Review: Insta360 Go Ultra Action Camera

Insta360's Go series cameras have always been remarkably small, and the strong magnetic system makes it possible to put them in places and shoot from angles that other cameras can't match. They're tiny and fun, even if the video quality isn't quite as good as what you'd get from a standard action camera.

The latest Go series camera from Insta360, the Go Ultra, aims to change that by using a larger sensor, with higher-quality video, while retaining the detachable, pod-based design. The Go Ultra is bigger, but it's still pretty small and plenty of fun.

Biggie Smalls

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The Go Ultra retains the same form factor as previous models, consisting of a camera pod that can be used on its own, and a base station-like housing that provides an additional battery and a 2.5-inch flip up touchscreen to change settings and even monitor your shot when the pod is detached.

The first thing any Insta360 Go fan will notice is that while the form factor is roughly the same, the camera pod portion of the Go Ultra is not only a different shape (square) but much larger than the pod portion of the Insta360 Go 3S. The good news is that Insta360 tells WIRED that Ultra is not going to replace the 3S, so if you like the form factor of the Go 3S, then stick with it.

I should probably say that I think the four most important elements of an action camera are portability, image quality, stabilization, and field of view.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

In the first case, the Go Ultra beats everything, allowing you to shoot with the camera element only, but there are some caveats. The pod potion of the camera is about 1 inch square and weighs just 53 grams. That's light enough to stick to your helmet and barely even notice it. Since it has a magnetic back you can mount it to anything metal with no need for any extra mounts, adapters, straps, or any of the gear you need to lug around to mount, say, a GoPro. That's really nice and cuts down on the clutter in your pack. The caveat is battery life.

The Go Ultra's battery life is vastly better than the 3S. I was regularly able to get an hour out of it shooting 4K 30 fps, whereas the 3S topped out at about half that. Side note, you can roughly double the 3S pod battery life with Insta360's battery pack, but it does add an ounce (33 g) and quite a bit of bulk. However, in my experience testing it over the summer, the Go Ultra's size increase pales in comparison to its much improved video quality.

There's no huge gain in video specs. You do get 4K 60 fps as an option (the Go 3S tops out at 4K 30 fps), but the real difference is the larger sensor in the Go Ultra. The new 1/1.28″ sensor is over twice the size of what's in the Go 3S (221 percent larger, if you want to be precise). It's also larger than what's in Insta360's flagship action camera, the Insta360 Ace Pro 2. (Though I expect an update to change that in the near future). From what I can tell from testing them side by side, the Go Ultra is using the same sensor found in the company's X5 360 camera (which has two of them).

All of which is to say that the sensor in the Go Ultra is impressive, but don't toss your Ace Pro 2 or X5 just yet, because the sensor is never the end of the story.

Image Quality

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

When it comes to image quality, the new sensor moves the Go Ultra to near the top of the pack as far as Insta360's lineup goes. It's not quite as good as the Ace Pro 2 in some situations (skin tends to look weirdly over-smoothed compared to the Ace Pro 2), but it's better in others, notably low light and shadows where the Go Ultra captures better detail.

Another place I found the Ace Pro 2 footage remains superior is in fast pans or fast footage of busy scenes, like filming from a bike on single-track through trees or bushes. The Ace Pro 2 retains more detail in these scenarios, possibly due to the nicer lens.

Most of the time, though, the footage from the Go Ultra and Ace Pro are close enough that it's hard to tell the raw footage apart. I would generally say the same is true of the X5, though of course in that case you're capturing 360 degree footage, which has its advantages.

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

The Go Ultra has most of the shooting modes you'll get in Insta360's other cameras, include 8-bit HDR, which is still a head scratcher (to really get true HDR footage, you need 10-bit footage like you'll get from GoPro and DJI cameras). There are a couple new modes here, including one called Toddler Titan, which is designed to work with the hat clip accessory and capture your chunky monkey's POV.

Stabilization is excellent and matches what you'd get in the rest of Insta360's action cameras. At this point, every action camera I've tested has stabilization down, and the Go Ultra is no exception.

Probably the best thing about the Go Ultra, after the video quality improvements, is that it now takes a microSD card, rather than having only built-in storage. That means you can now put in up to 2-TB and shoot all day without worrying that you'll fill up the built-in storage.

Another bonus is the wider field of view (FOV), up to 156 degrees from the Go 3S's 150 degrees. That may not sound like much, but every bit helps in this case. For reference, the GoPro Hero 13 Black has a FOV of 156 degrees, and with the Ultra Wide Lens Mod that jumps to 177 degrees. Also new on the Go Ultra is the ability to shoot 4K video at 2X zoom. HDR is also available with 4K footage.

Downsides

Photograph: Scott Gilbertson

There are two things I don't like about the Go Ultra. The first is that the pod is not waterproof out of the box, so you'll need a different lens cover, which is larger and somewhat awkward when using it out of the water. Despite that, I just leave mine on there all the time and deal with the size because most of the time I want an action camera, it's probably because it's going to get wet.

The other thing I do not like about this camera is that you can't remove the battery, which means you're going to have to carry a power brick of some kind to recharge when you're out all day. That's a considerable weight penalty, compared to just throwing an Ace Pro and a couple extra batteries in your bag. Perhaps one day we'll see a Go series camera where the base has a removable battery.

The Go Ultra is a great camera, and the weight increase from the Go 3S doesn't bother me for what I do with this camera. My hesitation comes with the price increase over the Go 3S, which makes the Go Ultra less an extra camera, and more of an only action camera.

The Go Ultra's $450 sticker price puts it on par with the Ace Pro 2, DJI Action 5, and GoPro Hero 13 Black. Up against the DJI and GoPro offerings, the Go Ultra's video quality just isn't there. The only real winning point is the diminutive size, but that is in itself a huge selling point. Especially if you're going to be mounting your action cam on yourself (or your kid), the Go Ultra is the way to go.