Insta360 - Insta360 X4

Here's my take. Cameras like the X4 are great 'lazy' cameras. You don't do anything with them live - just stick them in place and let them do their thing. They are also 'you get what you get' cameras. Low light noise, visible stitch lines are part of what you get. Finally they are 'get it all' cameras with the 360 degree dome - even if the camera operator is unaware of something interesting happening - the camera will catch it. The post-processing on the app is also fun in the X4 with lots of novel shots available to you. If you're planning on using this for motorcycles - do you need more than 180 degrees? If not - then the X4 is not necessary. Get the best quality 180 degree camera you can get. Reminder - you can set the X4 into single lens mode and get better quality 180 degree footage too. I edit my videos - so I can handle the stitch lines and noise profiles easily. My favorite camera (out of GoPro, RX100VII, FX30, FX3, Pocket 3, X3, X4) is the X4. It's just goofy, easy, low-risk fun. My best camera is the FX3 (and the FX30 actually). My photo camera/daily carry is the RX100VII. The Pocket 3 proved less useful for what I do and unfortunately it gathers dust. The X4 was not really any kind of improvement over the X3 - which I believe was part of your question.

I use an Insta360 X4 with motorcycle mount on my R3. It has decent night time videos that I have posted on YouTube. 5k resolution downgraded to 1080p because I use a freeware clipchamp.

I've had ONE X2, X3 and now X4. Only downside was the X4 was larger and heavier but I quickly got used to that. Depending on how you use it, it might not be a big deal. It is missing some bracketing photo features earlier models had. If you don't use them, no big deal. Check out many side by side video comparisons. I record them when I get a new X camera to decide if the upgrade is worth it.

I have never owned a GoPro, but started 360 photography in 2005 with a mirror-ball add on for a digital camera. I've owned 360 cams from Giroptic, RICOH, Kodak and now have Insta360 and DJI. While my RICOH had better photos than the ONE X2, I got a ONE X2 because it had better software and was more fun. I instantly used a "worse" camera more than any of the other models I had. As I moved from X2 to X3 to X4 to X5, each comparison always had some things I thought the earlier model did better. With my DJI Osmo 360, I got it specifically for low light, hoping it might be my "go to" for low light situations, and the X5 for everything else. I've already seen alot of footage comparing it to other cameras, and some things look better on the Max 2, and other things look worse. Personal preference is a b-tch ;) What do you expect the niche of the Max 2 to be? What are the things that GoPro does better?

Insta360 is the best we've used and the 360 has major benefits.

I got an Insta360 X4 for Christmas for filming my kids and it is pretty much magic fairy dust level of technology. It is the only one you should consider IMHO.

Insta 360x4 was absolutely awesome

If it's your first just go for the x5. I've used the x4 for more than a year and as long as it doesn't break there very little incentive to move to the x5 on the basis of low light performance

I bought a x4 for similar reasons- family vacations, biking and running. I think the action stick is necessary as well as the heavy duty clamp. I got a protective cage for it as well.

get the insta360 x series. You can just hold them or mount them and forget about the camera and just ski. Then you can choose what frames to focus on, that way you can just focus about skiing.

The Insta360 X4 is a great secondary camera but a poor primary one. Get the Action 5 Pro if this is going to be your only action cam.

Insta360 X4 I got it as a discounted bundle with accessories from Costco. Mounted to the handlebar, used as a dashcam (recording 360 at a low framerate). But it can also do single camera mode and be mounted to your helmet.

I have a X2/X4 and a Ace Pro. X5 is a 360 camera. So when you crop it down from 8K 360 to a 16:9 viewport with say a 90 degree field of view... you are at something around 2.7K resolution (note you can shoot single lens in 4K, but it is an ultra, ultra wide field of view... so it's not going to be as good as a normal 4K as well). Personally, if I have to have only one camera with me, I always take my X4... it is just much more versatile as I think the convenient of framing and tracking almost always outweigh the loss in quality. Some times I have both an a magnetic-quick mount stick and just swap between the two depending on whether I need the reframing ability of the 360 camera or not.

Recently bought an X4 one thing I've found is on bright sunny days the lens guards cause so much horrible flare in the image, and you often get a reflection of the lens itself in the guard, hoping being able to run the X5 without guards will solve those issues.

