Smartphones all but killed standalone cameras, however, retro devices always hold a special appeal. This has some people going back to film cameras, others are digging out point-and-shoot cameras that have been gathering dust for years and others still are going for faux-retro devices.
Insta360 Ace Pro 2 retro-inspired bundle
A while back, Insta360 released several kits for the Insta360 Ace Pro 2 – the Flash Print Bundle, for example, added a pocket printer for a simulated Polaroid experience. Now the company is doing something similar with the tiny Go 3S camera.
The new Insta360 Go 3S Retro Bundle replaces the digital Action Pod with the decidedly analog Retro Viewfinder. This is a passive dock for the 3S that adds a waist-level viewfinder like the ones on old film cameras and it has a selfie mirror on the front – Insta360 went really old-school with this one.
Insta360 Go 3S’ Retro Viewfinder
The Retro Viewfinder itself doesn’t do much – it just has a magnet to hold the camera in, while the viewfinder and mirror are as simple as it gets. The goal is to get you to slow down and take a “more intentional approach to photography,” says the company.
Alongside the bundle, Insta360 is launching 11 built-in color profiles, including 5 film-inspired styles: NC, CC, GR-F, Mono and Vintage Vacation. There are also exclusive film-style filters: Negative and Positive film, plus a Sticker Filter.
Insta360 Go 3S Retro Bundle (Canvas White color)
Insta360 Go 3S Retro Bundle (Classic Red color)
The NFC Custom Skin allows you to quickly launch the Insta360 app by just tapping the camera to your phone – with the app you can preview photos and videos, edit clips and adjust settings.
The Action Pod has more duties than just being a digital viewfinder and remote control, though, it also helps charge the Go 3S’ battery. So, Insta360 has included a Battery Pack with the bundle that doubles the camera’s battery life to 76 minutes of video recording.
Insta360 Go 3S Retro Viewfinder + Battery Pack
You can use it for a long day out or you can go without the battery pack, which keeps things smaller and lighter. Alternatively, the Magnet Pendant is also included in the pack, so that you can shoot hands-free PoV videos. Okay, that’s not retro, but it does enable more modern uses.
Insta360 Go 3S Retro Bundle: NFC Custom Skin • Strap
Here’s the thing – the Insta360 Go 3S Retro Bundle is an alternative to the regular Go 3S package, not an add-on. You get the camera, Retro Viewfinder, Battery Pack, NFC Custom Skin, the Magnet Pendant and a strap, plus a pre-installed lens guard and a USB A-to-C cable.
The Insta360 Go 3S Retro Bundle
There are two colors, Canvas White and Classic Red, and two storage options, 64GB for $250/€280 and 128GB for $270/€300. This is actually cheaper than the regular Go 3S package, which costs $350/€400 for 64GB and $380/€430 for 128GB. You do lose the Action Pod with the Retro Bundle, however.
You can find the Insta360 Go 3S Retro Bundle on the company’s online store.