provides a bit more options than gesture control but also nothing too advanced. You can take a photo, start and stop video recording, mark a part in the video, and shut down the camera.
• Locate with Apple Find My: Integration with Apple Find My makes it easy to track the camera’s location. It is really useful to keep an eye on your camera if you leave it somewhere or locate it when you lose it.
• Flip Touchscreen: The rear touchscreen can flip upto 180 degrees for easy selfies or vlogging. The touchscreen makes it nice to control the camera without fiddling with buttons yet there is a programmable button on the side of the action pod.
• Remote Control & Live Preview: You can use the Action Pod to preview shots and control the camera even when you pop the camera out. The range can go up to 5 meters away but the preview will suffer a bit.
• Water Proof & Resistance: The action pod is IPX4 splash-proof, while the camera itself is waterproof up to 10 meters, however, keep in mind that you have to have the lens guard installed.
• Audio Recording: The camera records audio with two built-in mics and excellent noise cancellation, ensuring clear, vlog-ready sound. We have tested it in windy and near a fan, and it works well.
• Unique Stats Overlay: Overlays stats like GPS and speed from Garmin devices or Apple Watch, ideal for creating data-rich sports content. We have not tested it but the idea itself is cool. From what we saw they have predefined templates you can use as overlay.
• Snap & Edit: For iOS users we got a notification on the app whenever we shot something from the camera. it is a nice touch to jump straight to your files.
• AI Editing: Use Insta360’s app for AI-powered editing, automatically creating polished videos based on your footage. However, it comes with its limitations. You can not add clips that add up to more than 20 minutes and the generated video will be a short clip of 1-3 minutes max. It is a nice gimmick but nothing major that will help you create long content for YouTube. It will be nice for Tiktokers or Instagram influencers
• Pre-Recording: Available in video and FreeFrame modes, this feature records 30 seconds before you actually start recording, ensuring you don’t miss the crucial moments.
• Timed Capture: Lets you set a specific time to start capturing, offering greater control over when the recording begins. This is useful for scheduling shots or capturing events at precise moments.
• Predrived Filters: Includes various pre-set filters to enhance your content quality. We went with vivid when possible and kept the sharpness at low.
• Presets & Custom Presets: Each mode comes with predefined presets tailored to specific activities, such as biking or skiing. For example, the biking preset includes a loop video feature with 4K resolution at 30 FPS, while the skiing preset offers a normal video with 4K resolution at 30 FPS and a snow filter. You can also create and customize your own presets, up to 5 custom presets, allowing you to adjust settings on the fly to suit your particular needs.

Camera Modes

• HDR Photo: Captures high dynamic range photos with enhanced color and detail. You will have to hold the camera steady for a good shot though.
• Normal Photo: Standard photo mode for everyday shooting.
• Video: Records high-quality video in various resolutions and frame rates.
• FreeFrame Mode: Allows you to choose the aspect ratio after recording, making it versatile for sharing across different platforms like TikTok, YouTube, and Instagram.
• Timelapse: Shoots timelapse videos, to capture the passage of time in a condensed format.
• TimeShift: Transforms your video into a hyperlapse, allowing you to adjust speed and time to capture dynamic motion with smooth transitions.
• Slow Motion: Slows down footage by up to 8x, with frame rates of 200 fps at 1080p and 100 fps at 2.7K.
• Loop Recording: Continuously records video in a loop, automatically overwriting old footage. Great for something like bike riding.
• Starlapse: Specialized timelapse mode for capturing star trails and night skies, creating beautiful, long-exposure effects even in low light conditions.
• Interval Photo: Automatically captures photos at set intervals, ideal for documenting events or activities.

Performance

The GO 3S boasts a range of impressive features, but how does it hold up in real-world use? Let’s dive into the details and see how it performs in everyday scenarios.

Video Quality

• 4K Resolution: The GO 3S captures video in stunning 4K resolution at 30 frames per second, delivering vibrant and detailed footage with the right settings. With a high bitrate of up to 120 Mbps, it ensures clear rendering of even fast-moving scenes. However, on larger screens, some users might notice a slight oversharpening effect due to the high-resolution recording. We changed the sharpness to the lowest settings possible. While the video quality might not match that of high-end cameras with larger sensors, especially given the GO 3S's smaller sensor, it still offers impressive performance for its compact size.
• MEGAVIEW FOV: The wide-angle MegaView field of view reduces distortion and maintains straight, clean edges, enhancing the overall viewing experience. This feature is particularly effective for immersive POV shots and landscapes. We run all our tests on the mode and it is seriously something to consider if you are thinking between Go 3 vs Go 3S.

Low-Light Performance

The GO 3S performs decently in low light, delivering usable footage at best in dim conditions. Its advanced image processing helps reduce noise and enhance visibility, though some graininess may be noticeable. While it's not the best choice for nighttime activities, it can handle indoor shoots where lighting isn't optimal reasonably well. Again keep adjusting the settings to find the best for your usecase.

