Check out this new product from the great company Insta360 – the Insta360 Flow! This is a new kind of product for the 360 camera company but they put all of their best tech into making this and the software that accompanies it to help give you a very great experience to smoothly and intelligently capture video with your smartphone.
The New Insta360 Flow – A Smartphone Gimbal Powered with AI
Link: Insta360 Flow Smartphone AI Gimbal – $159 (this is an affiliate link that supports the site – thanks for the support!)
A few years ago, if you wanted to capture some nice photos of your trip, you would need to bring along at least a point-and-shoot style camera to get some nice shots. But, smartphones have come along so far in the photography department that many travelers have ditched their heavier camera gear in favor of the “camera” in their pocket already. In the last couple of years, smartphones really upped the game in the video department as well, even with stabilization.
But, smartphone stabilization is only so good, especially since many phones lean on electronic stabilization (which is not as good as when the lens itself is stabilized, or, optical stabilization). When you want to smooth out your video even more, that is when you grab for a gimbal.
DJI has made smartphone gimbals for years and other companies have also put out their own offerings, especially companies that already have stabilization technology to draw on. This is the first foray that Insta360 has made into the gimbal space but they are certainly no strangers to the stabilization space since their FlowState technology is already awesome for their 360 degree cameras.
That brings us to the new Insta360 Flow gimbal. Here are some of the key points about this new gimbal. Here is what it has:
- Selfie stick: An extension rod extends to 215mm for better selfies and cinematic low angle shots.
- Tripod: Extends from the handle, allowing creators to set up Flow to film themselves or capture a creative effect like motion timelapse or 360 photo.
- Power bank: Flow’s best-in-class 2900mAh battery can even charge a smartphone while recording.
- Built-in cold shoe: Add a mic for leveled-up audio without any additional accessories.
And it folds up into a package small enough to fit in your pocket and deploys with a single step action.
That is just the hardware side. The beauty of this gimbal extends beyond that when you get into the tracking features that are available.
If you are using an iPhone with the gimbal, once you connect your iPhone to the magnetic phone clamp, it will pop up a message on your iPhone to open the Insta360 app to start the software side of things. Here is what Insta360 has to say about the control side of things.
“For creators who want to take the wheel with full creative control, Flow offers that too. The SmartWheel boasts a minimalist design that gives creators quick, easy access to a host of useful functions, from shooting controls, to video replay, and more. A swipe of the wheel toggles between four main modes: Auto, Follow, Pan Follow and FPV.
Unique to Flow is Auto mode, which automatically adjusts gimbal settings based on the user’s movements for guaranteed shake-free shots, perfect for beginners. For more adventurous creators, FPV mode can be used to spin your smartphone and simulate FPV drone-like movements, such as a barrel roll.”
Plus, here are more modes that you get with this gimbal and app that will surely help you level up your creative capturing.
Flow also helps creators with AI-powered shooting and editing tools in the Insta360 app.
“Not sure how to compose a shot? Give a voice command and Shot Genie will recommend shooting techniques according to the scene. Over 80 templates are available to follow, from filming the beach to a bustling city scene.
Hoop Mode is a first-of-its-kind mode for basketball fans. Set Flow to record a game and the AI will track the basketball and hoop to recognize when a basket is made, saving the highlights as individual clips for easy editing into a reel later.
More shooting modes are also a tap away, including:
- Panorama: Simply extend the tripod and Flow will snap an immersive panorama in 360°, 240°, 180° or 3×3 grid format. Flow is the first smartphone stabilizer capable of shooting 360 photos.
- TimeShift: Film a hyperlapse with stabilized, sped-up footage over a period of time, great for hiking or traveling.
- Motion Timelapse: Set Flow down to film between two points over a period of time for a dynamic timelapse.
- Dolly Zoom: Recreate this classic Hollywood effect with the tap of a button, great for zooming in and out on a subject.
Flow’s 12-hour battery life means it can last all day without ever needing a charge. When the day’s over, creators can use FlashCut to edit together their video clips on-beat to music, with seamless transitions and effects.”
Now, check out some of the images and videos from this new Insta360 Flow gimbal, which is available today from the Insta360 store as well as Amazon and other retailers. The price is $159 which is competitive in this smartphone gimbal space.
Mine is arriving tomorrow so I will put it through its paces in travel and running to give you a real-life review.