I've had ONE X2, X3 and now X4. Only downside was the X4 was larger and heavier but I quickly got used to that. Depending on how you use it, it might not be a big deal. It is missing some bracketing photo features earlier models had. If you don't use them, no big deal. Check out many side by side video comparisons. I record them when I get a new X camera to decide if the upgrade is worth it.

360 cam for sure. U can use AI tools provided in the app to keep u in frame with a click of a button. With the 360 cam, U do not have to worry if u are in frame or not. Audio quality is good too.

How is the audio of the X5 in a festival setting like in the beginning of this video? The audio on my X3/X4 is barely usable in loud environments, while my iPhone 14 has no problems at all capturing very acceptable audio.

Just finished a dive trip in the Philippines. Attached a insta360 x4 with dive housing on top of my DSLR in Ikelite housing. In terms of cost, versatility of footage, stablization and ease of editing with apps its probably what I would recommend. It's fast ans easy to export and share footage. The video from my Canon 5Div though is much higher absolute quality after post production its still a long process from shooting to colour grading and editing.

I bought the X4 a couple weeks ago to record my dj sets in the club. The low light quality was terrible i ended up just using my phone and returning it. The X5 changes that so I will be purchasing it and hopefully be able to get some good low light video from my sets.

TLDR: I personally really like the versatility of the 360 cameras like X4 Air (if I could only own one it would be a 360 camera), but the small size of the Go 3S makes it a more discreet device. In the end, it's depend on your use cases and imagination. I have Go 3S and regular X4. The X4 Air is about the size/weight of a chunky candy bar/short TV remote/ or slim eyeglasses case and they have distinctly different use cases. Use the Go 3S for established POV videos - for example mounted on your head, chest, or to the body of a instrument. Here you have established stationary positions of the camera and viewing angle. For instance, I mounted a Go 3S to an Air Rocket my kids launched as part of a school project and I got a good slow motion sequence of the crowd on the ground as the rocket blasted away. Use the X4 Air when there is a lot of movement going around that makes it hard to properly aim it - for instance you want a full body view of yourself (with no visible poll) from 3-10 feet away as your are moving (hiking, skiing/snowboarding, etc), or say you are trying to video your friends moving (skiing/snowboarding) while you are also moving where it would be tricky to casually keep them well framed in the camera (a veteran/pro videographer will be able to anticipate/follow the action with some communication/planning with the moving subject... but a 360 camera makes this a lot easier). I've also mounted the 360 camera to a fishing pole and a hockey stick and the 360 camera can easily stabilize the extremely movements of those two poles while still focusing on the action at hand (i.e. the lure being flung into the water, or the players and puck despite the camera twisting/spinning along). As for the drone, the Antigravity drone is not schedule for release until early 2026, so that will be far from now. Whether a drone will replace the X4 again depends on your use case... with a 10ft (3m) pole, the X4 Air can do a lot of similar angles to a drone being within 10-15 of the subject and isn't limited by the various regulations around a drone (drones are noisy and banned in most state/national parks, within 15-20 miles of airports, and landmarks and public/private buildings). You can easily make a video of what looks like a drone flying behind/in front of you with a 360 camera on a long pole. What you can't do with a normal 360 camera is get a view 100-300 ft in the air away from anything else (like a bridge or tower).

The x series are heavy, while they can be used for running, after the honeymoon period of a new device has gone it might just be annoying with the extra weight. I would go with the go series, but the 3s pod battery is very short at around 30min give or take settings. I use the x4 for cycling and I definitely feel the weight of the camera when turning ( I have the independent bike mount too ) and garmin.