Audio Quality

The GO 3S features two built-in microphones that deliver clear sound quality. The Wind Reduction mode is particularly useful for minimizing wind noise during outdoor recordings. While the audio performance is good for casual use, it may fall short for professional-grade recordings. For more critical audio needs, consider using an external microphone. Additionally, switching from Wind Reduction to Directional Focus mode can help you achieve the best possible audio clarity if you are shooting in a studio or indoor.

Stabilization and Motion Handling

• FlowState Stabilization: The advanced FlowState Stabilization system ensures exceptionally smooth footage by eliminating shakes, bumps, and rolls. This feature is particularly useful and effective for action shots, vlogging, and any scenario involving significant movement. The result is a stable and fluid video, even in high-intensity situations. We tested walking and running with the magnetic pendant, the results we were really impressive.
• Tilt Fix: The Tilt Fix feature allows for the correction of the camera’s tilt by up to 10 degrees, ensuring that your footage remains level and visually pleasing. This is a valuable tool for achieving professional-looking results without needing to manually adjust the camera during filming. For example most of the time we would stick the camera where it is not perfectly level. Another instances where leaning while wear the camera was no problem at all. It is a small feature but it really adds to the overall video quality.

Additional Considerations

• Battery Life: The battery life of the GO 3S is commendable, providing up to 38 minutes of recording time with just the camera and up to 140 minutes when used with the Action Pod. This extended battery life is particularly useful for long shooting sessions and minimizes the need for frequent recharges. Based on our testing, these numbers are quite realistic, though heat and storage can be factors to consider. Offloading 4K videos might not be very fast, so if you plan on shooting for 3-5 hours, keep in mind that it could impact the overall workflow.
• Heat: We haven’t experienced any overheating issues with the camera shutting down, even during summer tests in temperatures around 30°C while recording in 4K. However, it’s worth noting that the camera did become quite warm. When using the magnetic pendant, it was noticeably warm on the chest and slightly hot to the touch.
• Ease of Use: The intuitive design of the GO 3S, along with features like Voice Control 2.0 and QuickCapture, makes it user-friendly even for beginners. The Action Pod further enhances convenience by allowing remote control of the camera, so you can capture shots from a distance. Settings can be adjusted on the fly, and while you can view most of your footage directly on the camera with audio since it does also have speakers, some modes, like TimeShift videos, are only accessible through the Insta360 app. For the best setup and customization, we recommend watching the tutorial videos provided in the Insta360 app.
• Interval Video: Although this feature is one of the most frequently used, it has limited customizability. You can record standard videos only—options like FreeFrame, slow motion, and other modes are not available. The maximum recording duration is 5 minutes, with intervals up to 1 hour. However, you can adjust shooting parameters such as filters and exposure. Additionally, you have the option to set the camera to record only when it is not in the Action Pod or to record in both scenarios.

Use Cases

The GO 3S is a versatile camera that excels in a variety of applications but isn't necessarily the go-to camera for every situation. Let's dive into the areas where the GO 3S truly shines:

• Vlogging: The flip-up touchscreen is perfect for selfies and vlogging.
• Sports: Ideal for capturing high-speed action with its excellent stabilization.
• Travel: Compact size and robust features make it a great travel companion.
• POV Videos: The included accessories and the magnet on the camera make it an excellent choice for a POV camera.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Stabilized 4K30 video
• The camera is waterproof up to 10 meters
• Action Pod has a flip-forward touchscreen
• Great app experience
• Tiny build and easy magnetic mounting get unique hands-free POVs
• Handy shoot-first-frame-later video, now in 4K
• Interval Video set it, wear it, and go

Cons:

• Non-removable battery and no storage expansion slot
• Action Pod isn't submersible
• No support for external microphones.
• Some issues with image sharpness at larger display sizes.
• Not the best low-light performance
• Slow file transfers

Pricing and Value

Priced at $399 for the 64GB model and $429 for the 128GB model, the GO 3S offers exceptional value. At this price range, especially given its compact form factor, it is competitively priced on the market. We opted for the 128GB version, which we believe provides the best value, as the extra storage is advantageous for high-resolution 4K video recording.

Conclusion

The Insta360 GO 3S impresses with its compact design and robust feature set, making it an excellent choice for action camera enthusiasts. It delivers stunning 4K video with advanced FlowState Stabilization, ensuring smooth and steady footage across a variety of scenarios. Features like QuickCapture, Interval Video, and AI Editing enhance convenience and creativity, allowing users to capture and edit content effortlessly.

The camera’s compact size and magnetic mounting system provide exceptional portability and versatility, ideal for travel and adventure. The flip-up touchscreen makes it easy to frame selfies and vlogs, and the waterproof design (up to 10 meters) adds durability for different environments.

However, the GO 3S has some limitations. Its performance in low light conditions isn’t the best, and it lacks support for external microphones. The non-removable battery and lack of storage expansion may also be drawbacks for some users. Additionally, image sharpness may suffer on larger displays, and file transfers can be slow.

Priced at $399 for the 64GB model and $429 for the 128GB model, the GO 3S offers great value, combining advanced features and ease of use in a compact package. Despite its few limitations, it provides an impressive balance of performance, convenience, and affordability, making it a solid investment for capturing high-quality video on the go.