00:00Should you buy or skip the new Insta360 GO 3S? Let's get into it.
00:04The GO 3S is the latest tiny action camera in the Insta360 GO lineup,
00:09and with all the new upgrades and features it packs in, it might as well be called the GO 4.
00:13Speaking of 4, 4K recording is the big new feature this year,
00:16along with support for higher frame rates, better waterproofing, and some other cool tech,
00:20all for the same starting price.
00:22The GO 3S continues to be one of the best action cameras that you can buy in 2024,
00:26and personally, one of my favorites.
00:27Its modular magnetic design allows it to be so much more than just a traditional camera
00:32or even pocket camera, but it also introduces a few limitations that you should keep in mind
00:37before picking one up.
00:40Starting things off, the first reason to buy the GO 3S is that it's arguably one of the biggest
00:45upgrades in the GO lineup ever.
00:48The Insta360 GO 3S can now shoot 4K video up to 30 frames per second,
00:52which is a big step up over the 2.7K 30 frames per second maximum that the GO 3 offered.
00:58The GO 3S also features a higher 120 megabits per second bitrate versus 80 megabits per second on the GO 3,
01:04giving your footage noticeably more sharpness and detail.
01:08With that bumping quality, the GO 3S feels more capable as a travel pocket camera,
01:12rather than just an ordinary action camera.
01:15So from walking around, doing time lapses, and time shift, which is really cool and you should try it out,
01:20everything looks super clean and punchy without it ever feeling overdone and over-processed.
01:25But what about slow motion?
01:26The GO 3S can now shoot 1080p at 200 frames per second versus 120 frames per second on the GO 3.
01:33240 frames per second would have been great here, but at least we can now do eight times slow motion
01:38when it's conformed to 24 frames per second timeline.
01:41While the GO 3S does have its share of quirks, which we'll get into,
01:45what makes it so special is that you can pretty much stick or mount it anywhere.
01:49Trying to find all the things that are magnetic just to see what I can stick this to now.
01:54Its small size, magnetic design, and its support for several different mounting options
01:59means a lot of really cool things that you can do with this.
02:02And without any additional gear, I've got my own tripod set up on basically any surface.
02:07And as they like to call it, the 3S is a truly no-hands camera.
02:12It unlocks a new way of filming unique angles, which, aside from being really fun,
02:17also helps you be more creative with your storytelling, something not a lot of cameras help you do.
02:24And because of how small and inconspicuous this is, makes it really easy to record in areas where you
02:29don't want to draw a lot of attention to yourself. Combine that with this really good built-in microphone,
02:34and you have a really awesome setup. But while it's not going to be as smooth as something like
02:38the Osmo Pocket 3 that we've been filming this video on, for something this small,
02:44you really can't beat it. Now, if that wasn't enough, also new for this year,
02:47the Go 3S is Insta360's first camera to work with Apple Find My. This is easily the most underrated
02:53feature for any gadget, camera, or otherwise. The Go 3S is small and easy enough to misplace as is,
02:58and as someone who is always switching bags or leaving things behind, being able to keep tabs on
03:03the Go 3S is awesome. And while this doesn't make it theft-proof, this is also a great way to keep
03:08the camera a little bit more secure, especially if you're a solo creator like myself, and you like
03:13to set the camera up in other locations. That way you can capture those behind the scenes or maybe more
03:18candid shots without really ever leaving it behind. A final reason to buy the Go 3S is that it returns with
03:25the Action Pod, which was first introduced on the Go 3. It feels a little bit more solid while still
03:29offering the same 2.2 inch flip-up display, which is what you'll use for framing your subject,
03:35changing all your settings, and it's also the perfect tool for vlogging and taking selfies.
