Best Action Cam? Not Even Close! | Insta360 X4 Review
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- Опубликовано: 30 апр 2024
- Best Action Cam??? Not Even Close! I think I may have fell for the internet hype when it comes to the Insta360 X4. Or maybe I set my expectations too high? Either way, this is not the "Best Action Cam" on the market. In this video, I'll tell you why. Be sure to hit the 👍 if you found it helpful and a Sub is always appreciated! / @donny_b
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As many of the other comments are saying - you CAN export 4K reframed. The reason this is good option as action camera is you can reframe after the event - that is the whole point. I really think you’re missing a trick here 😢
Yes, you can export 3840 x 2160. But the image quality will only be 2.7k. Cropping is cropping regardless of Pixel count. If you are starting out in 4k with a 200 degree field of view and you crop a 16:9 ratio out of it, the resolution is going to be lower. There are several videos and articles that explain this. Even the X3 only exported at 1080p from 5.7k. I got that info from the insta360 website, but it does not give the export specs on the X4. It just says sharper and clearer over the x4. I do appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment and I hope you're right about me missing something.
@@Donny_BI guess when it comes down to it then it’s how the footage looks and I can say that even with the previous camera the upscaling to 4K when mixed with real 4K mini 4 pro and 5k GoPro footage looks damn fine. And yes for sure using the Insta desktop program gives much better results than the phone app. On a motorbike a 360 is a must have .. in my humble opinion 😊👍
@@Donny_B, can you clarify the cropping that is done by X4 as I’m not familiar with it.
For example, with my Sony A7R4 FF vs. A6600 APSC camera, the key differences are:
1) Resolution: A7R4 in APSC mode is ~26MP (=~60.4MP/2.25) vs. A6600 at 24MP;
2) EFL (effective focal length) vs FOV (field of view). When A7R4 is in APSC mode, the FOV is cropped by 1.5, but the EFL is still 1.0, hence why you don’t lose one stop of light as you would with A6600 when using ff lenses on each body;
3) AF points: With A7R4, you get 74% coverage in ff (567 PDAF and 425 CDAF) but 100% coverage in APSC mode because the FOV is now cropped in by 1.5
For the x4, I understand that it is 2.7K and upscaled to 4K upon export so as the example above, the EFL is 2.7K resolution, not 4K or 8K right?
Wise words from Lauren regarding not having to point the camera; You see a lot of people complaining that people spend too much time experiencing things through their phone screens, this is the perfect antidote to that. You don't have to think what to shoot at the time, just put it on a stick and let its do its thing. Then later you can go back and decide where the "virtual camera" is pointing. And you can use the tracking to simplify editing.
one of the most informative vids
Thank you so much!
Totally hear ya, editing is a process you have to commit to...I have a Sony A7c, X4 now and pocket 3 I think they all have their use cases...if you know exactly what you want bring the big camera...if u know what you want but need something portable pocket 3 is amazing....if you're travelling and just want to enjoy the moments but still have footage to look back on I think that's where the 360 cam is super nice...in good lighting it looks great...I normally export one full 360 copy highest resolution and upload it t in Google photos ...then use the files and edit for whatever I really need then delete .. it's a process, stick with it, great honest review!!
Well said. I used to miss so many little moments fooling around with cameras. This one is a good "catch all" setup. I thought it was important for me to say that I don't think it's a bad camera. This was really inspired by every single review I watched saying it was the best they've ever used. 😐🙄 It's just another tool in the toolbox. Kind of like a multitool. Most multitools dont do any one thing great, they just kinda do alot of things, ok. Honestly, most of us could probably get a GoPro 4 or Osmo Action and be perfectly happy. I will always stand by the Pocket 3, though.....at least until we get a Pocket 4.
I really do appreciate you taking the time to watch and comment. I hope you get to use every one of your cameras today, 😉
Thanks for taking the time and effort to make the honest video. Much appreciated and a BIG thumbs 👍 up.
I assure you the pleasure is mine! But it is nice to hear such kind words and support! Thank you for taking the time to say them!
For a long time I didn't like 360 cameras because I never liked the way the footage looked, let alone the extra editing needed in order for it to work right in your videos. But I am now taking content creation serious and decided to have a look at a 360 camera. I already own 2 insta360 cameras, go3 and go3s and love them both so I decided to check out the x4 since it was the newest thing out. I watched a BUNCH of videos on it and decided to pick one up. So far I am starting to like this camera more and more. I actually like doing the extra editing. But I can understand your issues with this camera.
honest reviews... best just to say it without the flashy cuts and scripts... good job
Thank you! I agree.
Very interesting and useful video to understand the strengths and weaknesses of this camera. I stumbled across the Insta360 X4 in regards to scuba diving and think it a great cam for this job. While diving you have a very limited view and the fact that you can simply carry the stick around and do all the rest during editing is just super useful. Might even discover things you have completely missed during dive since you did not look into the right direction. As you already said in your video, every cam has its specific purpose where it shines.
