You may focus on framing the shot later and enjoy being in the moment with 360° cameras. But as soon as you adjust the field of view to a more conventional setting, you’ll see how little detail there is, even with 5.7K cameras like the Insta360 X3, let alone at 4K. A potential remedy to that would be to raise the resolution to 8K.
Introducing the first 8K 360° camera from the firm, the Insta360 X4. It now employs the more efficient H.265 codec (the X3 only supported H.264), and it can capture 8K footage at 30 frames per second. Nevertheless, in order to accommodate the additional resolution, the maximum bitrate for videos has been raised to 200 Mbps (from 120 Mbps).
The Insta360 X4 brings longer battery life
However, if the previous model’s 5.7K resolution sufficed, the X4 is still a worthwhile upgrade because it can now record in 4K at 100 frames per second and 5.7K at 60 frames per second (up from 30 frames per second).
There are also other improvements. For instance, you will ultimately obtain a 4K 30 frames per second movie instead of the 1080p resolution that the X3 could accomplish if you are lazy and activate Me Mode, which keeps you in the frame automatically so you don’t need to process film later.
The 170° field-of-view video camera MaxView can now record in 4K at 60 frames per second instead of 30. The resolution of timelapse videos has increased to 11K from 8K. In summary, the Insta360 X4 is a significant upgrade if the X3 ever felt constrained by resolution or frame rate.
The new model also has improvements for a higher quality of life. To begin with, the touchscreen has been upgraded to a larger 2.5″ panel (from 2.29″) and is protected by Gorilla Glass. To avoid irreversible damage, the camera’s two fish eye lenses also feature detachable lens protectors. A standard version is included in the retail package, while a more robust premium version is also available.
An extensive increase in endurance is provided by the larger 2,290mAh battery (more so than would be implied by a simple comparison with the 1,800mAh capacity of the previous model). 67% longer than the X3, the X4 can run in 5.7K 30 frames per second mode for up to 135 minutes. The battery is depleted in 75 minutes by the new 8K mode.
The camera is rated to dive 10 m/33 ft underwater without the need for additional protection, the same as previously. You can descend 50 meters (164 feet) deeper with the help of an invisible dive case. Moreover, it can operate in frigid temperatures—down to -20°C or -4°F—to record films while skiing. Observe that the camera now weighs 203g, 23g more than before.
The camera’s 5nm AI chip contributes to its enhanced video recording capabilities and extended endurance. The camera continues to employ a 1/2″ sensor that produces 72 MP still images in both INSP and DNG formats.
