2025
My brother punched his rapier toward my head. The blade missed me by inches, but the clever duelist swiped down and chopped at my crown, sending the $450 action camera attached to my fencing mask spinning away. The magnetic pod for Insta360’s Go Ultra tumbled to the floor, the light still blinking red, still recording. His sword left a gash along the side of the lens and a scuff on plastic. The camera still works, so if you were wondering how durable the Go Ultra is, know that it passed the “getting hit by a sword” test.
Insta360 Go Ultra You won't find a smaller action cam that's this portable with video quality to stand up to your favorite GoPro. Pros So light and portable
So light and portable Records at 4K/60 fps
Records at 4K/60 fps Magnetic mount with wide variety of uses
Magnetic mount with wide variety of uses Durable against sword blows
Durable against sword blows Fast charging Cons Battery doesn't last too long
Battery doesn't last too long Overheating issues
Overheating issues No internal storage
I had been looking for a camera light enough to stick on my fencing mask without rigging up a mount for a much larger recording device, and I think I found it with the Insta360 Go Ultra. The pricey action camera looks like your average GoPro when both of its main parts—the “Standalone Camera” case with the flip-up display and “Action Pod” with the image sensor and lens—are connected. But its detachable design means you can stick the smaller practically anywhere, so long as you rig up the right mount for the appropriate situation.
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