Excellent pointers. not going to replace my primary camera but at least it will be a 360 camera, in my pocket, its the same all over gopro, Insta DJI, becomes addicting. get one and be happy.
Just ordered the X4. I’ve been watching a lot of reviews about it from sponsored and non sponsored reviewers and I think that I got a pretty good view of the device. It’s going to be my first 360 camera so it’s kinda exciting. It’s mostly going to be used for my travels and that my wife can film a bit as well. It doesn’t require full attention to film and getting an overall image. My wife is not the type that enjoys focused filming with a camera. She is comfortable with using her phone but that’s it. I hope that this camera will take out some of the strain for her. Secondly, I got this for the creative shots. I’d like to use its full creative potential and versifying my shots with it. I personally use a Fuji xt4 and a GoPro 7 when traveling and I think that this would be a great addition. Your tips with the stick is very helpful. I did not take that into account but I got one of those invisible sticks with it so we’ll see how it will look. Thanks for your insights.
You saved me!! Was planning on getting one to do videos of the kids and me. Now knowing having to use their software and also having to buy extras and what clearly is a design flaw of it being unable to be put down without touching and dirtying the lenses I won't bother.
There's a lot missing here. The 4 has a much larger battery and is capable of filming up to 180 minutes on a single charge depending on the selected mode. Another aspect to not overlook is that their editing program is not your final formfactor for edits. It's actually a pretty good editor with a lot of nice affects for the 360 captured video including the ability to select any field of view that was captured. It's pretty incredible by comparison, where the GoPro must always maintain direction toward your subject, the Insta 360 does not. You don't have to use a selfie stick to use the camera either. It can be hand held in single lens mode witch actually gives you a 170 degree view, greater than the GoPro's 150 degree. There's more but that's all i have time for right now. Thank you for your perspective.
Have to totally agree, having bought x2 then x3 and now ordered X4 with my own money, the lens are very vulnerable, the stick on lens’s are not very good, X4 finally have the twist on plastic or glass lens protection but can see from other reviews there can be slight lens flare occasionally depending on lighting conditions, personally I use a metal cage and a cheap Silicon case as if you drop them they will scuff up easily, I use a screen protector on mine like a smart phone, if you damage them the used resale will take a hit. The X4 now has hand gesture mode to turn it on and off, yes the buttons do take considerable force to turn them on and off, as you say it’s important to know what your buying this for and it’s fantastic for action videos where you decide exactly what you want to see when editing compared to the more limited viewing angle of a single lens Go pro, DJI Osmo ect ect
Youve been using your 360 camera for ages but youre using it differently than most folks. I dont even use it for photos but it's great for videos, much better than gopro. It's best selling point is the ability to reframe your footage to your liking after youve taken the shot. I want to say you missed the point of the 360 camera but you do you. As others have posted, your usage is different than what most folks do.
I bought the X4 and have only played with it a few times but i really like it. Ut dies some amazing things. But i also decided that i also still wanted an action camera. So a couple days later I bought the Ace Pro. And im very happy with both of them. They both seem like huge upgrades since my last action camera i bought 11 years ago in 2013. A GoPro Hero 3. Now i am buying some mounts because i want to use both cameras at the same time on my motorcycle. And also at the same time doing some creative projects.
