Leica Camera AG and Insta360 announced a partnership aimed at bringing innovation and imaging quality to the action camera and 360-degree camera spaces.

The announcement coincides with the launch of the Insta360 ONE R, an adaptive action camera that uses an interchangeable camera module to combine the creative freedom of 360-degree capture with the precision and resolution of traditional single-lens shooting.

Leica and Insta360 co-engineered the Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Edition, which offers creators a 5.3K 1-inch sensor to achieve image quality and dynamic range never before seen in an action cam, together with Insta360’s signature FlowState stabilization. This 5.3K wide-angle lens can be instantly swapped for a dual-lens setup that captures action in all directions at once and unlocks a range of creative techniques only possible with a 360-degree field of view.

The unique interchangeable-lens design enables 360-degree capture, standard 4K wide-angle capture, and use of a 5.3K 1-inch sensor.

The concept is simple — one battery, one processor and a selection of quick-swapping lens Mods. In an instant, ONE R transforms from a dual-lens 360 shooter to a standard action cam. ONE R currently offers three ways to shoot with three available lens Mods — the Dual-Lens 360 Mod, the 4K Wide-Angle Mod and the 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica.

• Dual-Lens 360 Mod: This Mod supports 5.7K capture on two lenses that cover every direction at once. It enables a real-time 360-degree preview on ONE R’s touchscreen, while Color Plus, HDR video and Night Shot promise to achieve the best color accuracy and low-light performance in any consumer 360 camera.
• 4K Wide Angle Mod: Ready for 4K@60fps, this Mod captures stabilized action and supports up to 8x slow mo. Its reversible design lets you flip the touchscreen from back to front in a snap — perfect for getting real-time feedback when filming yourself.
• 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica: The 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod uses an 1-inch sensor to capture 5.3K video and 19MP photos even in complex lighting conditions.

The ONE R uses a fully upgraded FlowState stabilization algorithm to achieve gimbal-like stabilization whether you’re shooting in 360 or with a standard wide angle. It is also IPX8 waterproof to depths of 5 meters (16.4 feet) straight out of the box. For those who want to go deeper, a Dive Case enables descents of up to 60 meters (197 feet).

Voice control lets you control ONE R with a few simple commands. If ONE R is mounted on a helmet or out of reach, just give it a shout.

Insta360 has developed its own computer vision algorithm to identify the best parts of any 360 video and recommend them to creators. There’s still plenty of choice, but the ONE R app’s Auto Frame feature helps you quickly narrow down the shots worth considering and does the reframing for you.

AI-powered computer vision also enables ONE R’s tracking capabilities. When editing 360 video, creators can select a subject to follow with a tap. The ONE R app will automatically keep it locked in center-frame. Even if a subject is obscured by an obstacle, ONE R’s algorithm will remember it and start tracking again as soon as it reappears.

And if you don’t want to wait for post-production to choose your subject, you can also use Deep Track in real time. ONE R’s “Point to Track” feature lets you lock onto a subject with the voice prompt “Mark that!”. The next time you connect to your camera, you’ll get an automatically reframed shot that follows your chosen subject.

ONE R brings back Insta360’s fun and versatile Invisible Selfie Stick feature. Easily capture aerial angles and video-game-style third-person views by making your camera grip invisible. Invisible Selfie Stick is only supported when using the Dual-Lens 360 Mod.

New Night Shot mode captures low-light photos that pop, while automatic de-noising preserves detail in low-light video.

ONE R also supports HDR modes for both photos and video, and creators can take advantage of Color Plus to do an automatic, one-touch color grade.

Every ONE R build comes standard with two onboard mics and an automatic wind-reduction algorithm. However, its USB Type-C port and top-mounted Accessory Shoe also allow for easy third-party 3.5mm mic connection.

The ONE R app comes with a range of new editing features. The TimeShift hyperlapse effect popularized by ONE X can now be completed with a couple taps, and a new pose-detection algorithm lets creators instantly identify and extract every frame of a clip in which they strike a similar posture.

New Starlapse mode automatically calibrates exposure settings to capture time-lapses of the night sky — creators just pick a time and a place and hit record. The ONE series’ signature Bullet Time effect has also been upgraded with a smart horizon-leveling algorithm.

FlashCut is the ONE R app’s content-aware editing algorithm. First, it finds shots based on a theme set by the creator — like food, travel or pets. Then it combines them on beat into a stylish edit. FlashCut can filter and combine footage captured by any ONE R build — 360 or standard.

Meanwhile, Insta360 today also announced the groundbreaking Insta360 ONE R Aerial Edition, which offers a specialized mounting system to make supported drones completely invisible and captures an unobstructed, airborne 360-degree view.

Insta360 ONE R 1-Inch Edition comes standard with the premium 1-Inch Wide Angle Mod co-engineered with Leica, and retails for $549.99 USD.

Specifications

• Aperture: F3.2
• 35mm Equivalent Focal Length: 14.4mm
• Photo Resolution: 5312x3552 (3:2) 5312x2988 (16:9)
• Video Resolution: 5312x2988@30fps, 3840x2160@60fps, 3840x2160@30fps, 2720x1530@60fps, 2720x1530@30fps, 1920x1080@120fps, 1920x1080@60fps, 1920x1080@30fps
• Photo Format: jpg, RAW (dng) (RAW files require software on PC/Mac to export)
• Video Format: insv (can be exported via App or Studio), mp4 (enable in-camera basic stabilization), LOG
• Video Coding: H.264 / H.265
• Video Modes: Standard video, Timelapse mode, TimeShift mode
• Weight: 158.2g
• Dimensions (W x H x D): 78.7 x 53.8 x 47.2
• Run Time: 5.3K @30fps - 65 minutes
• Video Bitrate: 100Mbps
• Gyroscope: 6-axis Gyroscope
• Recommended devices:
• iOS: A11 or above iOS iPhone 11/11 Pro/11 Pro Max, iPhone XS/XS Max, iPhone XR, iPhone X, iPhone 8/8 Plus
• Android: Kirin 980 or above (Huawei Mate20, P30 and above) Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 (Samsung Galaxy S9, Xiaomi Mi 8 and above) Exynos 9810 or above (Samsung S9, S9+, Note9 and above)
• Photo Modes: Standard photos, HDR photos, Burst, interval photos, Night Shot
• Live-streaming: Coming Soon
• EV: ±4EV
• Exposure Modes: Auto, Manual(Shutter 1/8000s-120s, ISO 100-3200), Shutter Priority (1/8000s-2s), ISO Priority (100-3200) WB Auto, 2700K, 4000K, 5000K, 6500K
• Bluetooth: BLE4.0
• Wi-Fi: 5G (Standard range of approximately 20 meters)
• USB Type-C: Micro SD Card UHS-I V30 speed class, exFAT(FAT64) format SD cards with a max storage of 256GB are recommended.
• Battery Capacity: 1190mAh
• Charging Method: Type-C
• Charging Time: 65mins
• Use Environment: -4° F to 104° F (-20C to 40C)