Now that I have spent some time with the new Insta360 X4 360, and I can easily say it is the best action camera that I have used, as far as a complete package. I will have a video review coming after I use it in an upcoming race but I feel comfortable enough with it at this point to share my written review.
Review of the Insta360 X4 360 Camera – The Best Action Camera for All-Around Use
I did not receive this camera from Insta360 nor is this a sponsored post. I am an affiliate with Insta360 but the links below are for Amazon.
This is the text review – video review coming soon.
Link: Insta360 X4 – $499
I have owned every consumer 360 camera that Insta360 has made, including the predecessor to the X4, the X3. And the move from the X3 to the X4 shows that Insta360 listens to their customers because the upgrades are all the things people have been asking for.
The Insta360 X4’s Jump to 8K Resolution
If you have never used a 360 degree camera before, they are really an incredible tool to capture everything around you – and I mean everything! It sees all and it can be really fun and immersive to just view the content in its 360 degree completeness but the magic of a 360 camera, especially with Insta360’s apps, is the reframing possibilities.
A “little world” view as a screenshot from a 360 video
And this is where the upgrade to 8K resolution comes in. This 8K resolution is not the same as getting the Insta360 Ace Pro and its 8K resolution. The Ace Pro has a wide angle lens but shoots in one direction so that lens is capturing 8K resolution. With a 360 camera, the resolution is across the 360 degree spectrum. So, your final reframed video is not at 8K but at 2.7K. This is a huge upgrade because the X3 would only reframe up to 1080p.
A snapshot of the 8K 360 footage
With most content like this being viewed on mobile devices or social media, 2.7K is fantastic. Another thing that this bump (or, leap) in resolution gives is the slow motion increase in frame rates. Now, you get 5.7K at 60 frames per second, up from the previous model’s 30 frames per second.
Going up to 60 frames per second gives a smoother look in action filming or it allows you to slow the speed down to get a silky smooth slo motion look. If you want even greater slow motion, you can get 4K at 100 frames per second. So, the resolution upgrade is fantastic across the board. On the photo side, it still has the great max resolution of 72MP.
In single lens mode, where it is only using one lens, kind of like a traditional action camera, you get the bump from 4K at 30 frames per second to 4K at 60 frames per second.
The Insta360 X4 Lens Guards
Link for Insta360 accessories, including lens guards, selfie sticks, mounts, and more
Here is an issue with 360 cameras – in order to capture true 360 degrees, the lenses have to protrude from the casing. This means it is not normally as durable as like a GoPro or Insta360’s own Ace Pro cameras. For this, Insta360 had sticky guards to put over the X3 lenses but they compromised the video quality.
The X4 comes with Standard Lens Guards and they offer Premium Lens Guards. The Premium Lens Guards are tempered glass designed to really withstand any bumps or scratches that may affect it. Plus, both sets of lens guards twist on easily and simply. Once on, you just go into the camera menu and tell it what kind of lens guards are on so it can adjust via the software for the stitching of the image.
I am so thankful for these lens guards! I was shooting some video and already bumped the standard lens guards that came with it. It got a scuff mark on it which compromised some of the video quality. In the past, this would have been the actual lens and I would have been stuck with that image unless I sent it in for an expensive repair. Now, I just twist it off and put a new lens guard on. The standard ones cost $19 for for a set of two and the premium ones cost $35 for a set of two. The premium ones went out of stock quickly at the release of the X4 since people were excited to get them so I will have mine this week. I will give more details and comparisons in my video review.
But, having these lens guards definitely increase the toughness and the durability of the X4 so now you don’t have to be afraid of taking it into more serious action.
The Insta360 X4 Battery Life
While you can always buy an extra battery or two, having longer battery life with the battery you have is always preferred. It makes shooting longer action easier when you aren’t having to sub out the battery every hour. In my experience, I was able to get over an hour of filming at 8K and 2 hours in 5.7K at 30 frames per second. That is almost an hour better than my X3!
The Insta360 X4 Stability
The stability on the Insta360 X4 is rock solid. It makes it perfect for various action and adventure shoots that people will use such a camera for. Check out the video clip below to see how it worked on a run.
The Insta360 X4 vs Insta360 One RS – Which One?
I’ve owned the Insta360 One RS which has great 1″ sensors. This allows for better low light performance, which is great for evening/night time use. But, it is not an action camera. It is not waterproof and it does not have the same durability factors as the Insta360 X4.
I recommend that the only people that would buy the $799 Insta360 One RS would be people that are using it for things like architecture/real estate or if you want the absolute best dynamic range or low light performance for a travel vlog. BUT, you have to keep in mind that this is not waterproof and doesn’t have the easy lens guards like the X4 has.
The Insat360 X4 is the Best Action Camera – Better Than the GoPro?
I use action cameras a lot – for travel and also for running in various environments. I have long felt comfortable taking my GoPro out and about (currently have the GoPro 12, the current model) knowing that it could withstand the bumps and dings that running on trails and rough environments would bring. I have since replaced that as my go-to with the awesome Insta360 Ace Pro.
In the past, the Insta360 360 cameras were just a bit too delicate for me to chance having something go wrong with them on a run. But, not anymore. The larger display (2.5″) has Corning Glass so it is able to withstand quite a bit from an adventure standpoint. With the new lens guards, you are also ready to go out and bang it around without ruining the lenses and still getting good quality video. Plus, the size and feel of it is just better to me than the X3 and feels more compact yet durable.
So, why do I look at the Insta360 X4 as the best action camera? Why do I think the Insta360 X4 is better than the GoPro? The Insta360 X4 hits the most well-round feature options in a durable and rugged package – features that the GoPro cannot compete with.
For starters, while the GoPro can see pretty wide, the Insta360 sees everything. So, you will not miss that awesome jump that your mountain biking partner just made behind you. You won’t miss the beautiful views on both sides of you. You won’t miss out on seeing the dirt-spraying turns you are making on your dirt bike or ATV while also capturing your face and reactions and your forward view. In short, the Insta360 X4 captures ALL the action, not just GoPro action.
Next, the durability of the X4 has now fully come into action camera ruggedness. It is definitely able to take out into the wild and with the new lens guards, it will handle the wild just fine.
With the Insta360 app, it is very easy to let Insta360 auto create some great clips for posting or you have the option within the app or the Insta360 Studio app for computers to edit to your liking on your own. The AI editing in the app can take the work part of turning your footage into a creative masterpiece and it does it quite well.
Lastly, the new Insta360 X4 follows in the steps of its other action brother, the Ace Pro, with having Apple Watch and Garmin integration for awesome stats overlay on the footage. This is something that is native with Insta360 so no third-party plugin or anything – it will work directly with the Apple app or the Garmin app to get your metrics. It is really a cool feature that I enjoy, as a runner.
Summary
The Insta360 X4 made some welcome and oft-requested upgrades, including the new lens guards, the larger battery, the 8K resolution and the overall tougher build. This makes the Insta360 X4 the best all-around action camera around.
This doesn’t mean that X3 is all of a sudden obsolete or even not worthy for consideration. The X3 is still a fine camera and one that you can probably find at good prices now with the release of the X4.
Personally, I would not go for the Insta360 modular action camera anymore since Insta360 has the Ace Pro for the standard action camera form factor and the X4 which gives you a tough, action-ready 360 camera to take with you. For sure, Insta360 has a ton of options for anyone that wants to capture on the go but the X4 is the best of them all with the boxes of action, 360 degrees, resolution, battery life, and quality checked.