TLDR: I would get the X4 Air as I believe it is equal or cheaper than the X4. Otherwise X4 is fine. I always shoot in 8K personally and that gives me like 75 minutes of continuous recording (which I think is plenty in most cases - especially on a bike since you can connect an external power to it). X4 Air is splits the difference between the X4 and X5 in image quality (i.e. better than the X4) has replaceable lenses. It has like 65-70 minutes of 8K battery life. Yes, you can swap batteries as they recharge to 80% in about 20 minutes (you can charge the X4/X4 Air/X5 as well via USB port if you aren't in a lot of water) - you say you want to "record all day" but how many hours of actual footage do you plan to take? I find 60+ minutes of footage is a lot (although you mentioned dashcam footage and the camera I believe have a loop recording mode that will just keep recording and only save 5/10/30 minutes - there is a infinite mode that clears out the oldest loop clip as well). Note you can still replace a X4 lens, just that you have to send it it... so if you are mostly kayak fishing and not crashing your road bike a lot - it's probably ok. I've had an X2/X4 for \~5 years and my main crashes was flipping face first running on a BMX dirt jump course next to me kids and I only got a tiny scratch on my X2 lens (to be fair I was protecting it so my face and hands got scratched a bit).

Just got one for 300 uSD, with 2 year extended warranty:)

I own the ace pro 2, 2-x5s and an x4. the quality of the ace pro 2 is fantastic and it wins if quality is the only criteria for your decision. That said, I dive the 360 cameras more often simply because the amount of footage you can capture without worrying about missing anything. And when the x4 -x5 is dialed in - the quality is really good. the dive invisible case is pretty delicate so be careful if you go that route. here is a video about diving with he insta360 cams [https://youtu.be/P-A7PoAXMFU](https://youtu.be/P-A7PoAXMFU)

Ace Pro 2 without any doubt. I have a X4 and a GoPro Hero 9. Last year I went to the Red Sea and the quality for diving or the X4 is really really bad. Is cool to record everything in 360 degrees but if you see the video in a big screen (like an iPad or laptop) you will see that the resolution and detail is really bad. I used mainly the GoPro for diving also because the diving case of the X4/X5 is too delicate. Is a plastic dome and you can scratch it really easily. You have to buy a silicon protector from AliExpress. There is no problem with the line of the X4 when recording but the quality is bad.

I have never owned a GoPro, but started 360 photography in 2005 with a mirror-ball add on for a digital camera. I've owned 360 cams from Giroptic, RICOH, Kodak and now have Insta360 and DJI. While my RICOH had better photos than the ONE X2, I got a ONE X2 because it had better software and was more fun. I instantly used a "worse" camera more than any of the other models I had. As I moved from X2 to X3 to X4 to X5, each comparison always had some things I thought the earlier model did better. With my DJI Osmo 360, I got it specifically for low light, hoping it might be my "go to" for low light situations, and the X5 for everything else. I've already seen alot of footage comparing it to other cameras, and some things look better on the Max 2, and other things look worse. Personal preference is a b-tch ;) What do you expect the niche of the Max 2 to be? What are the things that GoPro does better?

I use it all the time for work and mountain biking / snorkeling. https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8ULkacd/ You can use my affiliate link and get a free invisible selfie stick with a case! https://www.insta360.com/sal/x4?utm_term=INR56KQ

I've had no problems with the X4 after about 1 month of use, and am very happy with the video resolution/quality. Phone app processing is amazing and easy.

I don't know about gimbal mode for X4 Air. I think it depends on what you want to do with the camera. I have an Ace Pro and an X4 and I use my X4 a lot more in general because of the convenience of having a 360 pespective that allow reframing after the fact. I also have the X2 awhich was 150g and I notice the weight of the X4 (200g) at the end of a 100cm pole (a long lever) while snowboarding as I like to keep the stick horizontal and at waist height. The X5 is 200g as well so it will be a bit heavier than the 165g X4 Air. Last I checked the X4 Air is like $150 cheaper for a slight reducing in low-light image quality (the sensors are smaller) and like 15 minutes less battery life. So I would pick the X4 Air for action sports usage (handheld out in sunny weather) as well as to save some money. But if money is not an issue and you want the absolute best image quality available on a Insta360 right now and you are mostly not long-lever handholding (e.g. head, chest or object mounted) than I would got with X5.

The image quality isn't relevant, the important thing is the possibility of change the lens of you scratch it or break it. I have the X4 and I'm going to change it next year, because I really like 360 cameras but I want one that I could use it without being scared of damage it.

