Insta360 Link 2

Verdict

If you’re looking for a gimbal-controlled webcam with great image quality then the Insta360 Link 2 is one of the finest options around. It’s not a major upgrade over its predecessor but it’s more affordable, has a better microphone and a handful of new features.

Introduction

Insta360 launched the original Link webcam in 2022, and it was quite a departure for the brand. Insta360 is well known for its 360 and action cameras, but this was the first desktop peripheral that we’d seen, and it made quite a splash.

The original Link has a built-in gimbal, which means it can autonomously follow you around the room, plus it also has great image quality and excellent microphones. The downside is that it’s quite pricey. Now, Insta360 is back with a couple of new models, and the good news is that they’re much more affordable.

The Link 2 brings with it a dramatic redesign, a new microphone setup and some new AI-enhanced features. Crucially, it costs just $199, while the original link launched at £318.99/$299.99. If you don’t need the gimbal, there’s also the Link 2C, which has similar specs without the pan and tilt capabilities, and that goes for just $149.

I used the original Link as my main webcam for years, and I wanted to know if you lose out on anything by opting for this newer and more affordable model. After living with it for the past week, here’s what I found out.

Design and build

• 2-axis pan and tilt gimbal
• New magnetic mounting system
• USB-C connectivity

The Insta360 Link 2 looks very different to its predecessor, it has a much larger elongated body and it relies on a 2-axis gimbal rather than the 3-axis design of the original Link. 

This means there’s no roll axis control, which isn’t too much of an issue with a webcam (your monitor shouldn’t be off-axis anyway). However, it does mean that the camera can’t automatically flip into portrait mode like the Link can. Portrait shooting is still supported, but you’ll need to use a tripod, or an alternative mount, to get that set up.

On top, there’s a sizable new microphone grille, which reminds me of the Sony ZV-1‘s mic – and I suspect the large camera housing is required to make room for this microphone. It’s a confident look that shows it means business.

On the front, the lens is positioned on the left side, and to the right, you’ll find a large circular LED indicator that lights up green when the camera is active, and flashes when it recognises a gesture control. There’s also a small touch-sensitive area on the base of the gimbal that can be used to activate or deactivate tracking, for times when gesture controls aren’t appropriate.

The original Link had a fold-out monitor mount built into the base of the gimbal but with the Link 2, things work slightly differently. There’s still a monitor mount of course but it’s a separate piece, and the gimbal attaches to it with a strong magnet. There’s still a 1/4-20 thread on the base of the mount, too, so it’s compatible with tripods and other photography accessories.

Insta360 hasn’t mentioned a reason for the design change, but there are some clues in the hardware. On the base of the gimbal, there are pogo-pin contacts, so presumably we’ll see some magnetically attachable accessories in the future. At this stage, that’s just speculation, but surely the contacts are there for a reason.

Whether it’s intended or not, the magnetic base has some utility. For example, I found I could magnetically attach the webcam to my PC tower, and that’s a very easy way to set up portrait framing. It can also attach to a mic arm, if it’s made of a magnetic material, which is another great way to get some creative angles.

Performance and video quality

• 1/2-inch sensor
•  26mm equivalent f/1.8 lens
• Up to 4K 30fps HDR video recording

Just like its predecessor, the Link 2 has a 1/2 inch sensor with a 26mm equivalent f/1.8 lens. It can record in 4K at up to 30fps, and this time it supports HDR at its maximum resolution, too. The previous model could only record HDR at up to 1080p.

Unsurprisingly, the image quality is very similar to that of the original Insta360 Link. It’s miles ahead of the majority of webcams, offering a sharp vibrant image with tonnes of detail. Dynamic range is also impressive, and it can keep your face well exposed and your background visible even with heavy backlighting.

It has rock-solid autofocus, so if you’re streaming and want to showcase a product, you can hold it up to the camera and it’ll quickly and accurately shift the focus between your face and the product.

By default, I think the image is oversharpened and too contrasty, I much prefer the default image tuning of the Obsbot Tiny 2 Lite. The good news though is that it’s very easy to switch up the look. Sliding the contrast and sharpness settings down a few notches made a massive improvement to the overall image quality.

In darker conditions, you’ll notice quite a lot of noise in the image, particularly in the shadow areas, but it does a good job of maintaining a natural-looking exposure. AI tracking and gesture controls work just fine in dimmer conditions, too.

Given that this is a webcam, you’ll usually be in control of your lighting, and using a key light or moving your laptop to a brighter part of the house can make a world of difference.

Just as I found with the original Link, the AI tracking is very reliable, and it tends to keep up even if you dart about energetically. There were times when it lost me, for example, if I hid behind my office chair, but positioning my face in the frame made it quickly resume tracking.

The new microphone sounds very different to its predecessor, and for the most part, I think it’s a change for the better. The software does some pretty heavy processing by default; it comes set to Voice Focus mode, which effectively eliminates all background noise. 

It works, the mic picked up my voice extremely well and it was able to filter out some pretty loud background music, but it’s not the most natural sound and it may be an acquired taste.

You can also select Music Balance mode, which attempts to balance the levels of your voice and ambient music. That one sounds much more natural, but you lose a bit of vocal presence. 

Finally, there’s Voice Suppression which is designed to filter out background chatter and focus in on your voice. Again, it’s very effective, but it does sound a little artificial and processed. It’s the kind of thing that could save the day in a coffee shop or convention hall.

Software and features

• Insta360 Link Controller for Windows and macOS
• Smartphone remote control
• Gesture control, AI group tracking, AI noise reduction

The Insta360 Link 2 is controlled using the appropriately named Link Controller app on Windows and macOS. It’s essentially the same software that shipped with the original Insta360 Link, but it’s had a pretty big visual overhaul and additional features have been added for the new cameras.

It works in much the same way as its predecessor and it’s very similar to the Obsbot software for the Tiny 2 Lite. The software will give you full control over the gimbal movements, granular control over the image settings, access to effects/filters and AI tracking options.

Once you have the camera set up to your liking you can use gesture controls to activate and deactivate tracking, zoom in and out and switch to Whiteboard Mode. The camera recognises these gestures very well and it’s quick to activate the desired setting.

The only one that gave me trouble was the Whiteboard Mode gesture, which is activated by holding up a peace sign with your hand. For some reason, Link 2 thought I was doing this all the time, but thankfully, you can just toggle that specific gesture off in the settings.

I’ve already covered the new AI noise cancellation features but the app also adds the ability to track groups of people rather than a single person, alongside the ability to create excluded areas where the camera will stop tracking.

Both of these tracking modes work very well, and if you’re running a production or a meeting with multiple hosts, the new group tracking mode could be a lifesaver. The limiting factor is the width of the lens – if you have multiple subjects that are too far apart, it’ll just follow the person in the frame.

The app worked flawlessly for the majority of my testing. It’s well laid out and easy to navigate, too. I did have some issues with dropped frames when recording natively in the app, especially when effects like background blur were active, but I suspect that’s down to the early Beta release. Insta360 is very timely with app and firmware updates, so I imagine these hiccups will be ironed out before long.

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