The most versatile camera I’ve tested costs $499 and is not from Sony or Canon

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• The Insta360 X4, priced at $499, can capture up to 8K 360-degree video for the most flexible editing. 
• It’s accommodating accessories, including the Invisible Selfie Stick and Utility Frame, make it a fantastic camera for most environments.
• Just be aware of scratching the lens as both sides protrude out.

Most talk in tech today revolves around AI in some shape or form, but not too long ago, VR and 360-degree video were the hot topic. When it comes to 360-degree video, the team at Insta360 has been the standard — at least in my opinion. As previously mentioned on ZDNET, I was able to get my hands on a demo unit of the latest offering from the company, the Insta360 X4, and here are my biggest takeaways after weeks of testing.

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The X4 is an impressive piece of hardware. The body is roughly five inches long and an inch and a half wide, so it’s quite easy to pack in the pocket of your backpack or even jeans and shorts. The body has a lens on each side that uses a ½-inch sensor to capture images and video. Thanks to the taller form factor, Insta360 was able to fit a two-inch touch screen to assist with navigation and shot framing.

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The camera body also includes a few physical buttons that aid in navigating the OS. I’m particularly fond of the button placement (and how weather-resistant the material is), which feels natural and easy to use. For an added bonus, attach the X4 to the “invisible” selfie stick to capture higher or further distances without the accessory getting into the final footage.

Back to the image sensor. The ½-inch sensor is capable of capturing 8K resolution in 360-degree video and up to 72 megapixels for still images in 360 degrees or flattened. I’ll put an asterisk next to these huge megapixel specs because not all megapixels are created equal. Still images on a full-frame (35mm) image sensor at 20 megapixels will look far better than images on a ½-inch 72MP image sensor. The photosites are different. Fortunately, the X4 still captures some fantastic footage for what it is, a 360-degree action camera.

I’m quite satisfied with the Insta360’s on-device software too, as it ran smoothly no matter which shooting mode I was in. Keep in mind that that was the case even when I was shooting in 8K, a resolution tier that taxes the camera’s processor heavily. Heck, even my beloved Canon initially (prior to firmware updates) had a hard time finding a balance in OS performance and recording in 8K. With the X4, it’s hard to notice a dip in performance regardless of the resolution I shot in. 

The mobile app is just as easy to navigate and can be connected to your X4 via a private Wi-Fi connection. Once connected, you can control the camera’s shooting modes as well as download and edit your footage to suit your needs. 

Using the X4 is a simple and straightforward process. There’s no battery anxiety with the X4 as the over 2,000mAh capacity allows you to shoot for well over an hour, up to 135 minutes of record time depending on the mode used. For the aspiring (or professional) content creator, the X4 also allows you to connect a better, external microphone with its 3.5mm jack adapter.

Also: I streamed with Logitech’s Mevo Core camera and it nearly beat out my $3,600 Canon

What impressed me the most was what Insta360 calls the “Utility Frame,” which is similar to a traditional camera cage used to protect the device within and allow for accessory attachments. The camera also comes with a silicone lens protector.

The additional protector is very much a necessity because the Insta360’s lenses are so fragile that I somehow got micro scratches on them after just three days of usage. With any camera gear, you really have to hope that scratches are never deep enough to affect the captured footage. That hasn’t been the case with the X4, but I’ve experienced the issue before with other devices.

Another area for improvement is the Utility Frame. I know; I mentioned that I love the idea of it, and putting the X4 into the protective cage is much easier than anything I’ve worked with from SmallRig or Tilta to protect camera bodies. Unfortunately, once the X4 is in the cage, the battery port isn’t easily accessible. So if your battery is low and you’d like to quickly swap it out during a shoot, you must detach everything before that happens. Is this a non-starter? No. Is this inconvenient? Yes. 

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As far as the software goes, I didn’t have the best time editing within the Insta360 app. With 360-degree cameras, the “easy” part of the editing experience is the shooting portion. So when you’re shooting video, you aren’t required to move or point the camera toward your subject because you’re working with so much real estate in your 360-degree frame. 

But when you’re in the video editor, you have to work through setting the position of the video frame to work best for your final presentation — panning here, zooming there, and so forth by utilizing the keyframes feature. I find this to be much easier in a non-linear video editor such as Premiere Pro. But then again, I’m a professional video editor. Your mileage may vary. Fortunately, there is an AI option in the app that’s just good enough to help piece together a first edit. 

ZDNET’s buying advice

At $499, the Insta360 X4 is a handy, well-built camera, but I believe there are some things to consider before purchasing. First, what type of creator are you? If you’re a creator who is used to working with mirrorless cameras on a tripod for your A-roll and B-roll, then the X4 is a great solution as it allows you to have all of that footage within one frame. Just pull the footage into an editor and start cutting and blending the footage to work for you.

And if you’re a creator looking for a second camera, the X4 is a great option because of how creative you can convert 360-degree footage, including POV and drone-like shots. And it doesn’t require a Part 107 certification. 

On the other hand, if you’re someone like me who doesn’t do a bunch of vlogging, the older X3 model, now at a discounted rate, may be the better way to go.