The best 360 camera just got better with the Insta360 X5

Insta360 has risen to become a dominant force in the world of ‘shoot first, frame later’ 360-degree cameras, and considering the fact that last year’s X4 was already the best 360 camera out there, the latest X5 was a camera Insta360 needn’t have made. But make it they did, and while the X5 may seem like an incremental upgrade at first, there’s a lot going on that makes it more versatile and practical, particularly in riskier environments. 

All you need to know about Insta360 X5

 On the surface, not much has changed, save for a geometric pattern on the front and a nip-and-tuck job leading to a millimeter and a couple of grams being shaved off. Upgraders should note that existing X4 accessories and cases will not work with the X5. There’s a new magnetic quick-release system on the bottom, plus a new microphone windscreen cover, the latter really coming in handy for audio shot outdoors. The big change, an oft requested one, is replaceable lens – no, not the protective lens covers of the past which led to a loss in video quality – but actual lens you can swap out with an optional replacement kit. It may seem small, but it changes everything about how you can use the X5. In the past, you could never really use the X4 with complete, wanton abandon, since the protruding lenses were at risk of being scratched or chipped. Now, say hello to kayak or car mounts where lens damage is easily fixed at home without having to send the camera in for repairs. 

 For the less-extreme-sports, more-everyday-videos owners out there, the bigger reason to consider the X5 are the new 1/1.28-inch sensors behind each lens, a significant step up from the 1/2-inch sensors on the X4. And since Insta360 hasn’t bumped up the 8K 30fps / 5.7K 60fps video spec on the X5, what you get is more detailed footage than one has seen from 360-degree cameras prior, including the very competent X4. No longer do you have to accept the tradeoff of less-than-stellar video quality to take advantage of the flexibility of using a 360-degree camera.

Taking the X5 out to shoot in the blow hot and cold Bengaluru weather, the X5 manages punchy, contrast-rich video and doesn’t wash out the highlights, even on brightly lit days and in normal shooting modes (there’s an HDR mode as well). Switching to spots in the shade, there’s less noise in the shadows, and the dynamic range control yields natural looking videos. There are two new modes – a new low-light PureView mode designed for indoor and low-light shooting and InstaFrame, an instant gratification-oriented mode that churns out two videos - one flat video (centered on you as a subject) for instant use and a second 360-degree video to capture everything, allowing you to choose additional angles should you need them later. Both work as advertised, boosting the low-light and instant-use social media prowess of the X5. 

As with the X4, the camera can get a little warm when recording 8K video, but I never had the camera overheat enough for it to stop recording…until the battery dies, that is…which is about 90 minutes of shooting 8K video. Dial down the settings and you can breach the three-hour mark if you’re just recording and be up and running again in about 20 minutes with the battery fast charged to 80%. 

It's clear the X5 is the 360-degree camera to get right now, and the low-light video quality improvements and bumped up details levels everywhere else alone would warrant awarding the X5 an easy ‘buy’ recommendation for a 360 camera. With the X5 though, the improvements on video quality place it nearly up there with the traditionally higher video quality from a standard action camera, which is kind of a big deal. The X5 could well be the tipping point where 360 cameras beat action cameras at their own game. 

Rating: 9/10

Price: Rs. 54,990