Wow, what a thoroughly enjoyable and thoughtful video, you had me smiling even when I wasn't entirely agreeing with all of your viewpoints! I've had a variety of 360 cameras over the years, including Kaiser Bass 360, Ricoh Theta, GoPro MAX and now the Insta360 X4. The handling of the latter, particularly when fitted with the posh glass lens protectors, is a real learning curve in how to not keep touching the domes whilst handling the camera. They are huge in size. A spotlessly clean lens cloth, along with an air blower, are both your best friend and worst enemy, all at the same time. Again, your comment is spot-on, keeping everything clean is essential and painful. Camera voice control, particularly when paired with a DJI Mic2 is generally excellent and the ability with the same external gadget to not need an odd-ball cold shoe, interface cable and microphone receiver, is probably one of the X4's winner, winner chicken dinner attributes. The DJI Mic2 is available separately for around €99. A selfie stick is also usually essential, unless the edit is such that it doesn't matter. One of my best videos and not on UA-cam, is me in a cable car in transit, then disembarking and going to get a cake and a coffee, including 360 shots of both the restaurant and the mountain. Simple stuff, but impossible to get that joy from photographs. It's also timeless and the fact that you can 'look around' at that footage after the event and see stuff that you never spotted in any of the 200 times you've previously viewed it, is, as that Credit Card company says, Priceless. Thank you again. Top Notch! 🤩
This is by far the most informative review about the 360 that affected my decision not to buy an X3 or X4 on impulse. I'm into adventure activities and have been using my Akaso Brave 7LE action camera. Though I love the content possibilities the 360 can create, the probability of damaging the unit is much higher. In addition, going to the extra step of editing on a laptop/pc is going to be a hassle for me since I shoot-edit-upload on the go.. A lot of valuable tips learned from you. Thanks.
Maybe I'm missing something here but from my understanding, the insta360 cameras are 360 cameras meaning you can frame an image or view from anything forward or behind you and a gopro is simply a rugged wide angle camera but has no data whatsoever behind you. It seems that aspect, there isn't a comparison. I was looking for an x4 to do video tours for real estate, rentals etc but I think I'm going to wait just a but and I thing the new 1 inch rs 360 cam will be released. That would be much better quality in low light especially.
I have ran into an issue with exporting 360 view footage. Most computers on the market will take hours to export the files out of Insta360 Studio if the clip is longer than 30 seconds. My research is steering me to an upgraded Mac Book with M3 processor to handle the processing load on the computer.
Thanks for the honest opinion. I’ve been using GoPro Fusion and currently Max for immersive experience and it has been a hoot over the years. I also looked at 8k footage of X4 and it looks pretty much the same as X3 so I might pick up X3 at a cheaper price in the near future.
I bought the x3 and now bought the x4 and I'm going to send it back. The difference is not that big unlike what the reviews say that it's a groundbreaking. It's not. I don't see any change in image quality and the video quality improvement is marginal if at all. I can still not really zoom in without getting tons of noise. The only advantage is that the camera is a bit faster and that you can take a photo/video with a hand gesture. For this it's not worth it for me. Thanks for your honest review.
Hi @drooner. Thank you very much for your comment. I was waiting for someone to tell us this. Everyone here on youtube is waving how much better is x4 compared to x3 but since I know it has the same small sensor I definitely believe your comment. Until they will not put a bigger sensor in this camera I think there will not be a big difference between the x3 and x4. Also, even 8k is still not enough especially for a 360 camera, yet.
@@gabrielhunter4268 The image quality is improved. Reframed, the X4 outputs 2.7K vs the X3's 1080P. There's good reason to believe the sensor is similar, if not the same as the X3, but the image processor is new. Every side by side comparison of X4 vs X3 footage shows improved details, color, and white balance. Against the Insta360 1" edition, the X4 holds its own. The X3 always looked worse than the 1".
You are reviewing this from the perspective of YOUR use case. Photographers and videographers can't speak out for the masses. A persons gear is personal to their usage style. For example this video ignores the fact that most people buy this for video. It also ignores the ability to use a smart phone and/or a remote control to operate the camera. Yes, My arthritic fingers hate the buttons on the X3 and X4. I consider reframing half the fun. Most of the time, there is no bad gear, just bad users.
Good review! At least they got rid of the gap in video every 30 minutes, which finally drove me to the Qoocam 8k, which had plenty of its own problems. Insta360s are otherwise much more reliable and easy to use than most other 360 cameras.
