Insta360 today unveiled the Link 2 and Link 2C, its second-generation webcams for videoconferencing, livestreaming, education, and more.
The new Link 2 and Link 2C couple an upgraded 0.5-inch imaging sensor with a custom AI algorithm for improved low-light performance, more detailed highlights, and more accurate shadows. Both webcams record in 4K at 30FPS (or 1080p at 60 FPS) with HDR, and both support true autofocus at a distance of 10cm, or about four inches.
Of course, specialized modes like Voice Focus, Voice Supression, and Music balance are at the core of these new Insta360 Link cameras. You can create customize backgrounds to hide your messy room, enable DSLR-like natural bokeh, and more. There’s also True Focus, which Insta360 claims uses “faster, more accurate Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF) to rapidly focus and avoid blurry shots.”
The whiteboard feature is very handy and works similarly to Desk View on macOS, where a camera mounted on your computer screen captures an overhead view to show your tabletop (thanks to perspective correction and similar video tricks). This mode is great for presenting during a video call, tutorial videos, education, tech support, etc. With Smart Whiteboard Mode, your Link will automatically detect the whiteboard from which you’re currently presenting.
The flagship Link 2 camera boasts a 2-axis gimbal that can pan and tilt the camera to follow your movements around a room. Its tracking algorithm supports something called Pause-Track Areas—customizable boundaries where the camera won’t track you. This is great when showcasing items or products on camera, such as during e-commerce livestreaming. AI also brings automatic zooming, cropping, and framing. Automatic cropping and framing work with multiple participants in the shot.
Some folks prefer to cover their laptop’s webcam with a piece of tape because “they might be spying on me.” Insta360 is a Chinese-owned brand, so such concerns may be legitimate, but a built-in physical privacy shutter on these cameras should give you peace of mind when not using the webcam. And like the original, these new Links automatically spin their head downward after 10 seconds of inactivity (or you can manually tilt the lens downward).
Insta360 also offers some upgraded accessories for its new webcams, and a new Magnetic Mount is included in the box for those times when you’d like to snap your Link onto a monitor or TV or an external tripod (via the built-in 1/4″ mounting point). The new Link 2 and Link 2C require a Windows PC with at least Intel’s i5-5 CPU and a Mac powered by macOS 10.13 or later. Some advanced features require an Intel i5-10 generation or later chip or macOS 13.0 or later.
The Insta360 Link 2 and Link 2C are available to order from September 24 worldwide via the Insta360 web store, the Insta360 Amazon store, and select retailers. The Insta360 Link 2 is priced at $200 in the United States on Amazon, £200 in the United Kingdom, and €230 in the European Union. The Links 2C costs $150 in the United States on Amazon, £150 in the United Kingdom, and €170 in the European Union.
Source: Insta360
