This is the all-new Insta360 Link.
It's an AI-powered 4K webcam that's unlike anything you've ever seen or used before.
Seriously, if you work from home, need a new webcam or want to upgrade your current one,
this thing is going to change your life!
The second people see your video move on a call or stream it like blows
their minds.
The Link features crisp 4K resolution, a half-inch sensor for fantastic low light capabilities,
a 3-axis gimbal design with AI-tracking to always keep you in frame, dual noise cancelling
microphones for great sound, gesture controls to control things while talking, a whiteboard
mode for if you do lectures, an overhead and DeskView mode for overhead shots, an uncropped
vertical portrait mode for social and live streaming and so much more.
Insta360 didn't have to go so hard with the Link but they chose to go above and beyond
to create one of the most unique and most versatile webcams ever made.
Before we get into things though, you know the drill, lets rewind a little bit and do
a quick unboxing.
So a few weeks back, Insta360 sent me over a package with the new extendable Insta360
Mini 2-in-1 tripod and the new Insta360 Link webcam.
The mini 2-in-1 tripod is a tiny little tripod that works with other Insta360 cameras as
well as regular cameras with an included tripod adapter.
This tripod feels very well made and is definitely something that I see myself taking with me
when I travel.
Then there's the Link.
In the box, first, you'll find the gorgeous little webcam right on top.
The camera itself looks great and it feels very well built.
Also in the box, you'll find a USB-C to USB-C cable, a USB-C to USB-A adapter, whiteboard
cards and some documentation.
Back to the camera, it's easy to see right off the bat that the Link is very different
and unlike anything else out there.
It reminds me a lot of the awesome DJI OSMO Pocket, which is one of my top 5 favorite
cameras ever.
The Link pairs perfectly with that mini 2-in-1 tripod, which makes it super easy to set this
webcam up anywhere that you go and help you achieve that perfect shot - especially since
it's extendable.
Setting the Link up is a breeze.
It's a plug and play webcam so all you really need to do is plug it into your Mac or PC
and you're good to go.
The Link is compatible with Zoom, Google Meet, Skype, Teams and all video call platforms
out of the box.
It'll also work great for streaming with OBS or whatever streaming platform you use.
Where the real magic and versatility lies with this webcam though is in the Link Controller
software.
With the Link Controller, you'll get complete control over the webcam.
You'll be able to adjust the resolution, manually move the gimbal around, set preset positions,
zoom in and out, enable AI tracking, use Whiteboard, Overhead or Deskview mode, turn gesture controls
on and off and gain manual control over the image - from exposure to white balance, saturation
and more.
You'll also be able to enable Streamer Mode, which allows you to put the camera into portrait
mode to film and stream to platforms like Instagram or TikTok.
One of my favorite settings outside of AI tracking though is the DeskView mode.
I film and talk about products a lot so this feature is very handy for me.
DeskView basically just points the camera down at your desk so you'll be able to easily
showcase products, do demonstrations or whatever it is that you need to do with an overhead
shot like this.
The Link is effectively it's own little multi-cam setup with all of the different angles that
it can achieve.
This thing is so precise in tracking your movements that it honestly feels like it has
a mind of its own.
Once it's locked on, it does not let go.
It's an extremely versatile, handy tool to have around and it will no doubt take your
streams or video calls to another level.
As far as image quality goes, as you've been seeing throughout this video, the Link is
crisp.
It pairs a half-inch sensor with a bright F1.8 lens to make your shots bright, sharp
and vibrant with smooth background bokeh.
In my opinion, it's borderline DSLR or mirrorless camera quality in the right lighting.
It far and away exceeds any dedicated webcam that I've used before.
Compared to my Studio Display and M1 MacBook Pro's built-in webcam, the difference is noticeable
right off the bat.
The Link is sharper, crisper and more dynamic.
The Studio Display is similar in a way because it does have Center Stage but that uses software
trickery to make it happen.
Unfortunately, the downside of that is that it crops into the frame and has an impact
on the final image quality that you get.
It works good, don't get me wrong, I just think the Link does it better and doesn't
sacrifice on quality.
So now I think it's time we do a quick recording with the Insta360 Link webcam.
Lets see the video quality, the audio quality and all that it can do!
What is up my friends!
It's Ray back here and this is a test of the Insta360 Link webcam.
Now I'm actually shooting in 4K with the Insta360 Link controller software and the audio is
coming directly out of the camera.
I have not heard a recording back on this camera so I don't know how the audio is but
I did notice if it is so-so that you can change the input.
So you can use an external microphone or something like that if you really want to.
One of the cool things about this camera is of course the fact that you can move it around
and focus on different things.
So you can focus on like a different presentation, different document, different posterboard,
whiteboard.
Things like that which is very cool.
You can also focus on like food, products, your keyboard, desktop.
Things like that.
It's really cool stuff.
You can also set preset positions like I did right there.
I have it set to behind my MacBook because it's behind my MacBook and I think this is
like the optimal frame for doing that and um, yeah.
If you don't want to that manually, you can enable that AI-tracking which is surprisingly
very accurate.
This thing is actually kind of creepy because it knows exactly where you are and it like
locks and it does not let you go.
So I'm going walk around like I'm doing a lecture and this thing should follow me around
literally everywhere that I go.
If I go to the side of it, if I go anywhere in front of it, it should even go behind it.
I can't go behind it because there's a window there but yeah it's doing a really good of
just keeping me in frame and showcasing the room.
Things like that and it's actually on the whole body AI zoom setting.
So I'm going to put on half body and it's going to zoom in a little more so it shows
like half my body so it's doing a pretty good job at that.
And I'm going to AI zoom to the head preset which is going to zoom in and focus more on
my face.
So this is great you know if want to teach, if you want to do lectures, keynotes, whatever
it may be, there's a lot of flexibility to make this camera something special for your
setup.
One of the last things that I really like is the gesture controls.
I'm going to hold my hand up here like this.
It's going to blink blue and it's going to stop AI tracking me.
Pretty cool.
I'm going to put my hand back up and now it's going to start AI tracking me again.
So there's gesture controls that work really well here.
There's a great f1.8 lens which does a really good job autofocusing on things and giving
some nice background bokeh going on here so this is a great webcam.
This is really like a huge improvement to anything that I've ever used before so if
you want a webcam.
I think you'd be hard pressed to find something better than this.
At the end of the day, I can't help but think that the Insta360 Link is one of the best
external webcams that you can buy at the moment.
The quality that this little thing delivers is unlike any other webcam out there to date.
I've gotten complaints on the quality of my video on Zoom calls a few times since I started
using it and I thought that was super cool.
The second people start seeing your video moving around just like blows their minds.
That's when I usually share with them the link, no pun intended, to this webcam and
that's when they want one too.
To me, that's the ultimate compliment that shows just how cool something is.
If you work from home, need a new webcam or want to upgrade from the one that's currently
built into your laptop, the Link is without question the best that you can buy right now.
This thing is outstanding!
Anywho, that’s about it for this video my friends!!
I hope you enjoyed it and found out helpful.
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Until the next one, I will catch you guys later.
Peace!