Thanks what a great video! I'm using the X2 with a button and I even didn't think about it. With the X4 it looks like I need to use more effort to shoot a video. My use cases are mostly a chest mount or with the selfie stick. Thanks for pointing out this issue. This means also that I need to use my fingers without cloves so it's not so easy to shoot a video in winter wonderland :-)
Beware the lens caps for the X3 and X4. Slipping the covers on an off can cause minor scratches on the lenses. And if you try to return the camera within the 30 days expect to be charged almost $200 because the seller (EVO Gimbals) will say the lenses are slightly scratched!
Thanks for the review! I have never owned an action camera and many of the sponsored reviews said the same thing about the X4. I was trying to decide between this and the Ace Pro. I will get the Ace Pro 💜 The fact that I have to use a selfie stick with the X4 is a no go for me. Maybe one day I'll get the X4 but as a newbie I'll stick to the Ace Pro! Again thanks a lot for your review!
Bought the X3 after watching many HYPE videos about how great it is. After owning for almost 1 yr. very disappointed in the low image quality. We won't buy any more insta360 products. X4 with 8k will be = to 1080 HD more than 3 ft. from lens. Thank you
So my friend your wrong about the first 360 camera My first 360 camera was the gear 360 Looked like a golf ball I have the x3 and the go 3 witch is an awesome little camera on my cap you need one my friend as for the editing not for me I normally set the x3 somewhere in the woods and if you didn't know you can speak to your camera the x3 and the go 3 As for the stick go for the biggest they have you can't beat it am not subscribed but I liked your honest review my friend
X4 is not great for HDR Photo right now: no RAW, no playing around with EV and AEB, no separate exposure photos, not even in 18MP as the previous cameras. Weird.
Excellent pointers. not going to replace my primary camera but at least it will be a 360 camera, in my pocket, its the same all over gopro, Insta DJI, becomes addicting. get one and be happy.
Just ordered the X4. I’ve been watching a lot of reviews about it from sponsored and non sponsored reviewers and I think that I got a pretty good view of the device. It’s going to be my first 360 camera so it’s kinda exciting. It’s mostly going to be used for my travels and that my wife can film a bit as well. It doesn’t require full attention to film and getting an overall image. My wife is not the type that enjoys focused filming with a camera. She is comfortable with using her phone but that’s it. I hope that this camera will take out some of the strain for her. Secondly, I got this for the creative shots. I’d like to use its full creative potential and versifying my shots with it. I personally use a Fuji xt4 and a GoPro 7 when traveling and I think that this would be a great addition. Your tips with the stick is very helpful. I did not take that into account but I got one of those invisible sticks with it so we’ll see how it will look. Thanks for your insights.
You saved me!! Was planning on getting one to do videos of the kids and me. Now knowing having to use their software and also having to buy extras and what clearly is a design flaw of it being unable to be put down without touching and dirtying the lenses I won't bother.
There's a lot missing here. The 4 has a much larger battery and is capable of filming up to 180 minutes on a single charge depending on the selected mode. Another aspect to not overlook is that their editing program is not your final formfactor for edits. It's actually a pretty good editor with a lot of nice affects for the 360 captured video including the ability to select any field of view that was captured. It's pretty incredible by comparison, where the GoPro must always maintain direction toward your subject, the Insta 360 does not. You don't have to use a selfie stick to use the camera either. It can be hand held in single lens mode witch actually gives you a 170 degree view, greater than the GoPro's 150 degree. There's more but that's all i have time for right now. Thank you for your perspective.
Have to totally agree, having bought x2 then x3 and now ordered X4 with my own money, the lens are very vulnerable, the stick on lens’s are not very good, X4 finally have the twist on plastic or glass lens protection but can see from other reviews there can be slight lens flare occasionally depending on lighting conditions, personally I use a metal cage and a cheap Silicon case as if you drop them they will scuff up easily, I use a screen protector on mine like a smart phone, if you damage them the used resale will take a hit. The X4 now has hand gesture mode to turn it on and off, yes the buttons do take considerable force to turn them on and off, as you say it’s important to know what your buying this for and it’s fantastic for action videos where you decide exactly what you want to see when editing compared to the more limited viewing angle of a single lens Go pro, DJI Osmo ect ect
Youve been using your 360 camera for ages but youre using it differently than most folks. I dont even use it for photos but it's great for videos, much better than gopro. It's best selling point is the ability to reframe your footage to your liking after youve taken the shot. I want to say you missed the point of the 360 camera but you do you. As others have posted, your usage is different than what most folks do.
