360 Camera Accessories

Insta360 One R Vertical Battery Cage

Insta360 One R vertical battery cage
Insta360 One R vertical battery cage

How would you like to turn your Insta360 One R (reviewed here) into a vertical camera like the Insta360 One X?  Here’s a cage for the Insta360 One R with vertical battery that does just that.

Insta360 One R is a modular 360 camera that converts from a 360 camera to a GoPro-like 4k action cam or even a 1-inch sensor camera.  The standard Insta360 One R has a body similar to an action camera.  However, it also has a vertical battery accessory that lets you use it vertically, similar to the Insta360 One X.

One R with vertical battery (left) vs standard One R with 360 mod (right)
One R with vertical battery (left) vs standard One R with 360 mod (right)

For users who prefer to use only the 360 mod, the vertical orientation is more familiar and has a more convenient 1/4-20 mount instead of a swiveling GoPro mount.  However, there are some issues with the vertical battery.  First, the vertical battery is attached only by friction.  To avoid having the camera fall apart, it’s necessary to use the vertical battery bumper, a plastic frame that goes around the One R and keeps the modules together:

vertical battery bumper
vertical battery bumper

The problem with the frame though is that it is not so easy to remove the bumper, which fits tightly around the One R.  The vertical battery bumper also blocks access to the USB port and Micro SD card.  Finally, the One R is waterproof with its standard camera frame, but when used with the vertical battery and the bumper, it looses its waterproofing capability.

Ulanzi Insta360 One R Vertical Battery Cage
Ulanzi Insta360 One R Vertical Battery Cage

 

The Ulanzi vertical battery cage attempts to solve all these issues and adds new features.  Like the Insta360 vertical battery bumper, it has a 1/4-20 tripod hole.  However, it also includes a removable patented two-way GoPro mount that can either freely swivel or be locked into non-swiveling mode.

The cage leaves the One R’s USB port freely accessible, making it easy to attach a USB cable or change the Micro SD card.  Ulanzi claims that the cage will also enable the One R with vertical battery to be water resistant, although not waterproof (do not submerge the One R).  Finally, the cage has cold shoes for accessories such as a microphone or LED light.

The Ulanzi vertical battery cage has two cold shoes
The Ulanzi vertical battery cage has two cold shoes

This accessory makes the One R even more versatile.  It will be interesting to see if it sways consumers who will be choosing between the One R and Insta360’s new camera.  The Ulanzi vertical battery cage is available directly from Ulanzi for $40.

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Mic Ty

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  • Finally…
    I ordered one instantly. 🙂
    The standard frame isn’t that bad. Is it hard to mount in the cam? Yes, a little bit.
    As the frame is only made out of plastic it was not a big issue for me to cut in a little hole for the the USB cable so that charging isn’t a problem anymore.

    • Congrats! As for cutting a hole, I was tempted but I thought it might weaken the bumper too much and my camera might fall apart unexpectedly. Anyway, I ordered the cage too, so hopefully we don’t have to worry about this issue anymore.