03:40It's one of the best displays I've tested on any action camera or small pocket camera. It's the perfect
03:45combination of size, brightness, and functionality. My biggest complaint with the Go 2 was how frustrating it
03:51was is to change your different video modes, settings, not to mention I have to rely on a
03:57smartphone to make sure everything looks good. And even though the Hero 12 Black that you've seen a
04:02few shots of already has a larger 2.27 inch rear display, its front is only a 1.4 inch. It's not
04:08nearly as convenient to use, but as you can imagine with more moving parts, especially a display like
04:14this, it could be another point of failure. So let's actually get into the first reason you may want to
04:19skip out on the Go 3S. As great as the Go 3's small and modular design is, it also introduces some
04:27limitations. When detached, the camera itself is IPX8 waterproof, which is good up to 33 feet or 10
04:34meters with its lens guard attached. The pot itself is not waterproof, it's only splash proof, so no taking
04:41this by the pool or to the beach. That is unless you buy Insta360's dive case, which is another $60. It's
04:47another accessory you need to remember to install, but it does give it a waterproof rating up to 197
04:53feet, which is great. That said, when compared to something like the GoPro Hero 12 Black, which has a
04:59waterproof rating of 33 feet and it's built in and doesn't require any additional accessories,
05:05it's something worth considering. The Go 3S also might not be the best choice if you're looking to
05:10record non-stop all day long and you don't have time to back up your footage. Just as with its
05:15predecessors, including the original Go, the Go 2 I have, the Go 3S still lacks support for external
05:21storage. Given its smaller size, it's a little bit more forgivable and understandable, but unlike
05:26other action cameras with removable micro SD cards, it does mean you're stuck with whatever capacity
05:32you buy from day one. So that either means the 64 gigabyte model, which is $399 or 128 gigabytes for
05:40$429. The 3S isn't available in 32 gigabytes like the 3 was, but given how much more storage your 4K
05:47clips are now going to need, it makes sense. I also think the extra 30 bucks to upgrade to 128 gigabytes
05:55is worth the peace of mind knowing you're not going to run out of storage as fast, but let me know what
06:00you think about that. Although Insta360 does offer a new quick transfer accessory for another $44,
06:07which does feature a micro SD card slot and connects to the Go 3S camera, allowing to free up its
06:12internal storage on the move, it's nowhere near as quick or convenient as simply swapping out for a
06:19fresh new micro SD card. And as you can imagine, for a lot of people, this is one of the Go 3S's biggest
06:24letdowns. For my next point, I'm going to start this off by saying it's super impressive that Insta360
06:29managed to add 4K to the Go 3S, but maybe this makes me seem a little bit spoiled. It has me craving
06:36more. Again, max resolution on the 3S is now 4K 30p, which is a nice jump up, but it's still
06:43underwhelming when compared to the likes of the Hero Black 12, which can do a ridiculous 5.3K at 60,
06:504K at 120, and 2.7K at 240. I love filming at higher frame rates and slowing down my footage later
06:57for that buttery smooth look. And while the Go 3S's 1080p at 200 frames per second can get the job done,
07:03with some impressive results, it's noticeably less sharp than its 4K video, and it's definitely a
07:09step behind most of the competition at this price point. A final reason you might want to skip on the
07:14Insta360 Go 3S is that it doesn't support any external microphones. So if I want to do a nice
07:20dynamic shot like this where I'm walking towards the camera further away, I need to use something like
07:24the DJI wireless mic in order to pick up clean audio, and then I have to sync it later in post.
07:30Something that you don't normally need to do with a GoPro, for example, as it does support accessories
07:35like its USB-C to 3.5 millimeter jack, so you can actually connect to your microphones directly into
07:41the unit. And even though the Go 3S actually has a really good built-in microphone, it's only really
07:47best suited if it's directly on you. Again, you can hold it out and film like you're vlogging like that,
07:52and it's still decent, but any further away, and you're going to want to wish you had an external
07:56microphone like this. So is the Go 3S a buy or skip? For me, it's a strong buy. At $400, it's a
08:04really good investment for everything that it helps me capture, and it's one of the most unique
08:08cameras that I've ever used. Now, if Insta360 can figure out how to offer higher frame rates in 4K,
08:13the Go series is going to be very hard to compete with. What do you think? Buy or skip? Let us know in
08:18the comments. You can follow us everywhere at Tom's Guide for more cool tech, and you can follow me to see what I'm
08:22reviewing next. Thanks for watching. I'll catch you in the next one.
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