The original Insta360 Link entered the world fully formed. $299 price tag aside, I had no major complaints about the webcam in my 2022 review. Two years later, the Shenzhen-based consumer optics company has debuted its successor — two of them, in fact.
In my review, I noted that the Link’s steep price tag was due, in part, to its dynamic gimbal base. The technology, while cool, is something I’ve never deemed necessary. I suspect I’m like most folks in the sense that my webcam generally stays in a fixed position. Booting up the first Link requires it to orient itself every time.
Insta360 has addressed the issue by announcing two additions to the line: the Link 2 and Link 2C. The price has come down considerably, with the 2 running $200 and the 2C at $150. I’ve been playing around with the two units for the better part of the week, and it likely won’t surprise you that the latter has replaced the original Link as my daily webcam.
Price aside, the biggest difference between the Link 2 and 2C is that the latter isn’t mounted atop a gimbal. While if you, say, regularly give work presentations that require you to stand up in front of a white board, upgrade to the Link 2. I suspect, however, that for most of us, the 2C is a better option.
Both cameras are capable of shooting 4K at 30 frames a second; in fact, there have been mornings when I’ve opted to bump the resolution down to save the other person from having to see me in ultra-high def. The camera also supports HDR capture for mixed light settings, as not everyone went out of their way to pick up a ring light during the pandemic.
The 2C’s lack of a two-axis gimbal does have its draw backs. For one thing, subject tracking is limited. For another, when you move the frame in the updated app, you have less wiggle room, as it is relying on resizing and cropping the image, rather than dynamic physical movement. Likely you’re going to have to manually tilt the camera up or down to position to fit your liking.
Another nice gimbal benefit introduced with the first-gen Link was that the minute you closed out of the camera app, it automatically re-oriented the lens to face down. It’s a way to both protect the lens from scratches and dust, while giving you peace of mind that it’s not recording you. The 2C gets around this by including a hardware privacy switch on the side that blocks the lens.
Pricing takes a big step in the right direction, with the 2C at half the cost of the first-gen camera. The Link 2 and 2C are now available for purchase.