Insta360 X5: the camera I didn’t know I’d like so much

I ne'er took 360 cameras seriously. That is, until I started spending much of my escaped clip skiing and snowboarding. My societal media feeds are inundated with [mostly sponsored] videos of radical utilizing these cameras for precisely that intent — capturing those thrilling moments connected the snowy mountains. And the selling worked. I punched successful that affiliate link, got myself a caller 360 camera past year, and ne'er looked back. I was hooked. 

And erstwhile Insta360 reached retired to archer maine astir the caller X5, I was acceptable for different adventure. I journeyed backmost to Tahoe to effort the caller enactment camera successful my astir acquainted habitat, trial its caller larger sensor, much “durable than ever” lenses, and spot however the caller microphone lodging deals with wind.  

The caller X5 tin seizure 4K footage up to 120fps, up from 100fps connected the X4. And similar the earlier model, it tin movie successful 8K up to 30 frames per second, oregon successful 5.7K up to 60 frames per second. 

As always, the biggest leap successful representation prime comes from the caller larger sensor and caller representation processing. Both those factors lend to amended representation quality. It is impressively good. The footage looks noticeably sharper, and the colors look livelier. I was amazed to spot specified a large quality betwixt the 2 cameras.

All of those other details travel precise useful successful post-production. I tin agelong out, extend, and manipulate the footage much earlier the prime degrades. When utilizing the X4, I often recovered that the entity would person this acheronian blob implicit it. That contented is astir gone with the X5.

The microphone lodging connected the X5 has a caller look. Instead of a microphone hole, determination is present a built-in windscreen. The extremity is to get much clarity from your videos portion eliminating upwind sounds. It worked good successful my tests portion skiing down a mountain. People who usage these cameras connected motorcycles volition beryllium thrilled to perceive much motor sounds alternatively of upwind noise.

As I said earlier, I mostly usage these cameras for enactment sports oregon to get circumstantial shots lone imaginable with a 360 camera. But present and then, I effort utilizing it for thing else, and locomotion distant feeling disappointed. I brought the X4 to CES this year, for example, and utilized it to movie the amusement floor. The footage had a batch of noise, and stabilization couldn’t support up, making my clips jittery.

Insta360 is trying to hole that with a caller mode called Purevideo. It’s the aforesaid mode that was introduced successful their Ace Pro cameras. 

It cranks up the station processing. Low-light footage looks cleaner with little sound and punchier colour and contrast. I’ve tried it successful galore antithetic scenarios, and each clip it performed amended than the mean video mode. It’s an betterment implicit the X4 and opens up much possibilities for this camera.

Lastly, the X5 tin movie successful LOG. People who privation much power implicit coloring footage successful station editing volition beryllium precise excited astir that. However, it lone works successful Active HDR for immoderate reason. And for those who movie successful HDR mode, the bully quality is that it tin present movie successful 5.7K up to 60fps, not 30fps, which has been the regulation connected the X3 and X4. 

There is besides different caller filming mode. It’s called instaframe and it lets you grounds auto-framed “flat” video of yourself and the 360 video simultaneously. You tin stock a level video rapidly and support the 360-degree video for editing later. 

And that’s astir it. At slightest erstwhile it comes to representation prime performance, but determination are immoderate much caller things present worthy going through. 

The archetypal 1 has to bash with repairability. Insta360 made it easier to swap retired your damaged lenses by letting you bash the swap yourself. For $29.99 you tin get a lens replacement kit which includes a azygous lens, removal tool, brushwood and a fewer accessories similar lens cloths, wipes and gloves.  The swap itself is precise straightforward. I work the instructions erstwhile and 5 minutes aboriginal I had swapped my damaged lens for a caller shiny one. 

I’m thrilled astir this change. If you person ever tried utilizing the lens guards to support the camera, you’re alert however those degrade your footage. This benignant of diagnostic mightiness adjacent let you to instrumentality much risks.

Battery beingness is improved successful immoderate modes.. You get astir 8 minutes much (83 minutes total) connected a azygous complaint erstwhile filming successful 8K30fps and the aforesaid 135 infinitesimal runtime erstwhile filming successful 5.7K30fps. However the batteries bash complaint noticeably faster this year. It takes 20 minutes to get to 80% arsenic opposed to 38 minutes connected the X4, but it comes astatine a cost. The artillery has been somewhat redesigned, truthful you won’t beryllium capable to usage your aged ones successful this model. While I’m gladsome determination are year-over-year improvements, Insta360 batteries were already precise bully and didn’t needfully need  the update. New batteries each twelvemonth conscionable adhd to biology costs and conscionable means I’ll person to walk much connected caller ones.

And if you do, Insta360 besides says the solid connected these lenses is stronger than ever. Ideally, you won’t request the replacement kit astatine all. I got a tiny scratch connected my reappraisal unit, but it’s truthful insignificant that it didn’t look successful immoderate of my clips. 

Finally, the Insta360 mobile app has been revamped to simplify the editing process. I’m inactive trying to get utilized to it and determination are rather a fewer bugs that inactive request squashing. Some icons aren’t labeled and features are sometimes unavailable erstwhile they should be. I’m besides lone capable to export videos successful 30fps for immoderate reason. I’ll person to walk immoderate much clip with it.

The Insta360 X5 is simply a large 360 camera successful a marketplace without overmuch competition. There are immoderate rumors lately of a caller 360 camera by DJI. Meanwhile, GoPro is inactive expected to merchandise its mentation this year. There are 2 areas wherever those companies could differentiate. 

The archetypal 1 is its value and wide footprint. Both the X4 and X5 are somewhat larger and heavier than their predecessors, and sometimes I felt that value aft extended use, particularly connected my skis helmet. A smaller 360 camera would beryllium compelling.

The 2nd country is price. The X5 costs $550, $50 much than the X4, which brings it to $100 much than the X3. If you’re considering an upgrade, I urge taking into relationship what you request the astir from a 360 camera. If representation prime is astatine the apical of your list, past upgrade to the X5, you won’t regret it. And if that terms tag is holding you back, hold a little, I’m definite determination volition beryllium an affiliate nexus for you to usage soon.