Interesting, but my 360 reframes come out as 5K when I record them in 8K 360 mode. I reframe them in the new Ulta lens mode in the scope aspect and export in .mov (the highest quality they allow ) in the desktop software. If I'm dead set on 8K, I just upscale it back to 8k with ai. With color grading, hdr, etc you can't even tell that it was even upscaled.
thanks for the review, my biggest concern with the insta360 products is just the bad software, especially not being able to select my own keybindings in order to be productive. you have to click everything to reframe shots or break your fingers while trying to use the default hotkeys. if you do don't mind at least doubling your workflow go ahead but the reframing option is a double-edged sword not many actually need.
but it is true - no 360 cam (except for the Go-series) is really an "action" cam, same goes for the AcePro with the flip-screen smh
Thanks for watching and taking the time to comment! The software and editing is what sealed the deal for me to not like this camera. I was prepared to overlook the diminished export quality for convenience of reframing, but geez...so much work and so many extra steps. Not to mention the speeds and file sizes of the actual export. Thanks but no thanks. I do admit that some of the expectations I had may have been a little high, but for a 4th gen I assumed they would have it dialed by now. Thanks again for your time!
This is much easier to edit than you mentioned. Even with the phone app, you can reframe all of your shots using key frames. Can even add transitions and music. It took me a few months to get confident with the camera, but now it's a must-bring everywhere I go. And I take a lot of group selfie photos, and this thing is the absolute best for that. The selfie stick disappears and I can frame the photo as a flat picture or keep it as a 360° photo and post it to Facebook and let my friends swirl around to see the surroundings.
Other reviews have indicated that the premium lens guards are actually more flare-prone than the basic ones. I notice that you were putting down the camera on its lens during the narration, even with an audible clunk. That's a really bad idea. Put it on something soft or put on the lens cap. Anyway, I think there have been a small number of videos where reviewers have called the X4 the best action camera. Others have given their reviews the clickbait title of "is this the best action camera?" without necessarily deciding that it is. But generally, I think it is a "best tool for the job" kind of thing. I regard the X4 and its predecessors as fragile devices which may be good at capturing action in ways that normal cameras can't, but they are not so good at being exposed to the risks of the action. I wonder whether you will grow to like it in time, or to find a specific new role for it? I have the X1 and X3. I recently watched some X1 footage I shot several years ago capturing my son and his little daughters on the beach, and the nature of the footage would simply not have been possible with a non-360 camera. And it was such a good record of the moment that the quality (though surprisingly good) didn't really matter that much. I find that 360 cameras are great for capturing such moments while still allowing me to participate and enjoy the moment live. No need to peer at a screen. Anyway, enough, I loved the domestic scene in the middle of your presentation, thanks for the upload.
Thank you so much for watching and taking the time to comment.
I've actually already sent it off to get one of my 2 replacements and have purchased the silicone lens cap. I plan to be alot more careful with the replacement, but yes I agree. Definitely should set it down on something soft or just use the lens cap.
I'm sure it will grow on me. I still plan on trying to film alot of my photo sessions with it and hopefully the more I use it and get more familiar with the editing software that it will begin to grow on me. I am going to a local minor league baseball game and plan to film with it attached to my hotshoe for a 1st person POV. The build quality, the packaging and unboxing, and overall feel of it is very premium. I do applaud the company for trying so many new avenues and creating unique cameras. I almost look at it like the multi-tool camera. It's not exceptional at any one thing but versatile enough that you can get just about any shot you're looking for.
Thanks again for your time and support! I really do appreciate it wholeheartedly!
@@Donny_B Have you seen this video showing a street photographer with the X3 (not X4) mounted on top of his DSLR? Very interesting. Delete this comment if you don't like links to other videos.
ruclips.net/video/NTS0OHpKO1Y/видео.htmlsi=ttje02od7cy-2Sr4
Nice review. I had an X3, and I returned it because of the poor video quality and occasional freezing. The editing process would also take a lot more time. This camera is definitely an upgrade over X3, but I think these cameras need to improve more their image quality and I might wait for the next generation. Hopefully, they will improve the sensor, the lens, and the chip. The Insta360 studio is also clanky and has very limited functionality. They slightly improved it from last year's version, but it still has a long way to go. I think it will take at least one if not two generations of this camera to make it a worthwhile purchase. I also think this camera is designed as a secondary camera. I also do not like how unnatural the footage looks most of the time.
Thank you for the comment. It's good, not great. I agree it's a few generations out from being awesome. The concept is incredible, no doubt about it. It's only going to get better. I'll definitely find a use for it here and there, but I'm not hanging up any of my other cameras just yet. Everyone keeps telling me the phone app is much easier to edit on. Not saying they're wrong but i find it hard to believe that a mobile app can out perform my editing PC. Thanks again for taking the time to watch and comment.
