A smart, versatile 360 action cam

The first consumer-grade 360 cameras had short-lived success after the novelty of panning around a video fizzled out. With the popularity of Reels and TikTok, the versatility of those cameras could bring them back into the spotlight. One such camera? The Insta360 X4.

The Insta360 X4 does everything you would expect a 360 camera to do. But it can also add pan and tilt effects in post-production, keep a person-centered in the frame even when that person moves behind the camera, and easily create picture-in-picture footage. Plus, it features enhanced resolution, longer battery life, and other improvements over its predecessor.

I’m always forgetting to capture behind-the-scenes video for social, but the ability to set up a camera in a few seconds and choose the composition later may just help save my Reels efforts. I tried out Insta360’s latest immersive camera, and came away surprised at the number of capabilities packed inside.

Is a 360 camera worth buying? If you tried an action camera and wished you could shoot first and pan later, the Insta360 X4 may deliver just that.

Insta360 X4

Reccomended

The Insta360 X4 is an exceptionally versatile camera. The enhanced resolution and extended battery life over the earlier model is a big plus. Durability and simplicity are also selling points. However, the mic is muffled for several hours after heading underwater and you can get more resolution for less with a single lens camera.

Pros

• Shoot first, reframe later versatility
• Fast AI edits
• Incredibly easy to use
• Upgraded resolution and battery life

Cons

• Mic takes hours to dry out after going underwater
• Expensive

Price, specs, and availability

Insta360 announced the X4 on April 16, 2024, with orders beginning the same day. The camera retails for $500.

Design, size, and style

The Insta360 X4 is simple to operate

At around 1.5 inches thick, Insta360 X4 has the girth of an action camera, with the vertical, rectangular shape of a smartphone. That design gives it a vertical touchscreen. The display is easy to swipe around, and there are shortcuts that make it simple to find different settings.

The camera itself features just four buttons, including a dedicated record toggle underneath the screen. You can also use voice commands, gestures, or the Insta360 companion app to take shots without touching the device. The latter is exceptionally handy when taking drone-like photos on a 10-foot selfie stick or in scenarios where you’re wearing thick gloves.

There’s a tripod thread at the bottom. As it’s difficult to handhold a 360 camera without getting your hands in the shot, most will want to pair the camera with Insta360’s Invisible Selfie Stick. The company’s software is smart enough to automatically edit the accessory out of shots.

The Insta 360 X4 is waterproof to about 32 feet (10m). However, the built-in mic requires drying out before you can record audio normally again, a process the company says can take up to 24 hours. So heading underwater is best for shots that you’ll edit the audio out of later.

Performance and ease of use

Versatility is a major strength

The X4 takes a format that could easily feel like a short-lived gimmick and instead turns it into something with seemingly endless creative opportunities. Yes, it can shoot swipe-able 360 photos and videos, and capture GoPro-like footage. But the X4 can also pan from one thing to another without someone physically manning the camera. It can add creative camera movement from a stationary position. Picture-in-picture mixes both the videographer and the scene in front of one viewer. I was surprised at the number of different possibilities packed inside the X4.

The key to that versatility is the Insta360 app. By far the best included feature is Shot Lab, which walks you through different special effects, and handles many edits automatically. The app also leaves plenty of room for customization. Keyframes mark spots in the video to add different effects, like moving from ultra-wide to a tiny planet effect. Editing essentials like aspect ratio, speed, volume, exposure, and color are all included as well. It’s easy to start with an automatic AI edit and then add your own tweaks.

Exports and generating some of the included AI effects can take some patience. Using the app also drained the battery of the camera and my iPhone 15 Pro, but that’s to be expected when transferring large files over Wi-Fi. I found a single charge was enough to shoot short clips for an hour and complete a few edits.

The X4 has a few built-in tools to minimize editing time when you already have an end result in mind. Me Mode uses AI to keep you in the center of a standard-sized action video without needing to reframe it later. It’s also easy to use the single lens mode for action camera use.

Image and video quality

Improved resolution and excellent stabilization are key

The X4 uses two smaller 1/2-inch sensors on each lens. That puts the camera’s image quality in line with a decent smartphone, but it won’t compare to a high-end dedicated camera.

The Insta360 X4 shoots up to 8K at 30 fps. However, those pixels are stretched across two lenses. The single lens mode is more indicative of the final quality for a horizontal video: 4K at up to 60 fps. That’s a respectable amount of resolution, and the biggest upgrade from the X3.

Images default to 18 megapixels, but there’s a 72-megapixel stitch option that delays the next shot to increase detail. Again, this is stretched across that 360 view. The one thing that would have made the camera more versatile is a physical zoom. You’ll notice more grain when switching between modes like ultrawide to the closer dewarp that crops in on the image.

Considering the size of its sensors, I was surprised the X4 could handle low-light scenes. There’s some noticeable grain in dimly-lit shots, but the resulting videos are still ready for Instagram. Because X4 captures 360 footage, stabilization just requires keeping the framing steady. Recording videos while walking and rollerblading, the footage only had a minor amount of back-and-forth movement.

Stitch lines are a common pain for 360 videos. The most irksome lines come from using the camera too close to objects and heading underwater, though Insta360 says the waterproof housing (sold separately) creates a smoother stitch. Colors sometimes felt over the top and too saturated, making skin tones appear deeper orange than in reality. This was an easy fix in post, however.

Verdict: Is the Insta360 X4 worth it?

Insta360’s previous cameras brought new life to the 360 genre by expanding what users could do. The X4 continues that focus with enhanced resolution and battery life. It’s not just a 360 camera, it’s also for capturing action, adding camera movement without anyone actually manning the camera, POV videos, and picture-in-picture recording.

The added resolution is a nice boost over the X3, making the new camera on par with a good smartphone. At $500, the X4 is more expensive than the earlier X3. Moreover, accessories like the Invisible Selfie Stick, which is a must-have, will add to that cost. There are a few other complaints, including a mic that needs time to dry after going underwater, oversaturated colors, and smallish sensors that don’t excel in low light.

Consider the X4 if you’re looking for an action camera but want something with added flexibility. If resolution is paramount, the GoPro Hero Black12 doesn’t have near the same level of flexibility or reframing after the fact, but offers 5.7K at 60 fps at a lower price point, plus the mics only take a few seconds to drain out after dipping underwater.