Insta360 X5 Improves The Quality Of The 8K 360° Camera

Insta360 X5 has improved video and audio quality, tougher lenses that are now swappable, a longer battery life, faster charging, and more.

It’s the successor to last year’s Insta360 X4, which was notable because it offered 8K 360° recording for just $500, compared to the thousands of dollars of previous options.

Insta360 X5 records 360° video at the same resolutions and frame rates as its predecessor: 8K at 30fps, 5.7K at 60fps, or 4K at 100fps. But Insta360 claims X5 offers a “dramatic leap” in quality thanks to larger sensors, upgraded chipsets, and supersampling:

• Larger Sensors: the sensors on each side of X5 are 144% larger compared to X4’s sensors, Insta360 says, which means they capture significantly more light.
• Upgraded Chips: Insta360 says X5 features a 5nm “AI” chipset and two “pro imaging chips” which offer 140% more computing power than X4 to “reduce noise for clean, uncompressed images in any conditions” and “clearer, brighter, and more vivid” results.
• Supersampling: while the device records to a 8K file, Insta360 says it captures at 11K, offering sharper quality.

Insta360 X5 also upgrades the Active HDR mode, which X4 owners told me they almost always used, to 5.7K 60fps, up from 5.7K 30fps on the X4. On both cameras, this Active HDR mode captures 13.5 stops of dynamic range.

Further, the X5 has a new PureVideo mode for low-light capture, which Insta360 says uses “advanced AI noise reduction and dynamic range optimization”. Combined with the larger sensor, Insta360 says X5 can deliver “clear, vibrant footage” even in poor lighting conditions.

The company says it has also improved the audio capture quality, through both hardware and software. A new multi-layer steel mesh wind guard “silences wind noise”, while owners can choose between four audio capture modes to tell the improved audio processing algorithm what to prioritize.

In response to complaints from previous Insta360 camera buyers about cracked lenses after drops, particularly common when capturing action sports, X5’s lenses are made from a “new, high-strength, scratch-resistant glass”. But arguably more importantly the lenses can now be easily replaced, with a new lens costing buyers $30.

Other notable improvements in X5 include improved waterproofing, as well as a longer lasting and faster charging battery:

• Improved Waterproofing: X5 is now IP68 waterproof down to 49ft, compared to 33ft for X4.
• Improved Battery: X5 can record for 88 minutes at 8K, compared to 75 minutes for X4. It fully charges in 35 minutes, compared to 55 minutes for X4.

Like X4, X5 continues to be stabilized by a six-axis gyroscope which the company claims “keeps the horizon level even when completely rotating the camera”.

Insta360 X5 is available now for $550, directly from the company or from major retailers like Amazon.