Im somewhat confused with this review. I agree with the idea that this camera is for unique situations, but i have to disagree with much of your review and some of your points. Quality is excellent for a 360 camera, software is very slick, and works very well for 360 software. Its super easy to pull snipps from the camera and post very quick. Charging was very quick! You also mention "statistics" show most people are watching youtube and social media on TV's now? Who are those people?
Also not sure your footage had crazy lens flare in it thay i have not experienced...
I did get the insta 360 x4, and recommend for travel, or families as its great for non pros.
I've owned pretty much every insta360 camera and it's super easy to edit on your phone like 10/10 easy
That's what I hear. I haven't tried it on my phone yet. Maybe I'll give it try this weekend.
@Donny_B you should bud I got some shorts on my channel the video would not of ever been made if not for it being a 360 camera
@@Donny_BMust try editing on your phone. Best camera software ever to be able to edit and post right away.
Are you on insta360 studio 5.0x? I have 4k export, 3840x2160. I'm not sure where you get 1440.
Yes, in the export tab you can input 3840 x 2160, but the IQ is only going to be 2.7k. Cropping is cropping. Sure you can upscale later. But that 16:9 aspect ratio is cropped from a 4k image. The 8k they are claiming is two 4k images with a 200 degree field of view overlapping at 190° and when you reframe, you are only keeping a sliver of that original 4k resolution....which is 2.7k
same conclusion I came to. There are a BUNCH of creative ways to use this camera, but for "normal" shooting the IQ is just not good enough. In my view it is a supplemental camera, not a main camera if that makes sense.
It certainly has its uses, but primary camera it is not. I really like the Me Mode. That's probably going to be my go to
My Insta360x4 charges at 16W. Insta360 states 18W (9V/2A). You will need to get a better charger/cable. I'm not sure, but I think the camera only charged fast if it was turned off. But when it overheats (in the sun), charging slows down or stops charging completely.
Thanx Donny. Finally some unpaid opinion. Everyone should see it before considering this purchase. You just spoke out all my thoughts about this cam.
Oh and one more thing. I don't know how about States, but here in China you can mail it to their service and they replace both lenses for something like 100$. Maybe you guys have similar service.
And i just realized why it's 8k camera, but you get 2.7k image in the end. So basically you have two 4k cameras, that have 200 degrees image, to overlap each other a little (for invisible selfie stick things), so in the end you have like 70-80% of image from each camera...... 2.7k image.
We just need to wait when both cameras gonna be 6k.... few more generations.
Well said. I actually bought the $29 insurance. I'm about to drop it off now that I'm finished with the video. Hopefully it will still be within the return window. I really have no ambition to keep it. It may be worth keeping just for comparison videos but other than that I have plenty of old cameras that can deliver QHD.
This was the first time I fell for the hype. I really wanted to love this camera for the sole purpose of recording my photo sessions. Not sure how I can ask people to trust my knowledge when the video is grainy and out of focus, lol.
I get sponsored videos. I'm all for people making a living on RUclips. But some of these are just out right lies. Iphonedo just released a video this morning saying that Insta360 asked him not to mention the sponsorship, which is illegal here in the states, and plain wrong and deceptive for us viewers. It's definitely worth watching.
Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment. I'm glad you found it useful!
@@Donny_B I’m also was thinking to return it. But I’m gonna do a trip to mountains later this month and wanna use replace my Action4 with it for that trip. Wanna do some real world experience. And it will show everything. Still thinking that we (people who not really into 360 videos) are missing something. And maybe real ruff test gonna open my eyes. Or not…
@DimaCH yeah, I get it. I still think it has its place and purpose. It's very well made and seems to be pretty durable. Maybe one day we will both be like "oh.....that's what I was missing" haha.
@@Donny_B We will…. When they’ll release Insta360 12k with 1inch sensors on both sides.