I bought the X4 and have only played with it a few times but i really like it. Ut dies some amazing things. But i also decided that i also still wanted an action camera. So a couple days later I bought the Ace Pro. And im very happy with both of them. They both seem like huge upgrades since my last action camera i bought 11 years ago in 2013. A GoPro Hero 3. Now i am buying some mounts because i want to use both cameras at the same time on my motorcycle. And also at the same time doing some creative projects.
Wow, what a thoroughly enjoyable and thoughtful video, you had me smiling even when I wasn't entirely agreeing with all of your viewpoints! I've had a variety of 360 cameras over the years, including Kaiser Bass 360, Ricoh Theta, GoPro MAX and now the Insta360 X4. The handling of the latter, particularly when fitted with the posh glass lens protectors, is a real learning curve in how to not keep touching the domes whilst handling the camera. They are huge in size.
A spotlessly clean lens cloth, along with an air blower, are both your best friend and worst enemy, all at the same time. Again, your comment is spot-on, keeping everything clean is essential and painful.
Camera voice control, particularly when paired with a DJI Mic2 is generally excellent and the ability with the same external gadget to not need an odd-ball cold shoe, interface cable and microphone receiver, is probably one of the X4's winner, winner chicken dinner attributes. The DJI Mic2 is available separately for around €99.
A selfie stick is also usually essential, unless the edit is such that it doesn't matter. One of my best videos and not on UA-cam, is me in a cable car in transit, then disembarking and going to get a cake and a coffee, including 360 shots of both the restaurant and the mountain. Simple stuff, but impossible to get that joy from photographs. It's also timeless and the fact that you can 'look around' at that footage after the event and see stuff that you never spotted in any of the 200 times you've previously viewed it, is, as that Credit Card company says, Priceless.
Thank you again. Top Notch! 🤩
This is by far the most informative review about the 360 that affected my decision not to buy an X3 or X4 on impulse. I'm into adventure activities and have been using my Akaso Brave 7LE action camera. Though I love the content possibilities the 360 can create, the probability of damaging the unit is much higher. In addition, going to the extra step of editing on a laptop/pc is going to be a hassle for me since I shoot-edit-upload on the go.. A lot of valuable tips learned from you. Thanks.
Maybe I'm missing something here but from my understanding, the insta360 cameras are 360 cameras meaning you can frame an image or view from anything forward or behind you and a gopro is simply a rugged wide angle camera but has no data whatsoever behind you. It seems that aspect, there isn't a comparison. I was looking for an x4 to do video tours for real estate, rentals etc but I think I'm going to wait just a but and I thing the new 1 inch rs 360 cam will be released. That would be much better quality in low light especially.
I have ran into an issue with exporting 360 view footage. Most computers on the market will take hours to export the files out of Insta360 Studio if the clip is longer than 30 seconds. My research is steering me to an upgraded Mac Book with M3 processor to handle the processing load on the computer.
Thanks for the honest opinion. I’ve been using GoPro Fusion and currently Max for immersive experience and it has been a hoot over the years. I also looked at 8k footage of X4 and it looks pretty much the same as X3 so I might pick up X3 at a cheaper price in the near future.
I bought the x3 and now bought the x4 and I'm going to send it back. The difference is not that big unlike what the reviews say that it's a groundbreaking. It's not. I don't see any change in image quality and the video quality improvement is marginal if at all. I can still not really zoom in without getting tons of noise.
The only advantage is that the camera is a bit faster and that you can take a photo/video with a hand gesture.
For this it's not worth it for me.
Thanks for your honest review.
