What is up my friends, it’s Ray back here! Today,
I’m going to be comparing the new Insta360 GO 3 to the undisputed king of action cameras,
the GoPro HERO11 Black! The GO 3 is Insta360’s latest action camera that’s extremely versatile
and allows you to capture unique footage that’s simply not possible with other cameras. You can
magnetically snap and latch this little guy pretty much anywhere you can think of. It
also has internal storage so you don’t need a memory card and it comes with all of the
accessories you could ever need in the box, including the ActionPod, which opens the door
to even more possibilities. The versatility of the GO 3 is unbelievable and it got me thinking,
how does it stack up again the beloved GoPro HERO 11 Black? Surprisingly, I found these two
to be a lot more different than they are alike. So without further ado, let’s jump right into it!
Alright, let’s kick off this comparison with design. Both of these cameras are small but the GO
3 is flat out tiny when it’s out of the ActionPod. The GO 3 is technically a 2-in-1 camera that can
be used as both a traditional action camera and as a tiny, mountable camera. I wouldn’t say it’s
exactly like the HERO11 Black, which of course is a familiar feeling action camera. A big difference
between these two is that the GO 3 has the ability to be quickly mounted anywhere - including
directly onto your car. When it’s out of the ActionPod, the GO 3 is magnetic and it also has
a quick-release mounting system that latches so you can quickly and securely mount it all kinds
of different places. To do that with the HERO11 Black, you would need to put in much more effort
and you would need a bunch of different bulky accessories to achieve a similar shot. Buying
GoPro accessories adds up quick so it's nice that the GO 3 comes with everything you need. If
hands-free POV shots are your thing, this is the camera for you. GoPro’s have long been the king
of versatility so it’s kind of surprising that its being out versatiled here. Back to design, both of
these cameras are fully waterproof. The ActionPod of the GO 3 is only splash-resistant but when you
take the camera out, you can fully submerge it just like you can with the HERO11 Black.
As you’ve been seeing throughout this video, I’ve been filming with both of these cameras in my pool
and they both don’t have a problem going under water. There were points when I was swimming where
I left both of them recording at the bottom of the pool and they were just fine. One thing I’ll admit
that I miss when I use the GO 3 outside of the ActionPod is the flip up touchscreen. With the
HERO11 Black, you’ll always have a display, well 2 actually, with the GO 3, not so much. It’s a
camera you’ll have to get used to just pointing and shooting with. Still, I greatly prefer the
touch screen on the ActionPod to the one on the HERO11 Black. It’s easier to see outdoors and the
touch screen is much more responsive. The HERO11 Black has a better screen than previous GoPro’s do
but I still feel like it doesn’t register a touch as well as it should. The experience doesn’t feel
as natural or as fluid as it does on the GO 3. It’s easier to change settings and preview
what you’re filming with the adjustable screen. Speaking of, live previewing is another area where
the GO 3 shines. The ActionPod can serve as a live preview monitor and remote control for the camera
when it’s out of the case. This makes it super easy to see what you’re shooting. The only issue
is that the Bluetooth range is quite short. To do this with the HERO11 Black, you would need to pair
it with your phone and use the Quik app, even then you don’t get a live preview while you’re
filming like you do here. As far as battery life goes, you’ll get about 45 minutes of record time
from the GO 3 itself and up to 170 minutes with it in the ActionPod. If you’re low on a charge, just
pop the camera back into the ActionPod to charge it up. With the HERO11 Black, you’ll get between
an hour to 80 minutes of record time. What’s nice though is that you can swap out the battery for a
spare if you need to, which is something you can’t do with the GO 3. As with all cameras,
runtime depends on the recording settings you’re using, the environment you’re filming in and all
of that. Nonetheless, I never found battery life to be an issue with either one of these cameras.
Next, let’s move on to video quality. The HERO11 Black hands down wins in this category. It's got
higher resolution, the colors are easier to color correct and it's just got more
flexibility to work with. However, as you've have been seeing throughout this video, the
GO 3 is no slouch. It surprisingly holds its own. All of the footage that you're seeing is straight
out of each of these cameras. No adjustments or changes. The HERO11 Black tops out at 5.3K 60fps,
whereas the GO 3 tops out at 2.7K 30fps. The GO 3 pretty much has half the resolution of the HERO11
Black but it still looks very good. For this video, the GO 3 footage was upscaled to 4K and
the GoPro footage was downscaled to 4K. Filming for TikToks, Instagram Reels and YouTube Shorts
though, I feel like you’d hardly be able to tell the difference between these two cameras after
all the cropping and compression is done. The 2.7K footage is more than workable for all of that fun
social stuff. For more professional projects though, I would say go with the HERO11 Black.
You’ll get more flexibility with recording settings, cropping, color correction, etc. When
it comes to audio quality though, the GO 3 is the clear winner. The built-in mic is so much clear
than the one on the HERO11 Black. Here’s a quick comparison so you guys can hear the difference!
[Audio sample from Insta360 GO 3] [Audio sample from GoPro HERO11 Black]
And last but not least, let’s talk about workflows and editing tools. I am very much so stuck in my
ways when it comes to editing, I'll admit it. I transfer the footage that I shoot to my computer
and edit it all together in Final Cut Pro. That’s my workflow and it has been for years. What’s
interesting about cameras like these nowadays is that they come with tools like Auto Editing that
use AI to create shareable videos in just a few taps. It’s kind of like a culture shock to me.
Insta360 is especially very, very good at this auto editing thing and the GO 3 is no exception
to it. What you’re seeing here is a video that was together with the free Insta360 app. I
think it looks really good! With the HERO11, the workflow is a bit more complex. Again,
that goes back to it being more of a pro camera. GoPro does offer auto editing and a bunch of tools
in their Quick app, however, you need a paid subscription to access many of those features,
which is kind of a bummer. On the plus side, you do get cloud storage for your footage,
which you don’t get with the Insta360 app. Still, another subscription is something most people
aren't going to want and Insta360 is offers some impressive tools at no additional cost.
At the end of the day, the Insta360 GO 3 and the GoPro HERO11 Black are both incredible cameras.
You seriously can’t go wrong with either of them. Is the GO 3 the better camera because
it won in most of the categories? I wouldn’t say so, the HERO11 Black definitely has it’s
advantages over the GO 3, most notably, it’s a better camera for more professional uses because
of its higher resolution video. However, for everyday use, for travel and content creators
filming specifically for social media, the GO 3 has the advantages where it counts.
It's ability to be mounted virtually anywhere and provide unique footage makes it stand out
from the crowd. It’s a niche camera that’s just a plain fun to film with and I know a
lot of people are going to be drawn to it for its size, simplicity and versatility. Still,
you need to decide which camera will better suit your needs. Do you need the highest resolution
possible? Do value versatility and the ability to mount pretty much anywhere? It’s best to plan
out what you'll be filming so you know what kind of gear you need to get the job done!
So that’s about it for this comparison my friends!! I hope you enjoyed it and found
out helpful. If you did and you liked what you saw, be sure to give it a thumbs up and hit that
subscribe button because it always helps out the channel. Also, don’t forget to follow @raystrazdas
on Twitter and Instagram for much more! Until the next one, I will catch you guys later. Peace!