I don't agree the difference is marginal. There are two MASSIVE differences: 1. Low light performance is in another universe on the X5... it's a universe where you can actually use the camera in low light lol. 2. 360 cameras are EASILY damaged, the ability at low cost and at home to change a lens is truly game changing and you will regret over and over not buying the X5 when you have to ship your X4 back to insta360 for repairs, both in cost and time lost with the camera (including the memories you failed to catch while it was gone.)

I found myself in the same boat and ended up returning my X4. But still on the sidelines about the X5. Strange that you can't even find any reviews for battery chargers and there seem to be 2 different OEM batteries being so on Amazon. Very confusing.

I dove with my X4 and a dive case and it came out great. Water clarity is very important and making sure your stitching settings are correct is important also. I have the Ace Pro and the X4 and X5. I would take the X5 over the Ace pro personally.

I have an insta360x and it's not good in low light IMO Ace pro has a 1/1.3" sensor so not big but bigger than some of these small action cameras. Larger physical sensor gathers more light The Osmo pocket 3 is quite decent in low light with its 1 inch sensor and stabilizing gyro

For POV shots go for the DJI Osmo Action 5. It's the best one for all light conditions and for capturing still images from video with "high" resolution. Classic motocycle vlog camera. For general use I'd go for the Insta360 X4. With the motorcycle bundle, you can pratically mount it everywhere. It's the least boring to use. All of these barely reach 3 hours of battery life, so reduce you expection of that. You either run a battery pack or have to carry multiple batteries. They're both easy to use, have dedicated editing software and are reliable enough for trips.

Love my X4. Haven't had a single issue. Use it for aviation where I would have to replace it with multiple cameras that still may not capture something interesting.

Where the hell you get a x4 for 150? 😂

The easiest is a a helmet front / rear cam like the Technalogic DC-2. You have to remember to turn it on, but it's easy to manage. Keep it charged and the card clean after each ride. It will only capture what is in front of and behind your helmet, and only to one side. Next is a 360 action cam like an Insta 360 X4. Just don't use the extra features you don't want. You have to turn it on and manage storage, again, and you also have to store it, but it captures everything. Third, a regular action cam like a GoPro. Helmet or bike, it will only capture one direction and still has the downfalls of the previous two cameras. Easiest to manage but least convenient to install is an actual motorcycle camera system like an Innov K7. Starts with the bike, never needs charging, handles storage automatically. Requires hooking up to the bike battery and threading through the bike frame, maybe also some drilling to mount the cameras. Up to you what you go for. All will cost upwards of €300 for a good option, but have cheaper (and more expensive) alternatives

I see the Insta cameras, I have an X4, as one of the tools for capturing, well whatever. iPhone, X4 and a Cannon extra long zoom all fit nicely in my GoPro backpack 😂

I am going to assume you dont have an action camera now and give advice based on that.... What I would do.... Buy a cheap action camera ace pro/hero 10/osmo 4 etc.... Get used to using it and editing it, and see how many times you go "shit I wish I caught that" That will give you the decision on if you want a 360 cam If you do go down that route, either wait for the DJI OSMO 360 (after real reviews come out) OR Wait for the X6, the X5 is good but its not a massive jump like the next iteration will be. The one great feature the x5 has is that it outputs 2 video files 1x 360 image and 1x front facing file, so if you just need it to be an action cam, it does that too. I had my gopro 12 on my helmet and my x4 on my handlebars and as I was riding a car on the other side of the road hit another car and hit someone on the pavement, I swung my head round but missed most of it with my helmet cam, but the x4 caught all of it and that was used in an insurance claim. So for me, not having to make sure I am pointing the right way will always be the benefit.

I use X4 for snorkeling (with dive case) and snowboarding mostly. The 360 camera is really great for both use cases as you can capture without worrying about focus. Me mode works great to focus on yourself at all times and tracking also works fine in 360 mode. Downside for snowboarding is snow easily fogs up lens protectors if the camera gets hit by snow spray. Downside in general is fragility of the lenses and or dive case.. very easy to scratch domed lenses.

The ability to change lenses made it a no-brainier for me. The lens guards were a must for me on the X4, but resulted in garbage footage in several different conditions. Plus, the Costco bundle gave me a second battery, memory card, and selfie stick for what they're selling the cam only for on the I360 site.