Hi @drooner. Thank you very much for your comment. I was waiting for someone to tell us this. Everyone here on youtube is waving how much better is x4 compared to x3 but since I know it has the same small sensor I definitely believe your comment. Until they will not put a bigger sensor in this camera I think there will not be a big difference between the x3 and x4. Also, even 8k is still not enough especially for a 360 camera, yet.
@@gabrielhunter4268 The image quality is improved. Reframed, the X4 outputs 2.7K vs the X3's 1080P. There's good reason to believe the sensor is similar, if not the same as the X3, but the image processor is new. Every side by side comparison of X4 vs X3 footage shows improved details, color, and white balance. Against the Insta360 1" edition, the X4 holds its own. The X3 always looked worse than the 1".
Using a button is just the way you have to use it? Most selfie sticks come with a wireless bluetooth camera button...
Thinking about to upgrade from GoPro 10 to 360 X4 but only for dji mic 2, is that alright?
You are reviewing this from the perspective of YOUR use case. Photographers and videographers can't speak out for the masses. A persons gear is personal to their usage style. For example this video ignores the fact that most people buy this for video. It also ignores the ability to use a smart phone and/or a remote control to operate the camera. Yes, My arthritic fingers hate the buttons on the X3 and X4. I consider reframing half the fun. Most of the time, there is no bad gear, just bad users.
Thanks for the comment and for checking out the channel. Don’t forget to subscribe. 👍
Good review! At least they got rid of the gap in video every 30 minutes, which finally drove me to the Qoocam 8k, which had plenty of its own problems. Insta360s are otherwise much more reliable and easy to use than most other 360 cameras.
Thanks what a great video! I'm using the X2 with a button and I even didn't think about it. With the X4 it looks like I need to use more effort to shoot a video. My use cases are mostly a chest mount or with the selfie stick. Thanks for pointing out this issue. This means also that I need to use my fingers without cloves so it's not so easy to shoot a video in winter wonderland :-)
Beware the lens caps for the X3 and X4. Slipping the covers on an off can cause minor scratches on the lenses. And if you try to return the camera within the 30 days expect to be charged almost $200 because the seller (EVO Gimbals) will say the lenses are slightly scratched!
Thanks for the review! I have never owned an action camera and many of the sponsored reviews said the same thing about the X4.
I was trying to decide between this and the Ace Pro. I will get the Ace Pro 💜
The fact that I have to use a selfie stick with the X4 is a no go for me. Maybe one day I'll get the X4 but as a newbie I'll stick to the Ace Pro!
Again thanks a lot for your review!
Thanks for the comment. Make sure to follow up with your thoughts on the Ace Pro. Looks like an awesome camera!
Bought the X3 after watching many HYPE videos about how great it is. After owning for almost 1 yr. very disappointed in the low image quality. We won't buy any more insta360 products. X4 with 8k will be = to 1080 HD more than 3 ft. from lens. Thank you
So my friend your wrong about the first 360 camera
My first 360 camera was the gear 360
Looked like a golf ball
I have the x3 and the go 3 witch is an awesome little camera on my cap you need one my friend as for the editing not for me
I normally set the x3 somewhere in the woods and if you didn't know you can speak to your camera the x3 and the go 3
As for the stick go for the biggest they have you can't beat it am not subscribed but I liked your honest review my friend
You do know the x4 has voice and gesture control so you don’t need to push buttons
How is the low light performance?
I watched a comparison of the X4 and the Hero 12 and the X4 was much better in low light.
X4 is not great for HDR Photo right now: no RAW, no playing around with EV and AEB, no separate exposure photos, not even in 18MP as the previous cameras. Weird.
So frustrating when ‘new’ cameras are not that much of an upgrade. They had plenty of time to this one right. Thanks for the comment!
Compared to a regular GoPro..the real world use of this thing is just so and so and footage is not that great.
You are comparing apples and oranges
Thanks for the comment. Seemed like a fair comparison to me but what do think is a better comparison?
too late already bought it.
Nice! I’m a big Insta360 fan. Make sure to let us know your thoughts of the X4. Thanks!
@@lowdefmedia6150 x4 ofc
This video is trash 😂😂