@DimaCH and water cooled because you know that thing will be smoking hot 🔥 🥵
Personally I think people can say it’s the best 360 Camera as it is for it’s purpose, there is no other 360 camera that can beat this, yes there is A Go Pro 360 and RS1 inch camera better in low light but not waterproof and a few others. Yes the pocket 3 is better quality with its 1 inch sensor compared to 1/2 inch x3 and X4. But it would not stand up to abuse for extreme sports and that gimbal will break easily and is not waterproof but I would buy one for vlogging and normal non sports use so horses for courses. This and the even smaller insta X3 can do what other cameras can not do for high action sports, yes I get the quality is not as good as a dedicated much larger camera or not as good as pocket 3 or osmo / Go Pro 12 ect but it can not be due to it has to be reframed and loses quality but there is no avoiding this as any 360 camera. A dedicated camera with its full Frame or Acps / micro 4/3rds ect ect ect are all larger sensors and records to its specs and not loss in reframing. It’s just the inherent nature of a 360. You could not strap a huge non water proof camera to say windsurfing kit and expect it to survive and the stabilisation is fantastic, yes it has its flaws but Can’t be this certain applications, for years it was The Go Pro to get such extreme shots for extreme sports as the heritage is for action camera use at the end of the day but people have also found a purpose to use as more versatile drone shots via a long self stick. I’m old can can say I watch films in black and white, laurel and Hardy, Buster Keaton, lots of old black-and-white and early colour war movies and the quality of the film is not that great but it’s the story you get involved in and do not sit there thing about the quality of the film at all. 4K 1080p amd all other advancements has not been around all that long really, oh and I remember VHS and Betamax cassette tape battles and the quality was pretty poor compared to now watching say the insta x3 or x4 ect. I have lots of video shot on tape going back from 70s 80s and you should watch those to compare the quality, but it’s the memories and there is something to be said for old film look as it dictates the era and certainly gives it more of a nostalgic look instead of nowadays what is really very good footage from even cheap cameras. I’m Not having a go at what your saying as yes it’s not as good as dedicated bigger sensor cameras but it’s still very watchable but sort of think everybody nowadays is always getting hung up on it has to be this quality or it’s not that good quality if you get my drift 🤩🤩🤩🥳🥳🥳
Will it take years to get true 4K ?
It seems to advance rather quickly. Even the go3s that just came out has doubled in resolution in just one generation. So hopefully next year we will get true 4k resolution without having to upscale.
Would the import issue be a problem for me? I copy my files to a hard drive prior to importing to my editing programs.
Yeah, it can be pretty taxing on your computer and a spinning hard drive is just not going to have the speed that you need. A Solid State Drive is really what you need for footage like this. Good news is that storage is extremely affordable right now and you can find a 1TB SSD for around $75. Best part about it is you can use it on any computer. Just plug and play. If you need some suggestions, I would be glad to help. Thank you for taking the time to watch and comment
@Donny_B Thanks. Luckily I am also in the market for more storage
I think we're all always looking for more storage! 😉
@Donny_B Unfortunately I always let mine get very low and am forced to cull redundant footage. I am now at bare minimum with no redundant footage left
@landwaterandthewild yep, that's a bummer and I can relate. I bought one of those large capacity external hard drives about a year ago (18Tb Western Digital Expansion) and it is about 80% now. From what I hear, you never really want to max out a drive so I'm now in the market for something that isn't going to cost me my first born child. I've been looking at the Terramaster D5 hybrid and the soon to be released D8 hybrid. You can add more storage as the need grows and it takes both SATA drives and M.2 SSD for about $200 not counting the drives. I'll keep you updated when I get and if I thinks it's worth it
I appreciate your honesty. I've never liked the fish bowl effect those cameras give off when people hang them off the back of their cars. I'm a Keep It Simple Stupid kind of guy when it comes to this stuff. Point, film and easy to edit footage is for me.
I'm right there with you. The last thing I need is more complications!
The 360 cameras has been out for years. When you reframe/crop 360 footage to 16:9 you lose resolution. The x4 footage will be 2.7k after reframing. The 4k on export is 2.7k upscaled. Also the 8k resolution is the combination of two 4k lenses with ~180 fov. 8k is the resolution for the entire 360 footage. Use your brain people.
Well said. This fact, for some reason, has ruffled a lot of feathers. Of all the videos I've published, this has gotten the most hate. I never said it was a bad camera. I even said it was probably a perfect camera for many people. Bottom line is that when you crop, you lose resolution. I do thank you for taking the time to watch and to clarify.
You can export in 4k resolution even though you record in 360 mode. Not sure why you are telling that its only 1440p... people please be aware!
You can export in 4k but the image quality is 2.7k. Many reviewers have talked about this. I have the 6k OneRS 360 and the best image quality output is 1080 however in the editor I can upscale it to 4k but it still looks 1080.
If you’re exporting the reframed video which is just your crop selection from the original 8K then yes, it’s going to be around 2K depending on how zoomed in you are, but that’s fundamental to 360 shooting. You’d need a 16K recording to crop to anything near 8K. But if you’re exporting a 360 video then you can just export it in 8K and that’s what RUclips will play back, but of course RUclips’s 360 viewer is going to show you whatever section of that 8K stream you’re looking at.
Thank you for the reply and the great explanation
I own a go pro max and want DJI osmo to make a 360 camera because they know what people want. I don't like everything about DJI but they seem to be in the lead for small content creators.
I own a go pro max and want DJI osmo to make a 360 camera because they know what people want. I don't like everything about DJI but they seem to be in the lead for small content creators.
Don’t know what he’s talking about.like he said in the beginning I was even paying attention